Monday, March 26, 2012

If You're Happy and You Know It

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord (James 5:13-14, HCSB).
As I reflect on a full and varied week, these words, a commentary on the James passage above, linger in my heart:
If we're willing, God is our song when we are happy, our escape when we are tempted, our hope when we're despairing, our joy in tribulation, our strength in weakness, and our immortality in dying. Ultimately, He Himself is our health (Beth Moore, Mercy Triumphs, 176).
Whatever the week ahead holds for us, may the Lord give us grace to seek and find all we need in Him. He is so good! Let's thank Him, for His steadfast love truly does endure forever and cover every circumstance we  face.




Photo Credit: AJM

Thanking Him today for
~the sufficiency of the Lord for all kinds of days
~the victory of Christ over every enemy we face
~last planned surgeries for a friend's cancer journey proving successful
~discovery of Lotsa Helping Hands community interface for coordinating caregiving (e.g., meal delivery and other chores) for those in seasons of trial
~quiet morning in park and library to refill
~a much-needed week off work for Allen
~sending out Easter cards to overseas workers
~Dr. Ben Carson's story of family, faith, and overcoming hardship
~husband alongside to tell me when it was all clear to look again during the surgery scenes
~layers (birthday cake and clothing)
~four inches of rain on the first day of spring
~raindrops on roses
~getting all the paperwork signed, after several false starts, for a transfer of medical records
~visiting a doctor today who's known me at least 15 years and whom I like as well as respect
~her vigilance in monitoring bone health so we can start aggressive osteoporosis prevention as soon as we need to
~God's sovereignty over my lab work
~the God-glorifying music of Johann Sebastian Bach, whose birthday our classical radio station celebrated last week
~the entire, amazing Goldberg Variations, recorded by Glenn Gould
~first duckling sighted at the pond
~hearing the Lord's voice in His Word
~the amazing way the portion of Scripture on the reading plan or in the Bible study matches up with my need
~freedom to confess my sins to Him without fear of condemnation because of the atoning sacrifice of Christ my Savior
~plans to see my strong, beautiful grandmother by week's end
~an excellent, challenging sermon from our interim pastor yesterday morning
from the gratitude journal, 5248-5271

5 comments:

  1. So much to say to all of this! I began to comment, and then realized I needed to run Megan and Sophie to ballet. Smiling that we're both quoting Beth Moore this week, but I am happy the fish in your picture is alive, unlike the poor one at my house. Glad Allen has/had time off—was it his birthday? Good wishes to him! I've never heard of Dr. Ben Carson, but plan to look him up now. Thankful for your four inches of rain after last year's drought. We had rain most days last week as well. You had raindrops on roses, while mine were on tulips:) What a blessing to have a doctor who's known you! Also, I hope you have a wonderful grandmother visit!

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  2. "To find all we need in Him" - my Monday started out unable to find my son's soccer jersey for his game today. Never could find it - but in order to find peace with that -I had to give it all to Him - and find peace in that. Wishing you a time of blessing with your grandmother!

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  3. lots here to be thankful for and take joy in--especially, an idea as inspired as Lotsa Helping Hands, and a face as sweet as Eb's!

    hope that this week you'll continue to find quiet times (in the library or elsewhere) amidst all the busy-ness...

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  4. Tomorrow is Allen's birthday, but we had a family party Saturday night. Cake made more sense then, with more to partake. (I've already stashed some in the freezer for my grandmother. With bd boy's permission, of course.) Having just read your post, I'm laughing about the fish comment! I'll save the rest for over there.

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  5. Love these picture-glimpses of your gifts this week. My Mom's birthday was this past weekend, so we were diving into cake as well (in fact, we're still trying to eat it up--it may just have to find a home in the freezer for a while!).

    Pondering this: "He Himself is our health." Such an important, challenging phrase for the chronic-illness journey. I'm still in need of learning here.

    I think my favorite from your list is the first one--"the sufficiency of the Lord for all kinds of days." Oh, what truth. What blessed, desperately needed truth every single day. Thank you for reminding.

    As a friend recently commented to me, in the reading of your list, your thanks becomes mine. Praising Him along with you for all His good, good gifts. May He rain down evermore in the week to come.

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Thank you for sharing your day with me! Your presence here is a gift. *You* are a gift. Right now I am unable to reply to every comment, but please know I read and pray for each and every commenter. Grace and peace to you in Christ.