Tag: Karol Ladd

Demonstrating Thanksgiving

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This past week we had Positive woman Connection oneweek earlier than usual due to the holidays this week.  We had a wonderful time.  We get together early next month as well, so mark your calendars for Dec 14 in North Dallas or Dec 15 for our Cottonwood Creek location.  Have a blessed Thanksgiving.  Here’s a little thought about demonstrating Thanksgiving to your kids:
Our own example offers the most effective teaching tool when it comes to teaching gratitude to our kids. We can try to pound the lesson of thankfulness into our children’s hearts and minds, but when we demonstrate a grateful heart with our words and actions they catch the lesson and keep it. So how do we demonstrate gratitude? Here are three ideas to get you started:

1. Tell your kids how thankful you are for them. That’s right, be specific and tell each child several of the qualities you really appreciate about them. It’s something our kids need to hear (as opposed to nagging all the time) and they need to experience how it feels to be on the receiving end of kind and grateful thoughts. Although we assume our kids know how thankful we are for them, they need to hear it specifically expressed now and then.

2. Speak in a grateful way about the rest of your family members (that means your husband as well as your extended family) behind their backs. Instead of complaining about aunt Nancy’s conversation skills or her awful sweet potato casserole, talk about how thankful you are for her gifts or talents or character qualities. Let’s demonstrate to our children how to look for the good in others, rather than what is wrong with people.

3. Take time to stop and thank the Lord for His blessings. When you recognize God has allowed something good to come into your life, take a moment to say, “Kid’s I just want to stop and thank the Lord for His kindness.” Then ask the kids to join you in prayer as you thank the Lord. Even when things aren’t going so perfect, you can always thank God for His presence and His help in time of need. I’m reminded of the story of the ten lepers. Ten were healed, but only one came back to say thank you. I want to be like that one who said thanks.

This week, take some time to allow gratitude to fill your thoughts and hearts and to overflow from your mouth. Most importantly demonstrate your thankfulness by reaching out and helping others. You are never so beautiful as when you are living a grateful life. Show others what a thankful heart looks like as you celebrate this week with family and friends. 
I’m thankful for you! Keep shining His light.

The Joy of Knowing God

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 Hello Positive Friends,

We will be getting together soon as we meet one week earlier in November.  At Presontonwood Country Club on Nov 16 and at Cottonwood Creek on Nov 17.  Looking forward to seeing you soon.  The following is a devotional thought from my book Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux said, “If we begin to worship and come to God again and again by meditating, by reading, by prayer; and by obedience, little by little God becomes known to us through experience. We enter into a sweet familiarity with God, and by tasting how sweet the Lord is we pass into . . . loving God, not for our own sake, but for Himself.”4 We can fall into the arms of a God who we know and love, but it is difficult to trust someone we do not know personally.

We cannot understand all of God’s ways, but there are certain qualities we can know about him. Where do we begin our journey of knowing him? The Bible gives us glimpses of the High King of heaven and his marvelous attributes. Here are a few of the numerous qualities we learn about God as we see them revealed in the Bible. I have provided just one biblical reference for each attribute, although there are numerous others.

He is:

Almighty (Genesis 17:1)

Everlasting (Genesis 21:33)

All-Powerful (2 Chronicles 20:6)

Abundant in Strength (Psalm 147:5)

Abounding in Love (Psalm 103:8)

Sovereign (Deuteronomy 3:24)

Merciful (Psalm 62:12)

Trustworthy (2 Samuel 22:3)

Our Keeper (Psalm 121:2)

Our Provider (Matthew 6:26)

Our Good Shepherd (John 10:11)

Able—nothing is too difficult for him (Genesis 18:14)

I want to get to know a God like this, don’t you? Certainly He is worthy of our respect, obedience, and yes, trust. Consider where you are with God right now in your life. What do you believe about him? We don’t want to make assumptions about God; rather, we want to explore who he claims to be. As we get to know the God of the Bible, we begin to recognize his abiding love for us. He is worthy of our trust. I encourage you to continue your journey of engagement with God.

The Power of Looking Up

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Hello precious and positive friends.  Looking forward to seeing you this week at Positive Woman Connection.  Tuesday at Prestonwood Country Club, Wed at Cottonwood Creek.  Our lesson is about the beauty Christ brings to our lives.  If you have ever wondered, “Am I beautiful?” You will be reassured as you hear this lesson from Colossians. See you soon.

Here’s a devotional thought to encourage you.

Missionary David Miner Stern was plunged into deep grief at the death of his young daughter. Try as he might, David could not seem to get over his great sorrow, even though he was a Christian and knew of the Lord’s care. In his depression, he visited his daughter’s grave every day. He had a walking stick that he used to touch the mound of dirt over her casket, and somehow this seemed to give him a small measure of comfort, as it made him feel as though he had some slight contact with her. The oppression of his grief was so severe that he feared he must give up his role as a missionary. But God in his gracious way brought him relief.

One day as he stood over the grave, David suddenly realized how wrong it was for him to fix his attention on the dead body of his daughter. The Holy Spirit began to impress on his mind what Jesus said to the thief as he was dying on the cross: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”11 The truth of the passage began to transform the way he was thinking and he started repeating the words “with Christ in paradise” over and over again as he walked home.

His mind opened up to the blessed reality of his daughter being with Jesus. He asked himself, “What more could I want for a loved one than this?” This comforting thought allowed him to resume his missionary duties with joy. Instead of dwelling on his daughter in the grave, he pictured her safe in the presence of Jesus.

By God’s grace and power, we, too, can see our circumstances in a different way. It’s time to let go of that old dream and walk hand in hand with the Lord into a new and different place. With our eyes looking up, we are able to catch a glimpse of a new and better dream. Most importantly as we look to Christ, we are reminded of his great and comforting love, which can soothe the pain and give us strength to move forward.

This blog is an excerpt from my book Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive (Simon and Schuster). The story of David Stern came from Roy B. Zuck, comp., Speakers Quote Book (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1997), 180.

Take Your Eyes off the Past

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Hello my precious and positive friends. I look forward to seeing you next week at the Positive Woman Connection Bible study.  Please be sure to RSVP if you have not already done so.  We will meet on Oct 26 at Prestonwood Country Club 12 – 1. and On Wednesday, Oct 27 at Cottonwood Creek, 12 – 1.  Our topic this month is “Discovering who you are in Christ.”   See you soon. 

Here’s a devotional thought about the importance of moving forward from the past:

Looking forward to what God has in store can be difficult at times, especially when we have experienced pain or feel as though we are in a rut. Yet, it is important for us take small steps forward with our eyes looking to the Lord to guides us.  We must deliberately take our focus off past hurts and mistakes. Thoughts and reminders of your pain or disappointment or how things could have been may pop into your head now and then, but it’s time to leave the regrets behind and turn your eyes toward what God is planning for the rest of your life.

The apostle Paul offers us a good example. He could have chosen to live in his past, wallowing in regret about his former years before he knew Christ, but he chose to look forward. Here’s what he said to the Philippians: “I focus on this one thing; Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”9

Whether you are dealing with a divorce or an injury or a loss, you have a choice whether you will dwell on what could have been and your past dreams, or move forward to what is next. One talent we have as women is to replay the “I’m Hurt” tape over and over in our minds. They hurt my feelings. He ruined my life. She was rude to me. God didn’t listen to me. Once you have grieved a hurt or loss, it is time to stop reliving it and playing back the video over and over in your mind. Again this requires forgiveness and strength to move on. We have a loving God who is able to give us the strength to forgive. Seek his help when you just can’t get to the place of forgiveness, and remember forgiveness is not inviting a person to walk all over you.  Sometimes we must set wise boundaries. Forgiveness is releasing the right to hold something over another person.  Let it go.

The only time Scripture tells us to look back is when we are remembering what God has done. The Israelites were told to set up markers and memorials to remember what God had brought them through. We, too, must reflect on God’s goodness and recognize all he has done, instead of reflecting on our past life and wishing it were still there. To passionately live the life we didn’t plan, we must turn our eyes upward instead of backward in order to go forward.

This blog is an excerpt from my book Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive (Simon and Schuster).

Change is in the Air

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October is a wonderful time to enjoy the changing tempatures as well as the changing colors of leaves.  Change can be good, but it can also be challenging.  I’ve invited my friend Jane Jarrell to share about a major change in her life.  Be sure to mark your calendar for our next PWC.  Oct 26 at Prestonwood Country Club or Oct 27 at Cottonwood Creek Baptist church.  Our lesson will be, “The Joy of Knowing Who you are in Christ.”  Looking forward to seeing you soon.   Now here’s my friend Jane…

Five years ago our life changed.

Shivering in a bland and blah curtained off out-patient cubicle came the shock of my adult life.  Awaiting a “procedure” sure to close the option of any other biological children. The doctor entered as they were about to roll me into the operating room and said; “I’ve got good news and bad, the bad news, we need to cancel your procedure, the good news; you are pregnant.” Yes, me, at 44 3/4 years old; a baby.

We had given up hope of another child but God was on His throne; grinning. Tipping the miracle scale in our favor; this procedure was canceled twice because of my mother’s health troubles. If my Mom had not broken her hip forcing the change in plans Luke my never have been part of our family. Hard to really say, as God is in the miracle business, in fact, he specializes in it.

We still look at Luke amazed. Amazed at God’s sense of humor, amazed we are the parents, amazed at a new creation. Grateful for a new direction, often curious if we have what it takes to be the parents he needs. Tired.  Never looking at the math equations showing us in our seventies at college graduation. Grinning at what God will do with our little man. Enjoying days infused with blowing bubbles in the wind, swinging high into the sky, dancing in the water hose.

Our little super hero flew in like a breath of fresh air in the middle of life.

  

Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a miracle? Do you feel as though you are waiting on a miracle that has yet to arrive? God asks us to accept each day as it comes to us, remembering He is sovereign over our life. Rejoice in the day He has made, by looking for His fingerprints in your circumstances. Instead of regrets or resentments, be grateful.

1 Thessalonians 4:17

“Pray continually and give thanks for whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.”

Jane Jarrell is a popular speaker and author.  You can learn more about her at www.JaneJarrell.com

 

Super Hero Luke Jarrell