Oh, the JOYof a new journal! The beauty of fresh, clean, empty pages! The challenge and excitement of knowing that this unwritten future will become written history, with each prayer, memory, dream, drawing, and moment I record.
Thank You, Lord, for the joy I feel in my heart lately…and I don’t feel guilty for having it. I might just be the most happy girl on Earth, actually. Thank You for teaching me that GRATITUDE expels… extinguishes… excludes… discontentment. Thank You for lifting my eyes to the Cross this Autumn, for helping me rejoice in my Salvation, among many other blessings.
Thank You for telling me the way to enter into Your presence… for showing me the posture I must have.
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, enter His gates with praise!!! Be thankful, and say so to Him. Bless and affectionately praise His name!” Psalm 100:4 (the amplified Bible)
I am thankful for this perfect combination: the perfect strength of coffee, sipped in the perfect cozy chair, which is positioned in the perfect spot by a window that lets in the perfect amount of natural light for me to read and meditate on Scripture by… a window which is cracked, letting in fresh air that happens to be the perfect temperature.
Then I whisper a prayer of thanks to my Father, who I really think might have created that moment in time JUST for me. because He loves me.
And I watch my husband wake up, who is not a perfect man, but who is perfect for ME. who loves me just exactly as I am, and tells me that every day, often multiple times a day. and I get the privilege of whispering prayers for Him as he wakes up… and I am so thankful.
And I am loving Romans– reading about how I’ve been freed from bondage to sin and am now under the Law of Life!–, when all of a sudden I have to put my Bible down, because my husband is pulling me out of my cozy chair and into his lap… he is burying my head in his chest so he can cuddle me as time stops around us, because we just nestle up together in the best kind of loving, understanding silence. And I am thankful to be loved so honestly and tenderly.
And after what feels like forever in our little cocoon, his voice right next to my cheek breaks the silence, as he pours out quiet prayers for me… for our marriage and future family… for our friends… for God’s glory to be manifest in and through our lives…prayers from one who is thankful to be called a “son” of the Most High God. And as his prayers fill the room, enclosing me in a blanket of comfort and trust, I am thankful that Christ is the third cord Who will always hold us together.
And I’m thankful that a friend inspired my new journal’s theme: gratitude. Every day, I will write at least one thing that stirs up gratitude in my heart. And it will help me to remember that first thing in the morning, this is how I am to greet my God… with gratitude and praise and blessings.
Are you sad? Are you troubled? Are you discontent? Right now, after you read this blog, open yourself to God and begin to thank Him for things He’s done for you, for blessings, for His presence, your salvation… and the Spirit will help you think of many more things. There is no better recipe for JOY than this…. a grateful heart.
Molly, I’m a member at Parkview and met you and the rest of Mosaic when I stage managed during your most recent visit. I came across your blog and subscribed. This is the first post I received and I can’t tell you how much I needed it this morning. Thank you for your beautiful gift of writing and letting the Holy Spirit work through you to share these words. I’ve been distressed over finances and realize what I should instead be focusing on. I’m going to go take a walk on this beautiful Autumn day and meditate in prayer and spend time speaking to God about His love for me and all He has given me. Thank you for that reminder.
Bless you,
Lisa
Molly, you are always so inspiring. I am thankful for many, many things but today I am most thankful that Patrick is blessed to have you as his wife.
Love, Aunt Connie
Lisa,
Praise God. Isn’t His timing perfect? I know that as you obey His command to “enter His presence with thanksgiving”, He will bless you.
I wrote a blog in the past called “Fields of Peace”. It’s based on this scripture in Phillippians 4:
6Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition ([b]definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
7And God’s peace [shall be yours, that [c]tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall [d]garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
I’d encourage you to read that post.
I’m so happy to hear from you and I am praying for you, that God’s joy would flood your soul as you walk with Him today, that you would know that you have EVERYTHING in Christ- you are lacking NOTHING! And you will NEVER lack anything, ever again! You can smile because you’ve gained everything good-Life itself- in Him.
Love,
Molly
Thanks for the further encouragement, Molly. I will definitely read that post. My walk was wonderful. On it, I listened to a Parkview podcast from March when John Ortberg visited but I had been out of town and never heard it. It was about “The Me I Want to Me.”
During my walk, I took the time to enjoy the wonders around me and be thankful for the beauty that God gave us. I let God guide me through the neighborhood to what He wanted me to see and I was particularly drawn to the beautiful trees I saw. I took several photos that I posted in a Facebook album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150354857986186.355615.735011185&type=3
Amazingly, as I walked and listened, the sermon turned to Revelation 22:
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
I couldn’t believe when he spoke about “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” and then made it personal to God shaping us into who He wants us to be! How awesome the way God uses all kinds of things to speak to us just when we need it.
Thanks again for your blog, Molly, and for responding to me and encouraging me this morning. I look forward to your future posts.
With love,
Lisa
Oh… precious, precious, precious words. This blog just almost made me cry for so many reasons. I love you, my dear Molly Dolly!