It's a Gift... No, Really It Is!

The radio is usually playing at work and I heard a song the other day. It said, "God gave me you for the ups and downs. God gave me you for the days of doubt." Regardless of differing opinions on secular music, I think those lines express very eloquently what a marriage could and should be. To me, it's beautiful.

Being a single girl whose greatest dream was to get married and be a wife and mom, when I hear things that express the beauty in relationships, it can make me just a little jealous... OK a LOT jealous... that God hasn't given me any such person yet. I would imagine that I am NOT even close to being alone in that.

So when I faced my Lord with jealousy in my heart about the state of my singleness, He reminded me of something. "Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights..." ~ James 1:17. He reminded me that singleness is a GIFT!

We sometimes look at it like we would a gift opened at Christmas from some obscure relative that doesn't know us very well who gave us something we KNOW we will never use. But God intends it to be received better than that. For most people, the single parts of our lives are temporary; most people do get married at some point. Until that happens, God wants us to enjoy and use the gift of singleness. We shouldn't secretly grimace, say a very fake "thanks" and rush back to the store to try to exchange it for a better gift. It's the gift that God Himself has chosen to give to us for right now.

Whenever something happens to make me jealous, like hearing a song that makes me lonely, seeing another couple form in my circle of friends, or watching another young married couple years younger than me have a precious little baby, I have to apologize to my Lord. I have to ask forgiveness for not appreciating the gift He has given ME. Then I try to count the ways that His gift to me is wonderful in my own life. And believe me there are many when you start to look for them!

Many of the reasons to be thankful for this gift are too personal to share or they wouldn't mean anything to anyone else, but I know and thank the Lord for them. I can share a few though. For example...

• I am thankful that my finances are not complicated by another person. I know what I make and what I spend. It's easy.
• I have complete freedom in setting my own schedule. I don't have to check with someone or consider someone else's feelings or schedule if something unexpected comes up.
• I only have my family to consider around the holidays. I don't have to worry about another person's family wanting to see them but living in different places than my family.

These are just a few and honestly, they are not anything that I wouldn't find worth giving up someday. But for now, I can enjoy them as being a part of God's gift to me for this season in my life.

What about all of you? If you are single, can you think of a way that God's gift is a blessing? If you are married, can you think of a way that you took that gift for granted while you had it? Please share them with me!

Have a Thankful Thanksgiving, Part 3

• Friday, 11-11-11 - I am thankful for such a cool date! I am thankful that today is Veteran's Day and I have a paid day off in a country that was kept free by Veterans who made tremendous sacrifices to keep it free. I am thankful to be an American. I am thankful that I grew up close to Fort Hood, TX and got to see first hand the sacrifices our soldiers and their families make for the rest of us. I am thankful that I got a chance to go shooting for the first time!!
• Saturday, November 12th - I am thankful that we made our goal last week at LC so I got to wear a blue jean skirt and t-shirt to work. I am thankful that in a time where many have trouble finding a single job, that God has blessed me with two.
• Sunday, November 13th - I am thankful for Friend Day at church today. I am thankful that I can have so much fun working with four year olds! I am thankful for how much they enjoy saying their memory verses in as many crazy ways as I can think of (underwater voice, monkey style, robot style, etc). I am thankful for friends who are my age and single that attend my church and have fun hanging out. A year and a half ago I didn't have that luxury. I am thankful for the Spiveys who work with us Pathfinders and plan fun activities for us to do. I am thankful that I do not have to try to eat Oreos placed on my forehead without using my hands on a regular basis (a game that I failed miserably at)!
• Monday, November 14th - I am thankful for a washer and dryer in my apartment. When I lived in TN and had to use the laundromat it was such a hassle! I am thankful for a dishwasher that get the dishes clean and more sanitized than I can by washing them by hand. I am thankful for a refrigerator that keeps food from spoiling and being wasted.
• Tuesday, November 15th - I am thankful that IHOP is open after 10 pm and has a place to plug in your computer. I am thankful that I can concentrate and get a lot of writing done there like I can not seem to do at home. I am thankful for all of the HBBC students that work there who may not recognize me, but I know are HBBC students. I am thankful for their testimony.
• Wednesday, November 16th - I am thankful that a new haircut can make a girl feel like new! I am thankful that the salon had an opening and was able to fit me in on my lunch break even though it was a spur of the moment decision and I had obviously not made an appointment. I am thankful for all of the encouraging coworkers, friends, and family who supported my drastic change in hair styles.
• Thursday, November 17th - I am thankful for a boss who is understanding when I am 10 minutes late because I didn't realize that my windshield and windows would be frozen over when I tried to leave for work this morning. I am thankful for defrosters, heaters, sweaters, gloves, coats, scarves, hats, boots, and anything else that keeps me warm!

Have a Thankful Thanksgiving, Part 2

Have you ever found yourself down in the dumps grumbling about something? In that moment you were not grateful. There's just something about the way that God made us, we can be thankful or ungrateful but never both at the same time. This thought convicts me because I know that I must complain to God far more often than I thank Him for things. So these are the things that I wanted to thank God for this week...

• Friday, November 4th - I was thankful that my sister invited me to go see the Beauty and the Beast play done by Oklahoma Christian University. I was thankful that the weather went from 29 degrees and frosty to the mid 50's. I was thankful for my co-workers that I work with on a daily basis; they make work fun and are truly a blessing to me.
• Saturday, November 5th - I was thankful that the earthquake at 2am didn't cause any damage where I live. I was thankful that I was able to sleep in after a night of very little sleep. I was thankful that I got off of work at LensCrafters at 8pm instead of 9pm. 
• Sunday, November 6th -I was thankful for the "fall back" time change that allowed me an extra hour of rest after the second larger earthquake in 24 hours had me wide awake again. I was thankful that even though it was the largest earthquake ever recorded in Oklahoma, that I have not heard of anyone being seriously hurt and no major damage other than a couple roads buckling and some people's walls cracking. I am thankful for Southwest Baptist Church which celebrated it's 60th anniversary on Sunday. I look forward to Sunday mornings when I can work with my precious 4 year old girls and then sit and hear Pastor Gaddis preach about things that feed me spiritually. I truly have been blessed to be a part of a church that is my church home.
• Monday, November 7th - Despite the fact that earthquakes, tornadoes, hail, and thunderstorms happen in one night here, in spite of the wind that comes sweeping down the plain, and even though the weather in general changes faster than a girl can change her mind, I am very thankful that I know I am right where God wants me and I am very thankful that it is here in OKC. While this Texas girl will never give up her Texas heritage and roots (After all, you can take the girl outta Texas, but you cain't take the Texas outta the girl.), Oklahoma has truly become home to me in the last 7 years and there's no place I would rather be.  =)
• Tuesday, November 8th - I was thankful for Tuesday night visitation nursery. Every Tuesday night I go play with babies while their parents are out visiting people. I get to help by freeing parents up from distractions and get my baby fix all at the same time! I have one little girl, Emma, who has become my special buddy. I think I am one of her favorite people ever. She always wants to come to me whenever she sees me and it makes my day every time!
• Wednesday, November 9th - I was thankful for the cold, nearly freezing weather last night. (It's a one time thing, but I actually was truly grateful for it!) I somehow managed to drop my ground beef right outside my front door while I was carrying in groceries last night. Thankfully with the weather being so cold, it was nearly frozen and not spoiled! It was truly a blessing!
• Thursday, November 10th - I am thankful for coffee and how soothing it feels on a sore throat. I am thankful for the french press coffee maker that I won at work several months ago. I being able to make coffee at home. I am thankful for a stove that works, electricity that is consistent, and safe, clean water that comes out of the facet every time I turn it on.    

What about you? What are some of the things that you are thankful to God for this week? I would love to hear yours too. So please, comment at the bottom and let me know!

Have a Thankful Thanksgiving, Part 1

I had noticed people were putting something that they are thankful for each day on Facebook for the month of November. I liked the idea, but I thought I would do it on here and do a week's worth at a time.

Oh, and by the way... Did you ever stop to think that being thankful for something implies that you are thankful to someone for that thing? Think about it. Most of the things that we are thankful for we have little to no control over. Who are we thanking for those things? The very concept of being Thankful implies that we are thankful to God. So don't be generic this Thanksgiving and November; don't settle for being grateful to the unseen and unknown. Be specific and thank God!

• Monday October 31st - I was thankful that I live in a safe apartment complex where I don't have to worry about mischief befalling me on Halloween night. I was thankful that I was not scheduled to work at Penn Square Mall on Monday. I was thankful for a nice quiet evening where Jen and I got to hang out and watch a movie together.

• Tuesday, November 1st - I was thankful for one last day of short sleeves, sandals, and windows open kind of weather before the cold front that was coming through the next day. I was also thankful that my work paid for all of us to have free Big Truck Tacos today at lunch. I had never had them before and they were very good! I was thankful that I was no longer sick like the week before and was able to do visitation nursery like usual. I was missing those babies!! 

• Wednesday, November 2nd - I was thankful that I got to eat lunch with Mrs. Rachel Spivey and Samuel. She is such a blessing to me! I also was thankful that I had a much less stressful day at work than on Tuesday. And I was thankful that I got to ride to and from church with Jen and Colby who just crack me up! 

• Thursdays, November 3rd - I was thankful that I have warm blankets that keep me so cozy that I don't want to get out of bed. I was thankful for hot water to take a shower without freezing. I was also thankful for my cell phone since it is my faithful alarm and keeps me in touch with my friends and family.

And I Choose... to Be Grumpy!

Ever have one of those days when it just seems like nothing is going right? I had a great day today, but I have had those days. You know the kind... You wake up and realize that you turned your alarm off rather than hitting snooze so you now have 20 minutes to get ready and leave for work. You rush through a shower, throw on some clothes and shoes that you hope match. You hurriedly leave without makeup, breakfast, or having read your Bible. And the only prayer you have said was, "Lord help me to HURRY and by some miracle not be late!" Then you get stuck behind the one driver in the whole city who is not speeding but is instead going half the speed limit. You get to work feeling frazzled, hungry, and most of all annoyed. Then before you are even supposed to be open (the sign SAYS we open at 8:00 and it's only 7:45 people!), you have to deal with cranky customers that leave you wondering if half the population was born without half their brains and entirely without common sense.

Now if all that happened to you what do you think your attitude would be or has been? Well, it would be exactly whatever you make it. The cool (and at times annoying) thing about attitudes is that they are entirely your choice. I learned this as a teenager, although I would say it's really a lot like the motto of the game Othello - "Moments to learn and a lifetime to master."

We are all going to have "bad" days. The problem comes in when feel justified having a bad attitude and being grouchy, grumpy, snippy, crabby, or just short with people in general. We think, "Look at all that has gone wrong today. I have the RIGHT to be grouchy!"

I have found that when I find myself choosing a bad attitude over a good one, it's because I am looking at life wrong. I have a selfish mindset and am focusing on the negatives. You might be saying, "But I genuinely FEEL..." I understand. I know those feelings too. But if we can change the way we think, it will also change how we feel.

Philippians 4:8 says, "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."

If I change how I think about the morning that I described earlier, I can change how I feel about it. First off, I have to adjust my thoughts to what is true and honest. I don't know if you noticed, but there was some major exaggeration going on in my description of a horrible morning. "The ONE driver in the WHOLE city... HALF the speed limit." When I exaggerate, I paint a worse mental picture of the situation than it actually is! I should correct those thoughts and be realistic.

In this example, I can also check my thoughts for praise. For example, I could be thankful that God graciously woke me up when He did, rather than after I was already late. I could be thankful that I made it to work safely without breaking down, being pulled over, or being in an accident. I could be thankful that I can be a help to customers who definitely need help. I could also be thankful that the very customers who annoy me also provide me with job security. If I had all these thankful thoughts going through my head, how do you think I would feel? I might still feel rushed and maybe a little bit frazzled but I would also be much less frustrated and annoyed. I wouldn't feel snappy but grateful.

It might sound far too simple, but when I don't feel like letting go of my grumpies I need to start listing different things that I have to be thankful for or different blessings in my life. It helps to get my focus off of myself and back on God. After all when my focus is on myself, how could I help but end up depressed? My own selfishness, my own lack of perfection, and the disappointments of life being different than I want it to be would surely make me miserable.

When I shift the focus back on God though, what a difference! He is perfect! His plans for my life are perfect. In submitting to those plans, I can find peace and satisfaction. When I see the many countless blessings that He pours on me daily and even moment by moment, how can I feel anything less than joy, peace, and exaltation? Even now as I think about His blessings I find myself getting excited!

We truly have far too many blessings to choose to be grumpy!