Thursday, November 22, 2012

Introducing Thankful Thursdays


Today in the United States of America, millions of people are sharing dinner with loved ones where turkey is the entree and pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie (my personal favorite) is being served for dessert.

What's the reason? Why it is Thanksgiving, a traditional holiday celebrated in our country since 1863. The story of how the Thanksgiving holiday began in America can be traced back to when the Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower and the Native American Indians showed the newcomers from England how to cultivate the soil and harvest food for which the Pilgrims were grateful! Former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, made Thanksgiving an official holiday to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November and we as Americans have been celebrating this holiday of thankfulness ever since!

Now today in 2012, I thought why not start a new feature to my blog called "Thankful Thursday"? Given, this is a title that has been taken already by countless blogs but so since being thankful is something we all should practice, I thought why not add a weekly feature to my blog where for one day every week, I would sit down, reflect on my blessings and write about what I'm thankful for in life?

You see a picture of a thank you card being taken out of an addressed envelope in the upper right hand corner of this post because the idea behind "Thankful Thursday" on my blog is to write a "thank you" note to God. I would love for you to join me in this weekly letter-writing venture! And while God does not have a street address (you cannot literally write a physical letter to God and mail it to his address in Heaven), He does have a heart for humanity and you don't need a postal stamp to mail a letter to Him! All you have to do is to pray and He will hear you and answer your prayers according to His plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). 

So in a sense, Thankful Thursday is about sharing with the blog world your thankfulness! God is good, all the time and He loves to hear your praise!

I hope you will join me on this journey! Here's how it works: every Thursday (starting today), come to my blog, read my post and in the comment section, write your letter to God about what you're thankful for that week. Simple, right?

Now there are long-term effects to your participation in my Thankful Thursday series-- it will change your outlook on life because the more you count your blessings and praise God for what He's done in your life and who He's used to help you, the more you'll come to realize how much He loves you and you'll start to see the silver lining in the clouds and/or storms of life.

Simply as my grandma told me when I was growing up, "Gratitude will change your attitude."

Let's be grateful, together! :)

Love,

Alexis

Happy Thanksgiving!

Music Video: BLOOM

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Book Review: MADE TO CRAVE by Lysa TerKeurst

Lysa TerKeurst, Made to Crave (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 218 pages, US$14.99, reviewed by Alexis A. Goring). 

Diets don’t work. But the concepts in Made to Crave will help you achieve the picture of health you desire. According to www.madetocrave.org, “Made to Crave is the missing link between a woman’s desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen.” Written by Lysa TerKeurst, Made to Crave is a book written to help us recognize our deep cravings for food as what they really are—our hearts’ yearning for God.
             Made to Crave contains 19 chapters of biblically sound advice. While the target audience appears to be women, men would also benefit from the material contained in this book. After reading Made to Crave, I felt empowered to make a lifestyle change—one founded on my ultimate craving, which is not for food but for God.
           Within the first chapter of the book, TerKeurst makes a heart connection with dieters everywhere when she says: “Not once in my life have I ever craved a carrot stick” (p. 12). TerKeurst goes on to say why Made to Crave is useful, describing it as “the missing companion you’ve needed with every healthy eating plan you tried and cried over” (p. 14). Given her own personal struggle with weight and food, TerKeurst can testify to others. She writes: “With Jesus, if we want to gain, we must give up. If we want to be filled, we must deny ourselves. . . . If we want to conquer our cravings, we’ll have to redirect them to God” (p. 16).
          According to TerKeurst: “Getting healthy isn’t just about losing weight. It’s not limited to adjusting our diet and hoping for good physical results. It’s about recalibrating our souls so that we want to change—spiritually, physically, and mentally” (p. 16).
          Made to Crave achieves its goal of showing readers how to win the battle of the bulge. TerKeurst combines her skill as a noted writer and experience as a woman striving to achieve a picture of health to write a book that speaks to the hearts of women worldwide and provides the tools they need to break free from bondage to their appetites and unhealthy food choices.
          After reading Made to Crave, you’ll find it hard not to be convinced that with God, all things are possible.
__________
This article was published May 26, 2011.
Accessed online (http://www.adventistreview.org/issue.php?issue=2011-1515&page=30)

BOOK REVIEWS :)

Dear blog readers,

Do you love to read? I'm not just talking BLOGS, I'm asking you about BOOKS! :)

Stories are the spice of life! At least I think so! :) Here's why...they transport you from your reality into the author's dream of how the world can be and in the process, they take you on an amazing adventure! Can't afford a vacation? Buy a book and travel anywhere in the world with the author as your tour guide!  Journey through the lives of the characters with a FREE passport to exciting destinations: Paris (FRANCE), Milan (ITALY), Johannesburg (SOUTH AFRICA)...SWEDEN, DENMARK, SWITZERLAND, NEW YORK CITY (U.S.A.)! The possibilities are ENDLESS!

I've always been a reader. I would make my parents and grandparents take me to the library at least once-a-week during the summertime when I was a child and I breezed through series like the Sweet Valley High series and Love Stories (used to buy that brand at the book store with my allowance) and I loved immersing my mind in the pages of books written by my favorite authors like Lurlene McDaniel (author of "Don't Die My Love") and L.M. Montgomery (famous for her series Anne of Green Gables). It is a passion I never quite grew out of-- as an adult, I now work full-time as a writer! My dream to write full-time recently came true and I thank God,  the author of my favorite book ever--The Holy Bible-- for He answers prayer and grants me the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4).

My passion for the written word is real. And I'd like to share it with you! :)

So without further ado, I gladly introduce to you the newest feature of my blog...book reviews! :)

Coming soon!

Love,

Alexis

Friday, November 9, 2012

A beautiful message in song for you



Every true follower of Jesus Christ is a part of His body. How beautiful, the Bible says are the feet of those who bring good news (Romans 10:15)! How beautiful, Twila Paris sings, is the BODY OF CHRIST!

Be encouraged in knowing there is a God who is real, sovereign and in charge of the affairs of this world. He did not create our world and leave it to run itself or sit up high in heaven from a throne and watch us as the popular song by Bette Midler says, "From A Distance." No, no, NO! God is just as much involved in our everyday matters here on Earth as He is in Heaven and He wants you to know that He loves you and He is here for you no matter what! 

My prayer is that you will be blessed by this song and that you will if you do not already, come to know the God who loves you with ALL of His HEART. :)

Praying for peace in your life,

Alexis