Hey there! I hope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday. As usual, we had dinner with my husband’s side of the family and then stopped by my grandmother’s house for dessert. It was a nice day for sure. That night, I insanely decided to hit Toys R Us for their Black Friday sales. I didn’t end up getting home until 2:00 in the morning, but I have to admit I had fun. I also saved a lot of money and I actually got a lot of my Christmas shopping done. The day after Thanksgiving, my little family went to get our Christmas tree and a few Christmas decorations from Lowes. We decorated all day and (if I do say so myself) the house looks great! The day after that, my mother-in-law came over to stay with my daughter so my husband and I could head off to Cape May, NJ. It was our 6th wedding anniversary this past Saturday so we celebrated with a night down the shore. We really had a lot of fun. The entire weekend was great; it really could not have been better.
This week, however, has gotten off to an entirely different kind of start. Not feeling so well, I decided to sleep in a little later than usual this morning. When my daughter and I woke up, we went downstairs to find that one of my two dogs had pooped all over the rug. I couldn’t determine which dog it was (because they were both acting guilty) and, like a complete jerk, I attempted to kick one of my dogs in the backside with my barefoot as he ran out the back door. He dodged my kick and instead my barefoot went straight through a glass pane in the bottom of my door. Glass shattered everywhere. My foot was bleeding. There was, of course, still poop on the floor. The whole scene was very lovely indeed. Thankfully, my injuries were minor, the door needed to be replaced anyway, the dogs are fine and the poop has been cleaned. Still, isn’t it funny how quickly life changes pace? To make matters worse, one of our cars is acting up and is now sitting at the mechanic. Gotta love it.
In light of life’s ups and down (which in many instances are much more serious than the turn of events I just described), I can’t help but stop and again reflect on day one of our homework this past week. Specifically, I am struck by the first few verses Beth described as the verses of a “seduce-proofed believer.”
Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always);
Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will] (1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18, AMP).
On Thanksgiving morning, I ended up coming to the part of our homework where we were directed to pause and make a list of things for which we are thankful. I couldn’t help but smile. I love when God so perfectly coordinates life with what He is teaching us through the study of His word. The timing of this question couldn’t have been better. Moreover, the lesson that came along with the teaching was powerful:
Seduce-proofed people live in active gratitude . . . dissatisfaction is a stronghold waiting to happen. An unsatisfied soul should never be ignored. Ongoing or chronic feelings of dissatisfaction are waving red flags that need to be well inspected. Such feelings may mean something vital is missing, and we need to seek God without delay (WGPDUT, pg. 58).
In my homework I wrote that I am thankful for God’s love and mercy and unbreakable covenant. I am thankful for my sweet husband, my daughter, and my daughter-to-be. I am thankful for the privilege of serving the Lord. And I am thankful for the many provisions God has given me that I do not deserve.
Everything I wrote in my homework is true. I am thankful for all of it. But in my frustration this morning, I clearly was not living in active gratitude. Therefore, adding to the list I made in my homework, I want to thank the Lord for loving me enough to continually show me my own hypocrisy. I clearly need to find joy in and surrender even more of my life to the power of the Spirit.
Lord, in keeping with 1 Thessalonians 5:24, I know You have called me, You are faithful, and You will do it. Please change me by the power of Your Spirit. Help my soul to be fully satisfied in You that I might continually live in active gratitude. I pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen.
If you have made a personal commitment to make a post on our group page each week, please either post something for which you are thankful or post an area of dissatisfaction for which you would like the group to pray. We are all in this together, and that is definitely another thing for which I am thankful!
This week, we’ll be watching the group session 3 video (click the link below). The corresponding viewer guide is on page 77 of your workbook.
http://www.lifeway.com/product/005094027/?cs=1
Finally, please feel free to post any other comments, questions, and/or prayer requests at any point throughout the week. We will all enjoy and benefit from hearing what you’ve been learning, and it is truly our privilege to lift one another up in prayer.
Your friend, Amy
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