Godliness with Contentment is Great Gain

April 2, 2018May 22, 2019 / thinkfulkarin / 4 Comments

The Battle for Contentment

Contentment is being totally at peace with having nothing more and nothing else. It is therefore the greatest wealth a person can have. Contentment is simply wanting only what I already have. There is no angst; no imagining, no further search.

Have you ever felt totally content? OK, maybe after a big meal on a soft couch when you are dosing off to sleep. Most internet pictures for contentment have people relaxing in tranquil surroundings. But have you ever chosen, independent of circumstances, to be content? It seems almost impossible for us as humans. The relentless stream of advertisements on TV or websites are designed to ensure that we are never content; after all, one week of nationwide contentment could destroy our economy!

We all, it seems, have the “dis-ease of discontent.” Our hearts long for more comfort and convenience, greater perfection in our things and relationships. We try to satisfy this internal quest for harmony and heaven by relentlessly striving to achieve it here and now. So, we never have enough or have it exactly right. We are discontent.

The Source of Contentment is Within

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures, writes that the “godliness with contentment” mentioned in 1 Timothy 6:6 is the best virtue combination a believer can have. The first is vertical; the second horizontal. Both come from within. Both are independent of our outward circumstances and physical conditions. Both communicate, “all I need is a deep relationship with God – not much else matters.” Lloyd-Jones points out that this brings great gain, a phrase not often used in Scripture. Contentment is the greatest wealth.

Contentment and Ambition

But are we to become a blob? Can athletes and scholars and artists achieve great things while being content? The Scripture is clear that we can have godly ambition.

Firstly, we should have an insatiable quest to know, love and serve Him with our whole heart and life (Psalm 27:4. 63:1, Philippians 3:10). I must never become content in my spiritual life.
Secondly, we should push to wholeheartedly do with excellence things that honor God by reflecting His image in us (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:23-24). We must be content with the gifts, appearance, power and possessions He has given us, but then use them all wholeheartedly for His glory.

Ungodly ambition is the drive for fame, validation, power, wealth, possessions and pleasures to fill up a personal void with the stuff that promises happiness and satisfaction … and that stuff will never be enough. This is why Puritan writers felt that ambition was one of the most deceitful sins. Many leaders “attempt great things for God” out of unholy ambition.

Being Th(i)nkful Brings Contentment

When I learn the discipline of thinking thanks, contentment oozes slowly into my heart. Gratefulness focuses on what I have, not on what I lack. It takes away the fuel of discontent; the fire goes out. Nothing really changes in my life, except for what I am thinking about and expressing. I choose to be th(i)nkful.

David and I are moving back to South Africa in a few months. We will go alone to this land; we will leave family behind. We plan to study the Zulu language diligently, and then teach the Bible, theology and counseling to emerging Zulu leaders, and help them begin a church-planting movement.

As I am thinking about the changes that lie ahead, there are days when I struggle to think thanks. I am tempted to think about precious children and grandchildren who will be out of reach. That is so hard and heavy for me. But when I think about how God has given me joys in the journey that are undoubtedly His fingerprints of mercy, I am th(i)nkful. He will help us. He will measure out grace. I have already started a th(i)nkful list about our move.

Join me in the discipline of thinking thanks so that together we can cultivate contentment, and in the process become more godly.

Godliness with Contentment is of Great Gain ~ I Timothy 6:6

Th(i)nkful Tree

March 26, 2018March 27, 2018 / thinkfulkarin / Leave a comment

My Friend’s Th(i)nkful Tree

Back in October, I spoke at a ladies’ retreat and shared about the concept of being th(i)nkful. There was a precious lady present at that retreat that took the th(i)nkful idea and owned it for herself.

In this post I want to share what she did.

My friend bought a leaf cutter from Hobby Lobby craft store (using the 40% coupon) :). She then went to Walmart and asked if she could have paint-color samples. She took the paint-color sample papers and cut out ‘leaves.’

She would gather spring colors, or fall colors, or just do all one color depending on what she wanted . She cut out quite a few leaves and then had a good thin permanent marker to write on the leaf. Every day she would write the date and one thing she was thankful for on a paper leaf. She then would attach the leaf to a little “tree” that she had made.
It displayed the leaves. She brought the tree and the leaves to show me one evening when we were speaking at a missions conference at her church.

My heart was so encouraged. Here she had taken the principle of thinking thanks and put feet to it in her own life. She shared that this had helped her so much in establishing a thought pattern of looking for things to be th(i)nkful for. Just perfect!!!!

What Do You Do to Promote Gratitude?

Having a heart that is full of gratitude is not a natural thing. It is the work of the Spirit that helps us develop such a heart. It is so good for us to learn to be thankful for all things, whether good or bad. Our hearts can choose be thankful and express that thankfulness in clever ways that inspire others.

Th(i)nkful: a determined choice to download grace/strength from the Lord to think thanks about every circumstance in my life and to express that thanks orally or in a written form.

The Pyramids of Egypt

March 19, 2018March 27, 2018 / thinkfulkarin / 2 Comments

Intrigue from the Pyramids

The Great Pyramid at Giza outside Cairo, Egypt, is the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to still exist. We visited there a couple weeks ago on our way to a teaching assignment in Alexandria. Riding the camels at the pyramids was a lifelong dream.

CONSTRUCTION: No one knows how Pharaoh Khufu built his Great Pyramid back in 2560 BC, 500 years before Abraham. It included 2.3 million blocks weighing 20+ tons each. If they finished it in 20 years, that would mean laying a block every 4 minutes, day and night so tightly that you can’t fit a piece of paper between them! It was 480 feet tall, the tallest building in the world for 3800 years.

We walked the base – 760 feet long – and it is perfectly horizontal to within a half inch. The perimeter was 2x pi of the height, what is known as phi or the Golden Ratio. The orientation of the pyramid to true north was better than almost any modern building. In fact, with today’s technology, we could not reconstruct this pyramid.

ASTRONOMY: Triangular casing stones used to line the pyramids creating a smooth shining surface. At the spring equinox on March 21st of each year, light came down the north side for the first time that year.

The Egyptians believed the dark area of the night sky around which the stars appear to revolve was the physical gateway into heaven. One of the narrow shafts that extend from the main burial chamber through the entire body of the Great Pyramid points directly towards the center of this part of the sky. This suggests the pyramid may have been designed to serve as a means to magically launch the deceased pharaoh’s soul directly into the abode of the gods.

Our Connection with the Pyramids

Although there is great mystery as to how this ancient people could build such a huge, precise, and complex structure, one thing is certain. They wanted to leave a lasting memory of their Pharaoh Khufu. There was intrigue with the afterlife and possible ways of resurrection. Even the wealthy, strong, powerful and mighty are eventually conquered by death.

My thoughts go to Hebrews 9:27. “And as it is appointed unto men to die, but after this the judgment.” All of us, whether Pharaoh or lowly worker, will face our Creator one day. In my own family we have become more acquainted with death this past week with the passing of a family member into eternity.

In light of that, how should we approach each new day? What investment will you make today in the souls of humans and God’s Word (the two things that will last forever)? A wise woman told me once that ‘eternity’ should be stamped on the back of my eyelids.

I am th(i)nkful, meditating on things I want to give thanks for, in regards to eternity:

I do not not need to build a huge pyramid to ensure that God will raise me from the dead (I Corinthians 15:52).
God has numbered all my days (Psalm 139:16).
Man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9).
Keeping eternity in focus helps me keep the goal clear in my vision (Hebrews 12:2).
God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7).
God has provided enough wherewithal for me to do His will. I will not run out of grace (Ephesians 2:10; I Corinthians 10:13).
Hebrews 13: 20-21. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

What are You Th(i)nkful for in Regards to Eternity?

God is God. God is good. God is good at being God.

Thank you, God, for the gift of another breath, help me live my remaining days filled with trust in Your character and purposes. May I overflow with thankfulness, expressing it liberally to You and others.

Thankful in vs. Thankful for

March 5, 2018March 27, 2018 / thinkfulkarin / 4 Comments

Difference Between In and For

The difference between giving thanks in and giving thanks for is worth pondering.

Recently while discussing this topic with some friends, the question arose on how a person could give thanks for horrific things that had happened to them. It seems totally absurd to give thanks for trauma and abuse.

We rehearsed the verses from I Thessalonians 5:18 and Ephesians 5:20 where we are instructed to give thanks in all circumstances as well as giving thanks always for all things. How do we make sense of giving thanks for all things?

I want to compare the concept of giving thanks in the circumstance compared to giving thanks for the circumstance.

Begin with Giving Thanks IN

“Giving thanks in” is giving thanks for the good things all around your dark reality, points of light in the middle of the storm, though it feels so uncomfortable to do so. Perhaps you can only focus on Scripture’s promise that God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5b). Maybe you can think thanks that this circumstance is helping you remember that life is a vapor and soon it will be gone. There is a purpose for you right now and in your immediate circumstance – you are to please God (2 Cor.5:9).

We trust in the sovereignty of our God. He has promised to not test us above what we are able. He has promised to never leave nor forsake us. We cry out to our Creator God to hold us and comfort us in our distress. He knows all we have gone through and are going through. It’s hard to trust Him though when my heart is so crushed, but we must. And we must begin to think thanks.

Rise to Giving Thanks FOR

“Giving thanks for” is actually thanking God for the dark thing itself, because by it God achieved a greater good. As time passes and you get a better view of how God is shaping things, you often recognize the great void and terrible loss of gospel opportunity there would have been without the trial. You would have been happier and busy somewhere else, and God’s profound work would have been undone. That’s when you learn to embrace the trial itself.

But that is deep blue hero stuff. It took a long journey for Joni Eareckson Tada to come to the place where she gave thanks for her horrific accident that changed her life completely. Joni became a quadriplegic as a result of a diving accident and by it has had the chance to minister to hundreds of thousands around the world. The friend that helped her through the early days of that trial, Steve Estes, said:

“God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves.”

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“I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of ages.” Charles Spurgeon

Th(i)nkful Repels Grumpy

February 19, 2018March 27, 2018 / thinkfulkarin / 2 Comments

Natural Forces

Don’t you love how fast little round wheels can make you go on a skateboard?

There is another natural force that also interests me. When you put two magnets together, one side attracts and one repels. That is just the way it is. I love being able to take advantage of something that just is because God put it into nature.

One of the advantages of being th(i)nkful is that it naturally repels complaining. When grumpy meets th(i)nkful, they repel each other. In other words they are not good bedfellows. One has to leave.

When you choose to think thanks about every circumstance in your life, whether those circumstances are positive, neutral, or negative, you are creating a natural repellent to ingratitude and complaining.

When our kids were little, I would teach them the ABC’s of Scripture memory. We had a verse for every letter of the alphabet. I can still quote those verses as we drilled them often into our minds. The ‘D’ verse was “Do all things without murmuring and disputings.” (Phil. 2:14).

Complaining and murmuring seemed to come very easily to young children, and well, for that matter, to not so young children. In fact, even as adults, most of our problems seem to be rich people problems. “I lost my iPad, or our dryer just died, or we muddied our really good track shoes, or I didn’t get to the sale on time.” We are blessed to even having such problems.

Choosing to think thanks about whatever it was that initiated the complaining had a way of expelling the ingratitude.

Choose to be Thankful

Really, it is not that hard. Just choose to be thankful! You refuse to think the grumpy thoughts of complaining and instead exercise your will to think thanks about whatever is in front of you.

The beautiful natural thing that happens is that you begin to repel the negative force of murmuring and you experience grace to embrace prickly things that God has ordained in your life to make you more like His Son.

My Own Choice

I am writing this to stimulate you to think thanks, but I’ll let you in on a secret. I need to be reminded of these principles myself. David and I have had the unique privilege of doing extensive traveling this past year and it is not over yet. Our journeys have taken us from New Zealand to China; Seattle to Philadelphia; Kansas to Wisconsin. Later this year we are moving to Amanzimtoti, South Africa. Yes, it is amazing. I really do love it. BUT…it is exhausting and I struggle to choose gratitude at times.

So, let me make a th(i)nkful list in regards to travel:

We get to experience and learn so many new things
Our own view of life is challenged when we observe how others live
Seeing how big the world is makes us realize how big our God is
We get to taste different foods
Connection with the Body of Christ all over the world is extremely encouraging
We get a vast amount of exposure to illustrate lessons of life
We may be a connection point for other people
God gives us enough strength to do His will

So here’s to future trips coming up! I choose to think thanks and get on my roller blade. David, I am right behind you! 🙂

Simple Travel Tips

There are tricks you can put into use that ease the difficulties.

Plan out a clothes package that mix and matches
Drink lots of water to help with air travel
Perhaps take an aspirin the day before air-travel to thin your blood
When flying, get up and move from time to time to avoid bloodclots
Have a checklist to go over so you don’t forget important things like charging cords, brush or comb, makeup, toothbrush and toothpaste, inflatable neck pillow, headphones, reading material
Have a toiletry bag with things just for travel if possible
Keep thank you cards in your suitcase

Ministering Thoughtfully

February 7, 2018March 27, 2018 / thinkfulkarin / 8 Comments

The Power of Compassion

Family Visit To Grandmother In The Hospital

Have you ever had someone come visit you in the hospital when you were sick? Isn’t it amazing how you remember that so well? The morning my mom died, our pastor’s wife, a dear personal friend, came to our house. She didn’t say much, she went into the kitchen and started to do my dishes. She was just there. Wow! I can hardly think back on that without tears.

What makes those visits stand out so much in our memories? The answer is “connection,” a bond formed simply through a quiet presence and a listening heart.

Consider the difference between empathy and sympathy. Recently I watched a 2.53 minute YouTube video by Dr. Brené Brown on that topic. Although I may not agree with all she said, she gave me food for thought. Empathy connects a person who is going through something hard with someone who cares and listens. When a person is going through a challenging time, the last thing they may want to hear is: “Just write down things you are thankful for.” You first have to have the connection.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

How Do You Inspire Others

Come. You need to be there. Two of the greatest promises the Lord has given us are, “I am with you always,” and “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Being there for someone is being like Him. We worry about what to say, but that’s not our main role. A cat or a dog can be a comfort, and they say nothing – they are just there.

Listen. Maybe the person does want to talk about what is troubling them. Good. Just listen. Tell them that you are thankful they shared with you, that you can imagine it is so hard. In time, if connection is made and the person feels safe, they may be open for solutions, but don’t rush that. Let them become thirsty for options and ready to hear.

Pray. Pray for them specifically, and pray for you to have wisdom. Pray for grace for them to pass this test. God is the One that untangles the mess. We cannot help everyone, but need to do the will of the Father – like Jesus did. Discover what that is through the Word and the Spirit’s guidance.

Serve. Look for practical things you could do for them that would be helpful. Make a meal. Take care of their kids. Bring a present. Send a personal note or text. Visit them in the hospital.

Recall. One of the most powerful ways to inspire others is to share your own story, how you came through a struggle. No one can argue with that. It is yours. If you personally have been helped by cultivating gratitude in your thoughts, you can share that.

Own. Being th(i)nkful works, but you must own it yourself before you can do it well. To own something you have to believe in it. You have to be convinced that God actually means what He says in I Thessalonians 5:18. “In every circumstances give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” When sharing the concept of thinking thanks, give the other person time to own it themselves before trying it.

Share. Tuck in your pocket I Corinthians 10:13 in case you get the chance to share the promises located there. God says that He will “with the testing make a way of escape.” Notice that it is with the testing, not from the testing. God helps give us escape while the testing is ongoing. Could a possible ‘way of escape‘ be thinking thanks?

Three Lessons from Having Received Ministry

Thank the Lord for motivating the person who did the compassionate thing and reached out.
Express to that person how incredibly helpful it was to receive their ministry.
Be inspired to BE that to someone else.

Th(i)nkful: a determined choice to download grace/strength from the Lord to think thanks about every circumstance in my life and express that thanks orally or in a written form.

Leaving a Legacy

January 29, 2018March 27, 2018 / thinkfulkarin / Leave a comment

What Will You Leave Behind?

“A new study of the world’s population revealed that the expected mortality rate among humans is still 100%, researchers at Harvard University confirmed Tuesday. The surprising study found that given enough time, every single person on this planet will pass away, completely irrespective of wealth, class, gender, race, nationality, or creed.” This fake news from the The Babylon Bee last year is nonetheless profound!

Have you ever thought about what someone would find among your things after you died?

I recently did a Th(i)nkful seminar at a church in Indiana. So fun to inspire these hard working ladies in cultivating gratitude in their lives. Heather did a great job organizing the event. Afterwards she mentioned to me that one thing that hit her was how being th(i)nkful affected your legacy – that when your children, grandchildren and others went through your things after you were gone, they would discover your journals with page after page listing things that you were thankful for. What a gift to pass on to future generations!

You invest in things that you feel strongly about, whether that is staying forever attractive, a favorite hobby or activity, your family, a luxurious retirement, or eternal rewards. The physical evidence of those values and decisions will be detected as people make a final evaluation of your estate. When all is said and done, the stark truth of what you really cared about, what you loved, and what you worshiped will remain loud and clear in the things you leave behind.

A Legacy That Multiplies

Authentic Christian living cannot be compartmentalized. What you do publicly and what you do privately have to agree, otherwise there is discrepancy and hypocrisy. Choosing to practice th(i)nkfulness on a regular basis is privately living out what many claim publicly.

Choosing to download grace and strength from the Lord to think thanks about every circumstance that comes my way, and then to express that thanks orally or in written form is like planting seeds of righteousness. Those seeds may find good soil in the broken hearts of those we’ve left behind, germinate, and in time bring forth a harvest of righteousness. The simple obedient act of giving thanks in all circumstances multiplies. God gets the glory.

We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

Psalm 78:4

Th(i)nkful in Shungnak, Alaska

January 21, 2018March 27, 2018 / thinkfulkarin / Leave a comment

Do you know where Shungnak, Alaska is?

I did not. I knew that it was very far north and that the pictures reminded me of Brumunddal, Norway, where I grew up. I know where it is now. Carl Boley writes a blog from his adventures these days as a first year teacher in Shungnak (he’s also on Facebook). He shares fascinating insights of how life functions in this remote Alaskan village that you can get to only by plane or sled.

His last two posts really caught my attention. When the dark time settles in up in the very far north, it is easy for “emotional darkness” to reflect the physical conditions. People really battle depression. Alcoholism and suicides are common. In Carl’s November 24 post, although the deep darkness and cold were still intensifying, he chose to list things that he was thankful for. What a post! He skillfully picked seven things for which he expressed gratitude.

Listing Things You are Thankful for

After reading Carl’s post, I was so encouraged and challenged! I could feel hope and warmth even though I know that circumstances are getting even more difficult – the high tomorrow is -28F!

This was such a good reminder. My circumstances can have two reads: I can read the cold darkness and be as accurate as a thermometer, or I can choose to think thanks in the same situation, finding the warmth and light, and by finding it, magnifying it.

Although the simple, childlike activity of listing things I am thankful for doesn’t seem earth-shattering, it can actually shatter my earthly perspective and reveal God’s treasures amidst the ghostly shadows and acrid dust. The God who is sovereign in every detail of my situation has provided a way of escape for me to handle difficult things. I can choose to think thanks, and then I can choose to express it to Him and to others.

Th(i)nkful: a determined choice to download grace/strength from the Lord to think thanks about every circumstance that comes my way and express that thanks orally or in a written form

Check out Carl’s Blog at: Boley in the Bush Blog.

Pathway through the Woods

January 2, 2018March 27, 2018 / thinkfulkarin / 2 Comments

Brain Neural Pathway

Cultivating th(i)nkfulness can be compared to carving a path through the woods. It seems overwhelming at first with debris and obstructions. It takes great effort to remove fallen logs and roots. You may need some tools like a spade and a chainsaw, or good sharp clippers.

Our brains are similar in that forging a new brain pattern or neural pathway in order to create a new life habit is daunting at first but gets easier with time. God has created our brains to be able to do this.

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.

How Do I Do It?

The first practical step you do when beginning to carve a brain path, is to deliberately lay out a plan. Your goal is to have your thoughts automatically head towards what to think thanks about in any given situation. You begin to search in your thoughts for things that you can be thankful for.

If you are in an unusually happy situation, it’s not very hard to find things to be thankful for. Even in normal, day-to-day times it’s not hard to begin to discover th(i)nkful items.

However, when hard times come, the difficulty level rises to delineate thankful items. Let me illustrate with this example from my friend Dawn:

“My heart was tempted to complain about the mounds of laundry today. The Holy Spirit reminded me, “Be thankful. Think thanks.”

So as I’m folding I start saying in my mind…
Thank You, God for these clothes.
Thank You for your provision of new and used hand-me-downs.
Thank You that they are clothes we got to choose and that we like them. 😊
Thank You for the little (and big) legs that move to make these pants dirty.
Thank You for the soap to wash them.
Thank You for the washing machine that washes and I don’t have to do it by hand.
Thank You for the tumble dryer that works in my basement, and that I don’t have to air dry them in the cold.
Thank You for the dryer that gets the wrinkles out so I don’t have to iron.
Thank You that I am able to be at home and squeeze this chore in between schooling.
Thank You for the energy and wellness to do this. I’m not sick in bed.
The list could go on…
Be th(i)nkful. Think thanks when you’re tempted to complain in your heart. “

She chose to download grace and begin carving the neural brain pathway of thinking thanks about the situation. She then expressed it. Engaging in the discipline of being th(i)nkful ended up not only helping her mindset, but encouraging others to do likewise.

Patiently Conquer Step by Step

The habit of cultivating thinking thanks takes time. You have to see progress in little steps at a time. Think about that path through the woods. As you step by step conquer the mess, soon the path becomes apparent.

In time you will be able to run that path. How cool!!

This exercise is much more that just creating a better mindset for us. Practicing th(i)nkfulness is an act of worship to our Redeemer who has given us a command. Give thanks in all circumstances. He knows that being grateful is a key to our sanctification and maturity in Him.

So… I just wanted to get you started this year on developing that brain pathway through the ‘woods.’

Who doesn’t enjoy a walk in the woods anyway?? 🙂

Revealer of our Heart

December 17, 2017March 27, 2018 / thinkfulkarin / Leave a comment

Season of Opening Boxes

Not sure how things are at your house, but I know for many, these weeks are so busy with boxes. There are small boxes, and large boxes, fat boxes, and thin boxes. Secrets and presents are busily being purchased, baked, built or developed to be revealed at the perfect time.

The outside appearance of a box can hide a multitude of things. It is often quite difficult to imagine what is inside. The actual item may be a lot smaller than the box, but the box is filled with tissue paper as a playful deception. That’s part of the giddiness of Christmas giving – concealing the contents, avoiding the predictable. At the appropriate time, however, the lid comes off and what is inside becomes visible.

Pulling the Lid Off My Heart

The same is true with the human heart – you don’t know what’s inside until the lid comes off. Some of us put more stock, investment, and armor in our façade than others. But with the right amount of pressure or intoxication, the box opens up and … wow!

“Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence.” Psalm 140:13

The Psalmist makes a revealing statement about the righteous person in Ps. 140:13. Someone who loves God and is cleansed by the Lamb, will surely give thanks. They will have a bent towards wanting to be th(i)nkful. It will fit for them and not feel out of place.

I Thessalonians 5:18 says that even when the box is suddenly ripped open, one of the first things people should see inside is the giving of thanks. Yes, there may be hurt, pain, sorrow, expectations in ashes, and a thousand tears, but they will be intertwined with this unbelievable ribbon of thanks. That is God’s will. It may not be easy all the time. It is hard work to develop the mindset of thinking thanks about every situation, but it is profitable and fitting because God has designed it that way.

So How Is Your Box?

Opening the box of a righteous person’s heart should expose gratitude and a desire to express thanks. I don’t know about you, but this was convicting for me. My heart should be full of giving thanks.

When my thoughts are conflicted with frustrations and disappointments, I should take a reality check. What is really important here? Am I getting all bent out of shape because of a trivial thing? May the peace of God rule in my heart and filter my thoughts so that I can quickly give thanks for His name, His character, and the plan He is working out.

Merry Christmas!

May you and yours have a lovely season of concealing and revealing boxes. However, let it be a reminder of your own heart box and what is in it. Let the Lord pour His grace and strength into you so that you, in turn, can choose to think thanks about every circumstance in your life and express that thanks, first to God, and then to others.