I hope each of you was able to spend a few days with your loved ones, whether your actual biological family or adopted family =) We had a great time with a mixture of both and traveled to a neighboring state where we were able to spend time together enjoying each other's company after not seeing each other for quite a while. Then in the afternoon we all went on a hike to see about 10,000 cranes as they came into a marshy wetland for the night. It was pretty spectacular, and such a beautiful sunset. We arrived home yesterday to celebrate again today with my hubby's extended family. Hoping you have all had a wonderful opportunity to sit and be still for a few days cultivating an attitude of thankfulness before we dive headfirst into the Christmas season. There are so many things to be thankful for, even when life is in a tough season.
My beautiful sister and her hubby. They are such a riot. So silly. We had a blast with so many siblings and family.
As much fun as we had together, it was pretty cold. But in my opinion the mile hike to see all the cranes making their beds in the marshy wetlands was so worth it. I have never seen anything like it.
It was similar to being at an airport watching planes come in at night in their arrow formations. From every single direction you look. I won't forget the noise thousands of cranes make in a hurry.
We also found that almost all the girls wore the same kind of shoes totally without meaning to.
Who doesn't choose fur-lined Uggs when you know its going to be cold. Or at least Ugg style, since most of ours were imitation.
Setting out to see the cranes & the gorgeous sunset, we saw the sun peeking through the trees.
So pretty.
Praying that whatever is going on in this season of your life friend, you know there is always hope.
I feel like we are always so fickle. Always wanting what we don't have (Maybe its just me). When I was younger my sister and I would often get similar gifts at Christmas time from various extended family members. I remember being so excited, bursting with the anticipation of what the sparkly package contained. Something new & exciting. Then we would tear into the gift and more often than not I either wouldn't like it or like the one my sister received instead. I learnt quickly not to voice my complaints as we were taught to be thankful and polite to whoever had given us the gifts. But the feelings were still in my fickle heart. Wanting something I didn't have. Now that I'm older (and supposedly wiser?) I'm over the Christmas gift scenario. But my heart still has issues with this problem in another way. My first instinct is to always want the gift I don't have. And sometimes I even resent or take for granted the gift I do have.
Some days its money, wanting what others have instead of being thankful for what the Lord has blessed us with. Or sometimes talents, I wish I could be as effective in an area of ministry as another, I could write like another individual or sing like another. Some days its children, I don't want to wait any longer....... Some days I just don't want the blessings of this season of life anymore. I wish for a peaceful moment to myself while at work or a newborn baby to constantly snuggle with. I wish for the freedom of being able to pack my bags tomorrow if I like and choose to hop on a plane to go serve in a rural village in Africa long term. It used to be not wanting the gift of being single, being tired of it and ready to move on from feeling lonely. Or wanting a different job because I found the one I had just too hard.
I see the blackness in my heart. Threatening to overtake and strangle the Spirit's movement. I see how selfish I am. How much I truly need His grace every single day. You see I am learning (still) that every single day, sometimes hour or even minute, I need to be thankful for the gift. Thankful to the giver and content with what He has given me for this season. Knowing that He has always given me enough. That He Himself is always enough. I am passionate about contentment.
This post is part of my 31 day series for the month of October, fighting through the fears and sharing the confusing passions I have. Hoping to figure out the bigger picture of all these interests.
I love this idea. I saw Kerrie write about it today and headed over to see what it was all about. The idea of writing every day for September. Not realistic at this point in life unfortunately but I love the idea of it. Since I had planned to share a little more personally today, I went ahead and went with today's prompt.
Blogtember Day 3. Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered.
I don't know that I would necessarily call it advice, more like something I have learned am learning. I don't know that I can classify it as something I always remember, but its something I hope to always remember.
I saw myself learning it when I first got to college and experienced heartache (more on that soon I promise, but here's what came before). I found myself falling flat on my face before a choice right after I was married. Then last year it was on my heart a few times here and here. There was a choice to be made, to choose to dwell on things and allow myself to fixate on what had been taken away from me by the Lord, or the choice to trust that He knows what He is doing, even when I think I know better.
To choose contentment with where He has me.
I really do believe it is a choice. We won't overnight become those pretty girls that always look so happy, whose lives seem to be perfect in all the ways we hope for. The ones we see living our very own dreams. We all too easily fall into the habit of comparison and longing (I know I can!).
But I am beginning to think that each of us makes this choice daily. No-one's life is perfect, as evidenced by pop culture today and those in our generation that may have everything the world tells us we need. Money doesn't buy happiness, popularity doesn't seem like all its made out to be and trends soon die out before most of us may even be on board with what is currently 'in.'
But we can choose to be thankful. To embrace what the Lord has blessed us with and given to us, even for a season. Even if we are in the midst of a rough season, thankful He has given us a season of clinging to Him.
So I think the only information I would pass along today friends, is that. Contentment is a choice, one I am always trying to work towards. I know I always need a little more practice.
But somewhere in between the practice of rejoicing with others, seeking God's heart for others and crying out to Him when needed....I hope to learn it fully.
I apologize for not being on top of the #GloriousAngelMoments posts for the last couple of weeks. There is a reason, but I will save my thoughts on the blogging schedule I had going for another post coming this next week :)
I am so thankful for each one of you readers, your interactions and support are what make this community here. And as thankful as I am for how much this little blog has grown, there are some changes in mind coming up. I'm excited and hoping this will help each of you grow in friendship with one another and really create an encouraging community here.
So anyway...moving on to the recap of the week, although some of these are from the last few weeks.
My biggest Glorious Angel Moment this week came in the form of a washer and dryer.
(apparently I felt the need to watermark our laundry appliances. Cause I'm sure someone will take that picture right?)
We weren't expecting to have these appliances while in this house. I had worked out a deal to do laundry while I worked. Yes, it was frustrating to take the laundry with me whenever I headed out but it worked well and it made sense. So when the hubby headed out last weekend to help a friend move, and came home with appliances that were just given to us. I was kinda surprised to say the least.
So these beautiful appliances are actually ours. About five years old and in amazing condition. Apparently the Lord felt like we should be blessed with our own washer and dryer. Not complaints from this girl :)
So thankful! And it might seem strange that something like laundry could be blessed by the Lord haha. But it is so true that you can do laundry and housework all for His glory :)
What way did you see the Lord in the little things this week?
Let me know by using the hashtag #GloriousAngelMoments. (You can find me on instagram @GloriousWithin)
Here were some of the things shared by you sweet friends.
2) Starbucks now have their red cups out. Must be Christmas is almost here.
3) This amazing version of One Direction's song.
4) Nerdy glasses and time with my sister.
5) Turning this song up loud in the car while driving through rush hour traffic.
6) Twinkle Think time with a little friend.
7) Pretty nail colors in which to paint fingers and toes with.
8) New washers which look pretty enough to sit and just watch the clothes go round in.
9) A clean basement with lots of space. This week has been crazy busy with all kinds of house projects like painting walls, cleaning spaces and organising. The hard work is starting to pay off.
10) Quiet time on a Saturday afternoon.
Sorry for posting this a little late, this was yesterdays post =)
As the car sits on quiet tarmac on a busy highway, the sights of downtown Chicago fill the windows. While we watch the fog block the skyscrapers from sidewalk view and press on through the traffic hoping to press forward into the city one's patience is tested.
I have never been one to enjoy sitting in a traffic jam.
The car inches forward surrounded by other frustrated drivers and I find my renewed sense of thankfulness being tested.
Really....why is there a need for traffic jams? What purpose do they serve except to make everyone frustrated, angry with each other and late for wherever they are trying to get to.
Then when you are stuck in one. You finally have space to think. Space to breathe a while.
As though God is saying....take some time with me child and just be.
Just be in this traffic jam. Stop thinking of all the things you need to do when you get where you are going. Stop looking at the clock, you can't change the traffic and looking won't help you get there any faster.
Just be here. Take a moment and pray.
Traffic jams actually force us in the busyness of life to slow down. We don't have a choice. We have to sit. And the majority of the time, I really don't like it.
But when I choose to spend that time worshiping in the car with a CD or enjoying the Lord's presence, they become something else entirely.
I am beginning to agree with Ann Voskamp when reading through Chapter three of One Thousand Gifts, there is a change that comes from counting everyday gifts.
All of a sudden things that were mundane become gifts from the Lord.
It's as though we begin to see clearly.
Its a real change, we are intentional in our search for joy when we choose to see things as gifts. Through eucharisteo we overcome our habitual ingratitude, like the traffic jam attitude, and we see things we already have instead of what we want.
'I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.'
{Philippians 4:11-12}
But as Paul says, contentment is something he learned. It didn't come naturally. We have to be intentional at seeking to learn this attitude.
To battle the discontentment and fight to see the joy and contentment in life.
As Ann says, there is something to be said about the act of naming a specific thing we are thankful for. For in naming it, its almost as though we fully receive it as a gift. It works its way into our heart slowly through each gift, creating a habit, instead of just being thankful for everything in general which is easy to forget.
This habit of thankfulness, it really does require persistence and practice even when it seems silly, like being thankful for a traffic jam. When it doesn't even seem to make sense.
This gift of thankfulness, its a battle.
But its a battle worth fighting.
Lyrics: Hillsong United, Lead Me to the Cross
Thankful//for traffic jams.
Thankful//for foggy days.
Thankful//for being stuck in the car with friends on the Chicago highways.
Thankful//for pictures because the car wasn't go as fast as usual.
