Thanksgiving

I do realize that it is not November nor is it Thanksgiving time.  But in all reality, thanksgiving should be year round.  I read a wonderful book at the end of last year that opened my eyes to the idea of giving thanks....for everything. 

The book that opened my eyes was One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  It is a poignant journey of one woman struggling with similar questions.  It truly changed my way of looking at the world on a daily basis.  Instead of thinking of all that I need to do when I am in the car on the way to work, I now thank God for all the things that I see that I enjoy or that bring me joy....a Snowy Egret, beautiful vineyards, the fresh smell of Eucalyptus trees.  I have not tried to count out one thousand of the amazing blessings I receive from God each day but reading the book did change my overall view of my world. 

It is such a difficult concept because my first reaction to some of the things that happen in my life is "why me?"  For example, the same year that I invited Jesus into my life, my husband and I were in a pretty bad car accident and it was a long and difficult recovery.  Instead of looking at all the good things that came from it and all the things that could have happened to make the accident worse, I got stuck in the "why did you let this happen God?" 

And I am certainly not saying it is easy.  If you are struggling with something like cancer or the death of a loved one, it can be difficult to see the good.  But God tells us in His word that He will work all things for our good "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose."  I often don't know why things happen, but usually if I can look at the events later, I can see the good that came from them. 

For me it is a matter of faith...and I have to work at faith daily because it does not come naturally to me.  Perhaps you are in the same boat....

In His Grace...

Purrrcey

Welcome...this is my first attempt at blogging so please bear with me. 

As you may be able to tell from the title of my blog, this will be a faith based blog.  I have felt for the past several years, the Lord has been leading me to share my testimony with others in a written format.  I have been reluctant to try this but felt a strong leading to start a blog.

The photo above is of a friends' cat who has since passed away.  Purrrcey came to our friend as most cats do...as a stray.  He was so skittish that no one could pet him, let alone catch him.  He was scrawny and malnourished.  Afraid of anything that moved.  Our friend has an amazing amount patience with cats so he patiently and lovingly worked at becoming Purrrcey's friend. 

In time, Purrrcey came to trust our friend, so much that he even slept in the bed.  Purrrcey had been abused.  His ear had to be removed because it was infected as did all of his teeth.  He was in rough shape by the time our friend was able to catch him and take him to the veterinarian.  But the love and trust that Purrrcey eventually showered on our friend was amazing to see. 

To me, Purrrcey was a reflection of what God's love can do and does do for us.  The relationship Purrrcey had with our friend is not unlike our relationship with the Lord when we begin a relationship with Him.  We come to him broken and empty.  But He comes alongside us and fills us with his vast love.  He fills the empty places that no one else can fill.  His love is infinite as is His patience.  The Lord is just waiting for each of us, His beloved children, to find our way to Him. 

I will write more about my own path to the Lord soon. 

In His Grace