June Gratefulgrams

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." {Exodus 14:14}

When you have those days, those weeks, when it seems like you don't have the strength to make it through, the Lord is there. When we are at our lowest point, He is our Help still & our Shield. He never leaves or forsakes us. And when we're walking through the valley, we have nothing to fear. He is there, every step of the way. And that, y'all, is something to be eternally grateful for!

1. Creating sweets from a new recipe / 2. Birthday & goodbye group photos all at once / 3. Intentional home making tips from The Nester / 4. A weekend with the family / 5. Surprise morning notes from Hubby / 6. Packed lunches from a beautiful friend

May Gratefulgrams

“It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain about what is not given.
One or the other becomes a habit of life." Elisabeth Elliot

Life is so much more than things. Advertisers, popular culture & social media would lead you to believe otherwise but the fact still remains:

"We all come to the end of our lives as naked & empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can't take our riches with us." Ecclesiastes 5:15

So here's to a life habitually overflowing with thankfulness for a God who is worthy of our praise simply because He is the I Am. The Lord gives & He takes away & He is still God. Seek Him & find true, lasting contentment that no thing ever can give.

1. A weekend full of family / 2. Making our balcony, an extension of our home, colorful & cozy. / 3. The opportunity to meet & work with new friends. / 4. Reflecting upon the greatness of God from high above. / 5. Our small group said goodbye to a dear friend & prayed for her future / 6. Cleaning out our closets for the 3rd annual clothing swap & donating bags of items leftover!

April Gratefulgrams

"Every good gift & every perfect gift is from above, & comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." {James 1:17}

Yesterday was quite the day - all kinds of things going on, going to & from work in the pouring rain, missing my exit on the highway followed by more traffic to navigate through, plus to top it all off, I burnt a HOLE in the bottom of our tea kettle when I did get home last night!

But God - He is ever faithful, remains the Great I am even when we have one of those days when even the tea turns out wrong. He is the Blesser & because His great mercy, I am thankful today. Here are just a few things I'm grateful for in April:

1.  Memorizing God's Word with my SG ladies / 2. Sweet surprise words of encouragement from Deano / 3. Celebrating love & engagement with new friends / 4. A long walk/talk with DaraLynn / 5. Working alongside Laura for a beautiful Easter wedding / 6. Catching up over dinner with friends

March Gratefulgrams

"The life of faith is lived one day at a time, & it has to be lived - not always looked forward to as though 'real living' were around the next corner. It is today for which we are responsible. God still owns tomorrow." Elisabeth Elliot

There are days - sometimes Mondays, sometimes Thursdays - when I can look at the hours ahead, the things that need to be done & say, "Ughh, not this. I can't wait for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to happen." Reading through Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot over the past few weeks has challenged me to examine my heart, my motives in this life.

This body & my spirit are not my own; I was bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Christ died for me, that I might live for Him (2 Corinthians 5:15). Does my day-to-day reflect that knowledge? He is faithful, just, compassionate, holy & good. I want to feast in His presence daily & live each moment bringing Him more glory & honor.

1. Thankful for Hubby who cares for me when I'm sick / 2. Here's to cutting off the old (literally) & embracing the new. Eek!! / 3. Long-distance celebrating with my sis who passed her real estate exam! / 4. Hiking, talking & laughing up a storm with these amazing ladies. / 5. Finding creative inspiration is good for the soul. / 6. Winding through hallways upon hallways with this guy.

February Gratefulgrams

"You can't be fearful & be grateful simultaneously." Tony Robbins

I love when I can take the opportunity & sloooow down. Really sit still, sip on a big mug of caffeinated goodness & reflect on life. Y'all, how can we be grateful for things we didn't even recognize happened? How many wonderful blessings have I received or answered prayers that just passed me by?

But not today - I'm not allowing comparison to be a joy stealer & I'm not allowing a hurried day to get in the way of practicing contentment. "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, & we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food & clothing, with these we will be content." {1 Timothy 6:6-8}

1. Learning to say YES & NO to things in my life. / 2. Receiving the sweetest mail from dear friends. / 3. Reflecting upon God's Word. / 4. Celebrating love with my love. / 5. The opportunity to share beautiful stories of love. / 6. Our church turns 7!