Thankful

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Last night at church, we had a ladies' ministry dinner and dessert. The speaker, Macy Maddox, talked about being thankful in and for everything in our lives. This verse is one of many she used to point us to the need for thankfulness at all times. Beth Moore describes the opposite of this verse in her book, "Discover the Victory of Total Surrender." She describes this as a "no-fail prescription for anxiety." --

"Do not be calm about anything, but in everything, by dwelling on it constantly and feeling picked on by God, with thoughts like 'and this is the thanks I get,' present your aggravations to everyone you know but Him. And the acid in your stomach, which transcends all milk products, will cause you an ulcer, and the doctor bills will cause you a heart attack and you will lose your mind." -Beth Moore

I don't know about you... but that is definitely NOT how I want to live my life. Being thankful is the secret to having peace with God. Macy described going through each activity of our day simply saying thanks to God. I tried to focus more on this today as I woke up, spent time with a friend, washed dishes, made some dessert, washed clothes, folded clothes, washed dishes again, and spent time with family. I have to say, I feel more refreshed today. The challenge will be tomorrow when I have to get up super early and work all day... my thankfulness seems to lessen when I become more busy. I am praying the Lord will change my attitude and give me a true heart of thanksgiving.

One thing I have been thinking about so much over the past week is how thankful I am for my family. Last Sunday, Brother Al spoke on family as a counter-cultural witness. Growing up, I never thought of my family as very counter-cultural, but in the past few years, I have realized how blessed I am to have such Godly parents who have stayed faithful to each other and have fostered a spiritual environment in our home. Here are the basic points from the sermon:

1. Marriage is a God-ordained, life-long union of a man and a woman (Mark 10:2-9)

2. Children are a gift from God to be embraced with gladness (Psalm 127:3-5)

3. Fathers are responsible under God for the spiritual welfare of their children (Eph. 6:4)

4. Mothers are responsible under God to create a home environment where their children can flourish (Titus 2:3-5)

The Lord has given me such a strong desire to be a mother. I am so blessed to work with new mothers each day and help bring new life and blessings into this world. I am so excited for the day the Lord gives Blake and I the biggest blessing of all in a child. (Don't go telling people we are having kids... I'm just talking about the future. Haha!)

Titus 2:3-5 says: "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

Brother Al talked about how many women these days are working outside the home. I understand that this is necessary for some women and their families, but the Lord tells us so clearly here that we, as women, are to be homemakers. I don't think there is anything wrong with working, but I just challenge you to ask yourself what your motivation is. The glory of God should be our main focus in every decision that we make. I have not arrived at the perfect life, by any means. I just wanted to share with y'all what the Lord has taught me and my convictions about family. I hope I haven't rambled too much. Thanks for reading, and I pray something I said will challenge or encourage you today.