Looking for the Blessings of God's Goodness

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Thank You Jesus for my Head!

When I read these headlines and saw this picture, my disbelief turned to thankfulness. 

Peter Kassig
"The radical group ISIS has released a video it says shows American aid worker Peter Kassig being beheaded in Syria."*

Shock from the words of this story gave deep perspective to the headache I've been dealing with on and off for almost two weeks. I've dealt with migraines for as long as I can remember and at one time or another the intensity of the pain has left me saying, "Just cut my head off."

If reports are true, Peter literally dealt with the blow of this awful ending.  Why, how and many so many other questions flood the minds of the nation as we deal with this atrocious news.

The first thought that struck me after reading this story was a sense of gratitude and thankfulness for my head. Despite my pain, I was not dealing with the circumstance Peter had to endure. Even though I am physically and emotionally exhausted from the pain, I could only have an attitude of thankfulness to my Heavenly Father because I knew there were others in far worse circumstances than me.  

Thank you Lord for my head.  


My thoughts and prayers are with the Kassig family during this nightmare, and I pray for comfort and peace that only Jesus Christ can bring to tragedy and senseless actions. 

*Source: www.wyff4.com/national/reports

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

My Comforter and Healer of my Heart



Six years ago on October 15th 2009, my sister left this world leaving all of us with a myriad of questions, questions that can never be answered.  As each year passes, those questions resurface and my gracious Abba Father continues to patiently listen as only He can.  The whys will never be answered until Heaven, but I'm deeply grateful for the ability to trust a Heavenly Father who loves me through the questions.  

The true answers I've needed, He's abundantly provided, but I didn't always recognize them at first.  It's taken time, struggle and finally the decision to simply trust God's Word no matter how I felt to find comfort and calmness in these answers!

Life gets tough and the only way we can "take it" and really "make it" is if we confidently know our life is in His hands. The Healer and Comforter of my Heart helps me to  choose these words daily:

"My Life Is In Your Hands"

You don't have to worry
And don't you be afraid
Joy comes in the morning
Troubles they don't last always
For there's a friend in Jesus
Who will wipe your tears away
And if your heart is broken
Just lift your hands and say

Oh
I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands

With Jesus I can take it
With Him I know I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands

So when your tests and trials
They seem to get you down
And all your friends and loved ones
Are nowhere to be found
Remember there's a friend in Jesus
Who will wipe your tears away
And if you heart is broken
Just lift your hands and say

Oh
I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in your hands

With Jesus I can take it
With Him I know I can stand
No matter what may come my way

My life is in your hands

--Kirk Franklin





Updates:

The week of October 12th, 2016 ~ 

This week, my goal is to breathe meaningfulness into the lives of those around me, especially the quiet and seeming withdrawn people! Of course, I always want to do this, but this week I especially have this focus because it's the anniversary of my sister's death. My sister struggled deeply with many things she never shared with others till it was to late. I can't change the things of the past, but I can make a difference in someone's future. Please pray God will bring specific people into my life to encourage and uplift. I want to help others choose life and life more abundantly!

Friday, October 3, 2014

The Power of Modern Day Communication

As I look back over the last three years I've spend on Twitter, I am amazed at the national/global connections God has allowed me to make.  These connections have not only enhanced my professional life, but have given me many opportunities to take on the roles such as an encourager, prayer warrior, advocate and many more.  Just today, God gave me an idea for how I can broaden the reach of how Christian ladies communicate on *Twitter through the power of common hashtags developed for them. The idea is still mulling, but because of what God has gifted me in learning about Twitter in my professional life, I would love to see that same power at work in the Christian ladies' community.

The communication capabilities we have today were never possible even several years ago, and I'm excited to see where God can take a "seed of an idea" and grow it into a powerful tool for His kingdom!  Oh the possibilities…


the Christian Ladies' Community on Twitter


*If don't know anything about Twitter, but would like to learn, read my blog post, Twitter for Beginners.


My Twitter accounts:
personal ~ @SSOperator13
professional ~ Kitty_Tripp

Thursday, September 25, 2014

My Car

The other day as I worked on my computer with the TV on in the background, I glanced up when I heard an update on the crisis in the Middle East.  As I watched, I saw a picture of a long line of refugees trying to escape the unstable region. Suddenly, the life struggles I was having seemed to be nothing compared to what I could only imagine these people were having to deal with.

As I watched them walk, I thought about how blessed I am to have a car.  If I need to travel somewhere, I hop in my car and I'm on my way.  It's so easy to take common every day experiences like this for granted. We're jolted back to the reality of this blessing when something breaks down or stops working. Thank you Jesus for not only the blessing of my car, but for also keeping it working!