Thankful for What I Receive and What I Escape

Finishing up reading through Nancy Leigh DeMoss's book Choosing Gratitude. I read the book a couple of years ago as well during the Thanksgiving season, and God used Nancy to help me understand the importance of the attitude of gratitude, no matter my circumstances or feelings. I've come to realize that times when I pray and don't receive what I desire are in reality avenues of escape -- because God is sovereign and sees the beginning to the end. He may be shielding me from the consequences of what I desire, even though in itself and otherwise it may be a good thing. I long to view much more through the eyes of thankfulness. I'd like to share something that Nancy wrote that spoke to my heart.

Matthew Henry, the eighteenth-century Puritan preacher whose Bible commentary remains among the most popular of all time, was accosted by robbers while living in London.

Perhaps you've experienced this yourself--whether by having your car broken into or coming home to discover that your house had been burglarized. It's among the most unsettling things that can happen to a person. I'm sure it was, as well, for a quiet, thoughtful man of letters like Matthew Henry.

And yet, upon further reflection (as he wrote in his diary), he couldn't help but find something to be thankful for as a result of his misfortune: 

Let me be thankful, first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed. 

What a perspective! As someone has said, "If you can't be thankful for what you receive, be thankful for what you escape."

It is simply true that the person who has chosen to make gratitude his or her mind-set and lifestyle can view anything -- anything! -- through the eyes of thankfulness. The whole world looks different when we do. And the one whose gratitude is Christian gratitude -- directed not toward good genes or good timing but toward God Himself--finds that she deepens her relationship with Him on many levels.

 ~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss from Choosing Gratitude


Painting ~ Sweet Solitude 1919, Edmund Blaire Leighton 1852-1922
Wikipedia Commons public domain
 

When Eyes Are Open

A word from Nancy:

Who else but a Christian can thank someone for a good meal, a good time, or a good effort, knowing that this has not just been a gift to us from another person but ultimately comes from the living God?

I love knowing that He cares and provides for me, not just air to breathe and food to eat, but countless extras that simply flow from His generous heart.

And I don't want to miss thanking Him for a single one of them.

When my eyes are opened by gratitude to these boundless examples of grace, only then can I see clearly enough to press on in this broken world.

~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Choosing Gratitude

Image ~ Thank God, CDJ via pixabay

CC0 Creative Commons

The Simple Woman's Daybook

On Saturdays I reflect on simple thoughts and simple pleasures. My leads are somewhat similar to others in The Simple Woman's Daybook group, yet a bit different as well.

 
Outside my window...
Bird feathers scattered by the bedroom window. Two neighborhood cats lying low earlier in the week. Glad I don't know which one did this deed.

A Picture to Share...

 












Almost finished with a wall quilt. This one has a John Deere theme.


From the sewing room...
Pulled out the John Deere tractor quilt top this week that I had completed not long ago to practice some free-motion quilting. I had planned this to be a baby quilt, but I didn't notice on the back while I was quilting that I wasn't getting the tension just right. The stitches aren't even and flat all over, so it won't do for a baby quilt. It'll have to be a wall hanging or maybe a lap quilt that won't get much wear. I just need to bind it and I'll be on to the next lesson. Woo-hoo!

I'm not sure what I'll do with this quilt. I can't think of anyone to give it to, and it won't go with anything in my house. I thought about hanging it in My Beloved's shed where he keeps his John Deere, but he said... uh,... no. He thinks it deserves a better home than that. :-)  So..... I've decided to do a free giveaway to the first person living within the 48 contiguous U.S. states who emails me about it. It's a 34 x 34 size quilt in John Deere tractor motifs and colors--green, yellow, black, with gray tonal blocks. You can email me at HomewardThoughts@gmail.com. Now, keep in mind--this is a practice piece.

Update: The John Deere quilt has been spoken for.  :-)

Learning...
Finished an online video class this week on machine quilting. I can see it's going to take a lot of practice!

This coming week I'm looking forward to...
Seeing little Elijah and his parents. :-)

From the kitchen...

Easy, but a little special. I've made these for so long that I don't measure, so adjust to your own tastes.

Glazed Carrots

1 lb cut carrots, cooked to crisp-tender (I like to use baby carrots)

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp butter or margarine

1 tsp grated orange peel

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Remove carrots from pan and keep warm. Heat margarine and brown sugar over low heat until bubbly. Stir in orange peel and add carrots, coating with mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, on low for about 10 min. more.

Noticing the sound of...

The dishwasher. Such a homey sound for reading or blogging after supper.

Thinking...

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. ~ Psalm 19:14

Been thinking for the last couple of days on this verse that I have on my dresser as my constant counsel. My words, whether from my lips, pen, or keyboard flow from the meditations of my heart. Too often my meditations and resulting words are not acceptable in his sight. This has been true this week. And yet... He is faithful and just to forgive and redeem.

Thankful...
Grateful for grace.
 
From the garden...  
Worked a good while in the gardens today, cutting back and clearing leaves. My Beloved mowed and mulched the leaves with his faithful John Deere. This is probably the last big day in the yard. I like a tidy yard with flowers and all, but I welcome autumn with its winding down of outdoor chores and a little rest for us both. 

Around the house...
Rather laid back this week, but after Thanksgiving I need to move around some things in a couple of closets. Not something to do a little here and there. Major work that I've been procrastinating. I'll be more motivated about it, though, as I look forward to my girls coming right after Christmas!

A thought from my Quiet Time...

Pondering 2 Thessalonians 3:10--"If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat." I understand how those who walk in the way of the world prefer unemployment checks to finding a job--sometimes those checks pay more than a job would. But for a follower of Christ, it's dishonest gain.

Currently reading...
Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Sharing a brief paragraph with you.

True thankfulness requires a "you" to say "thank you" to. And to be thankful to the living God implies a corresponding level of trust in Him that can only reside in a believer's heart.

The Deepest Well of Gratitude

The thing that awakens the deepest well of gratitude in a human being 

is that God has forgiven sin.

~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

~Autumn Lake at Whitney Court, Gail Hampshire
via Flkr, Wikipedia Commons public domain
CC 2.0 Generic

The Simple Woman's Daybook

On Saturdays I reflect on simple thoughts and simple pleasures. My leads are somewhat similar to others in The Simple Woman's Daybook group, yet a bit different as well.
 
Outside my window...
Autumn is shedding her color with fallen leaves like a brilliant tree skirt. We took a drive in the mountains today to immerse ourselves in autumn's grandeur.

A Picture to Share...

From the sewing room...
I diverged from my table runner to making a Bible bag for my secret sister last week. Then I decided to make myself one this week, and then another for a friend. It has five inside pockets on one side for a pen, tissues, cell phone, etc. so the Bible can slide easily into the bag, and two pockets on the outside. The back of the black one is quilted. I quilted the front and back of the red one, but I think I like just the back quilted the best. I wish I had thought to take a picture of the first one I made. For my own reminder, I'm including a scan of the feature fabric.

I'm thinking about making them to sell to help fund my fabric love. Maybe opening an Etsy shop, if I can figure out how much my time is worth, and if I have the time to put into it. Only 24 hours for each of us. No, make that 16 for me. I turn into a pumpkin at 10:00. Maybe I should think instead about how much someone might want to pay for one...but I think, as C.S. Lewis might put it, it will have to be the other way 'round. And Etsy will probably have to wait.



Learning...
Which stabilizers are best to use for fabric bags.

This coming week I'm looking forward to...
Making another bag or two, if time allows.

From the kitchen... Simple, yet delicious!  
Simple Sausage Pasta Toss from Healthy Cooking Magazine
(Serves 5, but I cut the recipe in half for the two of us.)

8 oz. uncooked multigrain spaghetti
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp. olive oil
3/4 lb. Italian turkey sausage links, cut into 1/4 in. slices
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
1 an (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast bread crumbs in oil over medium heat; remove from the heat and set aside.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomatoes and olives. Cook and stir until heated through. Drain pasta; add to skillet. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Noticing the sound of...

My Beloved listening to hymns online, testing out his new laptop.  

Thinking...
About the sorrow of the sister and long time friend who buried their best friend today. But they do not sorrow as the world sorrows. And so shall they ever be with the Lord.

Thankful...
That this is just an earthly journey on our way to our eternal home. I want you to go with me.
 
From the garden...  
Almost time for cutting back and letting it all rest awhile.

Around the house...
The rhythm of routine for another week or so.

A thought from my Quiet Time...

Thinking about the woman of Athens mentioned in Acts 17, when Paul preached Christ and some came to belief.  "But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them." This is the only mention of her, but it makes me wonder what it was about her that caused her to be named among the believers. Little known, yet counted among the believers. What could be greater?

Currently reading...
Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I read this book last year as well during November. I'm taking my time to read and ponder the thoughts once again. Sharing a brief paragraph with you.

Gratitude is a lifestyle. A hard-fought, grace-infused, biblical lifestyle. And though there's a sense in which anyone can be thankful--for God has extended His common grace to all--the true glory and the transforming power of gratitude are reserved for those who know and acknowledge the Giver of every good gift and who are recipients of His redeeming grace.

Intentional Thanksgiving

November brings Thanksgiving, a time to remember and celebrate God’s abundant blessings. In our current culture, though, Thanksgiving is overshadowed by Halloween, and then there's a jump right into the commercialization of Christmas. I was running errands on Nov. 1st, and one of the stores had secular Christmas music playing already. Translated: Buy! Buy! Buy! So it’s especially imperative that we intentionally teach our children and grandchildren the meaning of this God-oriented holiday of Thanksgiving. I've added some items to the Book Nook for our church this month to help: an easy reader for ages 3-7 and a Thanksgiving coloring book.  And for us adults, Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Thought I'd share just a few thoughts with you about them.

Let’s Celebrate God’s Blessings on Thanksgiving

This 16-page booklet written by Lise Caldwell is filled with colorful illustrations that teach children that Thanksgiving is a special time to honor God for His many blessings. While little is said in our current culture about Thanksgiving, this booklet reminds all of us what the first Thanksgiving was like as the Pilgrims ate with family and friends and thanked God for all their blessings. Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Happy Thanksgiving Coloring Book

Another way to help children understand the meaning of Thanksgiving.  Sixteen pages with simple text portraying the first Thanksgiving in the New World and today’s family celebration.

Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy

Nancy shows us the need for building a life based on thankfulness. Gratitude is a choice that brings our thoughts to the benefits and blessings of our wise and caring God. As Nancy says, it's our journey to joy.

 

 
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I'm thankful for those who care enough for brothers and sisters in Christ to take the time and effort to minister through the written word. I've especially been blessed by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. God introduced me to her writing when I was in a desert season of my life. For that I will be eternally grateful. He used her to draw me back to Himself.