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Thankful Homemaker

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When God’s Plans Interrupt Mine

by Marci Ferrell
Biblical Womanhood Christian Living Contentment Homemaking Ministry Titus 2

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Is our first thought amid an illness or difficult season to give thanks to the Lord in it? This thought has been on my mind this week as my bible reading has me in 1 Thessalonians and I'm also dealing with a bad cold. I had things I wanted to accomplish this week and people I wanted to get together with. Some things happened but not as much as I planned. God had other plans.

Is our first thought amid an illness or difficult season to give thanks to the Lord in it?Click to Tweet

I was dealing with a cold, nothing earth shattering but something that brings a change in your schedule. 

As I read in 1 Thessalonians 5:1, below are some thoughts I shared in my journal on verse 18: 

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” ~1 Thess 5:18

-Not some but all circumstances.
-It is God's will.
-Christians are to be marked by thanksgiving.
-It is an imperative—a command.
-The commands of God help us to glorify Him, enjoy Him, and live the free and abundant life we have in Christ.
-The opposite of giving thanks is murmuring or complaining.
-When I complain against my circumstances, I am complaining against the One who has designed every circumstance of my life.
-May my attitude be one of gratitude.
-I must practice thanksgiving in every circumstance
-I owe everything to God—how can I not be thankful? 
-There is always something to be thankful for – even on the seemingly darkest days; there is still an abundance of many blessings. 
-May I remember Psalm 103 and “forget not all His benefits.”
-Ingratitude is a sin (Romans 1:21).
-I continually need to pray for eyes of faith and an eternal perspective.

O Thou who hast given us so much, mercifully grant us one more thing-a grateful heart.

~ George Herbert

So even amid this seemingly silly cold, I am giving thanks. I'm thankful that it slowed me down and made me realize life moves on without me. I did accomplish things this week that weren't necessarily on my to-do list initially, but they were things I wanted to get to.

I  reviewed my schedule which has been out of whack and was thankful for the arrival of Free to Focus in my mailbox to help me work through what I would like my days and weeks to look like. I'm not talking about having perfectly planned days because as we learn in these seasons, we can plan, but the Lord still directs our steps, and it reminds us Who is really in control.

I had time to send some cards and notes I wanted to get out to friends and loved ones. I returned long overdue phone calls, delivered a meal to a friend right before my cold hit and chatted with some dear friends who are going through hard seasons. My grandbabies didn't get to see me live, but we had fun with Facetime this week. They even caught Nana in her pajamas a couple of times. So much for my post on Getting Dressed this week. 

My days were not as productive, but God's Word reminded me that He ordained this season. So dusting and vacuuming didn't get done. I did get to a bit of laundry out of necessity and made some simple meals.  I rested, read, reevaluated and had more time in prayer and meditating on the Word than I do in most weeks.

Time to rest was much to give thanks in and through. I don't know the season you're in and the difficulties you're facing. There are many hard situations you all are dealing with, but I pray you will focus your eyes on the One who ordains our days and seasons and find blessings in the midst of the trial.

The greatest blessing is the one I come back to always. I am loved and chosen by God as His daughter. It doesn't get any better than that. In Christ, we are all doing better than we deserve every moment.

We can always find something to be thankful for. 

Related Posts:

Encouragement on Difficult Days

Giving Thanks in Difficult Circumstances

Related posts:

  1. Serving the Lord in Our Mundane Moments
  2. Giving Thanks in the Storms of Life
  3. Caring for a Dying Parent
  4. Remembering to Thank God for His Blessings


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« Podcast EP 55: How to Study the Bible (Spiritual Disciplines Series)
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Welcome to Thankful Homemaker

So thankful you’ve stopped by for a visit. Please grab a cup of coffee or tea and sit a bit. I hope to remind you that contentment in our role as homemakers begins with finding our satisfaction in Christ.

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thankfulhomemaker

Marci Ferrell
We have a generation of people who think they can We have a generation of people who think they can stand before the judgment seat of God despite their sins. ⁣
~ R.C. Sproul
When we start our mornings with purpose, it seems When we start our mornings with purpose, it seems to help in the productivity of our day.  I always say if I get nothing else done the rest of the day because it didn't go as I planned, but I got to my morning routine, I already accomplished quite a bit.⁣
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Come watch the video at the link in my profile @thankfulomemaker - click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image.
"Reading the Bible in a year? Good. But don't just "Reading the Bible in a year? Good. But don't just read it, study it, and do so not just to brag about it but for your good and God's glory."⁣
~ Burk Parsons⁣
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Link to EP 95 Developing a Daily Bible Reading Habit in my profile @thankfulhomemaker - click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image 😍🎧
Do you ever find yourself flitting from task to ta Do you ever find yourself flitting from task to task and at the end of the day realizing you didn't finish any of them? Do you have trouble staying focused and on task? ⁣
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A tool that has helped me immensely over the years to stay on tasks, whether it's household chores, reading, social media, blog work, paying bills, and a host of other items, is just a simple household timer.⁣
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It has helped me realize that household chores that I think take FOREVER 😂may not take much longer than 5-10 minutes.⁣
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Link to the podcast in my profile @thankfulhomemaker - click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image 🎧❤.⁣
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#productivity #timer #kitchentimer #stayontask #focused #staying focused
“The simple truth – every day is precious. Whe “The simple truth – every day is precious. When it's gone, it never comes back to you.”⁣
~ Emilie Barnes⁣
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Read: Serving the Lord in Our Mundane Moments at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image).
“Resolved, never to lose one moment of time, but “Resolved, never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.”⁣
~ Jonathan Edwards⁣
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Link to listen to EP 96: My Top 5 Productivity Tips for Busy Homemakers in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image).
We all know the books we read shape us and grow us We all know the books we read shape us and grow us. I've been challenged by books, taught by books, and comforted by books over my years of reading and being read to. ⁣
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I can still pick up a book to read to my grandbabies that I read to my children when they were little and be taken back to those days of sitting with my babies on my lap getting lost in the story. I can hear in those memories the giggles, or surprise or sadness depending on the story in the voices of my children. It's been fun to make new memories with my grandchildren and possibly one day even my great-grandchildren.⁣
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Just as we turn the calendar and think about our Bible reading plan for the year, I know many of us think about what books will be on our nightstands, in our cars, suitcases, coffee tables, and on our bookshelves.⁣
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Here are some tips that have helped me to read more over the years - the link to the post is in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image).
“Maturity starts with the willingness to give on “Maturity starts with the willingness to give oneself.”⁣
~Elisabeth Elliot ⁣
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Link to read What is Spiritual Maturity? in my profile - click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image.
I am a calendar and planner lover. I love lists an I am a calendar and planner lover. I love lists and making goals and seeking to make the most of my days. I’m also aware of how easy it is to become overwhelmed, miserable, and exhausted when I don’t have a good plan in place to make the most of my days.⁣
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I want to share today a system I’ve used for years on planning my spiritual priorities for the year. It has helped me to focus and build my choices in light of biblical priorities. ⁣
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Link to watch Setting Spiritual Priorities for the New Year in my profile @thankfulhomemaker - click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image.
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