One Year of Thankful Thursdays. Susan W. Brown
Sometimes if you feel like you are lost in the shadows, do not lose heart! In fact, you have a very intense Light that is shining all around you and behind you. It’s shining all over the surface and has got you fully illuminated whether or not you see it.
Shadows are such a powerful finger pointing towards the light.
The darkness of the shadow reminds us of the light and it becomes all the more beautiful because of it!
Light is incredible and is capable of some pretty powerful and incredible things! The next time you see a shadow think of how the light is what makes it all possible!
Stand in the light and be thankful for the shadows!
SCRIPTURES FOR THE DAY
PSALM 63:7 is super cool to imagine, "For You have been my help, and IN THE SHADOW OF YOUR WINGS I will sing for joy."
Wow...just wow...imagine that...standing under His wings of protection and singing for joy because you are in His shadow!
PSALM 36:7 reminds us that He has us protected in the shadows, "How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind TAKE REFUGE IN THE SHADOW OF YOUR WINGS."
ISAIAH 9:2 reminds us if we are feeling lost in the shadows, just wait for it... "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, ON THEM HAS LIGHT SHINED."
Thankful Thursday #2
Today I’m so thankful for MY PERSON.
I’m thankful for the struggles and hard times we have been through because they made us dig deeper, reach up, change and grow. There have been so many through the years and many dark deep trials that only he watched me walk through and stood by my side and held my hand.
I’m thankful most of all that he obviously is a maniac for being married to me for nearly 19 years and hasn’t run for the hills yet! He continues to support me and be my biggest fan…
Who are you thankful for today?
Your friend? A co worker? A kind soul in the local coffee shop? Tell that person today you are thankful for them.
We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow so tell that person what they mean to you. And I am super thankful for you coming along on this journey with me and that you are a part of my life.
Are you misbelieving you are alone in not having "a person" because you are single or without a family for any number of various reasons?
Oh my friend, that is NOT THE CASE!
You have a best friend, "a person", a redeemer, and lover of your soul in the Highest King of The Universe. He will be "your person". He is as real as anyone else. Although I will be the first to admit it isn't fun that we can't touch Him in person and run into His arms and sob wildly like we need to sometimes.
But let Him in...He is right there and always has been.
SCRIPTURES FOR THE DAY
JAMES 4:8a reminds us, "Draw near to God, and HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU ."
I JOHN 3:1a tells us, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that WE SHOULD BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD; and so we are."
HEBREWS 4:15 paints a beautiful picture for us, "For WE DO NOT HAVE A HIGH PRIEST WHO IS UNABLE TO SYMPATHIZE WITH OUR WEAKNESSES, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."
Thankful Thursday #3
Today I am so thankful for the “NOT PICTURE PERFECT AND MESSY” moments.
It’s too easy to get caught up in what the world mandates….pretty light-filled pictures and perfectly manicured moments.
So, I’m sharing just a regular picture on a cloudy day where we made beautiful messy memories!
This was from Mother’s Day when we were at the beach and the girls were busy digging a hole and tunnel hopefully (their precious words, not mine.).
It was beautiful, messy, not-picture-perfect, and the kind of moments I wish I could capture in a bottle and hang onto forever!
Be thankful for the REAL, not photo edited (no filter here), sometimes messy journey that is YOUR life.
After all, when we look back, it’s the messy moments that are usually the most precious and easier to grasp in our minds. Then we realize that those are the moments that make up this beautiful IRREPLACEABLE once in a lifetime gift called LIFE!
SCRIPTURES FOR THE DAY
It's all a part of the journey and COLOSSIANS 3:14 reminds us,
"And above all these put on love, which binds
everything together IN PERFECT HARMONY."
ECCLESIASTES 3:12 reminds us to just enjoy the moments so that we aren't so caught up in the "just right" version of life, "I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to BE JOYFUL and to do good as long as they live;"
Thankful Thursday #4
Today I am so thankful for SEASHELLS...especially the broken, chipped, or damaged ones.
I love these type of seashells more because they are such a visual reminder of how God takes our brokenness and sees each one of us.
None of our brokenness is wasted…not one iota of it is lost anywhere.
I am thankful that He sees this broken seashell and loves me still!
It's the broken or chipped shells that grab my attention against all the other perfect ones that may blend in and look the same. There's something about the imperfection that draws me in and makes me want to know more about this shell and where the waves have tossed it, how many feet it has avoided, if anyone has tossed it to the ground unwanted.
It's really no different than people in that sense is it? None of us are perfect anyway. Some try to pretend more than others. The ones that have the pain, trials, and have been in the trenches seem to have a bit more character, perseverance, abiding faith and therefore beauty. There's something about those people that draws me in. I want to know them, learn more, and listen well. That's where the beauty lies after all.
SCRIPTURES FOR THE DAY