So Many Blessings | Thankful Thursday

Last week I missed my Friday blog post: Fuel for the Weekend. I also missed posting my 5 Minute Friday on my YouTube channel. I had been up late waiting on my husband to get off work around midnight Friday morning. We talked a little bit and then I went to sleep because I had a very early doctor's appointment that I absolutely needed to keep for work. I brought home some breakfast for Javan and Paul and myself and then I laid down to take a nap. I have not been sleeping well lately and my allergies are really bothering me. My sister called me but I did not realize it. When I woke up I saw a text message from her and a missed call. My brother sent me and our other sister a text message telling us that our oldest sister was in an accident with our brother-in-law.

I immediately called her and found that she was in the Emergency Room. They had been hit by another driver who was going too fast in the rainy conditions. They tried to swerve to avoid the person but was hit head on. Their vehicle flipped and struck a tree which came crashing down into their sunroof area. Glass went everywhere including my sister's hair. My brother-in-law suffered no major injuries. My sister has a fracture in her knee. God had his hands on them and the person who hit them was not injured at all. He was driving so fast because he was late for a meeting.

I let my brother and our other sister know what was going on. I called my mom and she was at her friend's house, a wonderful woman of God, and we began to pray. My aunt called and had the prayer chain going in Florida, where she used to live. Other prayer chains began to go around here in Indiana. I believe heaven was bombarded with prayer for them and God was right with them all along in Tennessee. He has been doing one miraculous thing after another for them and I give God all the glory. She goes back to the doctor soon and is expecting them to not find anything wrong with her leg. They said she might need surgery to fix the fracture. But we know God heals and delivers and saves and sets free. We believe He is going to get all the glory, honor, and praise for all that He is doing! It is coming in ripples!!!

Please do continue to pray for my sister and brother-in-law. Their car is totaled and we all understand what a hassle dealing with insurance companies can be. She is in a wheelchair and unable to bear weight on that leg, but we know God is already working it all out.

Today I am so thankful for my sister and brother-in-law to be spared and for the gifts and callings on their life. They love the LORD with all their heart and are never too busy to pray for others in need. I am so thankful for them and for what God is doing in their lives and in the life of their son, my sweet nephew! He is now in the family of God, gave his heart to the Lord and is getting baptized! What a wonderful work He is doing in their lives. I am so thankful.

What are you thankful for today? I am counting my blessings and there are so many other things I do not have the time or space to write about that He is doing in our lives. I am also thankful for my new job and how God has worked out all those details and allowed me to be able to see my son off to his first day of high school. He had a wonderful day and I am so thankful. God is answering so many of our prayers!!

EPHESIANS 3:20-21 Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, Amen.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

7 Biblical Reasons To Be Thankful | Thankful Thursday

Has life been beating you up lately? Do you feel like you can't really catch a break? I understand how that feels. I get it! Life is hard sometimes. Sometimes it may feel like there are more problems than solutions and more hardships than good times. In these dry seasons it can be hard to count your blessings. After all, we have to really search for the good sometimes. When we lose a loved one, our job ends, the loan does not go through, or our spouse walks out on us, it can be really difficult to find something to be thankful for.

Research has shown that feeling thankful has positive effects on our health: both mental and physical. It can also improve our spiritual health. Choosing to focus on the positive things is not just about looking at the good in our life. When my dad died I did not immediately feel grateful that he was no longer with me. I did look back on the last couple of years of my dad's life and see God's hands all over it. I remembered the miracles and the relief, the breakthroughs that seemed to indicate Dad would not die. I thought about how I was grateful I had those days and months and two full years to spend with him and cherish those last moments together. My sister's birth father was tragically ripped from her life when a drunk driver hit and killed him. It was not easier to watch our dad slip away but there is a big blessing in the gift of that process.

When financial hard times come, it is not the first thing on our minds to write a list of things we are grateful for. We often begin to brainstorm ideas for how to find the ends in an effort to make them meet. We want solutions and when we are faced with a pile of bills and unmet needs, it can be so discouraging and painful. It is in those times that gratitude is so important. Holding on to God's faithfulness in the past, and any glimpses of God's goodness in the here and now only serve to strengthen our faith and reignite our hope that this too shall pass and we will be stronger for it.

Abandonment and rejection leave us feeling vulnerable and scared. Instead of choosing to see the bright side, it is far easier to see the negative effects. Divorce is unfortunately all too common, but the stigma is still there. The brokenness is still there. The unanswered questions of why this happened and how it could have been prevented leave us feeling isolated and alone. If we can somehow choose to see past that to what good there is left, it can help us not sink into despair and depression. There is hope!

How do we know an attitude of gratitude is powerful enough to plunge us out of the darkness back into a few rays of sunshine? We can look at research of course. We can read the studies of thousands of people who were observed and we can see how things changed in their lives. But, is that really helpful to us in the throws of life's lowest valleys? I don't know about you, but when it felt like I was in the pits I did not really care to read about how someone else turned things around by being thankful. I wanted to know what could help me?

The Bible has always been the one source of hope and strength for me. When others shared the Gospel with me it always encouraged me. It never failed to lift me up, if even for a moment. The more I would read the Word of God, the more I would begin to trust God. I learned of His character and His way of thinking. I saw Him as a source of strength and a refuge to hide in. I realized His love would carry me through the darkest of midnights. I did not have to feel forsaken. So, what does the Bible say about being thankful?

1. It is God's Will for us to be thankful. We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." That does not mean to thank God for the divorce, or the death, or the financial hardship, but thank Him that He never abandoned you, He is victorious over death, and He will supply all your needs. This is His will for you because when you look for the good you will find it. When you choose to focus on the reasons you are blessed, you will find more reasons. What you continue to dwell on will get down on the inside of you and it will begin to flourish and grow and it will elevate you out of the dungeon.

2. It is to remember God's holiness. We read in Psalm 30:4 "Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness." When we start shifting our eyes from our problems onto the Solution, Christ Jesus, we start remembering His holiness. We remember His goodness. We remember He has never failed us. We remember He has always done nothing but good for us. It shifts the mindset to stop dwelling on the problem and the negative parts of the puzzle. We begin to get our courage back. We stop feeling fear. We begin to believe again. Our hearts start to mend.

3. It is a good thing. We read in Psalm 92:1-3 "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High: To shew forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound." The Bible tells us it is a good thing to give thanks. When we begin to sing praises to God we stop feeling sadness. We no longer feel anxiety, worry, fear, doubt, or defeat. We begin to sing praises to God and something good starts to spring forth on the inside of us. We begin to feel that wellspring of life bubbling over. We feel joy take over and nothing can take it away when we have our mind completely on the goodness of God, day or night.

4. It gives us something to share with others. We read in Psalm 105:1 "O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people." The great things God has done for us is not just for our pleasure. It is not just for our enjoyment; but rather to be shared with others who are hurting. We may see others who are mourning, or discouraged, or feeling abandoned, and when we begin to share what God has done for us it edifies us both. We both gain strength from that. We both increase in faith when we hear an actual account of what God has done in times of great distress and pain. When we see His hand upon others and they tell us what God has done in their lives, it gives us hope that He will do the same thing for us.

5. It enables us to live in His presence. We read in Psalm 140:13 "Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name: the upright shall dwell in Thy presence." When we meditate on the things God has done for us, it causes us to temporarily leave our current situation and we are fully in His presence. When we recall the times God fed us when we had no money and no food, we begin to feel the oil of gladness fill our souls. As we remember the times the money came out of nowhere just before we lost everything, it will spark hope in our hearts that He will come through again. And as we begin to bask in the love of God and all the many times He came through for us, it changes the chemicals in our bodies. Endorphins, a feel-good hormone, begins to be released throughout our bodies. We begin to feel more joy than stress, more peace than chaos, more love than rejection and our whole countenance lights up. Friends, we can choose to live that way.

6. It brings us victory. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." We get our hopes up when we remember the times He came through before and when we are filled with faith and not doubt, God begins to work on our behalf. He begins to rearrange some things. He begins to change our circumstances. We begin to have victory over what once held us bound. That is worth praising God for. That is worth thanking Him for. We are victorious when we keep our eye on the prize and not get distracted by the tricks of the enemy.

7. It is what we will do in eternity. We read in Revelation 11:16-17 "And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give Thee thanks, O LORD GOD Almighty, Which art, and was, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned." When we come to eternity we will thank Him for what He did for us. We will be so thankful to have overcome every trial, every tribulation, every hardship, every battle that we faced. We will praise Him because He reigns. We will bow before Him like the 24 elders and we will proclaim that He is King and He is LORD and He is God. We will worship Him. He deserves it. He is worthy. It is His! Praise and thankfulness belong to God. We owe it to Him to tell Him how much we appreciate Him; how wonderful He is to us; and how much He means to us.

Friends, we have more than seven reasons to be thankful to God. Count your blessings today and every single day. Do not worry about the worries of this life, the problems and health concerns that arise. We have hope in Jesus Christ who promises us eternal life. We may not have it easy in this life, and bad things will continue to happen to us from time to time, but we have to remember Jesus Christ is King. He is worth every word of praise and adoration; every thankful and grateful sentiment; every appreciative statement we can think of to let Him know how much He means to us.

I am so thankful for Jesus loving me and never giving up on me. I have so much to praise God for. May you be found today with praise on your lips to King Jesus for all that He has done and is doing and will do in your life! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

Gratitude Journal Tutorial | Thankful Thursday

I apologize for the absentee blog posts last week. My father-in-law passed away and it has been a lot to handle and sort through. The funeral will be on Monday and our family appreciates the prayers for wisdom and guidance as my husband has to make a lot of important decisions. Thank you so much!

For today's creatively journaling our faith post, I wanted to make a page with you all for my gratitude journal. I use a mini Happy Planner notes disc bound book for my gratitude journal. I haven't used the journal since last year and so I definitely wanted to get back to that. I choose three things to be grateful for each day and that helps with my mental health so much.

I love the verse in Psalms 9:1 that says, "I will praise Thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all Thy marvellous works." In this season of grief and loss, not just the passing of my father-in-law, but no longer living in Alabama, and not finding a home of our own, ... it's just been a lot and so I enjoy this verse so much. I will praise God with my whole heart. I don't want to hold back anything from Him. I will tell of His marvelous works because He is doing so much. We have been so blessed since being back in Indiana. He is a good, good Father and I am so thankful that He loves us so much and blesses us every single day.

I am going to share the process of how I created my gratitude page today. Here's a look at the finished page:

These mini notebooks are so fun and it just takes a few minutes to decorate the page. The supplies I used include: Paper Mate Flair pens, heart rainbow washi, and colored dots from the office supply section at Walmart. I do not link anything here because I do not want anyone to go buy a bunch of products. The goal is to just write things we are thankful for and use what you have. You can use stickers, draw, color your own boxes or bullet points, use markers or colored pencils. I will share how I created this page. I know many of you wanted a step-by-step process for how I work in this size notebook.

I ran a strip of rainbow heart washi tape along the top and bottom of the page. I like working with the page outside the notebook. It is a favorite feature of the disc bound system. I enjoy taking the pages out to work on and popping back in when I am done.

These colorful dots are so fun to use for bullet points in my gratitude journal. The label circles are so tiny and are the perfect pair for this size notebook. They are already sticky on the back so I can just add them to the page and they are ready to go. If you do not have these labels you can journal without them. You can add dots with an ink pen, colored pencil, or markers. I already had these for a long, long time so they do last if you are only doing three bullets each time. It is very inexpensive in the office supply section at Walmart if you do want to purchase these, but again, it is not necessary to journal your gratitude list.

Colorful pens make journaling fun, but it is not necessary. Many of my pages are written with black ink on the page. If you do want to check these Paper Mate Flair pens I purchased from Walmart, they would be a good purchase because they do not bleed through the pages. I purchased a set of six for just under $6 before tax. The type of pen is not important. It's therapeutic to write what you're thankful for even if you use a number two pencil.

Here is a look at the page in my notebook. If you do not have this notebook, again, use what you have. You can make your own journal book with any paper, notebook, or journal you already have. I only list three things that I am grateful for. I do not add scriptures or additional journaling. You may want to do that. If you don't have a lot of time, this took me less than 10 minutes. You can spend as little or as much time as you want. The point is finding the good in your day and then thanking God who provided every single blessing.

I will share another project next Thursday. If there is anything specific you want to see, leave it in the comments below, or send me an email. I have some fun things planned and hope you enjoy the tutorials each week. I will share a couple of video tutorials on my YouTube channel as well each month. Hope you have a wonderful day. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my Fuel For The Weekend blog post. If you are on spring break this week or next, I hope you are safe and happy and keeping your eyes on Jesus!

I hope something I have said or shared today gives you strength for your journey and light for your way!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Guilt, Grief, Bitterness, Loneliness | Thankful Thursday

The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section of my blog to share what I am thankful for. I started it on a Thursday and decided to call it "Thankful Thursday." Each week I share what I am thankful for. Come back each week so we can count our blessings together.

As I look around at all the things we have to pack up again, I am taking inventory of just what all we actually need. Paul is at work while the kids and I are filling up boxes. As we sift through our belongings, it is much easier now to let go of things that have served their purpose. That is how my mom always said it. If I struggled with the decision of what to part with, she would simply say, "It's served it's purpose. It's time to get rid of it." I like that saying because it give me permission to let things go that I am only keeping out of guilt. Someone gave me something and I feel like it's disrespectful to part with the item, and yet the person that gave it to me may no longer be in my life for a myriad of reasons. Why do we hold so tight to material possessions when we should simply let go? I am thankful for my mother and for her sage advice to let things go after they have served their purpose in my life.

In the natural it may be easier to let go of the excess than it is in the spiritual. For some reason, guilt, grief, bitterness, loneliness .... those things seem harder to purge from our system. I know for me it is far easier to let go of a card or sentimental item than it is to forgive myself for something I have said or done wrong. It is sometimes easier to stay in my grief than to process it. It is even, dare I say, comfortable to endure the loneliness than risk putting myself out there and being rejected. I am thankful that I don't have to keep these bad feelings anymore.

ROMANS 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

MATTHEW 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

ISAIAH 38:17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.

PROVERBS 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Isn't it great that we don't have to stay stuck in the guilt, grief, bitterness, or loneliness. No matter what you may be struggling with today, give it to God. Take your burdens to the Lord and He will help you. He will remove the heavy load and He will give you His burdens which are light. He will give you the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. You can be free in Jesus' name!

I have people reading my blog all around the globe and I want to tell you all that Jesus Christ loves you so much! He gave His very life for you because He loves you and wants you to live with Him in eternity! There is nothing in this world worth missing heaven for. I am going and I hope you are, too! If you are not sure, just invite Him into your heart; confess you believe Jesus is the Son of God; repent of your sins and ask Him to lead and guide you with the Holy Spirit, and if you believe it you will receive the free gift of salvation. You can never go too far that He can't find you; sin so bad that His blood cannot cover it. That is GOOD NEWS! 

I am thankful that He saved a wretch like me. I am so thankful that He never gave up on me. I read back through my prayer journals and see the same theme over and over for months and then finally I get it and He works on another area of my life. I shake my head and think, "What took me so long?" And then I quickly praise God for being a merciful, long-suffering, loving Heavenly Father who patiently waits for His child to follow as He leads.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

 

 

Thankful Like Ezra | Thankful Thursday

The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section of my blog to share what I am thankful for. I started it on a Thursday and decided to call it "Thankful Thursday." Each week I share what I am thankful for. Come back each week so we can count our blessings together.

I have so much to be thankful for. I am sick right now, but I am getting much better every single day. I was exposed to someone with Covid on a Monday and that Thursday I started having symptoms, Friday I had even more symptoms and by the next Tuesday I lost my sensation of taste and smell. I have had trouble breathing, have been confused and just major brain fog, and I have been miserable, BUT I did not have to be hospitalized; I did not die; and I am recovering well. I have SO much to be thankful for.

I am thankful for a praying husband who will pray the prayer of faith over me, even when I did not know it. I am thankful for praying children who include me in their talk time with the Father. I am thankful for my praying mother, sisters, brother, and their families, and my friends who have covered me and held me up. I am thankful for Amy who is more than a sister in Christ...she has taken my cause to the Father countless times, battled in the heavenlies as the enemy enjoys attacking us, and has been an encourager and builder of my faith!

The Old Testament is probably my favorite part of the Bible. I love it all and I enjoy reading it cover to cover, but there is something so special and comforting about reading the Old Testament. My grandfather would teach me for hours and hours about the Bible and expound on the Scriptures and I would hang on his every word. Reading through the pages of the Old Testament is like visiting a friend. I enjoy reading their stories and triumphs. Life was not always easy and following God's plan did not mean a free pass. Yet God has proven Himself faithful time and time again; not only in the pages of the Bible but in my life as well!

My son chose the verse for today's blog post and I love it! It is found in the book of Ezra and it's a wonderful account of how God keeps His promise to the children of Israel to get them back to the Land of Promise after they have been in exile for 70 years!!! That's a lifetime! The sad part is this second Exodus is not as massive as it could have been because so many people refused to go! I cannot imagine God promising them a future and they're like, "Nay! I'm good!" But it happened! The passage we are reading today is after they rebuild the temple and there's a mixture of people there: some who see the temple for the first time and it's new and beautiful and they celebrate; others are there weeping at the new temple because they remember the way things were before...the beauty and splendor. Maybe they were sad that it did not look the same, maybe they were sad that man strayed so far from the loving God that led them to the Promised Land the first time! A mixture of emotion and experience takes place, let's look:

EZRA 3:8-13 (8)Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD. (9)Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites. (10)And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. (11) And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. (12) But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice: and many shouted aloud for joy: (13)So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

Can you imagine being far away and all of a sudden you hear this noise...shouting and weeping?...and I am sure it made those who heard it curious. Have you ever been wanting something so bad, praying so hard, working diligently to make a thing happen and then when it comes to fruition you just want to shout and dance and tell everybody? Imagine if there was never any sickness, disease, pain, death, hurt, loneliness, fatigue.... oh, wait there is! It is in heaven and can you imagine the jubilee in the hearts of the saints! We are going to rejoice! We are to shout! We are going to praise our God and our King Jesus who made it all happen for us! We will be dancing on the golden street!

We don't have to wait for heaven to celebrate. We don't have to wait until something miraculous and BIG happens to rejoice. If we start counting our blessings and looking at what God has done, we will begin to thank Him and praise Him and rejoice. We will have a spring in our step. People will take notice. They will wonder what is WRONG with us that we can have financial hardship and still smile... we can have sickness or death in our family and still say BUT GOD IS GOOD! ....we can lose our job or have to relocate and not have all the details and still say, "Thank You LORD because YOU are good, your mercy endures FOREVER!" Take a page out of Ezra's book and be thankful. God is doing so many amazing things.

The news headlines want to point out the dark, the evil, the hard, the sad, the depressing events and put them in our face. The world is discouraging, cold, hard-hearted, and angry. You will not rejoice in the news of this world. Turn your eyes to the Savior. Look full into His wonderful face. Watch Him do the powerful, the miraculous, the ordinary in an extraordinary way and be thankful. Encourage yourself by remembering all God has done for you. Take a sheet of paper and I dare you to start with right now and count back as far as you can to what God has done for you. Can you breathe without a machine? Are you able to walk, talk, see, hear, or taste? Can you feel things with your hands? Are you able to read the Bible anytime you want? It's free online to read the Bible if you don't have a Bible. Do you have a home? Electricity? Running water? Is there food for you to eat? Are you able to bathe and brush your teeth with clean water? Do you have a church? Are you able to work? Do you have a vehicle? Look at all the blessings those are, not to mention the way God works out your problems, helps you stay safe on the road, free from danger when you are out and about. How about this, are you saved by His mercy and grace? That is the biggest blessing of all!

Tell someone what God has done for you and then ask them if you can pray for them specifically about a need or trial they are facing. We are in a pandemic and we have to social distance but we can still reach out to a friend in need. We can still pray. We don't have to distance ourselves from God. The Bible promises that as we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. What are you thankful for today?

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Happy Thanksgiving | Thankful Thursday

The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section of my blog to share what I am thankful for. I started it on a Thursday and decided to call it "Thankful Thursday." Each week I share what I am thankful for. Come back each week so we can count our blessings together.

Friends, my heart is FULL of gratitude this Thanksgiving. Imagine Thanksgiving 2020 in the midst of a Pandemic, God is still moving, He is still working, and He is still blessing. He is still GOOD! 

This Thanksgiving looks so different for me and my family. God has given me new perspective on those who are alone during the holidays. My heart has always gone out to those who have no one to celebrate with. This year I get to see firsthand how lonely and hard it really is, and even in my situation I am not totally alone.

My children are in Indiana, celebrating Thanksgiving with their grandparents, and visiting family and friends. My heart is full of gratitude that they were given this opportunity. I'm thankful for my family who is still with us this year and I am thankful for all the memories I have of those who are not. Since our children are in Indiana, Paul and I planned to spend Thanksgiving with my mother and my aunt in Florida. I am very grateful to still have my mother and it's not as far to their home in Florida than it was to my mother's home in Indiana. I am also extremely thankful that I am able to celebrate with my husband, Paul. It's our 20th Thanksgiving together.

I was exposed to Covid at my new job. Four days later I developed symptoms like Covid and two days ago I lost my sense of smell and taste. I am unable to get tested but I have self-quarantined and thus I am not able to go visit my family because I don't want to spread this to anyone else. My husband stays in another room and thankfully there is a bathroom here in our bedroom, so I don't venture out of this room much. It is lonely and honestly it feels more lonely when Paul is home from work, because we talk from down the hall or sometimes he calls me on the phone! But I am not wallowing in self-pity. I am not the only one affected by this crazy illness and many are far worse than I am. I am very blessed and thankful for all the things I do have.

Today we unexpectedly got an early paycheck. That was such a blessing! Paul went to get us a nice lunch since we did not buy anything for a Thanksgiving feast as we planned to be out of town. I am thankful for the workers at Golden Corral who provided a delicious - I'm guessing - meal for my husband and I. We ate in different rooms but I am grateful for a hot meal and a big cup of sweet tea!

So even though I am banished to my bedroom and it's not the same traditions we have had in the past, I am so thankful for a home, a meal, and the love of those who care about me and are praying for me. (Please ignore the way I look. Real life people! LOL)

PHILIPPIANS 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

EPHESIANS 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

COLOSSIANS 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

PSALMS 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

PSALMS 103:2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

No, this Thanksgiving may not be like we imagined it to be, or wanted it to be, or even prayed it would be. There may be empty chairs around the table from relatives who are no longer with us, those who cannot come because of sickness or shelter-in-place regulations, maybe distance has kept others away, and maybe it is relationship-strain, or whatever the case may be. Please know I am praying for those who are lonely and isolated and feel forgotten or abandoned or ignored. I am praying for God to cover you all with His grace and mercy and love and remind you that you are loved and never forgotten!

To the ones reading this and you may be in a house full of people or a crowded gathering but still feel alone. You may have a beautiful home, a delicious meal, and all the appearances of good things but something is still missing. Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? If He isn't, please accept His free gift of salvation today. Material possessions and experiences can never replace the emptiness we feel when we are separated from God. He is a good, good Father. Regardless of how your earthly father has treated you, God is a wonderful, loving, kind, and generous Father. He adores you and sent His only Son Jesus to die for your sins. What a great time to open your heart to the love of the Father!

I am rejoicing in spite of the situation this year. God woke me up and gave me JOY and it's down in my soul bubbling up. I know this too shall pass and things will change again in the future but if we cling to the unchanging hand of God, we can experience Thanksgiving every day of the year! So from my children: Kadesia and Javan in Indiana...

...and from Paul and me in Alabama...

...we wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

I'm Thankful | Thankful Thursday

Welcome to my Thankful Thursday blog post! The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section on my blog to share what I am thankful for. I call this my Thankful Thursday blog posts. I will continue to share what I am thankful for each week, so be sure to come back to my blog and we can count our blessings together.

I have so much to thank God for! He has been so good to me, I cannot tell it all! He has healed my body, clothed me in my right mind, saved me, sanctified me, and redeemed me with the blood of Jesus. There is no mountain He has not moved for me, nor taught me to climb. I have never been the same since I made Him the LORD of my life and I am so glad that He never gave up on me. He kept pursuing me and loving me and forgiving me. He is a great God! If the world could only know Him like I know Him there would be no one going to hell! His love is too sweet, His promises too precious, His blessings too good, His faithfulness too amazing to walk away from. I want to get closer to Him every single moment.

Friends, this year is almost over. We are heading out of October as quickly as we entered it and I have a feeling the rest of the year is going to follow suit. I want to encourage you all today that God is still good. There are lots of bad things in this world. Evil is present and at work in the lives of many, but we have a God that never slumbers nor sleeps and He is in control. He is not shaken or afraid. He is not pleased with the way man has disregarded Him and done as they pleased, but He is not thrown off guard. He is working all things for our good if we love Him and are called according to His purpose. Isn't that a reason to smile? No weapon formed against us will prosper.

My friend, Amy, is my faithful prayer partner. We are several states apart and more miles than I care to count, but we have a daily prayer connection and we have a great time! God is so good and so busy in our lives and we choose to look for His handiwork in everything and we always find it! I challenge you to do the same thing.

If you look for fearful things, bad news, negative reports, gloom and doom, you will surely find it. There is no shortage of that stuff in the world today. It will make you sick in mind, body, and spirit if you dwell on that stuff. If you look for the peaceful things, good news, positive reports, hope and truth, you will surely find it. There is no shortage of that stuff in the world today. It will heal your mind, body, and spirit if you dwell on that stuff. The choice is yours. What will you think about? 

I want to share a few scriptures in closing. Please look these scriptures up and search out the meaning. Ask God to show you with fresh eyes what He wants you to know about these familiar passages. Let's not be hearers of the Word only, but let's be doers of the Word. Let's impact the world around us for good and for God's glory.

PSALMS 121:3-4 (3)He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. (4)Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

ROMANS 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. 

 ISAIAH 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD.

 PHILIPPIANS 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

I am thankful for the opportunity to share my faith on my blog. I hope that you will choose an attitude of gratitude as well. It's been said that attitudes are contagious, let's make sure ours are worth catching! Have a great day and I'll see you tomorrow as we get Fuel For The Weekend.

God bless you,
Bridgett Owens 

Pop Tarts and Toasters | Thankful Thursday

 Welcome to my Thankful Thursday blog post! The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section on my blog to share what I am thankful for. I call this my Thankful Thursday blog posts. I will continue to share what I am thankful for each week, so be sure to come back to my blog and we can count our blessings together.

I wanted something sweet. I had a small savory meal but wasn't quite full and thought a sweet treat would be in order. I am battling a sinus congestion/head cold situation and so I opened the pantry in search of something light and pleasant to the taste. I saw the box of strawberry Pop-Tarts. I glanced over and saw no one had bothered to put the toaster up from using it last, so I placed the two pastries in the slots of the toaster and waited. It didn't take long for the heat of the toaster to soften the delicate rectangles and then it happened...

The pop of the toaster alerted me that it was time to remove these dear frosted goodies from the jaws of the toaster. The right slot released the Pop-Tart with ease. The left was not ready to let go. I looked inside and saw that the Pop-Tart had slipped outside the protective "clamps" of the toaster and it was stuck! I quickly unplugged the toaster and grabbed a fork to help me finagle the sugary, gooey, pastry loose. It was not budging. I tore part of the top. I shook the toaster, and urged the Pop-Tart to come out, cheering it out, "Come on!" It sunk further. What could I do?

I picked the toaster up in both hands, shook the toaster, held it upside down, and with the help of the fork tines, eased the pastry onto my paper towel. It looked terrible. Next to the perfect Pop-Tart it was torn, beaten up, and broken. I looked at the poor thing and all I could see was the strawberry gel tempting me to gobble it up. I did not care that my bedtime snack was not Pin-worthy. I did not mind that it was torn up and in pieces. That pastry was for me to sink my teeth into and enjoy. I savored it and then I thought about how much life is like that whole situation.

We get in our lane and we are busy doing our own thing. The heat of the trials of life are lighting a fire inside us and we can be sweeter than before we were pressed so hard. The metal clamps of the slot can tighten around us but it just secures us so we can fully take the heat and pressure without collapsing. Sometimes we are like the pastry on the right. We come out unscathed and even admired but some. Other times we are like the pastry on the left, we collapse and get broken, but we can still be used for a great purpose.

Lately I have felt like the pastry that slipped between the wall of the toaster and the center holding section. I feel like I have been poked and prodded and nudged. Sometimes I hear a friend or family member cheering me on. Sometimes I feel like my world is shaking or even upside down. Do you know what the good news is? When I finally slink out of the hot toaster slot of life, I am still valuable. I still have a purpose. I can still do what I was created to do and the heat maybe made me a little sweeter.

After suffering the loss of my father in 2013 I could have quit nursing school. He passed away during my Christmas break. I did not want to go back to nursing school. It was literally all that I could do with God's help to go back. I had several patients who were about my dad's age; those men had colon cancer just like my dad. As I held their hand to redirect them from pulling out N-G tubes, spoke softly as not to startle them waking from anesthesia, and offered a smile of hope they were not alone it felt like I was more compassionate than before losing Dad. It was bittersweet.

Sometimes life is great and we feel like we are on top of the world. Have you had some times this year where it just felt like you were riding the wave and everything looked great? I know God has given me some of those moments recently. This week has not felt like that. It felt more like the big wipe-out in front of a crowd of people, left me feeling disappointed and mangled like the Pop-Tart. But I know God looks down into my circumstances like I looked into that toaster. He sees the stuff on the inside of me that He put there and He works hard to get me out as best as I can. When I am bruised and broken, He shines His light inside me and reminds me that I can still burn bright for Him.

1 Peter 4:12-13 (12)Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (13)But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

 Romans 8:35-39 (35)Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36)As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37)Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. (38)For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39)Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That is great news! We shouldn't think it is strange when we go through problems or difficulties in life. If we end up like the Pop-Tart on the left, don't think it is something awful and dreadful that you will never bounce back from. You are a child of the Most High God! He is in your corner. He may have to get some creative devices to help you out of the space you get stuck in, but even if He has to move mountains to get you free He will do it! Nothing we go through, no setback, delay, or disaster is going to keep us from God's love. We are in the palm of His hand and He loves us. This Thursday I am thankful for strawberry Pop-Tarts, toasters, electricity, paper towels, forks, my Bible, and for the God who never gives up on His children! Because I am a hot mess most of the time!

I hope you will leave me a comment below and tell me what you are thankful for today! I am always grateful for the friends God sends to my blog each time I post!

Hugs,

Bridgett