A season of thanksgiving...
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Several years ago I read a book called, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. The book chronicles her personal journey to learn to give thanks for the seemingly mundane, the daily things of life, and yes, even the hard times. Since we were going through a season of challenges on many fronts at the time, her words resonated with me, and I began to journal at least three things a day that I was thankful for...her challenge to her readers.
Isn't it true that we find it easy to give God thanks for the miraculous, the awesome, the wonderful things that come to us, but find it difficult to notice the many little gifts we are given daily? I love her words, "And when I give thanks for the seemingly microscopic, I make a place for God to grow within me.” I find that when I purposely look for things to be thankful for, I notice so many things, and my focus shifts from myself to Him and all that He daily gives. And as Ann Voskamp says, “Eucharisteo—thanksgiving—always precedes the miracle.”
In that spirit, our Pastor is spending the month of November on a series of messages titled, "How to keep the "thanks" in Thanksgiving! To help keep the focus on Thanksgiving, my friend Pam and I went in and decorated the altar on Tuesday afternoon.
I do so love our church and am thankful to be a part of this body of believers. I'm thankful for our humble Pastor who faithfully ministers to us and the community. He authentically and creatively brings us the Word each Sunday. So, if you live in the greater Lake Stevens area, and are looking for a place to worship and walk alongside others in this journey of faith, come and see what we are about at Elim, next to the LS High School.
Leaving the quietness of the sanctuary, we walked outside and marveled at the colors of these trees!
We drove away, "Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," (Ephesians 5:20). What are you thankful for these days?
