Gra-TEA-tude---how BIG is your cuppa?

 Give thanks to Lord Jehovah, because he is good, and his grace is for eternity. (Psalms 107:1, Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

I don't think any devotional book speaks more to my heart about trust and thankfulness than Sarah Young's, Jesus Calling.

It is a rare person who, when his cup frequently runs over, can thank God instead of complaining about the limited size of his mug! —Bob Russell, retired pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.

I am grateful to brother Buddy and Charlotte for introducing me to Bob Cherry, who inspires me to add lots of sweet gra-TEA-tude to my BIGGEST cuppa.

Chari-TEA : a cuppa true love

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, (love) these three; but the greatest of these  is charity. (1 Corinthians 13:13, KJV)

There are many kinds of relationships. There are two relationships which involve love---consumer and covenant.

• A consumer relationship is the relationship one will only "buy into" if it provides a self-serving benefit. It is modeled after self and asks, "What do I get out of this relationship." "What can it do for me?" 
• A covenant relationship is a disposition of the heart modeled after the Lord's example.  In the Greek, covenant basically means to order or dispose of oneself for another. Moving self out of the way and putting others first.

Covenant love---just as the Lord did for each of us. It loves regardless---in a self-sacrificing way.

Covenant relationship demonstrates Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud....is not self-seeking, ....keeps no record of wrongs,....always protects....always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Chari-TEA is the cuppa we serve to others in love, expecting nothing in return. It is poured out in benevolence because it comes with God's supreme blessing.

Hospitali-TEA

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:9, NIV)

I have a plethora of friends who have the gift of hospitality. Not only do they have this spiritual gift, but they use it often to bless others. They put it into practice as they share it with the Lord's people (Romans 12:13) and sometimes even strangers. (Hebrews 13:2)

With them it's not an option. Often for me, they even "tailor" their gift to my personal preferences.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" rolls off their tongues when I visit.

This day was no different as Ann, offered a warm cuppa for me as I walked in the door. Plus, it was a "new to me" tea---from Suttons of London. Probably a gift from Marika---it seems every "Martin" household has the same gift....like it's in their spiritual DNA. 

Tea and a chat---a great cuppa hospitali-TEA served on a chilly day.

Negativi-TEAs

whose god is their appetite, ……. who set their minds on earthly things. (Philippians 3:19, NASB)

There are several lists of negatives in scripture---some seem "BIGGIES" to us---but to God, each of them are just plain ole sin. (Proverbs 6:16-20 & Romans 1:29-32)

Gluttony is one of them. Greedy or excessive indulgences. 

This past Thanksgiving weekend it took on the piggishness in "food" aspect---at least it did at our house. Food, even the ooey gooey leftovers sabotaged us. Finally, I had to do as the "Proverbs 31 Woman" suggested and tell my taste buds, "You're not the boss of me." A hands on my hips, "I mean it " stance!

Little piggie that I am, I need to say "You're not the boss of me." to all the extra "stuff" in my house that has been amassed.....often for no "reasonable" reason.

Insatiabili-TEA is the cuppa one drinks from when extravagance and "wanting more"....or newer....or bigger and better....or the next upgrade! Nothing fully satisfies but the Lord. May a bitter taste remani until that cuppa is set aside for a cuppa sa-TEAs-faction in Him

Insani-TEA

7:02 am Insani-TEA is trying to post a blog on Cyber Monday---folks must start shopping early in Europe and the far east, Australia,  or wherever the clocks are ahead of us.....and to think California isn't even up yet.
I'll finish editing and post when every jot and tittle doesn't take 30 minutes to load. 
8:09 pm I'M BACK!!

Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.  It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; 
(Psalm 127:1, NASB)

Insani-TEA---a bitter cuppa defined, but not cured. Yet! 

Excess is insane---where is moderation?

Just this past week, 11 books have been transported from the public library to my house in my latest "book bag" a Buddy and Charlotte gift---and that doesn't count the 4 returned, the one ebook or the latest Louise Penny's The Long Way Home CD.

Excess in books is just an analogy of the real harmful excesses in my life. Excess of my own efforts in problem solving, seemingly for everyone I know. Excessive overplanning. 

Problem solving and overplanning  are the real insanity issues in my life.

Sarah Young's recent Jesus Calling entry was spot on for me----even mentioning habitual problem-solving mode as a distance separator from the Lord.

"Don't weigh yourself down with responsibilities that are not your own." (Jesus Calling, 11/29) 

What an eye-opener---Seeking to fix everything by one's own efforts, is an exercise of futility. It's also a "lack of trust indicator." Pure insanity.

Don't engage in any activity or planning without input from God. Otherwise, you'll be gulping from the cuppa insani-TEA......which will only give you a headache. I know because I've tried.

SABBATH SNAPSHOT : simplici-TEA of prayer

Readabili-TEA is a cuppa which Max Lucado's books always offer. He is the consummate storyteller. His latest, before amen, is no different!

Simplicity of prayer, for the author, comes in the form of "The Pocket Prayer."

Father,

      you are good.

           I need help. Heal me and forgive me.

                 They need help.           

                         Thank you.

                               In Jesus' name, amen.

                    
Each chapter expands on a segment of the prayer with great stories interwoven. There is also a study guide provided to aid folks in spanning the gap between "prayer in theory and prayer in practice." (p. 101)

Naturally, the "Thank You" chapter was my favorite with its "alphabetized blessings." N was for naps---that would certainly make my list!!

In Scripture, giving thanks is not a suggestion; it is a command. (p. 83) I especially appreciated Lucado's explanation of ingratitude as the original sin.

Adam and Eve had a million reasons to give thanks. They lived in a perfect world. Then Satan slithered into the garden and, just like that, Eden wasn’t enough. Oh the hissing we hear. “Don’t you want more?” (UpWords, 11/26/14*)

"Gratitude is a dialysis of sorts. It flushes the self-pity out of our systems." (p. 82)
For me, the "Thank You" chapter alone makes the book worth the read.

*Thanks to Linda Johnson, my ljj, for this on-line affirmation.

Spiritual Character TEA-raits

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5, ESV)

Tomorrow, Nov 30, 2014, Caleb Davenport Liles will turn 9. As always, I will pray verses form Proverbs 30, as it corresponds with his birthday.
Spiritually Caleb is secure having accepted Christ as his Savior 12/24/11. He even chose baptism this past May....so moving for me to watch that on video as his father baptized him (April 27, 2014)

In character, Caleb is all boy---loving sports and adventure ---so, this year I've added some verses from God's servant, Caleb, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly. 

Excerpts from Caleb's prayers* for my Caleb:

• Make Caleb a leader among Your people. (Numbers 10:1)
• Help Caleb refuse to see life through the eyes of men. (Numbers 14:30-33)
• Help Caleb to know Your Presence which brings boldness and direction/ (Numbers 14:5-10)
• Cultivate within Caleb a fresher and fresher faith as he grows older. (Joshua 14)
• Give Caleb the "guts" to pray..."Give me the land" (Numbers 13:30) and "Give me the high ground. (Joshua 14:11-12)

May Caleb not only choose a cuppa quality spiritual TEA-raits for himself but may he inspire others to choose that cuppa as well.

*Thanks to brother, Buddy, for these verses!

Li-TEA-rary Cuppas

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 
(Genesis 1:1, KJV)

First lines are important. First lines set the stage.
All writers know the importance of that first line. That very first line aka "the HOOK" uses memorable words to "hook" the reader and draw him into the story. 
From "I am Sam, Sam I am," (Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss) to ...and the clocks were striking thirteen. (1984, Orwell), choice words "hook" us.
"Marley was dead: to begin with." starts Charles Dickens', very familiar Christmas Carol. Even a partial sentence such as Dickens' Tale of Two Cities'...."It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," can prompt remembrance. Miss Vaughn's senior English classroom comes to my mind. 

 "First Lines Literature Mug"
philosophersguild.com

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again....."was the opening line for Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, which I still recall some 50+ years later. It conjures up eery silence and Gothic intrigue.

A couple of years ago, I read Death Comes to Pemberley, by P.D. James, because I assumed it would be her last. It was. Phyliss Dorothy James, a British crime writer, passed away yesterday 11/27/14  at her home in Oxford England. This final novel, combined a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with a historically accurate murder mystery and though not my favorite, I'm glad I read it.

I've been a fan of James' books featuring detective Adam Dagliesh since college days. I also remember her female detective in an, Unsuitable Job for a Woman. 

Though I don't remember the opening line for Death Comes to Pemberley,  I do remember the setting. The setting compared her sitting room with the splendid library, full of volumes and freely open to her---so different from her earlier home library, which she could enter only by invitation. 

In the Bible, the first line lays (literally) the foundation for creation and the basis of the Greatest Story Ever Told. (Genesis 1:1)

God's Word is my favorite li-TEA-rary cuppa. I'm hooked. 

A BIG cuppa Gra-TEA-tude

 In everything give thanks, (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NASB)

A great verse reminder to give thanks throughout the year---not just on Thanksgiving Day!

Dickens says we Americans have it backwards---we should spend 364 days a year being thankful and set aside one day only for griping and complaining.

Amen! to Mr. Dickens and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Gra-TEA-tude---How full is your cuppa?

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (1 Chronicles 16:34, ESV)

Didn't we learn in kindergarten to say "thank you?" I didn't go to kindergarten but I learned it from my mother and grandmothers and I taught it to 5 year olds and pre-schoolers for 20+ years.

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Corinthians 9:11-12, NIV)

"Happy people are not always thankful but thankful people are almost always happy." Howard Clark said this and WSJ research seems to back it up.
Wall Street Journal says"Giving thanks is good for your health."

Adults who frequently feel grateful have more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not, according to studies conducted over the past decade. They’re also less likely to be depressed, envious, greedy, or alcoholics. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly, and have greater resistance to viral infections. 

Now, researchers are finding that gratitude brings similar benefits in children and adolescents. [Studies also show that] kids who feel and act grateful tend to be less materialistic, get better grades, set higher goals, complain of fewer headaches and stomach aches, and feel more satisfied with their friends, families, and schools than those who don’t. (WSJ 11-23-10)

Thanksgiving Day comes tomorrow...but  according to Edward Stanford Martin

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow."

I plan on sipping frequently from my FULL cuppa gra-TEA-tue. How about you?