Inspirations

Thank you, God, for work. Thank you for creating us with the desire to work. Thank you for the direction that work often gives us.  Thank you for the work you gave me, even though it comes with it s own set of  struggles and challenges and i t's not perfect. I'm thankful that it also comes with its own reward when you know, you did a job well. So whether your work is detailed, intricate, and demanding or simple and easy be thankful for it. I'm thankful for the friends I've made at work.

 I woke up this morning and went to work.   I wanted to stay in bed and sleep a little longer, but I chose to do the adult thing  and crawl out of my comfortable, warm bed. I often choose what I want to eat, and wear. In fact, sometimes we have so many choices it's hard for people like me to make decisions. I thank God that everyone makes choices, no one is exempt. I thank Him for the good choices I have made, like living for him and following him. I also thank him for the bad choices I have made. They were learning and growing experiences. I thank God that he loves us regardless of our choices. I am grateful that most choices are not fatal or irreversible.

But his mother  treasured  all these things in her heart.  Luke 2:19 As I grow older, my memories have grown sweeter each year. Thank you for my precious memories.  Memories of long walks in the woods. and a winter when there was snow overtops of the trees.                                yes, it did happen.   I wish I had taken pictures. I'm thankful for the many memories we   created in this house                                              I'm thankful for the memories of playing softball. with the pastor of our church. As he stepped to the plate, he said,  "You need to move back further" to the outfield. They laughed until he hit the ball a mile over their heads and into the woods.  He did not run the bases; he walked each...

 Panic alarms.   I love them! When you are in a large parking lot and you can not find your car or remember where you parked, you can push this tiny little button on your key fob  and your car will sound the alarm letting you know where you parked. Today I asked a guy walking into Walmart what he was fixing  and I thought he said he was fixing the panic button.  I saw the humor in the answer he gave and laughed way too hard. As I reflected on the humorous situation, I was reminded that I do have a panic button. So do you. When we get scared, or can't find our way out of situations, we can respond in fear, anger, or temper-tantrums or in some other manner that the world would respond or we can respond by going to God with our problems. I am thankful that God is my panic alarm. When I am afraid, I can trust the one who has gone on ahead to make the way for me.

From the beginning of time, when we were created, God intended us to grow and mature.  Plants start as a seed.   Imagine if potatoes or apples stayed the same size as they were when you put them in the ground,  or watermelon never got any bigger than what it was as a seed.     We would all starve!  Imagine your cat staying the same size as she was the day she was born.   I know kittens and puppies are fun,  but I am sure that it would only take a few days or weeks for us to grow tired of them. As parents, we would panic if our children did not grow.   We love them as babies, but they are not supposed to stay babies.   We want them to grow and become toddlers and teens and adults.   I think God wants us to grow spiritually too.    I imagine he takes as much joy in our growth spiritually as we take in our growth into adults.   I am blessed to see that my children have grown into responsible adults but more tha...

  Today I want to thank God for rest.   In the busy hurry-up lifestyle in which most of us live, we forget to rest.  Sometimes, we look at busyness as something to be envied. We are taught that this is the way to achieve success.  Make no mistake, I believe in hard work. However, God rested. He rested on the seventh day. In fact, he set rest into The Ten Commandments that's how important that rest is to God. Jesus napped in the bottom of the boat. Peter slept chained between two guards. Jonah slept in a storm. Some days I am up early, and I need a God-ordained nap.  For some even when they are in bed and should be resting errrr..... sleeping, they can't turn their brains off long enough to really sleep. God planned rest into our schedule. Even animals understand the need for sleep.   Babies do not need to be told to sleep, they just do anytime, anywhere. Sometimes when we are irritable, the most God-like thing we can do is put the cares of this wo...

                                        I'm not extremely athletic.  A few years ago, with the help of God,  I started to develop a healthier lifestyle.   Part of that lifestyle included exercise.   Even though it's a daily battle, it's one I am learning to win more often.   I've come to see the benefits of exercise.   I feel better and I'm more alert.  My favorite exercise is walking and or running. As I exercise,  I can feel the stress leave my body.  I find myself gaining strength in body soul and spirit.  Exercise also allows me the time to commune with my creator.   Yes, there are many benefits to exercise  and I want to thank God for the blessing of physical exercise.   There was a time when exercise was a bad word that I didn't want to hear.   Thank you, God, for allowing me the privilege of exercise.