Author: thinkfulkarin

Th(i)nkful Appointments

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Mission:

Mission for Karin Brown: flight from Istanbul to Kigali, Rwanda, 3:40 am, establish contact with Swedish traveller, share the gospel.

Have you ever seen a clear direct appointment from the Lord? I had one of those recently. It caused me to be full of gratitude. I got to be th(i)nkful!!

David and I travel a good bit. It is part of our job. It is wonderful being in these places, mixing with God’s people, and doing ministry. But traveling here and there as we grow older is challenging, with jet lag, lost luggage, cancelled flights, headaches, contracting illness from a few hundred other people flying in the silver tube, and so on. My husband teaches Ethics and Apologetics and we have as a value that, as much as possible, we like to serve together as a couple. We can experience the joys and trials together and it binds us closer. We also get the privilege of exemplifying what a godly marriage should look like although we are far from perfect and rely heavily on our precious Saviour’s help.

On one Turkish Airlines flight over Saharan Africa, in the early morning hours, we were cruising along in a packed plane. The African gentleman next to me had been quiet the whole trip, wearing earphones most of the time. I want to be ready to share the gospel whenever the opportunity arises, but not push when it doesn’t seem to fit. In fact, I was struggling with a pretty bad headache and some nausea and trying to choose profitable thoughts over grumbling.

Well, all of a sudden it was time! The man next to me began with a question. “Are you getting off in Kigali, Rwanda, or continuing on to Entebbe, Uganda?” I stated that we were going to Uganda and that my husband David was planning to teach a block course in Ethics close to Kampala.

This led to more questions and in time he revealed that he lived in Sweden, but was originally from the Congo. His family had been refugees from the Congo when he was young and had to flee to north Uganda bordering South Sudan. Both of his parents had passed away. They were brought as refugees to Sweden. He now was a Swedish citizen and lives outside Stockholm.

Well, I began to speak Swedish since I am fluent in that language. How sweet and odd to converse with this Congolese man in Swedish! He shared that he had heard about Jesus in the refugee camp and trusted in Christ. He is now married to a lady from the Congo, and they are part of a church called Livets Ord (The Word of Life) in Sweden.

We talked about the gospel and that the only hope for every human is to have a renewed personal relationship with God through the saving work of Jesus. I even got to mention I write this blog and gave him a card to check it out.

Prepared and Ready

A man once said, “When you put a believer and unbeliever together, the only thing you need to do to put both on edge is to mention the word ‘gospel.'” Years ago, I used to be terrified to share the gospel. Would I do it right? Would I leave something important out? If they trusted Christ based on what I told them, would it be a still birth?

Now, many years later, I have had lots of practice, and as with music and sports, it gets much easier with practice. It’s still a little nerve-wracking as I move through a gospel exchange, but it’s God who saves, not me. He opens eyes and hearts. My job is just to listen and to share truth with grace.

Afterward, you feel thankful for whatever truth you were able to speak, even if the Lord uses it to only move them a tiny step closer to saving faith. God gives us grace to think and speak; God gives them grace to see and believe. God gives us more grace to pray for them and be thankful for the encounter. It’s all about grace.

Part of the trick to being thankful about a gospel encounter is to do your preparation before God’s appointments arise. Do I have a list of “What to do if’s”?

  • Do I know the worldview and beliefs of the person to whom I am speaking?
  • Do they need relationship more than truth right now, or truth more than relationship?
  • Can I share the gospel points clearly with confidence?
  • Do I have on my phone verses that could help?
  • Do I have an awareness that there are no mistakes in what God brings into my life and at what time He does this?
  • Do I diligently pray for and look for appointments to reflect Christ?

Do You Have Appointments?

Of course you do! The Lord is shaping you for the work He has prepared for you to do.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

Be quick to sense His leading and obey. You only see a limited view.

Thank you, Father, that You do see the full picture and can be trusted. Help me remember that my job here on earth is to be Your ambassador and reflect Jesus to a needy world.

The Tebow Missionaries

Did you know that Tim Tebow, the American football player, grew up as a missionary kid in the Philippines? I came across this book lately, and have received blessing and challenges from it! Some of the stories and challenges sound familiar.

Pam Tebow shares how she was given multiple appointments to reflect Christ and share the gospel through difficult and challenging times. In fact, the level of difficulty of what she endured turned up the volume on what she was saying. Pick up a copy!

Future Appointments

Next October, Lord willing, we will be in Norway for a conference. David is teaching on developing a Biblical Worldview. I mentioned this to my new contact in the plane flying over Africa. Who knows! Maybe David and I will see him again!

My job is to show gratitude to my Saviour by being available to testify for Him whenever He asks. The fruit is His business.

Be ready! You may have divine appointments coming up.

Wow! She Did It!

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Anna’s Example

Listen to what my friend Anna shared with me:

“You know those weeks where the Lord gives you dramatic opportunities to practice what you say you believe? I’ve had one of those weeks!

Monday, we traveled to OH for a family reunion. Tuesday afternoon, we fell under a tornado warning and soon lost power at the home we were visiting. We watched some crazy wind and rain from the basement, where all 11 of us gathered to wait out the storm. Later reports confirmed 4 tornadoes in the area, one of which was less than a mile from us. The tree and power-line damage we saw on the dark drive to our sleeping place that night was extensive. We had to try multiple routes to even get there, as most of the roads were impassable. 

The next morning, we heard that over 400,000 people were without power! So, we continued the rest of the week together without power and navigating constantly-changing road closures. Needless to say, it will remain a memorable reunion. 

But, in the midst of the inconveniences, I kept thinking about God’s command (and desire) for us to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Th. 5:18). Further, Karin Brown’s blog th(i)nkful has consistently exhorted me to “choose to download grace/strength from the Lord to think thanks about every circumstance in my life and to express that thanks orally or in written form.”

One exercise that she suggests is to make a list of as many things as you can think of to be thankful for in the midst of that difficult task/circumstance. And I needed that this week! 

Instead of focusing on all of the negatives, I started my ‘list.’ I thank the Lord that:

1) Everyone was safe

2) No damage to either house we were staying at

3) We eventually found a way to the parsonage where we were sleeping (even though it took over 4x as long, and we drove under some low hanging power lines and tree branches!!). Thank the Lord for a grid system of roads!

4) The parsonage not only still had running water, but hot water too!

5) The ‘day home’ had large windows letting in lots of daylight

6) It also had a generator to keep the fridge going to keep 12-18 people fed

7) The weather cleared up to allow for playing outside, but also remained semi-cloudy, keeping the temps more comfortable inside

8) One of the young, local cousins (not with us that day due to sickness) ended up having a fever-induced seizure that evening at home, going unconscious, and expertly cared for in an ambulance before being taken to the hospital. They were in a nearby town that was not hit by the tornado, allowing the EMS crew to get there quickly despite the crazy storm damage. 

9) Several in our group are used to dealing with no power, so they were prepared and proactive, keeping us well-cared for….water, food, and “powerless” fun!

10) Lastly, I thank the Lord for the opportunity (even though I still had to work sometimes to see it as such!) to reflect on all His graces to me that I take for granted, but still give thanks for Who He ALWAYS is to me whether I have those conveniences or not. Our Giver is good.

God is honored by our thanksgiving, and I know I express it too infrequently. This was a wonderful week to remind myself of how much I have to thank Him for. May you and I both grow in our ability to think thanks in all circumstances, glorifying the Lord and spurring others on to do the same!“

You, my reader, are now privy to this admonition. Be like Anna. When you are presented with a difficulty or challenge, put thinking thanks into action. Get that list going!

The Only Thing We Need To Do

Do you realize all the opportunities that the Master affords you? Every day when you wake you are given a clean sheet of paper to use for His glory. I love how we don’t have to stay on yesterday’s sheet of paper. You get a new chance to live for the Lord and please Him.

I have come up with 3 D’s of living for His glory. It just helps me stay on course. It is so easy to waste time and energies on things that don’t matter and seep out my strength and focus. Reading through the Scriptures it becomes apparent that it is crucial for me to discover His will. When Jesus walked this earth and exemplified how we should live our lives, He carefully sought to do His Father’s will (John 6:38; Hebrews 10:9). But there is more. I need to not only discern, but also choose to do in obedience what His will is for me. It is a beautiful reality that God has given me enough wherewithal to do His will. What a comfort!

And I would add that just a begrudging or apathetic obedience is not enough. So I have inserted a middle “D.” We should delight in doing the will of the Father. Why? Because we can trust our sovereign Lord. He loves us and does what is best for us. Yes, even when we don’t see it.

  • Discern the Father’s will for me (Romans 12:2)
  • Delight in….. (Psalm 40:8)
  • Doing the Father’s will for me (Matthew 7:21)

Anna, Carla, Me and You

A few months ago our dear friends, Andy and Carla, visited us in Africa. Carla and I discussed the 3 D’s as we walked the beach on the majestic Indian Ocean. If we truly lived by that simple mantra, we would come to the end of our days with no regrets.

On a sober note, you realize, don’t you, that you only get so many days? Perhaps for you or me there are not many left. Wrestle the opportunities to the ground. Don’t waste another day, but instead live life on purpose. Discern what the Lord wants from you today. It may not be what you wanted. Be flexible to His ways. He is “the God of the bend in the road!” Let Him guide your thoughts and direct your choices, and when you come to full knowledge of what His will is, choose to not only do it in obedience, but embrace it! Delight in doing His will. You may not feel it at first. Emotions are fickle, but they come around as you choose to do what is right.

Carla and I walked on the beach and prayed. We prayed for our difficulties and we prayed for us to have God’s perspective. He loves us so. He wants what is best for us. He knows what that best looks like. He asks us to trust in Him with all our hearts.

Walking The Talk

I have been working on a manuscript for a book on Th(i)nkful. One thing I am clearly reminded of is that if I want to teach others, I have to be tested as well. So lately I have had lots of opportunities to practice what I preach. It’s not easy!! To choose gratitude when you are hurting, when you feel like you will never be fully well again, takes grace from the LORD. Remember though that He wants to give that grace to us as we come to Him with our burdens and cares.

How will you put into practice what you believe?

What will your sheet of paper look like today?

Hard Times Harder

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Can Hard Get Harder?

“Oh, no!” a friend cried out as she lost her balance and fell to the floor. Her left wrist caught her fall and yielded to a small bone fracture.

My dear friend ended up in the emergency room, had to have her ring cut off, and her left hand is now out of commission for four weeks, right during the holidays!

In a totally different part of the world my dear daughter in the Lord, Adaleen, also had a challenging Christmas. She went to worship with the church on Christmas Day and then returned to her tiny apartment and enjoyed Christmas all alone.

She writes:

It was so peaceful
Gave thanks to the Lord
Opened my gifts
I ate until I couldn’t move 😄
And then took a little nap🙏🏽

“The hardest time to go through a hard time is in the good times.”

David Brown

Another friend and coworker is missing a recently deceased spouse. The internal conflict of going through that first Christmas without a special someone is legendary.

Suffering a broken wrist when you want to serve others in the kitchen, or being alone at a time when family gathers, or navigating a joyful season when your life partner will no longer share it with you. These things are hard…..

……but even harder at Christmas.

Why Is It So Difficult?

We have an expectation inside of what is right and good, and when Christmas comes, and one or more of those conditions are not there, it exaggerates the pain. Imagine Christmas without any music. Or Christmas without any lights or decorations anywhere. It would just seem so wrong, downright disturbing and dystopian.

But play the music and put up decorations everywhere, and then imagine Christmas where you cannot participate in any meaningful way due to illness, injury, or responsibilities elsewhere, or Christmas without dear ones who have passed away. Again, it just seems wrong. The radiance of the Advent turns up the contrast on the darkness in your heart. I remember when my mom died that I didn’t want Christmas to come. I wanted to avoid it because it hurt so much.

I often think of the advice given to Ciara when she returned home from quadruple amputation last year. Her friend told her to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

She wanted to give up. It was too hard, but God gave her grace to pursue gratitude and trust in a sovereign God. She started to think thanks. Her slogan has become Always grateful.

You choose to think the right thoughts. It’s a work in progress. We fall. We get back up. We choose to be strong and let our hearts take courage, we who wait on the LORD (Psalm 31:24).

You download grace from the LORD’s inexhaustible storehouse to think thanks in every circumstance.

This is not easy! This is maturity above immaturity. This is warfare of the mind!

“I WILL offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the LORD.”

Psalm 116:17

It’s a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Sacrifices costs you something!!

Processing the Hard

You don’t ignore the pain. You are allowed to pour out your heart to the Lord. You can do it in anguish even, but run to Him with your pain and not away from Him. He wants to make you better, steadfastly faithful through this, more like His Son, Jesus.

Learning to search for thankful thoughts when you are sad and struggling is a feat indeed.

My friend Debbie, who broke her wrist did that. In fact, she found comfort and inspiration in Ciara’s godly response. How beautiful is that!!

Ciara and Debbie are both worshipping God with their gratitude in the midsts of their pain and frustration. It is like pouring fertilizer on their reward one day in heaven.

We don’t get to choose what kind of tests the Lord will take us through. He chooses our crosses. But we get to choose how we respond.

Having a friend to walk with you during these times is helpful. Just to express to that friend:

“Yes, it is hard, but I am choosing to think on truth.”

  • The Lord has not left me (Isaiah 43:2, Hebrews 13:5b)
  • It could have been worse (Revelation 16:17-21)
  • It will pass; even if it lasts as long as this earthly life, we are headed to a Celestial City where there is no more pain (Hebrews 11:14-16, 12:22-29, Revelation 21:4)
  • God’s Word is a rock of refuge to us (Psalm 71:3a)
  • Others may gain inspiration from me thinking thanks which in turn brings more glory to God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Embrace the Hard

I am challenging myself here, as well as seeking to inspire you, to not run away from the “hard,” but instead face it, run toward it, embrace it. You will get through it!!

Step by step, download grace. Cry out to the Lord for help and think thanks!

My two friends who are downloading grace to think thanks in their hard times.

Joy Fuel

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Your Joy-Fuel Gauge

This girl brings me joy. 😃 She is a “fueler” for me, not a “drainer” – spending time with her increases my joy, settles peace in my heart, and expands my imagination. She mentioned that the song by Steph Schlueter entitled, “Counting My Blessings,” is one of her favorites. 🎶

Most of us are very familiar with the fuel gauge in our cars. It reflects what level of fuel is in the tank. But, try to picture an “emotional gauge” inside of you. It reflects how much strength and resilience you have in your “emotional tank” to meet new events and people and struggles each day. People who care a lot and give a lot can empty their emotional tank. If they do it too often without sufficiently refueling, they will struggle with burnout. And your emotional gauge affects your physical and spiritual gauges as well; these three are tied together.

There are several fuels that can slowly refill your emotional tank, like peace and solitude and meditating on God’s truth. But there is nothing like the fuel called “joy.” Joy is the #1 fuel for your emotional tank. When you have no joy, you can barely move forward. But joy acts like a medicine.

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10

So, where can you get this fuel? What is the level of your joy storage to refuel your emotional tank? Is it brimming to the fullest and pouring over?

Joy Is Different

Most of you already know that joy and happiness are not the same. Happiness is a response to positive external happenings; happiness disappears when things go sour. Joy is an internal mindset that sustains you when things are sweet or sour. So, how can you get this “internal frame of mind?”

Meg Bucher gave us the insight that “Happiness is a reaction to something great. Joy is the product of someone great.” True joy is connected to the Creator. In the biblical worldview,

Joy is my calm enthusiastic confidence in the presence of God’s face shining on me, the goodness of God’s character, and the perfection of God’s sovereign plans. In short, God’s delight in me, God’s kindness to me, and God’s control in my life.

We can differentiate joy and happiness in several ways, including:

  • Source: Joy is a fruit of the internal workings of the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22), while happiness comes from things outside of me (having a flowing spring within rather than seeking a stream nearby – John 4:14).
  • Duration: Joy is a long-lasting state of being, while happiness is temporary and fleeting.  
  • Origin: Joy is developed internally, while happiness is achieved externally. 
  • Nature: Joy is a deep enthusiastic peace that comes from within, while happiness is an outward reflection of circumstances. Happiness may be more animated than joy, but joy has more staying power over time and through hardships.

Creating the Fuel of Joy

How do we create the fuel of joy? We extract it from God’s truth and from deposits God has placed within our circumstances. It takes a choice. It takes thought. We must choose to meditate on the good things that God has given us. Being th(i)nkful is what creates the fuel of joy.

Even if our circumstances are not that great, we stop and think for a bit, and find these deposits of joy. In fact, we are to count it all joy when we face trials. Why? God is building long-term virtue in us, and God loves long-term virtue in His children. Our calm enthusiastic confidence in God’s love, goodness and perfect plans for us fuels and sustains our steadfastness when driving down the sometimes long road of sorrow and heartache. Joy heals. Joy gives power.

Gratitude is the first step to building joy into our lives…

Jim Wilder

We are at God’s table every day, and it is free, whatever we have. It is accounted very unmannerly for a man at his friend’s table to find fault with things…Now when we are at the table of God (for all God’s administrations to us are his table)…for us to be finding fault and to be discontented is a great aggravation of our sin.

Jeremiah Burrough, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

So many of us are trouble-shooters, problem-solvers, which has a nasty side effect – we spend our days focusing on trouble and problems. True, we can’t just live all day in the bliss of thankfulness and militant contentedness where we leave everything a mess and get nothing done. But in our mornings and evenings, and repeatedly oscillating throughout the day, we need to focus on things we are thankful for.

Think the thanks, express the thanks, remember and honor the One to whom the thanks is due. You are creating the fuel of joy for your emotional tank. The ancient word “rejoice” means to intensify joy by repeating it, recalling it, and expanding upon it. It is a sister to being th(i)nkful.

“I do not think the church rejoices enough. We all grumble enough and groan enough: but very few of us rejoice enough.”

Charles Spurgeon

Why Invest in Joy Fuel?

Perhaps the first reason should be because God asked us to rejoice in Him (Philippians 4:4), to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and to even rejoice and give thanks when we face persecution (Matthew 5:11-12).

But also, when we purposefully develop a habit of gratitude, and discover the huge deposits of joy in the discipline of thankfulness, we become gospel-contagious. So few people in this world see joy. Their eyes and hearts are heavy with sorrow, regret, and guilt. A joyful person is an anomaly. Many people are skeptical when they see a truly joyful person. “Why are they being that way? That can’t be real.” But a follower of Jesus who knows the gospel well has a treasure trove of things to be thankful for and joyful about.

Most of you know this good news, but some do not, so read this carefully. Jesus of Nazareth was God in human form who came to die in our place and for our sins to save us from God’s judgment. Hundreds saw him after he rose from the dead, and the news of his teachings, death, burial, and resurrection has spread around the world. One day soon, Jesus is returning to planet earth.

A person can only be forgiven of their lifetime of sins when he or she believes in what Jesus did and asks God to save them (Romans 10:9-10). When someone turns from their sin to the Savior, God declares them fully righteous in His court, gives them spiritual rebirth, adopts them as His children, and sends His Spirit to live inside them beginning the lifetime work of transforming them to become more like Jesus. They have peace with God and begin to experience the peace of God.

When Christians sin, we can confess that to Him, be cleansed from that unrighteousness and be restored to the joy of a clean conscience. That joy is catchy! Joy is attractive. Your obedience in cultivating thankfulness and joy could be the catalyst that brings another to Christ!

“You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.”

Psalm 4:7

The Earth Belongs to the Lord

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In What Do You Trust?

When the familiar is shaken and threatened, what do we do?

Many in Southeastern United States got the opportunity to experience that challenge recently.

Hurricane Helene was a devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread destruction and fatalities across the Southeastern United States in late September 2024. It caused over 230 deaths and hundreds are still missing. Thousands were without power for many, many days. People drowned, or were swept away. Many lost everything they owned because of flooding and erosion.

But how about you and me? How do we respond when health, employment, finances, relationships, cultures, or elections are swept away? In times of feeling shaken to the core, how do we process what is happening? Has God given us direction on what to do?

“Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” – Psalm 46:2-3

It seems frustrating to read a command that we not fear when we feel fear pumping through our bodies. Joshua felt scared entering Canaan. The disciples felt scared on a raging sea. We feel scared at times, and with good reason – I have faced guns, lions, charging elephants, and presidential elections here in South Africa. Fear is a natural response that God has built in to protect us.

On Second Thought

The ray of hope comes in what we choose to think as our second thought, in what we choose to meditate on as we fear and flee. What are the tent pegs that anchor our souls? How can we possibly think thanks in those situations?

1. God is sovereign. He controls the details, tiny and vast, of what is happening around me and to me, and can be trusted with what He allows. Nothing can happen to me outside of His control, and everything has been filtered through the sieve of His love for me.

“[The Most High] does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’” – Daniel 4:35

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” – Romans 8:28-29

2. God promises He will never leave me or forsake me. He does not exempt me from storms, floods, and fires; sometimes He calls me to them. But always, He is with me as a teacher, comforter, coach, and helper.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” – Isaiah 43:1-3

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” – Hebrews 13:5-6, see also Psalm 37:25-28

Th(i)nkful in the Storm

I am reading through the book of Job with a few people and have been again reminded of what the key is for Job in his horrible storm. He needed to get a good, clear view of how big our Creator God is (Job 38-42). What his friends needed to remind him of is that God is God and we may not understand all of His purposes and greater plans, but we can trust His character.

As I become confident of God’s compassion, graciousness, steadfast love and faithfulness to His own, I can pursue thinking thanks in all circumstances. I can find peace and calmness of soul though the storm may rage all around me. In Hebrews 11’s “Hall of Faith,” most of God’s people went through uprooting or some kind of storm of suffering. Many, like God’s Son, gave their lives in the center of God’s will and in the bull’s eye of God’s favor.

When my husband’s mom passed away, his brother Jeff shared with us a song by Casting Crowns that had been helpful for him as he grieved mom’s death.

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say amen
And it’s still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I’ll raise my hands
And praise the God who gives
And takes away

[Chorus] And I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

Gathering My Thoughts During a Gale

What a comfort to remind ourselves that God has me in this storm by His design, with His purposes, and for His glory. He is fully aware of the details in my life. In fact, He is the author of, and sovereign over, those details.

A dear friend shared this as she is in the middle of a big storm in her life.

What great reminders in the middle of the storm that we can think thanks about.

The Lord calms storms.

“And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” – Matthew 8:26

The Lord is a shelter from the storm.

“For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat…” – Isaiah 25:4

We can hide under His wings till the storm passes.

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.” – Psalm 57:1

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty… He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge.” – Psalm 91:1, 4

The Lord will be with me in the storm and eventually bring me out of the storm.

“Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” – Psalm 107:28-29

It is better to fear the Lord than the storm; God wants me to focus on Him and to call on Him.

“… and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?'” – Luke 8:23-25

His Word Gives Perspective

Yes, I realize that I used A LOT of Scripture in this post. That is a key in storms. I must get above them, get up to God’s point of view. Run to the Word for help!! Feed on the Word, sing it, quote it out loud, memorize and meditate on the Word. God is our rock of refuge and we can run to Him continually.

Maybe it would be a good idea to write out some of these soul anchoring verses to remember.

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott

His Promises Give Life

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Psalm 119:50

Do you ever watch or listen to Joni and Friends? Recently, I was struggling with a headache. That is not unusual for me; I have had many headaches over the years. I was intrigued by the way Joni handled her pain. She described inviting the Lord Jesus to her pain. When the talons gripped her body, she would breathe deeply and run to Jesus for His view on things.

“This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your promise gives me life.”

Psalm 119:50

Meditating on the promises in God’s Word – that He is there with us, that He knows the details, that He cares about the pain and suffering, that He has sovereign purposes and plans – brings life, an ability to cope, even thrive, and have hope. What a beautiful thought that is! God loves us and meets us in our difficulties as well as our joys, if we invite Him to them.

Thanking God for the Affliction

In Psalm 119, there is another text that deals with affliction.

“If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life.”

Psalm 119:92-93

The Psalmist expresses gratitude for God’s law and His precepts because without them he would have perished.

Do I know how to be thankful for my affliction?

Seems so wrong to give thanks for things that are so hard. But I remember how James admonishes me to count it joy when I have different trials (James 1:2-4).

“There is a purpose for the suffering.”

Dr. Santie McCracken, Grace-Toti ladies’ Bible study on I Peter

What kind of purpose could God possibly have in my suffering?

Oh, the answers are multiple. We know from His Word that God’s goal in our lives is to conform us to the image of His dear Son Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). That is the “good” mentioned in Romans 8:28 toward which God is orchestrating everything that happens to us. The heat of the suffering is an excellent tool that can help accomplish that goal. There are more reasons. Here are a few to consider:

  • God is justly allowing sin’s curse on the earth to take its natural course, the earth is broken and longing for redemption.
  • God is refining me, freeing me from some vice and building virtue in me (the greater good)
  • God is jolting me to get me really searching for Him in prayer and in the Bible.
  • God is equipping me to be a compassionate comfort and strength to others.
  • God is equipping me for greater service; expanding the scope of my influence.
  • God is freeing me from trust and dependence of things, teaching me that He is the only thing I should hold on to.
  • God is opening a door for me to share my faith and show God’s love.
  • God wants me to long for a better place – this is not our home.
  • God is privileging us to share in His suffering
  • God is increasing our rewards – glory in heaven is directly linked to suffering well now.
  • God is demonstrating that He can sustain and keep His children faithful.

What Promises Do You Cling to?

No doubt you also have some sort of affliction. It is seemingly impossible to go through this life with no kind of affliction. You may have grown accustomed to processing things well with thanksgiving and can’t really think of any affliction at the moment. That is fantastic! But most of us have some type of difficulty that God is using to shape us.

I wonder what promises you cling to in God’s Word as you endure those afflictions? Perhaps it is a hymn or song that brings comfort. I want to encourage you to have your stash of truths ready to go when needed. Hide verses and edifying songs in your heart so that at any time they can be called on to build you up in the Lord.

The biggest promise that never fails is that soon our “Blessed Hope” will come for us.

“waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”

Titus 2:13

One day all pain will be gone. How can I say that? Because of Revelation 21:4.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Psalm 119:67, 71, 75

Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep your word.

It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes.

I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

Job 35:16

He delivers the afflicted by their affliction
and opens their ear by adversity.

Endorsement

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A Scientific Study in Brain-Psychology

In this excerpt from a recent article dated May 22, 2024, notice what the secular scientific community has observed are the effects of thinking thanks:

Brain scans have shown that expressing gratitude activates the prefrontal cortex, a crucial area responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation. This neurological activation prompts the release of dopamine, the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter, enhancing mood, increasing motivation, and sharpening attention.

Over time, a consistent gratitude practice goes beyond ephemeral emotions — it fosters lasting changes in the brain. By engaging regularly in gratitude practices, like journaling, mindful reflection, and expressing thanks, we modify our neural pathways, transforming a simple act of thankfulness into a sustainable habit. This habit enhances our mental resilience and facilitates a more optimistic outlook with ease, establishing a solid foundation for emotional stability. 

https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/why-gratitude-may-be-your-brains-best-friend

Interesting!! This is not from a biblical source. But laboratory science once again testifies that what God has exhorted us to do is really healthy for us to do.

Our “Take” on the Matter

When we take the time to process, and we deliberately choose to discover things for which to give thanks, we are opting to have a certain take. We could select things about which we are especially aggravated in the same situation, and would thereby go for a completely different take on the matter.

You decide what you can “take” from any situation. You may say, “I cannot help myself. I naturally notice all the flaws, shortcomings, and disadvantages.” I would like to suggest that you don’t have to. You can formulate new thinking patters. God will help you as you call out to Him for grace to obey His command in Ephesians 5:20.

“giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

What God has called us to do doesn’t feel natural at first, but it is definitely beneficial. The article referenced above reinforces the emerging data that the habit of thinking gratitude is good for you. Your emotional wellbeing is improved, as well as ability to sleep, to name a few benefits. Those are good reasons to pursue being thinkful, but of much more importance is the exhortation from the Creator of the human brain Himself. Even if you did not receive those physical health benefits, it would be very good for you to develop this mental discipline, purely to be obedient to our Creator God.

Do You Have Feet on Your Intentions?

May I encourage you to begin today?

Even if it would just be one item a day for which you give thanks … in a year, that would 365 items.🎉 It doesn’t actually take much energy to choose to be different, to deliberately have a different take on people and situations. However, it does take forethought. You need to actively plan to pursue gratitude, because the natural human disposition is to be negative.

Sanctification is the process of God molding you to be more and more like Jesus. Following Christ’s example, and choosing to think thanks, is possible as the Spirit works in you. Through prayer, you can ask Christ for his enabling help throughout the day …

  • to pause your action or talk,
  • to scan all aspects of your situation,
  • to select something or someone in it or around it for which you can be thankful,
  • to express that thankfulness verbally or in written form, and
  • to thereby develop those neural pathways.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18

Let God start formulating in you the habit to think thanks and enjoy the natural consequences!

Your Past Can Be Your Friend

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Past Helps

A storm was brewing visibly on the horizon. I could smell that familiar scent of fear.

How could I handle this new trial? I didn’t want more hurdles to feverishly conquer. I just wanted peace, no more problems that disturb and bring up unwanted memories from my past.

Have you ever read the book, “Putting Your Past In Its Place?” I am going through it presently in two different counseling cases. I appreciate Steve Viars’ easy-to-understand style and the way he organizes difficult elements of a person’s past.

One of the chapters describes how our past can be our worst enemy, but in the next chapter he points out that our past can also be our best friend. It depends on how you process what happened, and what God was doing as it happened. He brings out two examples from the Scriptures – David and Job.

In I Samuel 17 David is presented with Goliath’s taunts to the armies of Israel. David overhears the vulgar threats that Goliath is spewing out. Although not a part of the army, David expresses that he is willing to go and fight this giant. He describes to those who try to stop him that in his past God helped him to kill the lion or the bear that came to take one of his sheep that he was watching. He recalled the past blessing of God and it poured courage over him to again trust the LORD for the present challenge.

Likewise in Job 2:10, Job is hit with intense difficulties, even to the point where his wife urges him to curse God and die. But Job responds with:

“Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”

Job remembered all the good God had showered upon him. He let his past help him process his present.

Thankfulness Builds a Resevoir

Developing thinkful neural pathways in your brain can actually reshape a hard past into a faithful friend. You learn to recognize God’s fingerprints. You see deeper than the scarred surface. You record day after day blessings from God that He graciously bestows. You learn to trust this incredible God that is sovereign and loves His children deeply.

You develop a knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2b-3). This knowledge, this mental thinkfulness, prepares you so that when you are faced with new challenges, you can call on your past as a trusted friend for perspective, wisdom, comfort, and courage.

Rehearsing the Past

God commanded the children of Israel to teach their children about how God had helped them in the past.

“… when your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘what do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground. For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

Joshua 4:21-24

It is the Father’s will for us to remember how He helped us in the past, and by remembering, we would be emboldened to trust more presently.

God tells us in Romans 15:4 that whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Begin Building

Prepare yourself today for the battles coming tomorrow. Develop thinkful patterns to equip yourself to fight the sorrow and doubts that will doubtless tempt you in days to come. Have a reserve of trusted friends from the past that will testify to your shaking faith that indeed our God IS faithful! He helped us in the past and He will help us now. He will not leave nor forsake us. He will not stop loving us. He will weave all things together for our good, conforming us steadily into the image of Jesus. And one day He will come for us. Why? Because He promised and He never lies!!

LET THE PAST BECOME YOUR FRIEND!

“Careful readers will recognize that what we are really talking about here is thanksgiving. Both Job and David developed the discipline of acknowledging God’s blessing and continually building a reservoir of memories and lessons from which to draw.”

Stephen Viars, Putting Your Past In Its Place, page 52

Picture from my past where my family was sharing about Jesus

Th(i)nkful Anniversary

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7 Years

Today has been seven years since the first Th(i)nkful post was published!!

https://thinkful.blog/2017/05/07/first-blog-post/

There have now been 35,705 views in 134 countries!! Praise God! I had no idea that God would be able to use something like this for His glory. Praise Him forever!!

Background

The reason we celebrate anniversaries is usually to help us remember. Take the Passover for example and how God wanted the children of Israel to remember – so He told them to celebrate every year.

In 2016 David and I had a great sorrow.

We had purchased and fixed up a tiny little cottage in the Northwoods of Wisconsin close to a Christian university where we envisioned that we would spend our remaining days serving the Lord by training tomorrow’s Christian leaders. BUT, that was not God’s vision for our future. He closed that school down. We were left with having to sell our little home and discover through the Shepherd’s guidance what next steps He had for us. Now eight years down the road we can see at least part of the reason. He wanted us back in southern Africa. There was more for us to do.

But back then, it was hard and we felt low. I remember distinctly that the Lord impressed upon me that I needed to be thankful even in my pain. It catapulted me into researching what it meant in the Scriptures to obey those commands of giving thanks in everything, in all circumstances. Our emotions were urging us to discouragement and even despair, but meditating on our faithful God and His ways began to upend the heaviness. Our eyes were pulled upward to get a different perspective. This life is not what it is all about. This life is a vapor James tells us in 4:14. We are headed to a Celestial City where all will be set right (Hebrews 13:14).

“Receive every inward and outward trouble, every disappointment, pain, uneasiness, temptation, darkness, and desolation, with both thy hands, as a true opportunity and blessed occasion of dying to self, and entering into a fuller fellowship with thy self-denying, suffering Saviour.”

William Law, 17-Century Puritan

God was teaching me to choose to think thanks for all things that come my way. He was shaping me to be more conformed to the image of His Son, and He may use any means that He sees fit to accomplish that task. It is good.

As I now accumulate more and more days under my belt and get closer to the finishing line, whether by death or the rapture, I am becoming convinced that every minute is a gift and only as we discern the Father’s will and delight in doing it with thankfulness do we truly live without regrets.

One thing I can say from experience is that writing out my thinkful list every evening has become easy and delightful. It’s not hard at all. God is so good to us. His character, promises and sovereignty are trustworthy and dependable.

“God is faithful“

I Corinthians 10:13

Enablers

These are our children. They are all grown now, but such a joy in our lives. Our son Nicolas is the one who encouraged me to start the blog to see if there would be any interest in reading on this topic. Our daughter Stephanie is the one who helped me create the word “th(i)nkful.”

But the one who has tirelessly helped me the most is my beloved husband David. He edits every one of these blog posts and gives input.

Looking Ahead

So, looking forward in time, I want to maybe publish a Th(i)nkful book, if God wills. Maybe it can be a tool God further uses to inspire people to cultivate thinking thanks in whatever situation they find themselves.

God’s Word lays out the exhortation.

“giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Ephesians 5:20

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I Thessalonians 5:18

What About You?

How are your thinkful neural pathways doing? Have you established a pattern that is easy to maintain because you consistently follow God’s command? Are you reflecting to others the Lord Jesus Christ by the way you process things that come your way?

One way to start that process is to get a little journal and every day write a few things down for which you think thanks to God. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Maybe a minute or two.

If you like, you could get one of these African thinkful journals, made locally here, but you don’t need a fancy leather one. You could just get a cheap one. You just need space to write a few things down.

Example

Grace is my friend and co-worker in the gospel. She asked me about four years ago if I would hold her accountable every week to think thanks. So every Monday we send each other a text with a list of things that we are thankful for. Most times when I finish reading her list I am so full of praise myself. Her example is contagious and very becoming. I think thanks to God for Grace.

God’s Book of Remembrance

Did you know that God wrote a remembrance journal?

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. ‘They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.’”

Malachi 3:16-17

How beautiful to think of the Lord listening to us talk to each other of how we are thankful for Him!

Let’s be known for thinking thanks for all God is doing and has done. He is greatly to be praised!!

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.”

Psalm 145:3-4

Creating Pearls

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An Irritant???

Have you ever become annoyed or frustrated at something that irritates you or ruins your normal comfort and just won’t go away?

Like if a little stone gets in your shoe while you are walking … and you think, “whoa, what got in there?” But you try to keep going … then reassess, “ugh, it’s not going away; this is irritating.” You try and shake your foot around as you’re walking to get the pebble to a more innocuous spot … only to realize you’re being watched by other curious people. So, you stop and sit down; you’ve got to address the irritation and get it out. With that tiny bit of God’s creation removed, you are just so thankful for the change and the relief.

What if you couldn’t get the irritant out? What if you needed to accept the truth that the irritant would be present longterm? Neither your will nor your arms could remove it?

The Making of Pearls

An oyster is part of the mollusk family. When they sense an irritant, like a parasite or piece of grit, that has lodged in their shell, they have no arms to remove the irritant. But God has exquisitely designed them to slowly secrete layers of aragonite and conchiolin (the rainbow-like iridescent coating often called nacre) to coat the invader. In time, those secretions day after day turn an irritant into a pearl.

The oyster or mussel slowly secretes layers of aragonite and conchiolin, materials that also make up its shell, to form nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, which encases the irritant and protects the mollusk from it.

Natural History Museum

How incredible is that?? Something that irritates and causes frustration is dealt with using a process that in time creates a pearl, a gemstone of great value. Only God!!

Irritating People

I have been musing on this concept. Could I respond like an oyster to irritating things in my life? Weather conditions, financial conditions, or health conditions that are outside my control? That’s hard!!

People can also be an enormous source of irritation or frustration in life. Perhaps you are thinking of someone right now? They may be within your immediate family, extended family, in your church, or a colleague at work. Perhaps you avoid the irritation by simply avoiding contact.

We live in South Africa, a nation with a history of apartheid (1948-1988), which could be simplistically described as state-enforced separation of people who were irritating to each other. There are eleven official languages and even more cultures here. There are many people-groups supposedly trying to live together in harmony, but the irritation breaks through far too often.

As humanity, we are very much in the same boat: God created us all in His image and likeness, and we are all fallen, sinful, and broken. Similarly, the Bible is for all people groups. It transcends eras, cultures, and individual preferences. And the two-fold Great Commandment, woven throughout its pages, is to love God supremely and your neighbor (created in His image) as yourself.

Nacre of the Spirit

Could we respond like the oyster when irritations occur? What if we did our own “nacre” around irritating challenges? If we have idols in our heart where we love control, love comfort, and love people-pleasing, then we will not respond well to irritants or irritating people. Idols create a “no-nacre zone.”

Loving someone means either overlooking their faults, praying and searching for subtle ways to help them work on their faults, or committing to help make up the difference where their faults may cause a problem. Loving someone is using my own Spirit-enabled internal resources (nacre) to absorb their oddities, prickles, and dysfunctions, and not let them irritate me. I stay when I could walk away. Love is accommodating someone’s weakness while you are thankful for, and celebrate, what is good. This applies to relatives. This applies to orphans. This applies to witchdoctors. This applies to people in other political parties.

Here is a for instance. In your office you need to closely monitor a coworker from a very different culture … different morals, a different work ethic, and different views of authority. They look different and they value things that are totally out of your orbit. Irritants abound!

BUT….. there are some very beautiful things about them as well. What if you choose to search for ways to think thanks to God even for them? You might express one thing that you are thankful for in them each day.

  • You could express your thankfulness for them in prayer to God (as you also ask God to fix them … and fix your heart so that you can show selfless love to them)
  • You could write your thankfulness in your th(i)nkful journal, or even better …
  • You could express your thankfulness to the coworker for something you have noticed in them!

When we choose to meditate and express our thanks for those beautiful things, it is like applying nacre in the making of the pearl. Perhaps I need to get into the pearl-making business! May I learn to put th(i)nkful nacre around my irritants, especially humans that God has put in my life for a purpose. I could become very rich with all my pearls!