Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Chosen That Good Part
If you have followed my blog for a bit, you might know that I like to observe Lent, Advent, a New Year, and any opportunity to seek change and draw closer to God. With Lent coming up, I have put some thought into what to give up or take on. Many believers across the globe like to give up certain foods or activities during this season. And sometimes people will also add something to their schedule, such as a meaningful devotional, more prayer time, or additional Bible reading.
Life has been stressful lately, and this has made me feel down and negative. So my original thought for Lent was to cut out complaining, and focus on gratitude, praise, and positivity.
I still want to do that. However, I also feel led to go back to basics and remove many other things for a time. I heard a sermon by Jentezen Franklin this week in which he mentioned that when we are under extreme attack, we should proceed with extreme action. So that is part of my plan. But it also boils down to constantly striving and doing. I need to lay aside some things in order to spend more time at the Lord’s feet. I need to turn off the noise of the world, so I can hear the voice of God.
This means I will be setting aside blogging from Ash Wednesday (which falls on Feb 22 this year) until Easter (which falls on Apr 9 this year). It’s not just blogging, as I will also be limiting time on other things as well – social media, email, etc. It might sound like I will have a lot of idle time, but that won’t be the case. Instead, my hope is to spend my time with intention.
This might sound a bit contradictory, but due to the nature of what I’ve been walking through, I know that there are unknowns ahead. I mentioned that life has been stressful. Many things have gone wrong. Every day has brought unexpected obstacles. Some days I have felt as though I was trying to push an army tank with my bare hands. And some of life has been an anxious waiting game.
With all that being said, I know my life will still be busy. However, when I have spare moments, I don’t want to habitually reach for something to fill the gaps. I want to reach for the only One who can sustain me through this trying season. And I also want to fight against the battles with praise music, prayer, Scripture, gratitude, and time with the Shepherd.
I must say it is not easy for me to set aside some of these things, especially blogging. I will miss everyone. But for my own sanity, I believe taking a step back for a few weeks is needed. And sometimes the hardest things to do are exactly the things we need to do the most. This Christian journey involves dying to our wants in order to follow the path the Lord leads us down. I am not saying that God is asking me to turn away from blogging altogether. However, I am saying that sometimes we have to lay aside certain things for a time in order to come back restored.
If you feel so inclined, please say a prayer for breakthroughs in the situations I have been battling. And if you have any specific prayer requests, please share in the comments. I will be happy to pray for you over the coming weeks. And if you plan to observe the Lenten season in a special way, please share that in the comments as well. I would love to hear it.
I pray you draw closer to Christ in the weeks ahead, in whatever way you choose to honor the death and resurrection of Jesus. I look forward to catching up with you after Easter.
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” ~ Luke 10:38-42 NKJV
© Bridget A. Thomas 2023
Bridget A. Thomas 
Hello Bridget. You do right to have a blogging break. To have that complete rest is very freeing, even if we do miss our friends for a while.
For Lent, I’m going to stop reading all books and immerse myself in God’s Word. I read a ton of books (Christian ones) and can get through one in two days or so. It’s time to rest in Scripture. I also plan to spend more time in God’s creation, even if it’s only the garden. I’ve become a bit weary of listening to the cacophony of voices screaming out about how people should and should not worship God. It’s time to listen to God in His creation.
I hope you enjoy a time of rest and recovery in the coming season.
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Lesley, thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate your kind words and the support in regards to taking a break. I really like both of your plans for Lent. And it’s funny that you should touch on those things because books and nature are things that have been on my heart as well. I also read a lot of Christian books. But I must say – not as much as you! Reading a book in two days is amazing. I am a bit obsessed when it comes to reading, but I am not a fast reader. I haven’t quite decided yet how I will handle reading during this Lent. I think it was last year I gave up reading fiction, but still read nonfiction. This year I would like to still read a devotional. But I agree with your thoughts – more time in God’s Word would definitely be a fulfilling way to spend Lent. And about spending more time in nature – I love that idea too. Over the past month or so I have been on a mission to find beauty around me. Most days that equates to pretty sunsets or sunrises. I have been taking pictures and posting them on Instagram. With all the stress going on, it reminds me to stay grounded in The Maker of the Universe. So although I will not be on Facebook during Lent, I am on the fence about Instagram for that reason. I have enjoyed sharing the beauty with others. Anyway, I really love your thoughts and you have given me more to ponder. Thank you! I pray your Lenten season is filled with God’s beauty, in His Word and in nature.
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I’m not on Instagram, Bridget, but I like to look at the photographs on the website. They are all so stunning. I’m just a garden snapper and I take the occasional picture when I’m out with my dog. I think Instagram is one of the more relaxed forms of social media and having a creative talent for photography is a lovely thing to participate in. I love sunrises and sunsets too and there are some spectacular ones at this time of the year.
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So true! Yesterday evening the sky was so beautiful. My husband said that Picasso, Monet, and all the famous artists should have said that their work was nothing compared to God’s. God paints a masterpiece every day. 🥰
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Not even near! 😀
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Praying for you and your time of intentionality during Lent. I will miss reading your posts, but I respect you taking a break. May God reveal Himself to you in special ways during this time.
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Thank you so much, Rainer. I appreciate your prayers and kind words. I will miss reading your posts over the next few weeks too. I will keep you, your wife, and your ministry in my prayers. 🙏
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Sometimes the hardest thing to do is the most needed- I understand that sentiment Bridget.
I pray that you will draw closer to him during this time and be filled with strength and be renewed and restored. Whatever you are facing. In whatever ways the enemy is attacking, may the Lord intervene, protect and fight on your behalf. I will miss your posts Bridget. I do not necessarily follow lent, although I have been focusing on not grumbling. Did not realise how much I was doing it. I felt God convicting me and making me aware of my behaviour as I studied and wrote on the Israelites repeated grumbling. It was a humbling moment for me.
Blessings my friend and may the Lord go before you and with you at this time.
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Your posts on the book of Numbers have really convicted me too on how much I grumble. I realized lately that it has gotten worse, due to stress. And I find I need to Trust God more, as that plays a part in all of it. When I complain, it means I don’t believe He is working all things together for good. Thank you for the prayers and the sweet words. I will be praying for you over the coming weeks. Blessings to you too, dear friend! 💜
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🙏🏽💙
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Praying this season of Lent brings a breakthrough from the stress for you. Life is so tough and I’d say as Christians it’s even harder, we have a spiritual awareness where we want to draw nearer to the Lord to overcome the battle but satan attacks even more. We must remain persistent though, God will see us through!! You have some great ideas/plans for rest and focus in place.
Good encouragement in your post my friend as always.
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Very good point, Alicia. I agree that it is harder for us as Christians. The enemy knows he can’t have our souls, but he will still do whatever he can to take our earthly lives off course. However, keeping this in mind does help us when battles come. It helps us to put our energy and focus in the right direction. Thank you for the prayers and sweet words. I am glad this post was an encouragement. And I hope after Easter I will be able to share some lessons learned along the way. You will be in my prayers over the coming weeks as well, my friend! 🌹
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❤️Thank you!!
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Enjoy your time of refocusing. May you be blessed in your efforts.
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Thank you, my friend! ♥️
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❤
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I completely understand the need to step back, from time to time, Bridget. May God bless your digital sabbatical. Please pray for my three adult sons. They have each struggled, off and on, with various issues. We go to visit them over spring break in March. Blessings!
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Yes I will absolutely be praying for them. Thank you for sharing that with me. And I pray you have safe travels and blessed visit with them. 🙏
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Enjoy your break, Bridget. I will miss your posts, but thankful that you are obeying God’s leading. We all need breaks sometimes. I will pray for your breakthrough in your situations. Please continue to keep me and my family in prayer, losing mom is tough.
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Yes I will definitely be praying for you and your family. I am so sorry. I know this is a difficult season. Sending lots of love to you! ♥️
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I will miss you and pray our Lord gives you clarity in all things.
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Thank you so much, Marla! I will keep you in my prayers and look forward to reconnecting after Easter!
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I know you will see a difference. For me, this was the month of January. I am praying the Lord sends you a revival, and I’m believing that you will come away renewed!
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I always look forward to your blog. I may not always have time to reply, but please know I’m following along. I went through a season of life you’re describing last summer. I knew I needed to hear the Lord’s voice over the noise of our everyday life. I stopped reading/posting on Facebook and spent more time in Bible reading and prayer. I was able to see where the Lord was leading me. I’ve recently returned to Facebook, but the draw is different. I don’t typically observe Lent, but this year I decided that I would. I’ve given up chocolate for the next 3 weeks, which I hope to see a physical improvement. On the more important spiritual front, I’ve decided to read a specific book from the Bible during the 40 days. I’ll put you and your family on my prayer lists as well. The spiritual attacks are REAL! They are coming on all fronts of life. Our Lord’s return sure feels near. To that I say, “Lord, Jesus come.” 🙏🏽🙏🏽
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May this be a time of refreshing for you, Bridget, and may you receive clarity, strength, and direction for this challenging chapter in your life. We all look forward to your return after Easter!
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