Gratitude Day 373

Sat., Dec. 7, 2019

Amos 5:14: Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of heavenly forces, will be with you just as you have said.

Happy Saturday!

I am a person who loves to be inspired by others. I am a person who loves to be inspired by regular people doing little things that become extraordinary things day after day. Here’s a few things that have inspired me lately.

This Mom. It’s not too often that a Mom has three sons playing in the NFL at the same time. But Connie Watt does. Watch her share. The interview is about 10 minutes long … but it’s worth the time. Connie did not raise her boys to be NFL players. She raised sons who would be outstanding individuals that would inspire others. Oh, and she just happens to be from Wisconsin. You may have heard of her eldest son, JJ Watt. He’s not afraid to do big things for ordinary people through his foundation. And Connie helps him do it.

This 5-year-old boy named Michael. This week, Michael found his forever family. He was adopted! What makes the story super heart-warming? He invited his entire kindergarten class to witness this happen! Look at the picture. The hearts Michael’s friends are waving behind him. They are cheering him on. I don’t know all the details of what happened in this Kent County courthouse in Michigan. What I do know? This little boy was so excited to share a life-changing event with his friends. And the school, the teachers, the parents made it happen. Talk about a life lesson. Right here. Right there. A super cool Christmas present wrapped up in all the right kind of love.

A woman named Elizabeth. For the first time in a couple months, I’m sharing a message in worship tomorrow. I’ve felt inspired to dig a little deeper into the story of Elizabeth and Mary, found in Luke 1:39-45. When Mary discovers she is pregnant, she visits her elder cousin, Elizabeth, who happens to also be pregnant even though she’s way too old to be carrying a child. I feel both of these ladies are inspiring: Elizabeth for being so willing to mentor a younger woman and Mary for knowing she needed to seek the comfort of a seasoned woman. Whether you are a bit older or just getting started in your adult life, there’s lots here. I encourage you to spend just a few minutes with this story today.

I love sharing stories because I feel it is through stories that we CAN inspire ourselves and others. How will you write your story today? Who can you inspire with some little random act of kindness? What can you do to express love to a person near and dear to your heart?

For daily inspiration, I am grateful.

Dear God – Thank you for gifting us a book chuck-full of stories of inspiration. We call it the Bible. I pray we use these stories, as well as ones that we encounter every day, to inspire us to seek good and not evil.  Amen.  

Blessings –

Dianne

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