Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
July’s Blessings and Reminders
Here we are, once again, reflecting on our month and what we have learned. You might wonder why this is important. Reflecting on our days and moments helps us to process things we have walked through. It also helps us to grow. Too often, many of our days move quickly from one to the next. As time passes, we just keep going through the motions of life. But when we reflect back on our weeks or months, it helps us to see God working in our lives. We will realize that He really is there, in each moment. And it helps us to take a better step forward. So that is why I enjoy these monthly posts. I hope they encourage you to also take the opportunity to look back on your month and find ways that God showed up or uncover lessons learned.
Faith
The month of July was heavy with lessons in faith. With the things my family has been dealing with, it’s all too easy to allow worry to creep in. Yet sometimes we have to “clothe” ourselves in faith. We have to “put on” faith, like we put on armor for a battle. We have to make a decision to trust.
I admit, it’s not exactly easy. And I had many moments when my own strength wasn’t enough. A quote that I saw on social media said it well: “God is real because I know for a fact that I’m not operating off my own strength.”
And there are times when God knows we need an extra boost. In those moments, God might send us encouragement through other people or through other avenues. There were times this month when I heard words I needed to hear at just the right time.
So while it is vital for us to hold onto faith, remember that even when we are too weak to do so, God is there. He is our strength. And He will bring us encouragement when we need a faith boost.
A Little Effort
Something else I learned this past month was that a little effort goes a long way. My husband and I went over some bills, finding ways to save. We didn’t buy things we didn’t need. And we cancelled several subscriptions that were charged on our credit card each month. When we took a little bit of effort, we were able to make a big impact.
But this doesn’t just apply to money. Over the past several months we cut back on some of the things we ate. A big part of this was sweets. We still have a dessert here and there. But we are not consuming nearly as much as we were prior. This helped us both to lose a few pounds.
If there is an area of your life that you would like to see some changes, I encourage you to take some time to evaluate it. Are there small tweaks you can make? If so, you might be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Grace for Today
There were a couple of things that I did this month that I was nervous about. Again, I didn’t think I could do them in my own strength. But when we just take a leap of faith and push through, God gives the strength and grace we need.
When we look ahead, we don’t see how we can handle certain things. Our worries often spiral as we try to figure everything out.
When the Israelites were wondering in the desert for forty years, God gave them manna to eat each day. They had enough for that day. They were not allowed to take extra, unless it was for the Sabbath. When they took extra for any other day, it would spoil. God was teaching them to trust Him with each day. In the same way, God gives us the grace we need each day and each moment.
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)
May we learn to keep our focus on Jesus each moment. He will walk us through the trials and give us the strength we need.
I would love to hear how your month went. Thank you for reading. You are in my prayers. But if you have any specific prayer requests, please let me know. And thank you for saying a prayer for my family. God bless you!
© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Bridget A. Thomas 
It’s hard to believe how quickly July flew by and that we are already in the month of August. I’m not sure I’ve caught my breath yet. These blessings you share are wonderful. For me, it was a difficult month on a number of levels that featured a little celebration at the end. I guess God’s doing a little pruning. Thanks for sharing, Bridget.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know! Time is flying by. It’s crazy. I understand what you mean about things being difficult and God doing pruning. Sometimes when we look back on those times, though, we can see how God was with us through it all. Thank you for sharing your reflection,
Rainer! God bless!
LikeLiked by 1 person
“God is real because I know for a fact that I’m not operating off my own strength.”
What a wonderful realization and gift.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! Those words really hit me as well! You’re right, it is such a gift! 🎁 💝
LikeLiked by 1 person
In our weakness his strength is shown.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes and amen! So thankful for the Lord and how He is our strength! I hope you have a great weekend, big brother! 🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
July for me was filled with waiting and testing. Always for God’s glory 🙌🏻
Continued prayers 🙏🏻
LikeLiked by 1 person
Waiting and testing can be a difficult time. But it can also be filled with growth when we lean on the Lord. Thank you for your prayers. I pray August is good to you! ♥️
LikeLiked by 1 person
You too, Bridget! ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
July was blessedly cooler this year than last year, and we even had some rain. Woohoo! I also love the quote about not operating off my own strength. So grateful fall is coming. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you had some cooler weather. Although I know in your neck of the woods, it was still hot. But every little bit helps. Yes that quote really puts things in the right frame. And I agree – I’m grateful fall is coming too 🍁🍂
LikeLiked by 1 person
❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
July started with a rare Spring-like wind and rain 🌧️ storm that flattened 24 feet of our backyard fence. We are still waiting to get it fixed. July ended with me going back to work (at school). There were several meetings where I had to sit still for a long time.🙄It was like drinking from a fire hose. Spiritually, July was a good month—I think. I managed to write a blog post every week and maintained my daily devotional time with few interruptions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh gosh, I’m sorry about the fence. I hope you get it fixed soon. And so sorry about the long meetings. It would be nice if they gave regular breaks. I used to travel for work a lot, going to training classes in Wisconsin. They had a system where they would give us a break every 60-90 minutes, because they knew it helped the brain and the body. Maybe you can suggest that next year! 😅 I’m glad you had a rich time with the Lord in July. Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed hearing your updates. I’m praying this school year goes well for you, the kids, and the staff. 🙏
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t’ believe we are already in August. Time is just flying by, but that does not mean we do not feel the stresses and worries that life brings. I love these reflective posts and it reminded me of how important it is to do this to see God’s hand at work and also helps us evaluate and make changes.
For me it was not an easy month. I see God’s hand at work in my family but it is a longer road and this is stretching my trust and dependence on God.
Thanks for sharing all about your month 💙
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, time really has been flying by. But you’re right. We still feel the weight of the worries in life, despite the movement of time. I was telling Jesus this morning how true His words were when He said don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will have enough worries of its own.
So very true Manu. And I love how you put that. When we look back over our weeks, we do see God’s hand at work in our lives. And it does help us to make better choices and move forward with a renewed perspective.
I’m sorry July wasn’t an easy month for you. I can definitely understand what you mean, though, about the long road ahead stretching you to trust and depend on God. I feel the same way with the things my family is facing. You will be in my prayers, friend.
Thank you for sharing about your month as well. 🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, happy August to you. It is true that a little effort goes a long way…….and so does GOD’S grace! Enjoyed this post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen! Thank you for that reminder! A drop of God’s grace is greater than anything we are up against. Thank you, my friend. ♥️
LikeLiked by 1 person
GRACE and HIS mercy HOLDS us daily! So thankful for this! Bless you today!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And bless you too ♥️
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was such an excellent post! I am going to come back and read it again. You are so right about trusting God with each day. One day at a time is enough, and God provides what we need. I like what you wrote about getting a ‘boost’. So often, we hear just the right thing at the right moment…like reading this post this morning! Thank you! Praying for you and your family and wishing you a very good day! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Linda! Your words warmed my heart. I’m so glad this post brought encouragement. And I am so thankful that the Lord is with us in each moment, supplying all of our needs. He knows better than we do what we need, and He is always there ready to help. What a precious gift we have in Him. Thank you so much for the prayers. My family and I appreciate them more than you know. I hope your had a good day too ♥️🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love your July reflection! I can’t believe August is half over already!! I’ve been working on trusting God just as you wrote about, everything is going up in price except for my husband‘s paycheck lol…it really had me stressed for a time but God has reminded me that He will provide just like He provided “enough”for the Israelites. ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know what you mean! Worries about money were on my mind too. When this happens, I tend to over-analyze and look at the bills from every angle. The Lord had to remind me that He is our provider. And I’m so thankful for that! He is so good to us! 🙌
LikeLiked by 1 person