Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
86,400 Seconds
86,400 seconds is the amount of time we have each day. It sounds like a lot of time when we look at it in seconds. Yet each day seems to go by so quickly. Most years we get 31,536,000 seconds (365 x 86,400). Since this year is a leap year, we are given 31,622,400 seconds (366 x 86,400).
Most leap years we let leap day slip by without much attention. Unless you are one of the folks whose birthday actually falls on the twenty-ninth of February. Then you might look forward to this day with anticipation. Or perhaps if you want to adopt the tradition where the lass proposes to the lad, then leap day might be something to look forward to. But for the rest of us, the day comes and goes without a second glance.
I say we make this year different and start a new tradition. Let’s make leap day a special day. We all talk about needing more time for various reasons. And with leap day, we are getting an extra twenty-four hours. Therefore, I say we do something significant on this day.
How can we do that? The answer can vary for each of us. Think of something that you have been wanting to do, but you just haven’t gotten around to it. Or think of something that is holding you back which you would like to lay aside. We just have to pick one thing to do on this day that will make it special.
This year it falls on a weekday, so many of us will still have to report to work. However, we still have an opportunity to do something unique on that day.
Here are some ideas I thought of:
- Go to a park which you have never been to before
- Go to dinner and anonymously pay for someone else’s meal
- Don’t complain all day, especially if this is a bad habit of yours
- Don’t look at social media, video games, television, or something similar, especially if this is an issue for you
- Anonymously send a friend a gift card
- Do something special with your family, laying aside work or any other distractions
- Read a book or watch a movie that you have been wanting to read / watch
- Cook a meal (or bake something sweet) together with your family
- Adopt a pet
- Take care of an item on your to-do list
- Donate money to a good cause
- Plant a garden
- Use the day for fasting and prayer
- Bring your neighbor fresh baked cookies
- Visit a nursing home
These are just a few examples of how we can do something memorable with the extra 86,400 seconds we will get this year. Feel free to come up with something of your own. If you do, I’d love to hear about it!
86,400 Seconds by Bridget A. Thomas was first posted on ChristiansRead.com Feb 27, 2020.
Abiding Bears Fruit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23 ESV
Ever since I first read these Bible verses many years ago, I’ve had a bit of a fascination with the fruit of the Spirit. That is what I want my life to look like. But I don’t always succeed.
For many years I have wondered why I wasn’t improving in this area. Then the verses in John 15:4-5 clicked.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. – Jesus
We need to surrender to Jesus to produce the good fruit in our lives. Abiding in Him is key.
However, I believe we need to make an effort too. We can’t just say, “Oh well, I will do whatever I want. Jesus will have to take up my slack.”
Walking with the Spirit doesn’t work that way. We lean on Him daily, and He shows us the way to go. We have to keep our hearts open to His lead.
I am currently reading a devotional on the fruit of the Spirit called Making God Smile by Kim Taylor Henry. One entry that I read recently brought up a powerful question – “What story do I want my life to tell?”
When we live with that question in mind, this will help us to live out our lives differently. We will walk in love. We will be faithful in all areas of our lives. We will be patient and kind to those around us. Joy and peace will overflow. Goodness, gentleness, and self-control will be evident in our hearts.
I have also found that praying about our emotions and the fruit of the Spirit helps open a door. Prayer has a miraculous way of changing our hearts. And when we pray about our attitudes and how we live our lives, we are more receptive to allowing Jesus to live through us.
It’s not always easy, especially when we try to live this way in our own strength. Having a relationship with Jesus and spending time with Him daily is key.
Sometimes our spiritual growth might seem slow to our human eyes. But the Lord is patient with us. He knows where we are and where we are going. Jesus walked this earth, which means He knows firsthand how the enemy will feed us lies to steer us off track. But Jesus is our constant companion. He wants to see us succeed and He will help us grow.
And as long as we are on this earth, God will mold us to become more like His Son. That is something to be thankful for. Let us learn to surrender to Him. Let us remember that abiding in Him is a daily commitment. Then we will see the good fruit produced in our lives.
When facing difficult situations and asking ourselves, “What story do I want my life to tell?” – it becomes easier to choose the fruitful path.
Since we celebrated Valentine’s Day this week, and since love is one of the fruit of the Spirit, I also wanted to share an inspiring post called Leave Noticeable Marks of His Love, written by Maxine over at heavensreef.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend.
© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Peace for the Soul
Last Sunday, fellow blogger David over at David’s Daily Dose posted As Strong as a Mother’s Love.
I will give you a moment to check it out…
Are you back? Great! 😁
In his post, David talked about an incident in the waiting room of a doctor’s office. Young parents brought in their sick toddler, and while waiting both parents turned to their cell phones for a distraction. The way David wrote it made the scene come alive, so I hope you read it.
David wrote, “Rather than judging the young couple—hey, I do it too—my thoughts turned to a spiritual implication.”
I love how David made his point, “What in my life competes for God’s attention and affection?”
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. – 1 John 5:21
The answer to David’s question will differ for each of us. This could range from our jobs, to food, to money, and so much more. Really everything in our lives could potentially compete for a place in our hearts.
Since the example David gave in his post had to do with smartphones, I would like to touch on that for now. But try to think of what things or activities in your life might be vying for attention.
Like these young parents, and like David, I too have turned to my phone at times. In my post last week I mentioned that I spent a lot of time in waiting rooms dealing with my eye appointments. On some of those occasions I did look at my phone for awhile, especially the time when I was there for over three hours.
However, on the majority of my visits to the eye doctor, I tried to do better in this area. You might recall that my word for 2024 is Presence. I want to focus on God’s presence. And I also want to be more present in my own life. Therefore, I felt these moments in the waiting room allowed me to slow down a bit and just breathe.
Most of us live life at a fast pace. Our lives are full. And often we feel exhausted and overwhelmed. We have a lot of “noise” coming at us each day, and sometimes this means the noise of the world drowns out the voice of God.
But I believe if we are intentional about carving out quiet moments in our days, this can have a positive impact on our souls.
Instead of reaching for our phones in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, what if we took that time to pray? Instead of listening to our televisions all day, what if took a few minutes to get outdoors and listen to the sounds of nature? Instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds for hours, what if we feed our hearts on God’s Word?
Lent is coming up. This year it begins on Valentine’s Day, which I love (no pun intended) because the life and death of Jesus is THE greatest love story.
So perhaps for Lent we can find ways to quiet our souls and to draw closer to the Lord. Each of our lives look different. Therefore, how we proceed will look differently for each of us.
I don’t know yet what my Lenten season will look like. Therefore, while keeping all of this in mind, I will prayerfully seek ways to find peace for the soul in the coming weeks. How about you? If you decide to do anything specific for Lent, I would enjoy hearing what it is. Or if you have special ways to give your soul a bit a peace and quiet, please share that as well.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend.
© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
January’s Blessings and Reminders
January felt like a long month to me. I need binoculars to turn back and catch a glimpse of Christmas. From those I have talked to, the majority seem to feel the same.
Although it was a long month, it wasn’t necessarily a bad month. January held many highlights for me. My eye surgeries were one of those highlights. Two surgeries, five appointments, and countless eye drops might not sound like a good thing. But this reminded me that we can hold onto peace and contentment, even when our worries try to pull our focus. Putting our trust in Jesus is key. He is the one that led me over the rocky paths.
Another highlight was receiving a Christmas card from my parents. Even though my father mailed it early, it truly was snail mail and made it to me over three weeks later. Since we thought it was lost, finding it in my mailbox gave me joy. This reminded me to hold on to hope and to enjoy the little blessings in life.
I also received something in the mail from a friend in Kentucky. When I first received her envelope, I thought it was another delayed Christmas card. But when I opened it, I found a postcard on which she wrote that she was praying for me and my family. I thought that was sweet of her. At the time, my husband and I were heading out to the store, so I set it aside. Later I looked at it again and discovered there was something else in the envelope. My friend made a bookmark for me with a Bible verse that is a comfort to me when circumstances in life are discouraging – John 1:5. This reminded me to look deeper in life. Many times we are moving too fast and we only catch the surface. But when we pause and look deeper, we find more to the story. And we find blessings that we might have missed otherwise.
With each appointment and surgery I had, my husband chauffeured me. He didn’t have to in every instance. There were some when he did, due to anesthesia or dilated eyes. But he did so even on the days when it wasn’t necessary. On one occasion, we had a scheduling conflict. So he dropped me off and my sister-in-law picked me up. This reminded me to appreciate the people in our lives.
I spent a lot of time waiting in the doctor’s office and the outpatient surgery center. I didn’t mind too much. In some cases it was peaceful. This reminded me of the beauty we find in the present moment.
Something I didn’t get to do in January that I would have liked to do was to see my parents for their birthday. I did talk to them on the phone, but seeing them in person would have been better. This reminded me to appreciate the times we do have with our loved ones. Things in life are always changing, and time is precious.
I did well in the beginning and middle of January. But towards the latter part, I was exhausted. And even being exhausted, I haven’t always gotten a good night’s sleep. This reminded me that even though I thought I was handling all of the stress well, the truth is that stress is still stress. It was a lot on my body and mind, and taking care of ourselves is important.
I can come up with a few more items to list here. But instead I will ask you to take a turn. Tell me what blessings and reminders January held for you.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend.
© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Much to Be Thankful For
Hi Friends! I hope you are all well. I wanted to give you an update on my eyes.
I had my second eye surgery this past Monday. I wasn’t as nervous this time, since I had been through it once already. In this case, experience helped calm the nerves.
When we (hubby and I) arrived at the outpatient surgery center, I had to check in, just as I did last week. Long story short – there was confusion with the front desk staff as to what lens they were putting in my eye. They thought they figured it out, but I wasn’t so sure because they didn’t mention anything that sounded familiar to me.
(I’m not trying to make the check-in staff look bad. Every single person I encountered while I was there, was friendly and helpful. They know how to put a patient at ease. So this wasn’t their fault. The issue was that I saw the doctor in his office on Friday afternoon and all the documentation didn’t make it to the outpatient surgery center by Monday morning.)
After I was brought to the back, I was put in a bed and hooked up to machines. And they dilate the eye that is being worked on. They dilate so much that the eye stays dilated into the next day.
This means the patient lays there and waits for a while. (And it was extra cold in there, so I appreciated those warm blankets I mentioned last week! 😁)
The waiting was a good thing because I had time to pray. I still didn’t feel confident that the check-in staff documented the correct lens. So I prayed that God would intervene and work everything out.
When the nurse came to wheel me into the operating room, I mentioned it to her. She said not to worry, they figured it out. She told me the name of the lens, and I remembered the doctor mentioning that name when I was in his office. I felt better and I knew God was there.
When I was done, the doctor said all went well and it was easy. I’m glad he knows what he’s doing!
Tuesday I went in for a check up. The doctor looked at my eye and was very pleased with the way it was healing so far. I will go back in a few days for another check up and a vision test.
At this point I’m not wearing glasses. Walking around and looking at the computer all day for work, I don’t even miss them. When trying to read small print, like my Bible, that is a little bit of a struggle. So I am thinking about getting a pair of readers and/or reading my Bible electronically on a tablet. I don’t mind reading other books that way, but when it comes to the Bible, I prefer the idea of reading a real book that I can hold in my hands. However, I know millions of people read from the YouVersion Bible App these days, so I won’t be alone.
When reflecting on all that I went through, I have much to be thankful for. God has been with me through it all. From the big things – like this miraculous path for me to improve my vision. To the little things – like sleeping with a hard plastic patch on my eye at night, that has not bothered me a bit. We can always find blessings in our days, no matter what we are walking through.
And as children of the Most High God, we can trust that He is watching over us. Jesus said in Matthew 10:30, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” If God numbers the hairs on our heads, this should tell us that He is part of every detail of our lives.
He sees us, He hears us, and His Presence is always with us. He cares about what we go through. And He wants to be there for us when we have trials. What an amazing God we have!
Whatever path you are facing today, don’t let the enemy plant doubt in your mind. Remind yourself that you have a loving God who is watching over you. He is with you, every step you take.
Thank you for stopping by and reading this post. I hope you have a blessed weekend!
Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. – Psalm 55:22a
© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Walk in the Lord’s Presence
Hi Friends! Yes, I am posting on Saturday instead of Friday. You never know when I might change my regular posting day! Right now I believe Saturday will work better for my schedule and allow me to be available to answer comments. So here we are. We shall see how it goes. Thank you for sticking with me!
Today I want to give an update on some things I have been dealing with. I had eye surgery on my left eye last Monday. And I will have eye surgery on my right eye this coming Monday.
Long story short, it has been a whirlwind. Between putting eye drops and ointment in my eyes several times a day, to a bunch of eye appointments and a lot of time traveling to those appointments, it’s been a busy season.
I didn’t think I would be able to do the eye drops, because I have never been good about putting anything in my eye. But that has been going better than expected. This shows that we never know what we can do until we try, with the Lord’s help!
Modern technology has been a blessing in all of this. I have used my phone as a timer between each round of eye drops. And talking to my loved ones with updates via text has been a gift. I am also told that when it’s all said and done, for people who like to read (that’s me) using a tablet is helpful because of the back light and larger font options.
In the days preceding the first surgery, I tried not to think about it. But on Sunday I got a bit anxious, mainly because I didn’t know what to expect. Yes I was told what would happen, but it’s not the same as experience. On Sunday I did a lot of praying and seeking peace from the Prince of Peace. Jesus helped me feel a lot better.
But turning to Jesus isn’t a one and done thing. We have to keep turning to Him. In this case, I might have felt better for a time. But if I got anxious again, I needed to remember to turn to Him again.
One highlight of the whole experience was the warm blankets. While in the bed in the outpatient surgery center, the staff takes blankets out of a dryer (or something that warms them) and lays them over the patients. It’s so cozy, especially on a winter morning.
I had a vision test yesterday and they said my left eye was 20/20. And the doctor was very pleased with the way my eye was rapidly healing. Praise God! 🙌
But right now, things are still a little difficult. A lot of it has to do with one eye working well and one eye not. If I put my glasses on, my left eye will be blurry. If I keep the glasses off, my right eye will be blurry. Distance and intermediate vision are okay right now, as my left eye takes command. The main issue is when it comes to reading and writing. Therefore, that is why I am not providing a normal post today. I tried to work on one yesterday, but it was a lot to deal with and I wound up saving it in my drafts for a future date. 🤷♀️
Hopefully, by next weekend things will improve with the reading and writing. I was told that when reading a lot, bright light is needed, and I might need reading glasses, especially for fine print.
With all that being said, please excuse any typos or grammatical errors I might miss today. Normally I read over my posts probably close to a dozen times, tweaking and editing each time. And I’m sure I still publish with errors! 😬 I won’t be doing all those reviews today. Hopefully it will be good enough with one review. (And I tried to keep this short, but I’m still almost at 800 words?! 😅)
Anyway, I would like to leave with one final thought. All of this has shown me how much God is in every detail of our lives. Big and small. He has been with me every step of the way. So no matter what you are facing today, don’t doubt the Lord’s love and provision. His Presence is always there. Even if we don’t feel it. We have to walk by faith, believing in Truth. When we know God’s character – His love, faithfulness, and trustworthinesses – then we can believe He is always looking out for us.
Thank you for reading, I hope you are having a blessed weekend.
And so I walk in the LORD’s presence as I live here on earth! – Psalm 116:9
© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
The Ten Commandments
1 And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
13 You shall not murder.
14 You shall not commit adultery.
15 You shall not steal.
16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
Exodus 20:1-17 NKJV
Years ago the Ten Commandments used to be posted in our schools and other public places. Not anymore. I guess some find them offensive. It’s no wonder our world has become more violent and reckless.
Today I would like to discuss the Ten Commandments. I won’t go over each one in detail, because you can read the verses above for yourself. But I will share some themes I see when I read them.
(Side note – I originally had the KJV above, but changed it to the NKJV because of the way the KJV says donkey, if you catch my drift. 😅)
Put God First
A major theme to me in the Ten Commandments is to put God first. The first commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” When we put God first in our lives and in our hearts, following the other commandments will feel natural to us. Keeping our focus on the Lord, we will want to do what is right, we will want to please Him, and we won’t want to grieve Him.
Beyond the well-known Ten Commandments, there are actually hundreds of other commandments in the Old Testament. In the New Testament when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
Putting God first means loving Him and loving others. When we love God, our heart’s desire will be to follow His commandments. And when we love others, we won’t want to steal from them, bear false witness against them, and so on.
As Christians, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit. He helps our hearts to know what is right and what is wrong. If we are tempted to sin against God, we will feel the Holy Spirit convict us. The Holy Spirit can keep us out of a lot of trouble, if we listen to Him.
“The first commandment is first for a reason. God must be first in everything we do, because intimacy with God is his highest priority for our life. We are to honor God above everything else that exists, treat his name reverently and set him as our ultimate authority—as the only One with the right to influence and teach us.” – Charles Stanley
Hidden Idols
Only a few chapters after where we read the Ten Commandments, in Exodus 32 the Israelites were tired of waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain and worshiped a calf made from their gold jewelry. They broke the second commandment to “not make for yourself a carved image.” The New Living Translation puts it this way, “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind…”
We might think that this commandment doesn’t pertain to us. After all, we are not worshipping things like golden calves. However, idols can come in many forms. Is there anything that we put above God? Is there anything that takes our time and attention from Him? Is there anything that we think we can’t live without?
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. – 1 John 5:21
When we have a relationship with Jesus, He is everything to us. We can turn to Him to fill the empty places in our hearts.
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35
God is Our Provider
Some of these commandments, such as “You shall not steal” and “You shall not covet,” remind me that God is our provider. If we are tempted to steal, are we afraid of doing without something? Are we afraid God won’t provide what we need? If we covet something, could it be that we have deep rooted feelings of lack?
When we put God first place, we will learn to trust Him. And this helps us to believe that God will provide for us. We might not get everything we want in life, but God will supply what we need.
I believe not keeping the Sabbath also speaks to this. When we work an extra day, we have a fear that we can’t get everything accomplished. Handing a day over to God shows Him that we trust Him to handle the things that we cannot.
It’s similar to tithing, in my opinion. When we give the Lord a portion of our income, we are showing Him our trust. Somehow the ninety percent we have goes miraculously further than if we kept one hundred percent. And likewise, when we rest for one day, God can help us to get much more accomplished on the other six days.
“O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.” – Psalm 16:5 NKJV
In our modern day, there is still much we can learn from the Ten Commandments. I’m thankful that God loved His people enough to help guide them down a righteous path. Today, thousands of years later, we still have the same God who wants to guide us. What a gift!
Before I close, I would like to wish my parents a very Happy Birthday! (Yes, they share the same birthday!) I pray that God’s goodness and blessings are poured out in their lives. 🥰🎁🌟🥳♥️
Thank you for stopping by and reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend!
© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Encouragement From Friends
Happy Friday! Last week (is it just me, or does last Friday feel like a long time ago?) I shared my word for 2024 – Presence.
Shortly after my post was published, fellow blogger Daryl Madden published an extraordinary poem about Presence. Please check it out. Daryl has such a gift with words! Here is the link:
https://darylmadden.wordpress.com/2023/12/29/presence/
I also want to share several other blog posts that dealt with God’s presence and being present. These were written in the month of December by some of my blogging friends. Each of these posts really spoke to me. I hope you get some encouragement out of them too.
Manu at The Faithfood Blog wrote about the gift of God’s Presence, and being present with those around us:
https://faithfood.blog/2023/12/08/presence/
Alicia at For His Purpose wrote about God’s mercy and grace, and how the Lord’s goodness is found in the present moment:
https://forhispurpose.blog/2023/12/08/coated-in-mercy-and-grace/
Dawn at Drawing Closer to Christ wrote about how just showing up to be in God’s Presence brings us peace:
https://drawingclosertochrist.com/2023/12/18/just-show-up/
I also want to share a couple more posts in which my fellow bloggers shared their words for 2024, and the reason they chose them.
Rainer at The Devotional Guy™ shared his word for 2024 – Decision-Making:
https://thedevotionalguy.blog/2023/12/31/my-word-for-2024-decision-making/
David at David’s Daily Dose shared his word for 2024 – Purpose:
https://davidsdailydose.org/2023/12/31/did-they-do-this-on-purpose/
I hope you got some insight out of these posts. It’s amazing how God uses our family and friends to speak uplifting words to us. Sometimes it’s exactly what we need, at just the right time.
Thank you for stopping by. If you have any special prayer requests, please let me know. Have a blessed weekend!
My One Word for 2024
I love when we begin a new year. It feels like a clean slate or a fresh start. Many people make New Year’s Resolutions or set goals for the year. Those are good ideas, if we can keep our motivation going.
However, we don’t need a new year to embark on a better path. Each moment we have opportunities to make positive changes in our lives. Whether it’s our health, our finances, our attitudes, our spiritual life, or anything else.
There might be many things we want to change. That’s when our goals can become overwhelming. We don’t know where to start. And then we might fizzle from exhaustion.
No matter what our goals may be, having one word (or phrase) for the year is something we can stay committed to for twelve months. Having a word to focus on each day can help guide our way through the year. The hope is that each day we will make better choices, grow closer to the Lord, and become better versions of ourselves. That is why I like to pick a word for the year.
I like to ask God for assistance in picking a word, and that’s what I did for 2024. There are some people who don’t pick a word until after January 1. However, if possible, I like to know my word ahead of time. In November I prayed and asked God to show me what word I should hold onto in 2024. After that, there was a certain word that kept making an appearance in things I listened to or read (including some of your blog posts 😁).
You know how people say that when you meet the right person, you just know that’s who you should spend your life with? Oftentimes, that’s how it is with picking a word for the year. 😂 You “just know” that’s your word. And that’s how I felt with my word for 2024.
I’m sure you want me to spit it out already! So here it is.
My one word for 2024 is Presence!
I want to focus on the Presence of God in my life. I fear that too often we miss what the Lord is doing in our lives. We might overlook His goodness in each day. We could misread our circumstances and think that Jesus has forgotten about us.
“The Father is actively working in your situation and guiding you even when you don’t perceive Him.” – Charles F. Stanley
We might know in our hearts that the Lord has not forgotten about us. Yet life gets in the way. And the enemy will try to steer our thoughts in a different direction.
God is always with us. He will never leave His children or forsake them (Deuteronomy 31:6). He is always working everything together for good (Romans 8:28). The Lord is active in our lives.
I believe His presence is always there. But sometimes we miss this gift. Jesus’ presence is a present in the present! 😁
“Like a tree sends its roots down deep into the subterranean world, we must learn to tap into the presence of God where he resides within us, deep in our inmost being.” – John Eldredge
I like to pick a Bible verse to go along with my word, if possible. In this case, it’s definitely possible. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible lists 116 verses containing the word Presence. So I hope to do a little exploring on those in the new year. But for 2024 my anchor verse will be:
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” – Psalm 16:11 ESV
Each part of this verse is meaningful. It is a good reminder that God will guide us on our path, and that He brings pleasure into our earthly lives and eternal lives. But I especially love the truth that the Lord’s presence brings us fullness of joy. What a gift!
I realize it is still early for some, but if you have chosen a word or phrase for 2024, I would love to hear what it is.
Also, please let me know how I can pray for you in 2024. If you don’t want to share in the comments, you can email me at bridget@bridgetathomas.com. Please say a prayer for physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental healing for some people in my life. And please say a prayer for me and a couple of procedures I will have in January. Thank you!
I pray you have a joyful weekend as you ring in the New Year. And I pray your 2024 is blessed. ♥️
© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
The Shepherds of the First Christmas
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:8-20 NIV
Since my one word for 2023 is Shepherd, I would be remiss to pass up the opportunity to blog about the Shepherds in the Christmas story. 🐑😁 There are two lessons from this story that I want to touch on.
The verses above from Luke 2 might be familiar to you. They are some we often hear around this time of year.
Jesus came for all
Something I find interesting is that the angels came to share this miraculous news about Jesus with shepherds, who were not respected at the time. Did the shepherds feel overlooked by their peers? Did they feel shunned by those around them? Due to their occupation, many people looked down on them.
“Most people of status throughout the empire viewed shepherds as lowly and sometimes as rough, unclean or even dangerous.” [1]
Yet one night these shepherds’ lives were changed forever. They were told of the most amazing news. And imagine the sight when they saw the angel and a great company of heavenly host.
The story of Jesus’ birth and this scene with the shepherds reminds us that Jesus came for everyone. His birth, life, love, death, and resurrection was for you and me and anyone who will accept Him. Even if you feel overlooked and forgotten by those around you, Jesus sees you. He is there for you. Always.
I love one of Jesus’ names – Emmanuel (also spelled Immanuel) because the meaning of this name is “God with us.” He is always with us. His birth brought great joy for us all. He also brought us peace, love, and hope.
And most of all, Jesus offers us salvation. These precious gifts are ours, if we accept Jesus into our hearts.
In her book, The Gifts of Christmas, Sheila Walsh shares, “I have a letter on my desk from a prisoner who wants to know if he has sinned too much to be able to receive the love and grace of God. There is no hope for his release on this earth, but I was able to send him a Bible and announce the good news that because of Jesus, everyone who calls on His name has a future and a hope for all eternity.” [2]
Reflecting on the Christmas story and the shepherds who heard the good news, may we remember how loved we are. He will accept anyone who calls on His name. You are never too far away for the Lord to reach you. He is only a breath away.
Jesus can use all of us
After the shepherds received this word, they believed it to be true. They decided to “go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened.” [v 15] Then the shepherds shared this outstanding news with others. “They spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” [v 17]
These shepherds became the first missionaries to share this joyful news about the Messiah. These shepherds were having a very ordinary night, tending to the sheep, when their whole world changed.
The shepherds of the Christmas story remind us that God can use all of us in His story. We might feel inadequate and unqualified, but God can and will use us for good, if we allow Him to.
Charles Stanley wrote, “God cares about everyone, despite his or her occupation or standing in society. By Jewish tradition, shepherds were known to be spiritually unclean. Yet the Lord chose these men to proclaim the birth announcement of his Son—the Savior of the world. The angel told them not to fear, but to open their eyes and watch for the wonderfully good thing that the Lord was doing for them and for the whole world—something that would bring great joy to everyone.” [3]
Every year we celebrate Christmas. Yet often with the busyness of the season, we might forget how weighted this miraculous gift is. Jesus’ birth means so much. Jesus came so that we could live. He brought us abundant life [4]. He came to save us. Here on earth and through eternity. Our lives have meaning, thanks to Him. We have a special Savior who loves us beyond measure. I hope this Christmas we all can remember and embrace His unfailing love.
Thank you for reading. I hope you and your families have a blessed and peaceful Christmas. 🎄
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
[1] NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Copyright © 2016 by Zondervan
[2] The Gifts of Christmas, © 2023 by Sheila Walsh, Published by Baker Books
[3] The NIV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, Copyright © 2017 by Thomas Nelson
[4] “… I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10b
Bridget A. Thomas 