Ana Marie Ort

30 days of thanksgiving:

121. Literacy workers all over the world

122. Literacy workers whose deepest desire is to bring people to love God’s Word

123. Cooperation among believers from various denominations toward the common purpose of making readers of God’s Word

124. The abundant availability of the Bible in the English language

125. The work of Bible translators to bring God’s Word to every language in the world

126. Today’s missionaries to deep dark places

127. Missionaries across the ages who demonstrate what it can look like to leave all and go for the sake of the gospel

128. Books that document the lives of God’s servants as an encouragement to others to live fully for Him

129. The variety of cultures in our world

130. God’s creativity in creating people

30 days of thanksgiving:

111. Space heaters

112. Music

113. Powerpoint software

114. Presentation projector

115. Kindle

116. Gifted women authors

117. Volunteers at LEI

118. God’s calling of workers into His harvest field

119. God’s guidance for college students

120. The prayers of a child of God for another child of God

Romans 5:1-11

30 days of thanksgiving:

101. Justification

102. The gift of faith

103. Access to God

104. Grace

105. Hope

106. God’s glory

107. Sufferings

108. The Holy Spirit

109. Salvation from the wrath of God

110. Reconciliation with God

Absent Blessings – things that the Lord has spared me from

30 days of thanksgiving:

91. Not experienced the death of a parent

92. Not experienced the death of a sibling

93. Never been without food

94. Never been without water

95. Never lacked clothing

96. Never lacked shelter

97. Never lacked employment

98. Never experienced physical persecution for my faith

99. Never had my heart broken by a guy

100. Never had severe physical affliction

Though I have not had much affliction in my life, I pray that that will not keep me from pursuing my Savior fervently. I am challenged by those who are severely afflicted yet intensely secure in the Lord. I want to be prepared for affliction if/when it comes by storing up treasures of truth in my heart during happy times. Help me, Lord.

Food Photography by The Pioneer Woman

How to Talk to Little Girls

The Health Benefits of Coffee vs. Tea Infographic

Unpacking the Casey Anthony Case

Questions to Ponder Before Dating

House of Shelves

If Leonardo DiCaprio Got Saved

Totally Like Whatever, You Know

Mercy River

Do You Realize?

“Were you a likely candidate for salvation?  Yet didn’t God save you?  And while he may have used some human instrument, don’t you see that he would have saved you with or without any instrument?  And haven’t you seen other ‘impossible’ brothers and sisters delivered likewise by the incredible power of the invisible God?

Do you realize from whence you came?  You were in the grip of hell.  Demons had wrapped their chains about you.  The god of this world had blinded your understanding.  Yet God struck off your chains and the face of Christ illumined your soul.  The damned around you are no more damned than you were, their chains no thicker, their darkness no deeper.  Nor is the power of Christ to save them one whit less.”

John White, The Golden Cow (Downers Grove, 1979), pages 151-152.

30 days of thanksgiving:

81. One-on-one times of fellowship with sisters in Christ

82. The United States Postal Service

83. Homeschooling families

84. Parents who adopt children to the glory of God

85. Poetry that magnifies the Lord

86. Smiles

87. Laughter

88. Google

89. Trial versions of computer programs

90. E-mail

James 4

30 days of thanksgiving:

71. The fact that God’s Word so accurately describes the human condition and daily struggles

72. The apparent work of the Holy Spirit in guiding what passage of Scripture I end up reading on a given day, as it often ends up being exactly what I needed at that time

73. The fact that God’s Word describes not only the problem but the glorious solution

74. Bible-study aids that help to dig deep into the meaning of the passage

75. Those who have diligently studied God as revealed through His Word and written down their findings to be of benefit to others

76. Space-heater

77. Regular job at a local bookstore

78. New spiritual eyes

79. Glasses to improve my physical sight

80. Being required to learn ten-finger typing during my school days, a great benefit to me now

Luke 17: 11-15

Lessons from the grateful healed leper: (pgs. 180-181)

1. He came loudly to thank Jesus – May our giving of thanks be as obvious and expressive as our sharing of needs!

2. He came close to thank Jesus – We never get any closer to Jesus than when we come with humble gratitude.

30 days of thanksgiving:

61. The reality that God stooped very low to rescue me from sin

62. The reality that God lifted me up to live in Him and not die in my sin

63. The reality that God will complete the work He has begun in me

64. Faithful brothers and sisters laboring for the Lord in faraway lands

65. Fellowship with brothers and sisters from Africa and Asia who come to Tulsa in the summertime

66. Hospitable hearts expressed in invitations to faraway lands

67. Comradery for the sake of the Gospel

68. Long skirts

69. Scented candles

70. 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner

30 days of thanksgiving:

51. Opposition to the Gospel, for it demonstrates that the truth is not of this world

52. Opposition to believers’ proclamation of truth, for though the world disapproves, God approves

53. Disbelief, demonstrating that the truth is not determined by how many believe it, but by Who declares it

54. Sufficient atonement to cover the sins of all who will turn to Christ alone

55. The protection of the Lord around His children

56. The lifting up out of despair that the Lord affects in the lives of His children

57. The listening and hearing ear of the Lord – His attention to our cries

58. The Lord’s sustaining power demonstrated vividly as we accomplish tasks beyond our strength

59. Sleep – ordained by God to replenish our energy for living the lives He has ordained for us

60. Courage – a gift from God for facing the circumstances He brings us into

(These came to mind as I read Psalm 3 today.)

Ephesians 5:15-17

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Question: How should this verse be lived out practically, in light of the preceding verses that speak of the change from darkness to light that God affected in our lives and in light of the following verses that speak of giving thanks to God for all things?

30 days of thanksgiving:

41. Laundry washing machine

42. Laundry dryer

43. Plenty of clothing

44. The Lord’s sovereign guidance, often through circumstances

45. Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s ministry

46. The opportunity every summer to spend time with people from all over the world

47. CreativeLIVE classroom where I can learn more about photography

48. My dad’s enthusiastic picture-taking when I was young

49. Men who study God’s Word to expound it well

50. Elders who keep close watch on the flock of God