Thankful for You!

I always share the devotions I write to my team. Although I do not serve this weekend I wanted to send out an e-mail to my team wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving! Here is the e-mail I sent out a few minutes ago:

Hi Team!

I was reading Jesus Calling this afternoon and wanted to share today’s devotion with you.

Let thankfulness rule in your heart. As you thank Me for blessings in your life, a marvelous thing happens. It is as if scales fall off your eyes, enabling you to see more and more of My glorious riches. With your eyes thus opened, you can help yourself to whatever you need from My treasure house. Each time you receive one of My golden gifts, let your thankfulness sing out praises to My Name. “Hallelujahs” are the language of heaven, and they can become the language of your heart.

A life of praise and thankfulness becomes a life filled with miracles. Instead of trying to be in control, you focus on Me and what I am doing. This is the power of praise: centering your entire being in Me. This is how I created you to live, for I made you in My own image. Enjoy abundant life by overflowing with praise and thankfulness.

Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Psalm 100:4-5 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all that you do for the kiddos and families in our church! I am so thankful to serve alongside each one of you. Happy Thanksgiving and blessings to you and your families!

Gratefully,

Elizabeth Mary

Speak Life

Ephesians 4:29 reads, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” On Toby Mac’s newest album, he wrote a song called, “Speak Life.” He based the song off a quote he read in Brennan Manning’s book, Abba Child. Brennan wrote, “Anyone we come in contact with we either offer them life or we drain them. There is no neutral exchange.” Toby Mac said, “That means that everyone I talk to, I have the opportunity to offer life to. Literally, I can speak life to people. My words can be used to turn someone’s life around, to encourage him or her, to be compassion, to be love.  

A month or two ago, I received a text from a friend who has been in California for nine months doing missionary work. In her text, she wrote, “Praying the verses in Colossians 1:2-14 over you tonight.” I grabbed my Bible and began reading those verses. Friends, I can’t even begin to tell you how meaningful that text was and how it changed my entire outlook on that evening. If her text brought me that much joy, I started to wonder, how my words might affect others lives. There are many ways we can speak life. We can mail an encouraging card, send a supportive text message or make a phone call to a friend or family member. Last week, I left a bottle of A&W root beer on a stressed out teacher’s desk with a note reading, “You’re an AW-some teacher.”

Words are powerful. They can build a person up or tear a person down. We have an opportunity to speak life in every conversation we have. I am working on being more intentional in speaking life to people not only face to face, but with the people I don’t see everyday let alone every week or month for that matter. I’m making a conscious decision to speak hope, speak love, and speak life. How will you use your words to speak life this week?