Journal the Journey

In every season of life, through the mountains and valleys, God has always been faithful… and He always will be.

Thankful.

I have a lot I want to say, and I know there is no way I am going to adequately communicate it all to you in fifteen minutes. And because when I do run out of time I want it to always be my words that are cut off and not God’s Word, I will start with the Scriptures that have recently hit me harder than a ton of bricks. Then I’ll muse on them the remainder of the time, and on into tomorrow as well.

“15 And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. 16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:15-17)

“Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

“Although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21)

If you just skipped past all of the scriptures to get down here to where I start talking, you’ve missed the most important part of this whole post. Please go back and take some time to really let yourself read and think on these life-giving, wise words of instruction. Nothing I can possibly say compares in worth and beauty to what you read above.

Why is gratitude so important in our relationship with God? How do we live lives of continual thankfulness to God? I mean, sure, it can come pretty easily during the good times- but what about the hard ones?

I don’t pretend to fully know, but in my life I see thankfulness completely transforming the way I think, the way I speak, the choices I make, and the way I pray. I see my sinful pride in the crosshairs and obliterated by the Holy Spirit when I enter into His courts with thanksgiving.

About three years ago, I sat outside of my dentist’s office, depressed and wet-faced with tears. I was a senior in college and went in for a cleaning and to have one painful tooth checked out. I hadn’t been to the dentist in all the nearly nine of my married years up to that point; I thought good oral hygiene habits at home were good enough to keep my teeth in good shape. (More tomorrow.)

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dezmellish

I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been calling Birmingham, Alabama home since 2013. I’m happily married to the sweetest, most selfless man I’ve ever known. Prior to meeting and marrying him in 2021, I was a divorced mom to three daughters for 4 1/2 years. When I remarried, I gained a fourth daughter. On January 26, 2024, we lost my Dad. He had just turned 92 on January 6. He moved in with us the week after Joseph and I got married in October of 2021, and we had the honor of being his caregivers for the last 2 years and 3 months of his life. I currently work full-time as a Fitness Director at the most wonderful country club, where I also have a full load of personal training clients. This is a job I have enjoyed since 2019. Prior to entering the fitness industry, I was an elementary/middle school tutor. I have been a follower of Jesus Christ since I was a child. God showed me that He was real and that He loved me in powerful, unmistakeable ways during some very dark and difficult childhood years. As an adult, my theology has changed quite a bit. As life circumstances crushed me, I began holding all of the things I had been taught as a child, teenager, and young adult up to the light of scripture. As a result, I deconstructed my faith before deconstruction was really a thing, but never abandoned my faith in the process. After living through harmful teachings that were founded on misuse of scripture, I am passionate about the integrity of God’s Word. Nothing boils my blood quite like seeing scriptures used for selfish gain, abused, and taught out of their intended context. I have been journaling for 25 years. This is my space of the internet to share the ways God has been faithful to me as evidenced in my journals, as well as anything else that is placed on my heart to share. I hope you find something here that positively impacts you in some way. All are welcome here.

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