Offering up Thanksgivings

Posted on Monday, September 20, 2010 by Becky Pliego

Today, a day in which I love to write my favorite list, a list of thanksgivings, I am writing a different kind of post.

As my farmer friends have taught me, I am gleaning, gleaning questions and then I am bringing them to my quiet time to answer. Paper and pen are my instruments and to my Lord are my words directed.He knows my heart. He knows I am still learning contentment, (because gratitude is that, it is all about contentment, right?) and sometimes I need questions that will help me see clearly where my heart is on this matter.

These questions are not my idea, these I gleaned while reading Matthew Henry’s book, some are textual and some I wrote inspired on his. I invite you to read and re-read them and meditate and then, would you join me in offering up thanksgivings for all God’s goodness and the many blessings we have received from Him?

1. Has not God made a hedge of protection about you and your house, and all that you have?

2. Have you not health in your family, sickness kept or taken from the midst of you?

3. Does not God bring plentifully into your hands, and increase your substance?

4. Have you not your table spread, and your cup running over, and manna rained about your tents?

5. Is the vine by the house-side fruitful and flourishing, and the olive plants round the table green and growing?

6. Are the family relations comfortable and agreeable, not broken nor embittered, and shall not that God be acknowledged herein who makes every creature to be that to us that it is?

7. Shall not the God of your mercies, your family mercies, be the God of your praises, your family praises, and that daily?

8. Have you not a name better than any other name, “Child of God”?

9. Have you not joy and peace that the world cannot quench?

10. Have you not the Gospel?

11. Have you not within your home not only one, but many Bibles to read and study?

12. Have you not time given to you to do what God asks you to do?

13. And if you are going walking through the Valley of Death, have you not precious promises given by your Heavenly Father who never fails?

14. Did not God opened a way for us to His presence through His Son?

15. Shall not the God and Savior be praised and thanked every day?

16. Have you not seen His eyes watching over you?

“Whatever is a matter of our care, let it be the matter of our prayer; and let us allow no care which we cannot in faith spread before God. And whatever is the matter of our rejoicing, let it be a matter of our thanksgiving; and let us withhold our hearts from all those joys which do not dispose us for the duty of praise” Matthew Henry

May we learn contentment while offering up thanksgivings to our God today.

Under His sun and by His grace,

Monday, a Time to Give Thanks.

Posted on Monday, September 13, 2010 by Becky Pliego

Today is gratitude Monday here at my blog. I like to write these posts on Sundays, I sit with my journal, I recall my week, I pray, I praise my King. I am grateful.

One of the favorite books I have as a prayer companion is A Method of Prayer, by Matthew Henry. He says concerning thanksgiving,

“Our errand at the throne of grace is not only to seek the favour of God, but to give unto Him the glory due unto His name, and that not only by an awful adoration of his infinite perfections, but by a grateful acknowledgment of his goodness to us…” (p.79)

I join the creation in praise and worship the Giver, my God.

712. Being back

713. Being able to homeschool my children. It is an undeserved calling.

714. Being able to read and teach.

715. School supplies, pens and pencils, notebooks and books, geometry sets and erasers, and the excitement of all of us.

716. New books to read and discover.

717. A Church.

718. Hymns.

719. Friends who teach me how to live by faith and not by sight.

720. God’s provision.

721. Using Matthew Henry’s words here, I give thanks to my God because “he has made us reasonable creatures, capable of knowing, loving, serving, and enjoying him, and that He hath not made us like beasts that perish” (ibid p. 82)

722. I thank my Heavenly Father because He has us hidden under His shadow. I thank Him for keeping us safe.

723. My sister’s endurance.

724. My parents’ health.

725. The Word of God which is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

726. VHS cassettes, my family all tugged in my bed and hours of laughing and crying watching my children when they were little (13 years ago!)

757. Planning anther session of memories for the next weekend!

758. Having a full fridge.

759. Windows.

760. Running water.

761. Compassion.

762. Flowers and vibrant colors.

I pray that I won’t go this day without praising God in all I do. I pray that the Holy Spirit will help me live giving thanks in all things, at all times through Christ Jesus, Savior of my soul.

What are you grateful for today?

Gratitude Must be Heard

Posted on Monday, August 2, 2010 by Becky Pliego

Gratitude is an attitude that overflows from a content heart; I have learned to stop and open my mouth {so I can hear myself} to give thanks when my fool heart insists on seeing what is not instead of seeing what is already there.

So, I invite you today to raise your voice {so you can hear yourself} and give thanks to our Lord for all things in all circumstances. We believe God is Sovereign, but we fail sometimes to trust in His Sovereign hand; sometimes I give thanks when I clearly see His hand working on my behalf but some other times I fail to give thanks when things seem not to be alright.

“Thanksgiving looks up with every breath, and sees God as Father from whom all blessings come. Thanksgiving is praise. The heart is full of gratitude. Every moment has something in it to inspire love. The lilies made Jesus think of his Father, for it was he who clothed them in beauty. The providence of our lives, if we think rightly of it, is simply God caring for us. Our circumstances may sometimes be hard, our experiences painful, and we may see nothing in them to make us glad. But faith teaches us that God is always good and always kind, whatever the present events may be. We may be thankful, therefore, even when we cannot be glad. Our hearts may be grateful, knowing that good will come to us even out of pain and loss.” J.R. Miller

A grateful heart speaks out its gratefulness, a grateful heart cannot be quiet. And even though we are first of all grateful to our Heavenly Father for all things, our gratitude must reach those around us.

This week I want to journey speaking out loud my gratefulness to the Lord and to those around me; a thank you note to my daughter, to my husband, to my friend, to my mom, to my sister…

Lord, thank you…

690. My husband reaching out for my hand.

691. My Beloved leaving early for work to provide for us.

692. My friend Rox.

693. Our son’s friend admitted into college.

694. My friend Ga, and the life lessons she teaches me.

695. My daughter’s embrace and sweet words.

696. Our friends in Belgium.

697. My friends Teri and Eileen who are just one phone call away.

698. Friends who heard me breathing love as I wrote to them.

699. My husband’s patience and loving kindness.

700. My mom and dad.

701. Nights to think and pray.

702. Filling college applications.

703. Longing for my husband’s embrace at the end of the day.

704. Friends over.

705. Chocolate chip cookies and smiles.

706. Books and a bookshelf.

707. Raising Homemakers

708. A good conversation about bikinis

709. Marriage.

708. Rosemary and limes.

709. Lilies

710. A baby shower.

711. Gifts made by hand.

“Christian thanksgiving is the life of Christ in the heart, transforming the disposition and the whole character. Thanksgiving must be wrought into the life as a habit—before it can become a fixed and permanent quality. An occasional burst of praise, in the midst of years of complaining, is not what is required. Songs on rare, sunshiny days; and no songs when skies are cloudy—will not make a life of gratitude. The heart must learn to sing always. This lesson is learned only when it becomes a habit which nothing can weaken. We must persist in being thankful. When we can see no reason for praise—we must believe in the divine love and goodness, and sing in the darkness. Thanksgiving has attained its rightful place in us, only when it is part of all our days and dominates all our experiences.” J.R. Miller 1912

May your week be filled with the habit of praise and thanksgiving; let us learn along with our children to persist in being thankful; let thanksgiving be part of all our days and dominate all our experiences. Let our voice be heard.

What are you grateful for today?

39 Years… Gratitude Overflows.

Posted on Monday, July 26, 2010 by Becky Pliego

t’s late, however, laughs are still filling our home, the sound of many voices are still on the air. I am tired, I am listening from afar, but I do not want to let this day go by without recording my favorite list, a gratitude list.

669. One more year to live in Him.
670. A house full of brothers and sisters in Christ from the Netherlands.
671. Hymns on a Sunday evening, all sung in three different languages.
672. Lots of bread.
673. Counting 58 eggs for breakfast.
674. My sister, having her so close…
675. Saying “yes to the mess…”
676. My friend Ann who taught me how to live 675.
677. Rain on my birthday.
678. Friends caring.
679. My children’s letters.
680. My birthday present.
681. Lots of clean towels.
682. Lots of blankets.
683. Smiles.
684. Muddy faces.
685. Rain boots and a happy girl.
686. Nohemi.
687. People who has worked very hard to complete the translation of the Bible to so many languages.
688. This place.
689. My bed.

Dear friends, I owe you the pictures of this day; right now, I am very tired and ready to jump into my bed!

Have you seen the new page on this blog, Are You On Your Way to Heaven?

Image: Thanks to Karen for allowing the use of her images freely.

Prayer and Gratitude

Posted on Monday, July 19, 2010 by Becky Pliego

Diane said it well, we are so self-absorbed at times, that we should examine our prayers for the sake of our souls! Do we start and end our prayers with ourselves? or do we start and end giving glory to God?

Do it intentionally this week, examine your prayers…listen to them.

Gratitude is a way we glorify God.

A grateful heart recognizes that ALL good gifts come from God.

A grateful heart recognizes that ALL good in us -if there is such- comes from God.

Spurgeon says,

“Our errand at the throne of grace is not only to seek the favour of God,

but to give Him the glory due to his name,

and that not only by an aweful adoration of his infinite perfections,

but by a grateful acknowledgment of his goodness to us,

which cannot indeed add any thing to his glory,

but he is pleased to accept of it,

and to reckon himself glorified by it,

if it comes from a heart

that is humbly sensible of its own unworthiness

to receive any favour from God,

that values the gifts,

and loves the giver of them.” (1)

Let us stir our hearts to give thanks to the only One who deserves all the glory.

Let us stir our hearts to praise our God, let us today not ask Him for more, but thank Him for how much He has already given us.

Let us stir each other to live wearing every day a beautiful garment of gratitude.

652. A friend visiting from another country!

653. Long conversations in the kitchen.

654. Gifts in a brown paper bag…Love it!

655. Delicious fruit, the redness, the sweetness, the beauty.

656. The Duty of Meditation

657. Green pastures. A place to rest. Your hand leading me there.

658. Harsh words…turned into forgiveness.

659. A six years old girl living so fully.

660. My Mom and Dad.

661. Wombs with babies.

662. Piano lessons.

663. Your Sovereign will.

664. Your Providence.

665. My times in your hands.

666. Saturday pancakes.

667. The Confession of Faith

668. You, who follow along.

Is your heart swallowed with gratitude today?

The Only Safe Way to Look Back

Posted on Monday, July 12, 2010 by Becky Pliego

“What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits to me?”

Psalm 116:12

The Christian, as he journeys onwards in the pathway of life,

ought frequently to look back,

and standing, as it were, on the shadowy side of the hill,

review the way by which God has led him.

If we would keep alive our gratitude-–

if we would have it to increase more and more, until,

like a holy flame, it burns within us–

we must often,

in thought,

retrace the varied turnings and windings of our earthly pilgrimage.

We are so prone, amid our daily duties and our converse with the world,

to forget and overlook the benefits received,

that only by a careful and frequent retrospect,

can we continue,

from day to day,

cherishing a spirit of true and ever-increasing thankfulness to God.

But, the oftener we make the review,

the greater cause will we have for saying, with David,

“Who am I, O Lord God,

and what is my father’s house,

that you have brought me hitherto?”

John MacDuff (1849), Grace Gems

The only safe way to look back is remembering all the benefits we have received from God’s hands. It is safe to stop frequently, and carefully look back to count all the benefits we have received from our Heavenly Father, unmerited benefits,flowing from the throne of grace.

Today I am looking back with a grateful heart, and I will try to do the impossible, count His endless gifts…as I stand in awe at His amazing grace.

637. Lettuce grown in my friend’s garden. Delicious!