For April 7th:

“Jesus said to him, ‘I AM the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6

Joy. That is how it can be described, when you realize God’s ever presence. How can it not be joyful to see yourself surrounded by Him. God’s presence.

             “…who has time to take on yet one more thing and keep a gratitude journal, count gifts? Who has time to tally up one thousand of them? Can our time-crammed lives handle yet one more thing?...God gives us time. And who has time for God?...A soap bubble…Who has time for that?...Only because I was looking. Because that list of one thousand gifts has me always on the hunt for one more…and one more—to behold one more moment pregnant with wonder.

…this is the only way to slow time…I only live the full life when I live fully in the moment. And when I’m always looking for the next glimpse of glory, I slow and enter…This is where God is. In the present…This is supreme gift, time, God himself framed in moment…Thanks makes now a sanctuary…Thank God for the time, and very God enters that time,… When I’m present, I meet I AM, the very presence of a present God…this is the way we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don’t have to change what we see. Only the way we see.”

One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp, 2009

During Lent (look back to the March 1^st entry) we took on the “dare” from Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts, to make a list of things we love. If you participated in that exercise we’re going to guess that you are probably still adding to your list. Look back at your list and be filled with the joy of experiencing God’s abundant blessings on you for those 40 days and beyond.

Isn’t it amazing how addicting it has become to look for God everywhere, to see God everywhere, to hear God everywhere, to feel God everywhere? We hope you will continue your search for Him and continue your praise of Him by listing.

CUMC Women’s Ministry