Thankful Thursday

12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 

Romans 13:12

This week I am thankful for my Birthday. I can't always say that. I was feeling pretty disappointed at the prospect of my Birthday last week. Sometimes it is hard to feel appreciated when you are put on the backburner and there are times that life gets so busy that I feel that way. I was thankful for many things this week most importantly new areas of light in our home. This light in our bathroom got a make over. Just took a can of spray paint after a little bit of scrubbing with some steel wool.

It reminded me of how we are baptized. How the Lord makes us new through this act.

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

"Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
Isaiah 1:18

This light still works although the fan does not anymore since we spray painted it, hoping to also give it a makeover. For now we will use it as a light even though it is now "broken".

The brokenness reminds me of sin. How even though the Lord gives us new life, as we gave new life to this fan that sin often gets in the way. We continue to be broken and we continue to have to ask for forgiveness of that sin so that we can come before the Father, once again new.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:9

This light has not worked in 4 years. We were leaving last night to run to town for something and I passed by it once again. It is always so dark outside without it. The front light has issues on the porch and does not always turn on. Something in my spirit had enough. I went inside found 3 light bulbs that would fit and came back in, stood on the chair and "checked it out". Sure enough that was all it needed along with getting plugged in. Now it is working.

This reminds me of how we should be plugged into church and one another. Fellowship is so important to our Christian walk. We need one another to lean on so that we can provide comfort, so that we can provide support and so that we can also receive. Even Christ had this through the fellowship of the 12 Disciples.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 

1 John 1:7

This is a fan that is brand new. I forget when exactly we lost the ceiling fan in the den. It literally fell out of the ceiling. We had tried to turn on the fan part- knowing the light did not work anymore. The entire foundation (the ceiling box) cracked and that was that. This is a new one we can put up soon. I am excited about that. It was a wonderful gift.

The Lord wants you to come to Him. He sent his only son to die for your sins so that you might be saved, so that I might be saved, so that the world might be saved. It takes us requesting him into our hearts, into our lives. Being a light unto others so that they too may know him and accept him as their personal Savior.  So often we forget as Christians to be the light to others.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 
John 14:6

This light will provide some relief. This week I spent two days trying to solve an issue of moths and spiders in my kitchen. We have an old window we have yet to replace in the kitchen, as you walk through our home it shifts and the window shifts. I am constantly re closing it completely. The light in the kitchen above the sink is often left on at night to provide light so you can walk through the home. I have just never purchased a night lite. Which I still need to do. After loosing some minor food once again I did two things. I moved all the food from the location we are having issues with and I also began using this lamp instead of the light above the sink where this cabinet is located. I hope that I deter the moths, which then deters the spiders and so on.

This one is a stretch I guess of the imagination but it reminded me of keeping our light burning. How we should live our life in serving others, reaching out to those in need, caring for one another. We need quiet time with our Lord, we need prayer and petition. We need to be active Christians.

28 You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. 

Psalms 18:28

This light in our kitchen has not worked for the past few months. Honestly I think it is UGLY. I wanted to replace it with a longer light that has a wood frame. The bulbs on this light are very expensive- hence why it has not worked in months. We looked at New lights. It was a pretty good chunk of change at $124 before tax. I had gotten a different ceiling fan initially for my birthday but I didn't quite like it, it was not the same as it appeared online. Exchanging it allowed for me to get the bulbs I needed for this light and for now, while finances are tight make do with the Light I already have. It is nice to have this light as without it cooking is very difficult in the evenings. The light above the sink just is not quite bright enough at night.So in a way this birthday gift was many fold as I was able to also pick up a couple other small things like a can of stain, which I can use on the framing of those windows we did this summer.

Christ often used analogies in the bible to make a point. Mine today for Thankful Thursday is that I am so thankful to live in a country that allows us to worship freely. I can share my thoughts and beliefs with you here on this blog. I can share with others in my community. Just last night I asked for prayer for my daughter's friend who will go in for a biopsy on a bone above her tail bone as they have found a growth, she is only going to be 13 years old. My heart goes out to this family as they learn more in the coming month (s). If we lived somewhere else I might not have had that freedom. I am so thankful to know Christ and have him as my personal savior. I pray that as you read my blog daily, weekly or monthly, that it be a blessing to your life. That if you are in need of comfort or support that you will find it through the words that I share. I pray that you will remember what you are Thankful for in times of depression, anxiety and sadness. I pray that the Lord allow me to be a Light in your life.

If you do not know the Lord as your personal savior, pray about it and ask him into your heart.

It is a decision that will forever change your life.

16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. 

Isaiah 42:16

Thankful Thursday is hosted at Spiritually Unequal Marriage for the month of October.