THANKSgiving

Well, Happy Thanksgiving all you Insight readers!! I know this post is at the end of your Thanksgiving dinner, but hey! Thanksgiving is just one day of the year, but being thankful for the blessings God gives us should be a 365 day remembrance.

And for a little Thanksgiving fun, I'm doing the T.H.A.N.K.S.G.I.V.I.N.G challenge. So for each letter in the word "Thanksgiving", I'm going to tell you what I'm thankful for. Here goes!


Time. I'm finding out how precious time is and how fast it comes and goes. Time is our worst enemy, but it's what gives us the opportunity to work, spend quality time with family, and do all the fun stuff we enjoy doing in our lives.

Horses. Horses have been my therapists. They always lift my depressed spirits and they bring me joy. God knew exactly what I needed to get through this life somewhat sanely. Haha.

America. I'm grateful for this country we live in. It certainly has its problems, but I'm keeping the Old American pride.

Naps. Some days are so busy and I'm definitely tired by mid-afternoon, so it's really nice to just close my eyes and relax. With that, I hope you all take this four day weekend a little easier, too. :)

K. Yup, I'm thankful for the 11th letter in the alphabet. Haha, no. That's just to throw you off. I'm thankful for my little collie, Keara! I'm thankful for all of our animals, but you know, "K" isn't a really easy letter either. ;-)

Sweet potates. Okay, I'm crazy about sweet potatoes! That is my favorite thing on the Thanksgiving table and I'm most thankful for yams and marshmallows.

Grace. God's grace is sufficient for all and without His mercy, we would be lost forever. Thank God for His love for us!
.

Interests. (aka hobbies) Those nice little activities that keep a person out of trouble. I love writing, working with horses, doing all the other stuff I like to do when I'm home. It's amazing that God gives us individual interests and passions. So basically, I'm thankful for individuality as well.

Violets. This is a hard letter! Okay, though I am not a big fan of flowers, violets are probably my favorite flowers. They bring a beautiful purple flavor to nature and I'm thankful that God creates beautiful things for us to look at.

Internet. Yeah, that's a given, right? Without it, I wouldn't have written this post and you wouldn't be reading it! It's what connects us when we're in different parts of the state, nation, and world.

Nachos. Yes, no county fair is complete without chips and cheese dips! But basically, I'm thankful that God gives us a variety of foods to enjoy. Healthy or yeah, unhealthy. :-P

God. He is the most important part of my life and I wouldn't be here without Him. He's why I exist and I'm thankful to Him for giving me life.

Mmm....sweet potatoes!

I did it! Now it's your turn. Tell your friends how God has blessed you this year and on your hardest days, write down all those blessings and I guarantee you won't think life is quite as bad as it may have felt. :-)

Yours blogever,
Julianna

Rear View Mirror Driving

It might seem weird, but our day-to-day lives can perhaps be compared with that of driving a vehicle. I was driving with my Mom shortly after I got my DL, and a car behind me was just getting way too close for comfort. I don’t even like to be followed almost bumper to bumper in town when we’re going 25 MPH, but out in the country (at approximately 55-60 MPH), I was feeling really cramped for space. Trying to remember to just keep my eyes on the road ahead, I avoided looking into my rear view mirror every few seconds. When the guy finally passed me, I couldn’t help but think of how many times, in my Christian walk, that I kept my eyes glued to the past. I kept looking into that "rear view mirror". Reminiscing on those past mistakes that I've made that sneak up behind me. Those negative memories haunting me, demanding my attention to the point that I don’t focus on what is before me: the Spiritual road. 

If I keep looking into the rear view mirror, I could end up in a ditch or run into another vehicle.  As is in my spiritual walk with Christ, looking back, regretting things, and taking my eyes off of the One Whom I should be looking to, I could seriously hurt myself and others by making more wrong choices. I’ve heard many pastors give this comparison before; but as is with many other things, those words don’t “sink in” until we experience those scenarios and really think about what those messages mean.  

I believe it’s ok to look back at the past sometimes, because then we remember where we've come from and how it's brought us to where we are today. However, I also believe that looking back is something to be careful about. Glancing can be good; but staring draws our attention away from Christ and His perfect plan for us. We will never get fulfillment by looking into the “mirrors” that remind us of our failures; but we can find satisfaction if we keep our eyes on Christ, remembering that He has a perfect plan that we need to be looking towards.

We have already faced many obstacles before. With Christ, we will keep looking straight ahead, because that’s what will keep us on the path that He has laid out for each of His children.

Hebrews 12:2 “..looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Blessings,
Anna

Never Forget...

In memory of that tragic day in 2001, I wanted to do a small blog post in honor of those who died and of those families who were left in devastation after the horrible attack on our nation. The words that will probably come into your head when you hear the date "September 11" is probably something like "Never forget" or "United We Stand". How can we possibly forget that awful terrorist act that devastated this nation thirteen years ago today? May this part of history never repeat itself.

   Let us not allow the past to frighten us to submit to evil. Let not history repeat itself. Let this be a reminder of how ready we must be for possible future attacks. Remember the past and never forget; but let us not live in the past. We need to look to the future and protect our country from invaders and terrorists today.