Thankful Thursday: The Great Adventure// Emi a rire!

The post last week was going to be on Jonah, and how his situation is not the God-will-haunt-you bad bad situation that people tend to interprete it to be. I think it is something to be ecstatic about! That God has a plan for you. His plans are perfect. All this is, is that He will make sure you end up where He wants you to be...in any case, He will do everything to lead you there. If your own stronghead pass that one, your loss. I personally find comfort in it. That He will find me under any rock and during any lapse of common sense and prod me out into the light. Do you realize how amazing that is? i could paint analogies..but this is supposed to be another post. Also, Proverbs 19:21. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. I dunno about you..but that gives me comfort.

Ehe...oya ring the bell, it's testimony time :P

Yup, i'm here again bursting with Joy. It's downright ridiculouuuuussssss! i cannot say this enough, i cannot pinch myself enough, i cannot go over the facts in my head enough. God is AWESOME and i haven't been the same.

Seeing how my thoughts and emotions are all over the place, i will just stick with the script and start with the Great Adventure part ( Emi a rire, i gather, means "I will find Favour"...amennnn!).

Thing is...when you're faced with the decision of taking that crazy jump i mentioned in my last post, "common sense" starts whispering at you that you're in for boredom, you're in for rules and more rules (ooh, btw, i shall address this with *Liberty...interesting that it is exactly what came up for my devotional this morning)...anywho..so common sense is there whispering at you that you've just about given up everything and what awaits you are days of wearing sackcloth and dusting yourself with ashes and never laughing.

Lies! :P But i guess why it IS about taking that crazy leap and trusting...because since i just carried all my load and handed it over to God...i have had more opportunities, more "coincidences", more interesting turns, more cause for rejoicing and just plain MORE in the last month or less than i've had in a very long time. Now, i'm not saying "allow God in your life, so that you can have a party". It isn't about that, and if that's why anybody signs up..they'll never get it...it's more like the very wise "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all else will be added on to you" thing. Don't set out to get everything else in place, before you feel you are now equiped to search for God.

You do not have to become holy first, drop all your bad habits first, learn to pray first, read your bible first, and then be "qualified" (i am overusing the quotation marks in this post, aren't i?". If that's how you think it goes, you're holding the picture all wrong. God never asked you, or expected you to do, or be able to do anything on your own. Your business is to bring it to Him in prayer,and He will see you through. You just show up, and He will show you how to do it. It's not like school..you don't need a certificate in order to be accepted. You don't need to have any sort of previous skills.

Mahn, it's like a thousand and one thoughts..but i hope that one central one is getting through.

I can list out clear ties between prayers and results. Each and every one. It's humbling, knowing that God is not only listening and hearing...but is responding in ways that make you sway. I spent most of the week before last in a super emotional state, crying my eyes out because of the love He has enveloped me in. I was having issues with some things, had serious decisions to make concerning something that was tearing my will apart...and i kid you not, i stumbled not only across bible verses that dealt specifically with it, but He threw in two videos on youtube into it, in case i wanted to be slow...anybody that feels like oh, they can call it coincidence...but i call that God.

I could go on and on about situations like that...but i will not finish this post EVER then. It's better that you guys try it out for yourselves...me i'm still stunned and awed and grateful.

*about Liberty...heavily paraphrasing here...it's the Joy of the Liberty God gives is that..it truly sets you free, unlike most of us assume when we imagine turning everything over to God. It is the freedom to do everything you should be doing, and doing that, you'll reach heights that are dizzying. In the book, the analogy was with cars..and again, heavily paraphrasing: if you drive carefully, within the speed limit,and sober, you have the potential to drive to mars. That is freedom while doing what you ought to...because, you know...it's sensible. Now you could be drunk and going at it breakneck..feeling free and under nobody's control...but then the risk of crashing and making it nowhere are significantly higher, no?

Also, in related joy bringing things...gospel, praise and worship...to be perfectly honest, there was a point where i was like..music is music..mm Jesus music can be cool too...but lately...no matter what mood i'm in...gospel and praise just leave me elated. It's something new, to be so emotional over...music! but then...Praise has more power than you can imagine.

To be honest though, this post is coming out a bit choppy for me...i do hope, though, that when i go over it after posting (for this girl does not edit :P you guys get it gbagaun and all) it passes a message that resembles what is in my heart.

I am thankful for Life

I am thankful for prayer

I am thankful for God

I am thankful for Praise

I am thankful for Faith

I am thankful for Mercy

I am thankful for Grace

I am thankful for Forgiveness...lol lool up..all these women i'm thankful for sef..heh

I am thankful for Humour

I am thankful that God has a sense of humour

I am thankful for His patience

I am thankful for His faithfulness and relentlessness

I am thankful for thankfulness...it's the gift that gives back :P

I am thankful for my life, and everything He is has made, and is making it

I am thankful for how He sweeps me off my feet and opens my eyes wider than they've ever been

I am thankful that He teaches me

I am thankful for my family

I am thankful for Love

I am thankful that He always leads me to where i need to be. and even when i stray, He intergrates that into His Plan, or yanks me out of there and sets me where i need to be.

I am thankful for Thankful Thursdays :)

I am thankful that i have been warm these past "coldest days this winter"

I am thankful for praise and gospel songs that uplift my spirits

I am thankful that He answers my prayers

I am thankful that He comes to my rescue and is my comfort and joy

I am thankful that anyhow e wan be...i have God...and that makes ANYTHING have hope.

I am thankful for the Hope i have in Him

I am thankful for inspiration, and everyone He inspires such that their words and actions inspire others'

I am thankful for role models

I am thankful...I am so thankful....there are no words.

So there...turn to God, run, jump, come as you are, and He will show you what to do.