Riches of Gratitude

In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more

than we give, and that it is only with gratitude 

that life becomes rich.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This is not an ordinary life that we live in Christ Jesus our Lord. When we live our lives as God has laid out for us in His Word, life far surpasses the ordinary. In Jesus, ordinary life becomes abundant life.

When we learn to live that abundant life with a spirit of gratitude, life is taken to an even richer level. God gives each one of us exceeding abundantly beyond what we could ever give back to Him. But those blessings do absolutely nothing for us unless we are truly, consciously grateful for them! Psalm 103:2 is such a good reminder: "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." We surely can't recall all the blessings God pours upon us, but neither should we forget them all. Let's try to remember as many as we can, shall we? The Lord is oh so worthy of our thanks.

He is worthy of my thanks.

My happy family. I so often take the happiness in my home for granted. We aren't a perfect family but we are richly blessed of God. We are kept from the strife Satan desires to sow in our home. We are well established on the Word of God. And it makes all the difference.

A good, faithful man to call my dad. He trusts God. He keeps on preaching the Word. He works hard to keep our building and vehicle in good repair when the weather keeps wearing them down. He helps me to be a better daughter/future wife even when I don't like his methods. =) I'm beginning to learn how right my dad is when he quietly but firmly says, "Don't argue." And I'm coming to realize that when I do just that with the right spirit, the next time it is a whole lot easier to quench disagreeable words when I feel them rising up in my heart. I need help. I need those firm reminders to stop doing what is wrong (disagreeing) and obey God.  Even if the disagreement seems such a little thing, and you may be right, arguing is never right. A fighting, contentious spirit will get you nowhere, girls. It also opens the door to the work of the enemy. A gentle, agreeable spirit is a blessing but it is very hard to come by. However, peace in our hearts and homes is always worth anything we have to lay down, particularly pride. I mean, really! Which would we rather have: satisfaction in wicked pride or satisfaction in sweet perfect peace? The key is keeping our minds stayed on the LORD JEHOVAH! (Isa. 26:3-4) So, to reiterate, I'm thankful for my dad. =) Having a happy home doesn't happen by accident. It takes work. And it's worth it, praise God!

The grace of God. It is enough and more. These past few months in our ministry have been difficult.  The Lord is keeping us encouraged in the work, but  from all appearances it seems that all our labor in this village over the past six years has come to nothing. Many of our church services have been unattended in the past three months, and attendance is low (one to three people) the rest of the time. If you think to, please pray for our little church, the needy people of our village, and for my pastor-dad. I praise God for the grace we have experienced through this time.

Good Bible preaching on DVD. We have been having "guest preachers" on Wednesday nights for church lately. =) I know it encourages my dad to hear preaching rather than being the one doing it all the time. It's been good for us all.

Our Bible Time children. I thank the Lord for them over and over and over. We have Sunday School for the children at 4 o'clock every Sunday. Around eight children (sometimes more) come faithfully most every week. This is one of God's graces to us. We're reaching the children. The Lord is doing a work in their tender hearts. I don't know how I could carry on without seeing their happy faces every week. God is faithful!!!

81-85.