Thankful Thursday: Going Deeper

One positive thing about Thankful Thursday is that inevitably, it will fall on a really bad day more than once. On the hardest of days how can we come up with genuine gratitude, when all we really want is to fall into bed as quickly as possible, forgetting the day ever happened?

But this gratitude thing...it's a command. Before we fall into bed, we must utter it in our minds or with our lips. Thank you for...even if it's just hot cocoa. Thank you for hot cocoa after the kids go to bed...help me, Lord. I need you.

Dealing with mental illness in this family, sometimes all we can do when we sit down to pray is say....Help!

And God understands that utterance of our hearts. He knows the depths of despair we're in...and he knows the outcome.

Much of human angst has to do with not knowing the outcome. The Lord's aim is not always to take away the source of our pain, but to provide the grace to walk through it each hour, faith-full, knowing that He is the same mighty, gracious God, who works all things for our good.

When I think of deep, genuine gratitude and the command to feel it, I consider where my eyes are resting. Are they resting on my predicament, or on my Almighty, Holy God? On the best of Thankful Thursdays, God is faithful, steadfast, mighty. On the worst of Thankful Thursdays, God is faithful, steadfast, mighty.

My circumstances may change, but God doesn't. Therefore, gratitude should not be based so much on what we have, but on who He is. My gratitude song here in American should be similar to that of my sponsor child Sheila's in Uganda, who has nothing in comparison.

She has the Lord. I have the Lord. The Lord is the same mighty, gracious God to both of us, everyday, regardless of our circumstances. He works all things for our good and his vision is perfect, whereas ours is cloudy at best.

I want to feel good now, and He is thinking of my eternal inheritance. I want the pain to end now, and he wants the pain to point others, and myself, to Him, during the small amount of time I have here as a pilgrim passing through.

So when we read in the Bible that we must be thankful, it's fine to think of the hot cocoa, except that tomorrow it might be gone for good, and then what? What else should I be thankful for, other than the everyday blessings?

Know what you are truly thankful for. List it. Utter it. Sing it. Fight back tears over it.

The things you're most thankful for shouldn't be changeable, for your family could die in a car accident tomorrow...and then what? The command to be thankful won't change because you've lost them.


In light of that, what are you thankful for, my friends?

~ That He died, That He rose again
~ The Holy Bible, the script for my heart and mind
~ My eternal inheritance
~ Sharing in His glory sometimes
~ Feeling His love
~ Feeling His strength
~ Feeling His grace
~ Knowing I'm a pilgrim here for a fleeting time
~ Knowing that all pain and ailments will be healed once and for all, in heaven

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Psalm 107:1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!   

Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

Colossians 3:15-17 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.   

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God

2 Corinthians 9:16 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!   

Isaiah 12:4-5 And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.

Psalm 100:1-5  A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.   

Crockpot Fiesta Chicken and Black Beans

As I mentioned, it's my lean grocery week and I'm using up what I have on hand, which is mainly frozen chicken breasts. I have another crockpot chicken recipe to share. This can be used for tacos, burritoes, or over rice or salad. Add tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro, anything mexican to top it off.
I love any recipe with the word fiesta in it. It means spicy and delicious and just what my appetite ordered. A fiesta is a celebration and that's just how I feel when eating fiesta-inspired food.

Celebratory.

Fiesta Chicken and Black Beans

Ingredients

3 boneless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 can 15-oz. corn, drained
1 can 15-oz black beans, rinsed and drained
1 T. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 can 14-oz diced tomatoes
1 can 6-oz tomato paste

Procedure

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours. As I mentioned, in my 6-quart crockpot, boneless chicken, even frozen to start, cooks in just 2 to 2 1/2 hours on high. I shred the chicken the last half hour of the cooking time.

My modifications:

~ 1 can diced tomatoes instead of chopped tomatoes. (Use mild Rotel to fire it up nicely. My husband is having heartburn issues so I can't use it right now. Salsa would work too.)

~ 2 cans black beans

~ 8 thin chicken breasts strips

~ About 8 ounces tomato sauce instead of tomato paste

~ 1 1/2 T cumin, and 2 tsp. chili powder

Enjoy and celebrate together!

image

Maui Crockpot Chicken

I'm at that point in my grocery budget where I have to use what we have on hand as we wait for payday and a regular grocery run. These leaner weeks always inspire me to look for new recipes. In the freezer are two packages of individually frozen chicken breasts, so crockpot chicken breast recipes are the current topic of my searches.
And I found some intriguing ones this week! How does Maui Chicken sound? We found it delicious.

Let me first say that the experts will tell you not to put frozen chicken breasts in your crockpot, due to the risk of bacteria growing while they thaw and then heat up again.

However, I do it frequently and we're still alive. Miraculous, isn't it? Maybe it depends on your crockpot? Mine tends to boil broth on low, so it probably runs at a higher temp. than normal.

Most chicken breast recipes for the crockpot indicate a 5 to 6 hour cook time on low, and 4 hours on high. In my crockpot frozen chicken breasts are cooked thoroughly in two hours, therefore, I suggest you check them frequently after two hours.

Maui Chicken

Procedure:

Brown 6 chicken breasts and transfer into slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on high 4-6 hours (again, this is too long in my opinion...at least for my crockpot. I cook frozen breasts 2 - 2 1/2 hours on high).

Combine the following and pour over your 6 chicken breasts:

1 can chicken broth
1 can pineapple chunks with juice
1/4 cup vinegar
2 T packed brown sugar
2 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 T. cornstarch
1/4 cup water

I served this with plain brown rice. Enjoy!

source ckkitchen.com

Scrupulosity in OCD

Regular readers may remember me discussing the religious distortion component of OCD. Not all sufferers have this component, but those who do suffer terribly in their spiritual walks. They really believe, strongly, in these distorted notions, so it's hard to train them to recognize them as OCD-related. OCD is a horrible disorder and the more awareness we all have, the better. Those afflicted need our prayers. Thank you.

Examples found here.


Some examples of common cognitive distortions seen in religious Scrupulosity include:

All-or-Nothing Thinking (Black and White Thinking)

• “I had a passing thought about Satan, so I must secretly be a devil worshipper.”
• “I mispronounced a few words when I was praying today, so I must have angered God.”

Catastrophizing

• “Because I had a thought about sex with someone other than my spouse, God will send me to hell.”
• “I accidentally left out a detail at confession earlier this week, so God will surely judge me as unworthy of heaven.”

Discounting/Minimizing the Positive

• “Even though I have consistently and earnestly tried to live my life according to my faith, I had that one blasphemous thought, so I must be a terrible person.”
• “I volunteer at church every week, but I’m a selfish person because I can’t volunteer today.”

Emotional Reasoning

• “My prayer wasn’t good enough because I didn’t feel totally connected to God.”
• “I feel like my donation doesn’t count because I don’t have a ‘giver’s heart.’”

Magical Thinking

• “I had a “bad” thought while praying, so my mother will go to hell unless I repeat my prayers perfectly and without bad thoughts.”
• “If I’m late to church, God will punish my children.”

Should/Must Thinking (Perfectionism)

• “I should only have pure thoughts.”
• “I must follow all religious laws 100% literally.”

Selective Abstraction

• “I’ve heard The Wizard of Oz is a wonderful family film, but it includes wizards and witches, so we better not watch it or else the kids and I may go to Hell.”
• “Bob is a wonderful husband and father who treats me and the kids great, but he is from a different denomination, so I might not get into Heaven.”

Christian Hospitality

I used to be a painfully uncomfortable, inadequate hostess. For one thing I rarely offered hospitality, and when I did stress took over my life in the days leading up to the event. I spent so much time cleaning that things like having ice and enough drinks to serve, were overlooked. The food I'd hoped to prepare mostly ahead of time, allowing leisurely fellowship, was barely getting started when guest walked in. My husband would busy himself preparing a salad while I did the main dish, and the kids entertained the guests.

I tried so hard to relax, but it never happened.

Growing up, I can't remember a single dinner party happening in my secular, alcohol-dysfunction home, so I had no model for hospitality and no memory of its blessings. I didn't even bother inviting childhood friends over, partially because we were a military family who moved frequently.

Enter the Lord Jesus Christ, who never leaves us where we're at.

Do you remember the "Do You Have a Good Story" posts I wrote? We talked about the hurting Body of Christ and how lonely and painful life can get, even as a Christian. Hospitality is one of the answers. Besides prayer, I'd say hospitality is the main answer.

Opening our homes and hearts so prayer and the breaking of bread and the sharing of burdens can occur is a manifestation of Christ's mercy and grace. And I know it is inconvenient.

My 70-year-old friend from church is going through such a trial. Her 73-year-old husband fell on the ice two months ago and he's been in the hospital ever since. She visits him often until midnight, caring for him and comforting him during the depression that's developed from the extended hospital stay. Not to mention, they don't know how they'll pay the medical bills.

We were on spring break from AWANA and it was supposed to be a Sunday to relax, but as I talked with my friend on Saturday night I knew she needed the Body of Christ badly. While she has parents still alive in their nineties and a twin sister, she is estranged from both. Loneliness is a regular companion for this childless couple and along with the extended hospital stay, life feels so heavy for them right now.

The words "Do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow night" were on my lips, and while in the past I would have squashed them due to my own selfishness and feelings of inadequacy, I uttered them this time and my friend was thrilled.

It was a rushed Sunday morning because my husband was doing snow and ice removal at the church he's employed at, and I was teaching preschool in the children's ministry. Husband wasn't due back until about the time I had to leave for church. He arrives to our church late on these mornings, using his own car. Preparing four children for church as well as myself and gathering my lesson props, was anything but a relaxing beginning.

Coming home to five hours of preparation for a dinner party felt anything but convenient, but I knew God was in it and the outcome would be good. I could feel that this is what dying to ourselves means. This is being the hands and feet of Christ. I could feel it and it wasn't so hard after all.

But at first it feels hard, as our hearts reform and become more suited for servanthood. It feels hard to teach at church or work the nursery week after week instead of enjoying the music and relaxing in a chair for 90 minutes. It feels hard to have Bible studies in my busy home; it feels hard to make the time to call people when my to-do list is never ending...especially those who talk for forty minutes if left unchecked.

But this is what's missing in the Body of Christ. This inconveniencing ourselves to carry each other's burdens. Life this side of heaven could be better than all the loneliness and despair going on if we could only go beyond our comfort zone. If we could only get beyond the me-first mentality.

Our impromptu dinner party included a pot of 13-potato soup, turkey bacon cooked for a topper, bakery wheat french bread, and a batch of chocolate chip cookie bars, which I made while the potatoes boiled. I still forgot to make ice but she doesn't use it anyway, and I still only had milk and Country Time Lemonade on hand. I didn't go to the store for salad fixings or anything, but used only what I had on hand.

And do you know what? My friend--who has lost 15 pounds during her ordeal--ate two large bowls of soup topped with turkey bacon and cheese, and three pieces of french bread with butter, along with two cookie bars. I was so tickled.

I have plain dishes and few of my silverware match. My tabletop is veneer and it's deteriorating fast. Only recently do my glasses match and at the rate they're breaking, they won't much longer. I'm an unlikely hostess, but afterward my friend gave me a teary hug and said, "Thank you for being my family. It's been so long since I've felt part of a family. I can't thank you enough."

My Beth wore her ill-fitting princess dress and the hand-me-down ballet shoes a friend sent her, and she danced her graceful made-up dances and sang about Jesus to my friend. We watched a delightful old movie and Beth told my friend how nice she was, and could she cuddle next to her during the movie?

I was so proud of my family, who became this woman's family for four wonderful hours.

No, let me rephrase that to reflect more of the truth. I was so happy with my Jesus, who did many things in my heart and in my family's hearts in the past 18 months, making it possible for our family to become the hands and feet of Christ to a hurting church, on a Sunday we thought was for us.

It turned out to be a Sunday for Jesus and it was so much better than anything we could have put together ourselves. We did relax. We did rejuvenate. We did feel joy. All the things we wanted to happen on our Sunday off AWANA, happened, but not the way we planned.

Jesus never leaves us where we're at, and that's reason enough for joy. He has taught me so much and they have been gentle, incremental lessons, starting with the idea 18 months ago of starting a neighborhood Bible study in our home. That was the first step of obedience, and at the time I didn't know how I would manage. Life was already messy and it just didn't seem like the right time.

Honestly, is it ever the right time?

I don't know where you are in your hospitality and being-the-hands-and-feet-of Jesus journey. Most of you are probably farther along than me and have been hostesses for years. But for those of you for whom this is new ground, I want to say, jump in.

The Lord is gentle and his lessons are life-changing. Our only part, really, is obedience. And I know that's hard, believe me. In return we get to share in God's glory and that is better than anything we can put together ourselves. Nothing is more satisfying or fulfilling than God's glory shining through you...your family...your heart and home.

Open it and feel God's goodness. Open it and be His goodness.

1 Peter 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.   

Romans 12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Titus 1:8 But hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

Proverbs 31:20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another