Give Thanks with a Grateful HeartLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOCTOBER 2022 |
|
|
SCRIPTURE FOCUS: Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him. (Psalm100:4 The Message) |
|
|
Ponder on that this month! |
|
|
I love the everyday speech of Gene Peterson’s translation, The Message. It makes me smile. And I think it makes the Lord smile, too, when we have assurance that we are welcome into His presence, and we skip in with a grateful heart. He’s our Father, after all. Thank you should be our password into the gates of Heaven, where we are invited to come and spend time with Jesus, to praise Him, to share our heart’s concerns with Him, and to just say thank You. |
|
|
Maybe you struggle a bit, living your days out with a heart of gratefulness. I know I have. But I heard a story years ago and it changed my attitude. For that I am so grateful. I was blessed to be part of a small conference in Dallas, Texas. Elizabeth Elliot was the speaker. She had a wonderful ability to share her stories––something God calls us all to do. When she was a child, she suffered some depression. One day her father gave her life-changing guidance. He said, “Elizabeth, I want you to get some paper and a pencil, go into your bedroom, and begin to list everything you’re grateful for.” She worked on her list for a week straight, and never spent another day wrestling with depressing thoughts. |
|
|
Do you remember her story? If anyone could be consumed with a heart that felt anything but grateful, it was Elizabeth. Her missionary husband was martyred by the Huaorani Indians, in Auca territory, along with 4 other men in Ecuador. Elizabeth’s baby was only 10 months old. She remained in the jungles and lived among the natives, in a safer region, for many more years, leaving in 1963. Her story is amazing. After hearing Elizabeth’s story, I wanted to create my own list of reasons I am grateful. I got to spend time with her twice over the years. What an amazing example she left us. Gratitude is our ability to see the grace of God, morning by morning, no matter what greets us in the course of the day. ~Craig Barnes Elizabeth’s life is a living testimony of this quote. Shortly after that conference, I was at church and my pastor shared his story about keeping a journal of gratitude with his wife. Keeping their journal, especially together, changed their world. Inspired by his testimony, over 20 years ago, I started keeping a Gratefulness Journal and it has reframed the way I think. Somehow, being grateful and speaking it out to and about others, cancels the daily frustrations that so often knocks at our door. We added a family Gratefulness Journal, and Bobby and the children wrote precious things each day. In my home-schooling journey, my last two children kept a personal Gratefulness Journal. It was the first thing they did every morning. One day, Glory, who still needed me to do her writing, dictated her entry to me. “I’m grateful Grandma shared her cookie with me, and that’s it!” I love reading through these volumes. How fast the years have flown by. It’s a treasure to leave for your family when you’re gone. Possessing a heart of gratitude is life changing for you and those close to you. |
|
|
The Key to Unlocking Our Hearts Gratitude and Forgiveness Hold Hands |
|
|
I’ve found if I carry even a shred of unforgiveness, gratitude packs up and walks out. I think gratitude and forgiveness hold hands. You can’t have one without the other. So, as we enter this season where the celebration of gratitude is all around us, let’s purpose to keep short accounts. There can be days I have to do that more than once. No matter what is said to me, I have a choice what I do with what’s been spoken. |
|
|
I love the holiday season upon us. I want to go through it, every day for that matter, with a heart filled with gratefulness, ready to forgive an offense even if I haven’t been asked for forgiveness. The only way I can possibly attain this is to stick like glue to the One who gives me His grace to do what I could never do on our own-––let His heart fill ours with all He knows we need to walk in love, with gratitude spilling over. It will surely unlock a locked heart. But instead be kind and affectionate toward one another. Has God graciously forgiven you? Then graciously forgive one another in the depths of Christ’s love (Ephesians 4:32 TPT). Delightfully loved ones, if he loved us with such tremendous love, then “loving one another” should be our way of life! (I John 4:11 TPT). |
|
|
Limited Belief––God Has Opened My Eyes |
|
|
In September’s newsletter, I included Limited Belief in the topics I would touch on this month. This is something the Lord has made me aware of. I’m in the middle of studying that, hoping to do a blog post about it, but I don’t feel ready to open that topic up yet. Bear with me … it’s coming. |
|
|
It’s life changing to recognize it, begin to grapple with it, then see God open your eyes to how much we live with limited belief––not His design. Just becoming aware of how many areas I live with limited belief has already changed the words I speak and how I view life now, compared to even a month ago. It’s transformational. So, stay tuned in. Maybe next month. Perhaps a blog post. A life teaching. I will share as the Lord continues His work in my heart. |
|
|
Getting Ready for the Holidays Celebrating the Season with Help from Others |
|
|
In the larger Dufek family, holiday planning is well underway. In the more organized households, many gifts for Christmas have already been purchased. We love sharing our thoughts together about the days ahead. The air of upcoming joy, anticipating celebrating the season, is in all our hearts. We begin some decorating in October, but always by Thanksgiving greens and tiny white lights are making our homes restful and cozy. |
|
|
For some of us, namely the matriarch (me), getting all of that done alone is stressful. Not fun. I love the outcome but am not a fan of doing it all by myself. For several years now, I have been so blessed by my girls and granddaughters. We have a family tradition now––one of my favorite days. They all come over early and we begin to tackle all the decorating together. They do my mantles with greens and white lights. I have a beautiful Bird Tree, a snow-flocked, artificial tree I put up every year with my grands––they are so careful in the choices of where they place each bird. They’re masters at creating breathtaking arrangements with various pine branches, white lights, and ornaments, placed throughout my rooms on tables and in corners (even the bathrooms). By the time they leave, Bobby and I feel like we’re in a fairyland. |
|
|
I’m writing this now because it’s still early. Most of us can arrange time in our schedules to do the same for others who may be alone, especially grandparents who don’t have it in them anymore to tackle putting up a tree. Last year, Bobby said, “We’re not cutting down a real tree this year.” Said to the wife who has a tree in every room downstairs. This year he decided our Bird Tree would be enough. This has been our family tradition for decades. One night, a few weeks before Christmas, our kitchen door flew open and in marched our daughter, Hannah, Jeremy, and our two grands, Nora, and Sarkis. In my son-in-law’s strong arms, Jeremy was carrying a gorgeous real tree, one of my favorites, a Concolor. They came in, urged us to take the tree ornaments out, and together we put up a breathtaking tree, commenting on the age-old ornaments from Hannah’s childhood. It would have been our first year ever without a live tree and the thought of it made me sad. |
|
|
The whole room came alive with beauty––the glistening lights and ornaments took our breath away. So, speaking from experience, I want to encourage anyone that knows someone alone, or has grandparents that would be delighted to have family come and do their decorating with them, to think about making this a new tradition for you. Consider making that part of your holiday plans. Listen, I’m not old and unable to do this, but having all my children gone has a way of altering how much we’re willing to decorate. I think a decorated home makes a beautiful, peaceful atmosphere. I’m always so grateful to spend that day together, and as we sit in the evening and gaze at the beauty all around us, we feel loved. With hearts full, we are grateful for a family that takes time to bless us. |
|
|
Home Schooling Through the Holiday Season |
|
|
Just a few quick words of encouragement for any homeschooling Mamas who are wondering about how to manage teaching and tackling the preparation needed for the season fast approaching. Every year, I did something rather radical for the whole month of December. It takes planning ahead, hence why I’m including this in October’s Newsletter. I took the whole month of December off anything academic except reading and one math lesson depending on what the day held. They still were learning, but with a hands-on approach learning life lessons that count to Jesus during this season. Each thing we did focused on living and giving, serving and blessing. Here’s a list of what we did. If anyone wants to chat this through, please feel free to contact me. I’m happy to share the joys of our winter holiday adventure. |
|
|
We baked cookies (Math) and gave them to others (kindness, reaching out to others).
The children made most of their gifts (creativity, woodworking, sewing, art, budgeting their finances). Mostly we used what we had, but also paid a visit to Joann Fabrics occasionally.
We visited nursing homes to sing Christmas carols and serve snacks with our co-op teaching group leaving plates of Christmas cookies behind for them to enjoy. (visiting the residents, sharing, serving, music, blessing the elderly, the lonely, with the warmth a child’s heart brings) Meal planning and preparation
|
|
We cleaned the house together to get ready for the holidays (clean home is a family affair, stewardship, practicing family relational skills)Edit the content in this column layout so people engage with your email. We decorated our house (creativity, planning, design, joy, again practicing relational skills-kindness, patience, etc.) We learned about bartering and swapped projects with others that had a skill we didn’t, doing something for them in return. (working together with others, blessing others with your gifts and talents)
Hospitality (happens best as a family affair)
|
|
|
And countless other things that lent well to the season. Would I still do it today? Absolutely! I cherish the memories. Call me if you need a cheerleader to take it on! |
|
|
It’s almost time for me to launch my book, Holy Interruptions: When God Taps You on the Shoulder, and I’d love for you to join me on this journey. I’m gathering my team. I promise it’s not going to be time consuming or overwhelming. If you’d like to be included, please fill out the application below. What’s in it for you? A PDF of my book and a hand-made gift will be given to Book Launch team members. A prize given to the one each week who carries through with different requests (Amazon gift card) Competition! Closing Amazon gift card to person who followed through the most with requests Communicating weekly through Zoom with Karen (book launch expert) and me.
|
|
|
I have a wonderful Book launch expert, Karen Sargent, who will be communicating with us all via email and Zoom. She’s so much fun! I would love it if you’d consider joining us. Cover Reveal -- Check it Out An artist hand painted the front cover! |
|
|
Note: on my blog–––check out @debbiedufek.com and let me know if you feel like you might be a fit to be a guest on my blog. If you’re a blogger, send me your website! I’ll contact you with a date. Blessings to you all. Let’s remember to pray for each other this month. I love to hear from my readers, so let me know what’s going on in your world. Anyone in need of prayer, send me an email. Remember the password into The Gates, Thank You! (Psalm 100) On this journey together, Deb |
|
|
|
|
