“Gratitude is truly my life preserver. Even in the most turbulent waters, choosing gratitude rescues me from myself and my runaway emotions. It buoys me on the grace of God and keeps me from drowning in what otherwise would be my natural bent toward doubt, negativity, discouragement, and anxiety. Over time, choosing gratitude means choosing joy…” – Nancy Leigh Demoss

We live in the most prosperous nation on the earth. The average family is drowning in abundance, and yet we remain the unhappiest of people. A church leader was visiting the United States from India who had come to the States to study. A gentleman asked what he thought of Americans, to which his guest responded – in polite, Asian style – “Do you want me to be honest?” “Yes, I do,” responded the gentleman. But who could really be ready for this: “You have no idea how much you have,” the man said, “and yet you always complain.”

This has hit home to me as I have recently read it retold in Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh Demoss. Through my recent struggles with insomnia, God has been teaching me many lessons. This has been one of them. I confess…I am a whiner. I complain when I am tired, when the children don’t behave, when my husband doesn’t arrive on time from work and dinner gets cold. It is so easy to focus on the problems, the struggles, the challenges in our lives, rather than actively striving to choose gratitude. It does not happen by chance. It is not acquired in a moment. It is the fruit of a thousand choices.

Why is it important to cultivate an atmosphere of thankfulness in our families?

I love what Barbara Rainey shares: “Because God commands it and we need it. Gratitude takes our eyes off of ourselves and puts them back on the giver of all good things, even those things we perceive as bad or unpleasant. Most American families are drowning in abundance and as a result we have the most self absorbed culture ever. The gift of prosperity does not usher in the response of gratitude as one would imagine. Instead it feeds the roots of narcissism and entitlement. Children who tend to be selfish anyway must be trained in giving thanks. We as adults must discipline ourselves in gratitude. It is not natural. But it is necessary as believers if we are to please God and make any kind of impact on our culture. It is the antidote to insanity. It is the pathway to peace. It is the key to a gracious life. It is the doorway by which even unbelievers cope with the fragility of life because it acknowledges faith in the one who rules.”

Throughout Scripture we see the command issued again and again. “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”(Eph. 5:20-21). “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18). “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7).

In every situation...prayer + thanksgiving = peace. Thankfulness results in joy! When we wake up in the morning after a rough night of sleep, children that kept us up, or a long to-do list that bombards our minds for the day, we have one choice to make. We can whine or we can worship! Whining results in self-centered discouragement and depression. Worship results in finding true joy in our Savior!

My Goal:

My prayer and goal for my spiritual life this year: to become a radically thankful woman. I want to be known as a woman who is joyful, peacefully rested in my Savior, and always expressing thankfulness to others. I want to be filled every day with His joy, so that others who see me would have a glimpse of God – in my words, in my affection, in my writing, in disappointments and trials, and even in everyday tasks.

How will I make this a habit in my life?

• Complete the 30 Day Gratitude Challenge each month (listed in the back of Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh Demoss or available for download here). You cannot have too much repetition when it comes to this!
• Write 1-2 handwritten thank you notes each week. This is a means of cultivating thankfulness and ministering to others at the same time. Who in your family, church, or even your past have blessed your life for which you have never expressed thankfulness?
• Begin each day by adding 5 things to my “Blessings” List (also could be two lists titled ‘Gifts from God’ and ‘Gifts from Others’), and thanking the Lord for them. I have this list in my journal to which I refer each day. Once you get started there is no end to the numerous blessings we are recipients of daily.
• Memorize Psalms 103. Meditating on this passage has brought such encouragement to my life.

Will you join me in cultivating a thankful joyful heart? I believe this is key to strengthening and blessing our families and those around us. Can you see your marriage blossom when you express your thankfulness to your man giving him the respect he desperately needs? Can you see children that desire to follow hard after Christ because their mama has found her satisfaction in Him first? Can you see neighborhoods transformed because they see your joyful countenance and cannot help but ask what makes you smile?

Sally Clarkson, in her new book, Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy, says it so well in defining the goal: “I renewed my decision…that joy would be my goal, that I would look everywhere I go for God’s touch, his shadow, his signature. I would celebrate the inner reality of his spirit, rather than live as a victim of circumstances in my outward reality.”

Sally’s book is another great title on this subject that I am just diving into and loving already!

“Thankfulness puts us in God’s living room. It paves the way to His presence.” - Nancy Leigh Demoss

“A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

Things to Be Thankful For

Originally published at Revive Our Hearts

• Be thankful for the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means you have enough to eat.
• Be thankful for the mess you clean up after a party, because it means you have been surrounded by friends.
• Be thankful for the taxes you pay, because it means you’re employed.
• Be thankful that your lawn needs mowing and your windows need fixing, because it means you have a home.
• Be thankful for your heating bill, because it means you are warm.
• Be thankful for the laundry, because it means you have clothes to wear.
• Be thankful for the space you find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means you can walk.
• Be thankful for the lady who sings off-key behind you in church, because it means you can hear.
• Be thankful when people complain about the government, because it means we have freedom of speech.
• Be thankful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means you’re alive.

Further Resources:

A Week of Thanksgiving – Developing the habit of thankfulness may require some practice! Here are some practical suggestions for devoting one week to practicing thankfulness.
Blessings of Thorns: Family Devotional Plan – This creative family devotional plan corresponds with the “Blessings of Thorns” radio series and CD drama, and will provide your family with an unforgettable Thanksgiving experience together.
Growing in Gratitude: A 30 Day Challenge – Cultivate a heart of gratitude through this 30 Day challenge. Awesome resource to accompany your devotions.

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Please note: I want to express my heart from the outset of this post to assure my readers that these are musings that the Lord has been working in my heart lately, and I felt compelled to share them with you. I in no way desire to condemn anyone, but my motivation in sharing is to challenge us all to guard our hearts in this matter.

I recently encountered two stories that have challenged me in the motivation and out workings of my pursuit of natural living. The first account began with a friend desiring to throw a baby shower for an expectant mother in her church. This friend was expecting her first little one. The hostess simply wanted to bless and encourage this new mother in her pursuit. When she asked for gift ideas, the new mother stated that she only wanted organic baby clothing, wooden natural toys, organic cloth diapers, and the like. Half of the guests could not afford these products. One lady missed the memo and came with a few plastic toys.

How do you think this made her hostess and guests feel?

The second account took place when I heard a couple share that they had not been tithing for several months and wanted to begin again. They had not been able to afford it. I knew that this family ate all organic and natural foods. This appeared like it could not be sacrificed.

What is more important?

I have had conversations with friends or family members on various occasions when I tried to persuade them of the health consequences or benefits of a certain product. What has resulted? Relationships have been hurt. I have left others feeling condemned or inadequate. Or at a shared meal gathering, when another mom instructs her son not to eat that food item because “it’s not food”, relationships are damaged because we exalt food over fellowship.

Do I consider myself superior to others because we have adopted a more natural lifestyle?

In the past I have skimped on hospitality because I did not want to spend the money to buy good quality food for my guests or when bringing a meal to another. I made the excuse that I couldn’t afford it. In all honesty, I wanted to keep the best of our budget for my family. This is not true generosity. True generosity takes place when I joyfully give the best that I can following the Scriptural command to do unto others as you would have them do to you (Matt. 7:12).

Where is my heart?

The apostle John’s last words in 1 John are, “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts (1 John 5:21).” These last words are significant…He wants them to be remembered.

How often do I turn a good thing into a god thing?

As Tim Keller states in Counterfeit Gods, “Most people know you can make a god out of money. Most people know you can make a god out of sex. However, anything in life can serve as an idol, a God-alternative, a counterfeit god…What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”

Natural living can become an idol when we willingly give our emotional and financial resources to achieve it.
Natural living can become an idol when we think that it can give us significance, security, safety and fulfillment.
Natural living can become an idol when we hoard the benefits and not freely offer it to others.

What is my motivation for eating healthy and living naturally? Because I have desired to be a good steward of creation and for the health and wholeness of our family.

Can preserving the safety of my family become an idol in my life? Yes!

When I give my money first towards the purchase of good healthy food prior to giving it back to the Lord in my worship of tithe, natural living has gone too far. When I am more concerned about the safety of my family to the extent that I sacrifice relationships, the service of my brothers and sisters, than natural living has become an idol.

Eating healthy will not guarantee my family a more peaceful longer life. It will not add a single day to my life than God has already determined. Only God knows the number of my days. (Psalms 139:16) He calls me to be faithful to care for my physical body, and this includes being wise in what I put into my body, knowing that it will affect my ability to serve the Lord; but when I raise that to a god-level, it is no longer a good thing. My security must only be found in Christ. He controls my family’s health and wellness.

Eating healthy and living naturally does not make me any more honorable in God’s eyes than any other. We are all in equal standing before Him.

Our first fruit of income should always go to tithe and not food. (Lev. 23:10; Numbers 28:26). Where your money is, there your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:19-21) If I put more money towards my health and wholeness before God and giving unto others, than that is where my treasure lies. It will burn up at the end.

Unity in the body is more important than the safety of our family. (Rom. 14:1-3; Psalms 133)

God calls me to be generous, not to hoard the good stuff for myself. Am I only concerned about my health and not the well-being of my friends, family, and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? God loves a cheerful giver. I am challenged to serve the best to my guests as I possibly can. The more you give the less hold it has on your heart. (2 Cor. 8:9)

I have seen and confess to these evidences of idolatry in my heart. Am I implying that organic food, clothing, or wooden toys are bad? In no way. It is a matter of the heart. What is my motivation? Is that a God-glorifying motivation? My challenge to you all…let’s not raise being a good steward to a god position. Let’s not make others feel guilty, discouraged, or overwhelmed because they cannot afford the natural lifestyle or only in part. It’s about relationships. Let’s keep God first, love one another, and pursue giving generously to one another as we are able. Jesus commanded in Luke 10:27 states, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” I hope you understand my heart in communicating this message. There is no condemnation here. This is just a challenge to go further up and further in in our pursuit of Christ Jesus with me.

“Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them.” - Romans 14:1-3

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“I found making a home is not about all your stuff or even doing household chores. It’s more than just how you take care of your personal space. It’s what Titus 2 talks about – how you fulfill your role in the church and in your relationships with other people, and how you glean from them and disciple others. Just to stay home, isolate yourself, and have a nicely decorated, tidy house is not the point…It’s always about the people. Making a home is not about the physical space; it’s about the people who are coming and going from this place.“

“Homemaking is simply the collection of tasks that keep a home running. These tasks are no more the ultimate definition of “looking well to the ways of a household” than cleaning out electronic files, deleting emails, answering the phone, and booking travel reservations are to the actual definition of office work. Every sphere has its repetitive tasks that contribute to the larger goal of productivity. The point of being a keeper at home is to provide a haven for a godly family to thrive, to offer hospitality to fellow Christians and non-Christians alike, and to provide a place for the church to meet.“

Quotes shared from Caroyln McCulley’s Radical Womanhood

How can I make my homemaking today more about the people who abide here or enter through my doors? How often do we get so consumed in the tasks of homemaking and loose sight of the very purpose of our homes? Your home is a centerplace for the gospel! Let’s renew that goal together and strive to make our homes overflow with the fragrance of Christ today! Stop right now and focus on your spouse or child. Write a note of encouragement to a family member. Let’s turn on that praise music, let’s sing together, let’s post Scripture truths around our homes, and let’s invite the lost through our doors to witness His love!

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Another great resource is the 10 Questions to Ask Yourself at the Beginning of A New Year. These are extremely beneficial for seeking to take time to stop, look up, and get your bearings for a new year. It is truly profitable to sit down with your spouse, friend, or accountability partner and write down your responses. How will you keep each other accountable this year?

Aaron and I just used both of these resources again last night as we did last year to prepare for the new year and feel more equipped to keep Christ central and continue to grow in our faith and service of Him this year.

“Consider your ways (Haggai 1:5)!” May we all strive to bring God further glory as we live out our days over this coming year!

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• Mountain Rose Herbs - Organic spices, herbs, oils & teas

After viewing this film, I was greatly challenged afresh to see how easily mammon can become an idol in my own life as Scrooge experiences in this story. I fall into that hording tightwad mentality as a frugal mommy so easily, especially in the current state of our economy. I fail to realize that Christmas,  and all year round for that matter, presents many glorious opportunities to communicate how deeply Christ sacrificed for us in coming to dwell among us and that true joy and satisfaction that comes by sharing that love and giving my time and resources for the benefit of those far more needy then myself. How much more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)! It seems such a backwards truth and yet it is so true and beautifully pictured in this movie.

While reading a wonderful Christmas story in Dr. James Dobson’s book, A Family Christmas (an excellent family collection of Christmas stories), I was struck by these words:

‘The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ (Matt. 25:40)

“There is no higher privilege, no deeper joy, than to become Jesus Christ – if only for a moment – to someone who needs Him in a moment of trouble or deep distress. It’s more than just speaking or teaching about Him. It is actually stepping into His place, becoming His hands and feet. It is allowing Him to so fill your heart and empower your life that your touch becomes His touch…your voice becomes His voice…your compassion and mercy and tenderness becomes his, poured out to a hurting world.

“And when we do these things…when we feed the hungry, take in a stranger, clothe the naked, or visit the sick or the prisoner in His name and His power, something mysterious happens. The King tells us, ‘You did that for Me. You touched My life, in My need, and I will remember it for eternity.’

On a Christmas long ago, He came as a light into a hopeless world. Through our yielded, available lives, His love continues to push back the darkness.”

Did you know that 1 in 4 Christian Protestants does not give at all? Oh Lord, change our hearts! May we be Your hands and feet to a hurting world! What a glorious opportunity we have before us. How can I become Jesus to someone today?

For an excellent sermon on giving this Christmas and during this difficult economic time for many of us, please check out Mark Driscoll’s sermon titled Generous on 2 Cor. 8-9.

Current Sponsors:

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• The Cozy Bunny -Helping Families Live Healthier Lifestyles & Promoting Elimination Communication/Diaper Free
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Laura is seeking to provide families with resources to encourage spiritual growth. She has a great list of family fun activities to complete together to not only build relationships but also strengthen their love for the Lord. Thanks Laura for your efforts and the invitation!

Current Sponsors:

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• NaturOli - Pure & Natural body care, green housecleaning with soap nuts
• Mountain Rose Herbs - Organic spices, herbs, oils & teas

Late rising, long to-do lists, multiple demands upon our time…how easy is it for us to simply jump into the day without meeting the Lord? How often does this then result in a very trying day, filled with multiple stumblings into sin in reaction to husband, child or other, trying to do it all on my own ability, because I neglected to lay my day before the Lord…but is it really worth it? A moments rest at the foot of the cross leads to renewed strengthen and resting upon the Savior. What a delightful day it is when first centered around the Lord! Simplifies my life when I reflect upon and lay before Him the events of the day, seeking His face as to what is most important!

As John Blanchard points out: “Surely we only have to be realistic and honest with ourselves to know how regularly we need to turn to the Bible. How often do we face problems, temptations and pressure? EVERY DAY! Then how often do we need instruction, guidance and greater encouragement? EVERY DAY! To catch all these felt needs up into an even greater issue, how often do we need to see God’s face, hear his voice, feel his touch, know his power? The answer to all of these questions is the same: EVERY DAY!”

As Carolyn Mahaney says: “Meeting with God each day is a way of acknowledging that we are totally dependent upon his grace.”

Simple living all starts with making our relationship with the Lord our first priority for the day!

Did you get some time in the Word today?

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It all started out with a little thought of frustration at a friend, alongside a little bash at my pride in another situation, multiplying till my thoughts were filled with anger. Arriving home this anger was vented upon the poor hubby and baby, for no good reason except for the fact they made the volcano errupt…ever been there?

The sermon at our church this last week spoke right to my heart. Every little sin will grow naturally and organically on its own with no help from us, and therefore, we must cut them down at the first sign of an evil thought before it grows into a greater sin. It all starts with those little thoughts! Thoughts of frustration, disappointment, comparison, anxiety…noted for their commonality among wives and mothers. Create in me a clean heart of God, is my cry! (Listen to the sermon here.)

Holiness: A Heart God Purifies by Nancy Leigh DeMoss is an excellent book I have been reading through for the second time in one month! It’s that good! There is so much meat in this book to meditate upon. I have been going back and studying all the Scripture passages she references, and it has been so fruitful.

Nancy says: “Are you content to maintain a ‘certain level of sin’ in your life, as long as you can tame and manage it? Mark it down: There is no such thing as a small sin. Every unconfessed sin is a seed that will produce a multiplied harvest.” Do I take my sin too lightly?

As Charles Spurgeon warned, ‘Those who tolerate sin in what they think to be little things, will soon indulge it in greater matters.”

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:14).

How easy it is for us to accept sin because it is becoming more and more freely displayed around us…whether on television, movies, posters, etc. Rather than filling our minds with the truth, we have become more complacent. The Word of God commands again and again, “Make every effort…to be holy” (Heb 12:14), “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14).

Do I desire holiness? This should naturally flow from a heart that has been called out of darkness and into the light of the knowledge of Jesus. If I am a new creature in Christ, having died to my sinful nature, and trusted in Christ for salvation, I must be actively, by God grace, putting off the old man and his desires and put on the new man who imitates Christ Jesus. Why? Jesus calls us to be holy as He is holy!

Are you willing to join with me in making it our “constant, conscious ambition and aim to be holy”? We must work at it, concentrate on it, trusting in the all-sufficiency of Christ’s mercy and redeeming love that guarantees it! He purchased our salvation to make us “holy and blameless before Him” (Eph. 1:4). It is only possible by His grace!

“The serene beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world next to the power of God.” - Blaise Pascal

“Holiness means something more than the sweeping away of the old leaves of sin; it means the life of Jesus developed in us.” – Lilias Trotter

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This is part 3 of our series on Undistracted Devotion: how to live sacrificially for the Lord whatever your season of life. Read part 1 where we presented the call, and part 2 – we discussed contentment, living at home (specifically for singles), and realizing that service will be a sacrifice.

Everyone has been given a gift

Romans 12:1-8 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers,by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…for as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ⁷ if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

The commission in Romans 12 is to present our bodies as a sacrifice unto the Lord by using the gifts He has given us for the building up of the body. Using your gift is a means of offering up a life of worship to our King! It is apparent by verse 2 that the world will tempt us to live for our own desires, self-fulfillment, and the pursuit of personal happiness, but they are deceiving lies of the enemy to make us ineffective. The true joy comes in laying ourselves down for the true King. There are many members, and many gifts. We are all uniquely gifted! The call is to use them!

Jesus tells the parable of the talents given to the three men in Matthew 25:14-30. He gives this parable I believe to give a small picture of what the kingdom of Heaven will be like. If we are investing the gifts, possessions, money, and resources that he entrusts to us to bring forth profit and great fruit, we will have great reward in His Kingdom. How else could this be accomplished except my offering them up in worship to Him? That is an investment!

1 Corinthians12 gives another list of gifts.The truth that resounds in verses 14-20 is that we are not to compare our gifts one with another. “If the foot should say, ‘because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body…If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing?” (verses 15, 17)

He choices and distributes gifts as He choices. Some may have the outward appearance of superiority (such as teaching gifts, for instance), but the gifts of service in the background are just as valuable. Each gift is equally valuable and important. Without one another and the display of each gift, the body will not be built up nor will it be able to function properly.

The reality is…if we do not seek to use our gift or compare, judge or look down on another’s gifts, we could very well in effect be tearing down the body of Christ (whether it be in our family, community, church and to the nations)!

What’s Your Gift?

If you do not know what gift you have, ask! Seek the Lord and ask those who know you best. I did this at one point, asking my parents, “where do you think I am gifted in? What do I do well?” My parents responded by telling me that I had a gift in organization and administration. Wow! Surprisingly enough, I needed to hear it from their mouths to believe it.

The second thing to consider is: what do you enjoy doing? What kind of tasks do you find joy in accomplishing? Do you enjoy teaching? Do you find inspiration in administrating or organizing an event? How about showing mercy? Giving? Service?

I challenge you to pray and seek the Lord for confirmation as to your gifting. You do not have to be limited to one, and can always grow in other areas. I do not feel especially gifted in creativity. It was given to my sister, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t strive to be creative in serving my family, making my home a haven, or in creatively preparing a meal for someone. It will definitely stretch me out of my comfort zone, but it is a wonderful learning experience. God does not call us to perfection, He calls us to humility (which in essence is reality)!

Finally, ask: How can I use this gift to bless others? How can I use this talent for God’s glory?

God uses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary

Each has been given a unique gift, but we are all called to serve others by displaying that gift! We are all ordinary people that can be used by God to accomplish extroadinary things, if we offer ourselves up in humble service to the King. We are all lowly in comparison to our Savior and the great sacrifice He paid on our behalf.

That He would consider using us is a complete mystery and yet it is a high privilege to be His hands and His feet and just go forth and do His work! Better to feel inadequate an insignificant because He will get all the glory! Get up and press towards the mark to win the prize of the upward call of Christ Jesus!

A gift (undeserved display of love) is given to you from the King to be given as a gift to others! You are just the mailman carrying and delivering the gift from the Sender, Christ Jesus!

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“Only one life twill soon be passed,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

William Borden was the son of a wealthy businessman, and could have settled for a life of convenience and ease. He dedicated his life as a missionary, focusing his college years on reaching those around him with the gospel. He died before even arriving in China, but his devotion inspired multitudes. He left his fortune (one million dollars) to be invested in the cause of Christ, in addition to the thousands of dollars he had given away in his lifetime.

In his flyleaf was written these words:

No reserves.
No retreats.
No regrets.

After Christ has suffered so much on our behalf that we might be partakes of the gift of eternal life, how can we not live with a spirit of martyrdom…willingness to give it all for His sake! This has been on my heart and mind…and will not seem to go away. How can I learn to give lavishly – with no reserves! That I might come to the end of my life with no regrets! Is this the day I die? was the question that Brother Yun asked daily (in his book Heavenly Man -the story of a Chinese persecuted Christian).

How can I give to meet the needs of another today? Could it be with time, money or energy?

The challenge is to give when you think you can afford it but also to give when you think you can’t afford it!

Should I really be saving for myself? Give until it hurts – my dad always said!

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