Thankful For Reminders | Thankful Thursday

I was just thinking about how different it is to live in Indiana now than it was 2 years ago. So many things has changed and not just because of the virus. It is strange sometimes to be somewhere I have been a hundred times before but instead of feeling familiar, it feels weird and different. Of course, some things haven't changed and sometimes that is good and other times maybe it isn't. What has changed about your life since March 2020?

I am thankful that my husband, my children, and I survived the pandemic. I am thankful that we are all together, even without a home of our own yet. I am thankful for the way things are slowly starting to re-open. I am thankful that masks are not always required in every place we go now. I am thankful that I have a nice job that I truly enjoy. I am thankful for reconnecting with friends I have not seen in years! It is always so good to pick up where we left off as if no time has passed at all.

I am thankful for past professional relationships that have now come full circle. It's so nice to have known people and worked with them in the past and now get the opportunity to work side by side again. It is so important to always be the best you can be. You never know when those people will be in your life again. In my case, she remembered me in a positive light because we had a good working relationship before. Now she takes me under her wing and gives me the guidance I need and is quick to jump in and help me. It's not just good to be your best self because of what you may gain from it in the future. It is good to be your best self because it is what builds character and shows who you really are and that is important.

I am thankful for God's gentle reminders to wait and continue to trust in His promises. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Teach me LORD, teach me LORD, to wait. We used to sing this at church and it was such a great encouragement. People would sing and worship God as they waited for the promises to be given.

I have been waiting, but not waiting well. I do good for a while and then I start to get impatient and wonder how much longer it is going to take. But all good things take time and I am thankful for the Bible to remind us that we will get renewed strength as we wait on God. We will fly like eagles and soar high above the problem staring us in the face so we can see the big picture. It says we can run and not get tired and walk and not faint. This passage is not just flattering poetry or metaphors. We honestly will get stronger as we endure hard times as a good soldier. I am making a better effort to wait well.

The truth is that we are not alone in trying to find a home to rent or buy. We are not alone in finding outrageous, unrealistic prices for homes that need a LOT of work. God is going before us and He is making our paths straight, so we know that we can trust Him. He sees the end from the beginning. 

ISAIAH 46:9-11 (9)Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, (10)Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure: (11)Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth My counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

There it is in black and white! God is in charge. There is no one or nothing like our God. He knows the end from the beginning. He declares from the ancient times what will happen in the future. His counsel is never going to be overturned. He does what He wants! He can call a starving bird from the east. He will choose someone from a country far away to execute His plans. He can use anyone or anything He chooses. He speaks it and it is! It comes to pass because the life breather and life giver speaks and what was not, now is. He speaks a thing and makes it happen. Whatever He has purposed and planned to do, He is going to do. So, if God tells you He has something special for you, get ready to receive it because it is coming! It is on the way!

Thank you for joining me today as I count my blessings. I hope you are counting yours, too. May God remind you of all that He has done for you and all He is going to make happen for you. I hope something I shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. 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