Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday 9-21-2023

Adapting

Thankful Thursday finds gratitude in our ability to adapt. Recently, in preparation to make some cookies for a large group of people, the chocolate chips for the recipe found themselves in a warm car on a sunny day for several hours. When we went to begin making the cookies, we found a soft to mushy bag in our ownership. Luckily enough other chocolate chips were on hand plus some extra M&Ms to make the cookies.

So the question was “What do we do with the melted chocolate chips now turning into a giant chocolate bar?” Well, plan involves a bunch of crock pots and breaking that big bar back up into little pieces again to melt it all. The goal: create a chocolate fondue experience for the same large group of people to enjoy together at a meal.

Sometimes we might finds ourselves like the chocolate chips. Our plans to be a part of making something sweet, but on our way toward that plan things heat up and life melts down into what we think is a big mess! As time passes, life cools off in a new form. Pieces of this new form begin coming off sometimes intentionally and sometimes not. This breaking can hurt. And then the heat of life pumps back up and the messy melting begins again this time in the safer confines with a new intention of all that meltedness to be the coating and layer of goodness around a delicious center.

God is always working in our lives. Sometimes He is working on us and sometimes He is working situations for us. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, “God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.” So stay in close union with Jesus. Read the Bible. Listen to the Holy Spirit in your life so you can know when (daily) God is working on you needing you to adapt and where He is working on places, people, & perspectives for you.

Blessings!

Thankful Thursday 9-21-2023 Experience Opportunities:

All are invited to Worship both online and in person. Worship services occur at 8:00 am*, 9:15 am, & 10:30 am*. (*8:00 & 10:30 AM worship services are livestreamed on our YouTube channel: @GravelHillUMC. Subscribe & click the bell to be notified when streaming starts.) Christian Education occurs at 9:10 am. To learn more about online worship, click here. Or want to revisit a message that really spoke to you? Check out our Sunday Sermons.

Want to be part of a prayer group? We come together in a collective effort to support and lift up others. You do this during your time with God knowing others are also lifting these prayers to God. Join our Facebook group: Gravel Hill Prayers. It is a closed group to be mindful of the private and sensitive requests made. And it’s purpose: for you to be a prayer warrior both interceding where others are asking for assistance in prayer and requesting prayers for situations that need lifting. To join, please send an email to Katie.

Thankful Thursday 9-14-2023

Deep Roots

Thankful Thursday found me yet again pulling weeds from my front flower beds. This continual task physically shows my eyes and sometimes my muscles the value of deep roots. When I consisently stay on top of the weeding, I’m able to easily pull the weeds which have smaller and more shallow roots from the soil. But if I let a few weeks go by without visiting the flowerbeds to do some weeding, my next visit often becomes a workout!

That time away allows the roots of the weeds to grow thicker, stronger, and deeper into the soil. This can cause problems for the flowers I want to have highlighted in our flowerbeds as the weeds begin to complete for the nutrients and space. Those thicker roots take more time and effort to remove. And you don’t want to just rip off the top of the plant letting the roots remain in the ground. Those roots will regenerate into a shoot and get even stronger underground!

This is why Chrstians are encouraged to spend time in God’s Word (Romans 12:2). Whether you read or listen to scripture through a Bible app, spending that time with God in His message for us is like weeding our thoughts. Making space in our lives for hearing His message provides the nutrients for the thoughts He wants us to think. And as we dig deeper into His message, it strengthens and clarifies His good thoughts from the weedy thoughts and actions of the world. This clarity helps us to pull the weedy thoughts from our minds and the seeds of scripture plant all the good stuff there instead. As we spend more and more time with Him, the roots of all the good stuff grow deeply from our heads to our hearts and bloom beautifully through our interactions with each other!

Blessings!

Thankful Thursday 9-14-2023 Experience Opportunities:

All are invited to Worship both online and in person. Worship services occur at 8:00 am*, 9:15 am, & 10:30 am*. (*8:00 & 10:30 AM worship services are livestreamed on our YouTube channel: @GravelHillUMC. Subscribe & click the bell to be notified when streaming starts.) Christian Education occurs at 9:10 am. To learn more about online worship, click here. Or want to revisit a message that really spoke to you? Check out our Sunday Sermons.

Want to be part of a prayer group? We come together in a collective effort to support and lift up others. You do this during your time with God knowing others are also lifting these prayers to God. Join our Facebook group: Gravel Hill Prayers. It is a closed group to be mindful of the private and sensitive requests made. And it’s purpose: for you to be a prayer warrior both interceding where others are asking for assistance in prayer and requesting prayers for situations that need lifting. To join, please send an email to Katie.

Thankful Thursday 9-7-2023

Green Lights

Thankful Thursday had early errands seeing me buzz around town. As I drove from one destination to another I encountered a morning unlike most. Each red light I approached turned to green lights including the left hand turn lights!

Upon reflection, this absolute delight of smoothly moving through the morning was yet another glimmering gift. A delight tucked neatly into my day that had I not stopped to think about it would happen been utterly dismissed and swept into the to-do list of the day and its simple beauty missed. I wonder how many times God has placed similar small gifts in my life that I just passed by and didn’t notice?

Of course this small gift doesn’t compare to the gifts from the Spirit. 1 Corithians 14:1 shares “It is love, then, that you should strive for. Set your hearts on spiritual gifts, especially the gift of proclaiming God’s message.” Live your life with the gifts God has granted you. In doing so with love, He may use you to help provide a green light for others to get to know Him in their own lives. May you both find and be a green light today!

Blessings!

Thankful Thursday 9-7-2023 Experience Opportunities:

All are invited to Worship both online and in person. Worship services occur at 8:00 am*, 9:15 am, & 10:30 am*. (*8:00 & 10:30 AM worship services are livestreamed on our YouTube channel: @GravelHillUMC. Subscribe & click the bell to be notified when streaming starts.) Christian Education occurs at 9:10 am. To learn more about online worship, click here. Or want to revisit a message that really spoke to you? Check out our Sunday Sermons.

Want to be part of a prayer group? We come together in a collective effort to support and lift up others. You do this during your time with God knowing others are also lifting these prayers to God. Join our Facebook group: Gravel Hill Prayers. It is a closed group to be mindful of the private and sensitive requests made. And it’s purpose: for you to be a prayer warrior both interceding where others are asking for assistance in prayer and requesting prayers for situations that need lifting. To join, please send an email to Katie.

Thankful Thursday 8-31-2023

The Joy of Being Together

Thankful Thursday takes a moment to ponder the joy of gathering together. Take a moment and think about big moments of joy in your life. There may be some moments of major achievements that have brought joy to you, but if I had to guess, large numbers of your joyous moments come from times of gathering together with others.

Often these gatherings celebrate a holiday or special moments in a loved ones life. In the background you hear the hum of several conversations sprinkled with rounds of laughter. When you look around, several smiles greet your gaze. And when your eyes connect, they too break into a smile! Sharing our hearts and the goodness in our lives gifts joy into all of our lives. Of course, you often find some amazing food being shared at these gatherings too – so delicious!

Warm hearts, full stomaches, and smiles for days each lend to warm memories of joy in our lives. Find a reason to gather with those special in your life. Make the time to create these gatherings as they did in Hebrews 12:23. And the love that is sprinkled in with all the other good pieces will gift you the joy of being together.

Blessings!

Thankful Thursday 8-31-2023 Experience Opportunities:

All are invited to Worship both online and in person. Worship services occur at 8:00 am*, 9:15 am, & 10:30 am*. (*8:00 & 10:30 AM worship services are livestreamed on our YouTube channel: @GravelHillUMC. Subscribe & click the bell to be notified when streaming starts.) Christian Education occurs at 9:10 am. To learn more about online worship, click here. Or want to revisit a message that really spoke to you? Check out our Sunday Sermons.

Want to be part of a prayer group? We come together in a collective effort to support and lift up others. You do this during your time with God knowing others are also lifting these prayers to God. Join our Facebook group: Gravel Hill Prayers. It is a closed group to be mindful of the private and sensitive requests made. And it’s purpose: for you to be a prayer warrior both interceding where others are asking for assistance in prayer and requesting prayers for situations that need lifting. To join, please send an email to Katie.

Thankful Thursday 8-24-2023

Celebration

Thankful Thursday sees reflections of gratitude for celebrating. This week I celebrated another trip around the sun and at various points throughout the week well wishes and love came my way to honor this fact. Each connection shared from online messages to cards in the mail to in person greetings and hugs brought a smile to my face and love to my heart.

Making the time to see, honor, connect, and celebrate with others in this world truly bring joy. These types of actions also fulfill the action of love we are called to in Luke 10:27. ²⁷ The man answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind’; and ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’” When we love our neighbors and take action whether big or small to show them that love, we bring God glory. And when God’s glory is present, it shines with a glowing joy in our lives. May we go through our week celebrating each other by sharing the love of God in our lives with those around us. Shine and glow in the joy of His love!

Blessings!

Thankful Thursday 8-24-2023 Experience Opportunities:

All are invited to Worship both online and in person. Worship services occur at 8:00 am*, 9:15 am, & 10:30 am*. (*8:00 & 10:30 AM worship services are livestreamed on our YouTube channel: @GravelHillUMC. Subscribe & click the bell to be notified when streaming starts.) Christian Education occurs at 9:10 am. To learn more about online worship, click here. Or want to revisit a message that really spoke to you? Check out our Sunday Sermons.

Want to be part of a prayer group? We come together in a collective effort to support and lift up others. You do this during your time with God knowing others are also lifting these prayers to God. Join our Facebook group: Gravel Hill Prayers. It is a closed group to be mindful of the private and sensitive requests made. And it’s purpose: for you to be a prayer warrior both interceding where others are asking for assistance in prayer and requesting prayers for situations that need lifting. To join, please send an email to Katie.