Full of Thanks...

It was the last day in 2009. I was sitting with my new journal that I planned to write in during 2010. I knew I wanted to journal every day during 2010 but I couldn’t think of what I wanted to write about for an entire year.( FYI, I love to write but writing on a schedule... not so much.)

As I sat there watching television and decorating my journal I heard the Holy Spirit whisper… “a year of thankfulness.” I knew then the theme of my journal would be “Thankfulness.”

2010 wasn’t the easiest year for me however, every day (except the few I missed :)) I found something to write that I was thankful for. Some days the list was very short and on other days it went on and on as I reflected on His goodness and why I was so thankful.

One thing last year taught me was to have an attitude of gratitude, to see the good even in the most trying circumstances. Also, during that year I found myself less likely to complain. It’s kinda difficult to be full of thanks and full of complaints the same time. This year I’ve been able to look back over my journal from last year, my lists of things big and small, tangible and intangible and find encouragement and hope.

I’m reminded as December is almost here again to,

1. in all things give thanks.

2. Complain less, praise, thanks, hope, pray, love, smile, be happy and simply do more,

Whenever I forget, the chorus of this song is an excellent reminder…

The Lord Has been so good to me
He's been good to me
More than this old world or you could ever be
He's been so good, To me
He dried all of my tears away
Turned my midnights into day
So I'll just say thank you Lord
I won't complain


I Won't Complain
by Rev. Paul Jones

Trusting Him,
 ~Bernadine~

Review, final exams, Grade Books, Report Cards and stacks of paper work has me completely snowed on right now so this blog will be even more silent until mid December.   I'm looking forward to visiting and reading some of your posts leading up to the holidays.   Until then thanks for stopping by...

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my dear readers.
I hope your day is filled with lots of love, laughter
and of course delicious food.

Today I'm thankful for all of you that I've gotten to know
through this blog.

Have a wonderful day!  Also, do stop by
Laced With Grace for a special Thanksgiving
message from the team.

Trusting Him,
~Bernadine~

Waiting for Perfect Conditions

Have you ever found yourself putting off doing something you really want to do because the conditions are not quite perfect? You have your to do list that you pull out and peruse ever so often but not much seem to get crossed off because it never seem to be exactly the right time to do it.

I’ve been thinking about that as November draws to a close. There were a number of things I knew I wanted to accomplish coming into this year, however very few of them have been crossed off my list.


I'm at Laced with Grace today. Do stop by to read the rest of my article Waiting for Perfect Conditions





Trusting Him,
~Bernadine~

Walking in the Spirit of Excellence - Conclusion

There are so many areas that I covered during my Becoming a Women of Excellence bible study. However if I try to cover them all I’ll be here another three weeks lol. Some of them included discipline, discretion, wisdom..., all areas I’m still growing in.

 I gained much strength and encouragement in my Christian walk as I worked through the study. I would highly recommend the study to anyone who is interested in the topic of excellence.(My somewhat battered copy is pictured)

These are some of the things that stood out most for me as I worked through the Bible study and studied the life of Daniel. As you can see there’s a lot that God requires of us as we walk in the spirit of excellence. However he also blesses us with a lot. When we walk in excellence:

1. We attract attention.
a. We attract God’s attention. He studies us, he walks with us and he brags on us.

b. We attract man’s attention. Daniel attracted the king’s attention and was promoted because of the spirit of excellence that was upon him.

2. Excellence inspires change. When you walk in excellence you will inspire others to do likewise. Daniel inspired the king with his spirit of excellence and his faith in his God.

As Christian women we are in a unique position to change our homes, our workplaces and our society simply by the way we conduct ourselves. The eyes of our families, peers, our coworkers and our communities are upon us. Our walk with God should inspire them to change their own path in life if they're not following God's path. Hence we should always strive for excellence because we want the best for others and ourselves. God has given us the mandate, to walk in the spirit of excellence. Are you willing? What are you willing to sacrifice? How are you willing to change your life to fit into his definition of excellence? Are you ready to forget the world’s standard and live up to his standards?

Note: Daniel was not one a part of the actual Bible Study, however since I was actually studying his life when I started the study I found myself referring to him often.

Follow the links to read previous post on Excellence 
Part 1  Walking in the Spirit of Excellence - Introduction 
 Part 2 - What is Excellence? 
Part 3 Excellence - Rooted in Surrender
Part 4 Excellence - Exemplified by Obedience

Trusting Him,
~Bernadine~

Previously posted on my teen girl blog