Thankful Thursday

Well, it's Thursday, and I've actually remembered to post my Thankful blog on the right day! Yay for me!

While doing my quiet time this morning, I began thinking about what I am thankful for. It may sound silly, but what God brought to my mind today are garage sales! Yes, I am thankful for the opportunity to make "another man's junk" my "treasures!" I've bought clothes and shoes for every member of my family, bought homeschool curriculum at a HUGE discount, found countless toys and books for the kiddos, and countless other fun stuff, all at amazingly cheap prices! I am thankful that the money-saver in me can "splurge" without going broke!

This morning's "treasure" was my Beth Moore's "Jesus, the One and Only" workbook that I bought several months ago at a garage sale for only 50 cents. Now, if you've never done one of Beth Moore's Bible studies, first of all, you've really missed out...she's an annointed teacher of the Word! Anyway, normally, you would join a group of some sort, watch a weekly video with your group, and then do the "homework" that goes along with the video that you'd seen, and then you'd get back together and discuss what you'd learned.

Well, being that I bought the workbook only (that was all that was available), I've been doing the study on my own. It's taken me much longer than the normal 8-10 weeks that her studies normally take, but I've been learning so much! Things like:
"Look back at the adjectives Christ used to describe the generation. The first word is unbelieving. Little faith in Mathhew 17:20 is apistian-unbelief. After three-and-a-half decades of knowing Christ, I am only beginning to realize the magnitude of the sin of unbelief. The word unbelieving means, "not worthy of confidence, untrustworthy."
"The definition implies that when we are faithless, we are concluding by our attitude and actions that Christ is not worthy of our confidence and that He is...I can hardly bring myself to write the word...untrustworthy. The disciples' unbelief was their willingness to let the temperature of their faith rise and fall according to the surrounding dynamics rather than His steadfast Word."
AND...
"I cannot stress strongly enough that getting over the self-stuff is a daily challenge. As long as we inhabit this tent of flesh, it will rise up in us. We must choose to "deny [ourselves] and take up [our] cross daily" (Luke 9:23). The challenge demands total honesty before God. Remember, conviction is never for the sake of condemnation but for liberation! Oh, God, so deal with the self in each of us that when You read our thoughts as You did the disciples in Luke 9:47, You will find stronger and stronger evidences of Your own. Let this mind be in us that was also in Christ Jesus (see Phil. 2:5, KJV)!"

Wow! She can explain some pretty deep concepts in a way that just really hits home for me. I have and continue to struggle with the sin of unbelief. It is the "self-stuff" that rises up in me on a regular basis. God has always proven Himself to be faithful, so I have no real reason to not trust that He will always work things out for the ultimate good; however, I find myself worrying over many things.

Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief! You are good, and You are so deserving of my trust. I thank You for teachers of the Word, whose passion for You is evident in their work. And thank You for allowing me to grow closer to You because of a garage sale!