New Theme: Thanksgiving and Gratitude
Welcome to the new theme of Thanksgiving and Gratitude for the months of October and November. We are excited to share with you posts of spiritual practices, stories and moments of gratefulness and thankfulness, reflections from scripture, reviews of books or podcasts relating to gratitude, and much more! This theme was inspired by the season of Thanksgiving that comes each year around Canadian and American Thanksgiving, so we are delighted to keep with this theme throughout the next few months as we journey into Celtic Advent and Advent in November/December. Don’t miss the exciting retreat opportunity that Lilly Lewin and I are planning in November to kick off the season of Advent (see details below!)
Resources for Thanksgiving and Gratitude
These resources listed below are found in our resource pages on Godspace. Please check out the resource lists, posts, and activities for kiddos.
Thanksgiving
- Resources for Harvest and Thanksgiving
- Thanksgiving Prayers and Resources
- Thanksgiving and Optimism by Lynne Baab
- Preparing for Thanksgiving by Lilly Lewin
- Thanksgiving Service: The Story of Trees & Leaves
- My Favourite Thanksgiving Prayers
- Thanksgiving Prayers from 2016
- A Thanksgiving Litany
Activities for Kids!
- Gratitude Activities from Rhythm of Play
- 40 Thanksgiving Gratitude Activities and Games by Rhythm of Play
- Thanksgiving Activities from TheSpruce.com
- A Sacred Home Box: Thankful by Joanna Cummings
Gratitude
Resource Lists and Posts
- My Favorite Books on Gratitude
- Getting Ready for a Season of Gratitude – Plan a Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
- A Prayer for Gratitude by Talitha Fraser
- Re-Discovering Gratitude in a Season of Loss by Steve Wickham
- Another Prayer for Gratitude
- Every New Morning by Carol Dixon
- Wrestling with Gratitude by Jeannie Kendall
- Creating a Gratitude Garden
- Walking it Off with Gratitude
- Good News and Gratitude by Lilly Lewin
- 10 Tips for Expressing Gratitude
- Planning to Store
Gearing Up for a Season of Gratitude Online Retreat
We had such a lovely time at the live session of this retreat! So thankful for the participants that were able to make it. We compiled the videos and resources into an online retreat experience that you can go through at your own pace with access to the material for 180 days.
SAVE THE DATE: November 20, 2021 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
As with the Gearing Up for a Season of Gratitude retreat, we are offering this retreat with three price options to accommodate for the economic hardship of this season. The retreat will be recorded so you can still register even if you are not able to join live. We will keep you posted as more details are solidified, but for now, SAVE THE DATE!
- Regular plus Scholarship contribution registration rate = $49.99
- Regular registration = $39.99
- Economic Hardship or Student registration rate = $29.99
Photo by Pro Church Media on Unsplash
by Lisa DeRosa,
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your Will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen. (adapted from original, prayer attributed to Reinhold Neibuhr, 1892-1971)
The serenity prayer seemed like a good place to start today as I wrote this post. Maybe take a moment to read it again. See if a particular part stands out to you. Rest in the goodness of God while you take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Need another? Take a deep breath and let it out slowly… I find that breathing fully and completely doesn’t come naturally to me these days, but I must prompt myself to remember!
The coming months will arrive just as quickly as they will fly by through autumn and into Advent and Christmas. My mind is blown by the fact that we are already in autumn here in the Northern Hemisphere. I am not quite sure how it happened. But as time continues to rush by and the signs of the new season are upon us, I grapple with the bittersweet feelings of closing one season for another.
I feel that I am ready to move out of summer and into autumn (maybe our southern hemisphere friends are ready to move from winter to spring?!). I enjoy the sun, sunscreen, summer foods, and all the symbols of summer that we focused on in our last theme on Godspace. And there are just as wonderful symbols of autumn and gratitude that I know we will appreciate and enjoy during our next theme of Thanksgiving and Gratitude. But this also means a move of a different sort in my life as well. As my husband and I prepare to move out of Washington and back to California, this change of life season is bittersweet. While the excitement of being close to family and friends is helping us forward, the thought of saying goodbye to other family and other friends is begging me to stay. The possibilities of new community, new neighbors, and new members of the body of Christ are motivating me forward, but the sadness brought by leaving our current community, neighbors, and brothers and sisters in Christ is devastating. These are the folks that helped get us through the pandemic time of isolation when we needed each other most. When our blood relatives and family were 900 miles away in a time of great uncertainty. We became family for one another. I am exceedingly grateful for them.
This change brings about an unexpected change in the timeline for my work as well. At the end of October, I will also leave my work with Tom and Christine on NewChangeMakers.com and Godspacelight.com and Rob and Lilly Lewin on Confessionsofaracialfirstgrader.org and FreerangeWorship.com. What an amazing opportunity it was to work with such lovely, creative, and passionate people!!! I will miss working with each of them and am deeply appreciative of the work that they will continue to do to inspire others, challenge the status quo, and point people to Jesus!
Thank you Godspace readers for the encouragement and comments over the last year and a half! Blessings to you as we continue forward in the changing seasons and fix our eyes on the One who provides comfort, peace, and hope in every transition that we face.
Photo by Fallon Michael on Unsplash
Embark on this healing journey with Christine Sine, Lilly Lewin, and Bethany Dearborn Hiser with the Time to Heal Online Course. Each session is lead by one of our instructors and allows you 180 days of access for only $39.99. The goal of this course is to provide time, space, and tools to work toward healing.
guest post by Glenys Nellist,
I’ll never forget the day I was introduced to a curriculum called Godly Play… I was sitting in a circle, on the floor of a carpeted Sunday school room, along with a group of children as we listened to the storyteller. She told the Bible story slowly, her eyes downward, focused on twelve little wooden characters as she moved them up the mountain. There was a lot of silence. The children listened. They watched, and they wondered. Wondering is a very real part of this kind of environment, where biblical stories are retold, but not explained, and little minds are at work, making meaning out of mystery.And as the storyteller asked the ‘wondering questions,’ the children knew they did not have to answer—because these were just things to ponder. There were no prizes to be earned for the correct response, no popcorn to be won, no gimmicks to entice involvement. Only the wondering…
I wonder how the twelve disciples feel being called to be with Jesus?
I wonder what they said when they told the news of the Kingdom of God?
I wonder how the people felt when they heard it?
And into the space and silence, a little boy ventured a one word response…
Happy
Hmm.. I wonder why they would feel happy? asked the storyteller.
Maybe because it’s good news, he said, smiling.
And then it was my turn to wonder…. how does he know that? How does one so young know that the kingdom of God is good news?
Unless, of course, the kingdom belongs to him?
I left that beautiful lesson that morning, but the lesson never left me. Ever since that day, I have dreamed of writing a Storybook Bible that would include those wonderful, wondering questions. I Wonder: Exploring God’s Grand Story is the realization of that dream.
Each of the thirty stories contained in this illustrated children’s Bible is followed by three I Wonder questions, that invite children to marvel at the great mysteries of the Bible and ponder what their part might be.
It is my hope and prayer that the words of I Wonder will touch young hearts everywhere and call them into God’s grand story.
For children’s ministers and parents who are interested in using I Wonder, check out this free, downloadable Activity and Resource Pack that includes a simple Montessori-based lesson plan which can be adapted for all thirty stories; along with Conversation Cards, Bible Character templates, activities for older and younger children, bookmarks and bookplates. A separate Coloring Sheet Pack is also available.
Watch the video below:
Would you like to win a copy of this new Bible? Simply leave a comment below and/or leave a comment in the Godspace Light Community Facebook group. This giveaway is sponsored by Zonderkidz and is open to US residents with a physical street address, no PO boxes. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.
Bio for Glenys
Glenys Nellist was born and raised in a little village in northern England. The author of multiple children’s books, including the bestselling ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas, The Wonder That is You, and four popular series: Love Letters from God, Snuggle Time, Good News, and Little Mole, her writing reflects a deep passion for helping children discover joy and hope in the world.
Check out the next blog post about I Wonder on September 30th by Mindy Baker: Blog | Mindy Baker Books
Want to experience more of the awe and wonder that God offers us? Check out the Gift of Wonder Online Retreat by Christine Sine. This retreat allows for 180 days of access for only $39.99 so you can move through the sessions at your own pace.
by Christine Sine
I love photographing sunsets and probably have hundreds of photos of sunsets taken all over the world. I am not alone. Sunsets are one of the most commonly photographed things in the world.
A sunset is not primarily a photo opportunity however, it is an invitation to join God in the closing of one day and experience hope at the beginning of the next, a chance to sing and dance and shout for joy at the changing beauty of each moment. They are often spectacular, awe-inspiring, and fill us with hope. No two are the same, and in fact, no 2 minutes of a sunset are the same. They are constantly changing and filling us with awe and I sometimes wonder if when we snap a photo and then walk away we miss the incredible impact of what a sunset is all about.
Mt Rainier at sunset
I thank God for the gift of sunsets, this sometimes wondrous flash of beauty displayed at the end of the day. I thank God too for the sunsets I cannot see, those that are hidden behind clouds and sheets of rain. They too are gifts of light when the world is falling into darkness, gifts to be delighted in as they remind us that the world is entering into rest and it is time to do the same. Unfortunately we rarely hang around long enough to see the sun fully set and allow the darkness of the night to envelope us with this quiet invitation.
We often forget that in the creation story the day ends at sunset and a new day dawns with us going to sleep and God beginning the work of a new day.
Have you ever wondered about what God did in the darkness of those first hours of a new day? For us, a good night’s sleep is so important, in fact, its benefits are amazing. Sleep boost’s our immune system, helps prevent weight gain, strengthens our hearts, improves our mood, improves our memories. It is often during sleep that new ideas germinate and take root. I wonder was this the time when God imagined the creative acts of the coming day? I know God is not like us. Our Creator does not need sleep like we do but I wonder does God need time to dream, imagine, and plan new acts of creation?
Thinking about this over the last few days was a wonderful, awe-inspiring practice for me. It’s autumn here and over this last week it seems that the leaves have changed in an amazing flash of brilliant colour, the waning of the year, that seems to be mirrored in the brilliance of the sunsets. Here too there is hope. Yes, over the next couple of months those brilliant leaves will give way to a pile of dead foliage, but even in that there is the promise of newness. Autumn scatters seeds in the wind, seeds that look for a new place to lodge and grow, and the humus formed by those dying leaves is one of the best ways to both protect and nourish those new seeds.
I love the way that both the end of the day and the waning of the year call us to a time of rest and stillness, a time when we are invited to pause and listen to the whisper of God’s voice in the darkness. Perhaps that is what God is calling all of us to do today and in the days ahead. Spectacular sunsets and brilliant autumn leaves remind us that we need to rest and refresh ourselves so that we enter the new day fully charged, with the energy to do what God calls us to.
Sunset Anacortes WA – Christine Sine
In this last photo I feel as though God is painting in the sky, which seems such an important image to take with me into the night. However, you may prefer one of the other sunset images.
Which of the photos above catches your attention? Focus on it for a couple of minutes. Take a few deep breaths in and out and allow you mind and your body to relax. Put to rest the activities of your day. Put to rest the stress and anxieties of the day. Put to rest all that holds you bound. Commit the coming day into God’s hands and allow yourself to relax into the night and the quiet presence of the God who calls you into rest.
The Spirituality of Gardening Online Course is available for 180 days of access for only $39.99. This interactive course includes video sessions with Christine Sine as well as 8 other guest gardeners. Visit our store page for more information.
This week’s contemplative service with music in the spirit of Taize from St Andrew’s Episcopal Church Seattle.
A contemplative service with music in the spirit of Taize. Carrie Grace Littauer, prayer leader, with music by Kester Limner and Andy Myers.
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-710-756 with additional notes below:
“The Kingdom of God” and “Atme in Uns” are songs from the ecumenical Taize community in France. Copyright and all rights reserved by GIA/Les Presses de Taizé.
“Kyrie” and “Even in Sorrow” are original compositions. Music and lyrics by Kester Limner and Andy Myers, shared under the Creative Commons License, Attribution (CC-BY).
“Tis a Gift to Be Simple” – Traditional words and music from the American Shaker tradition, as found in the public domain.
Thank you for praying with us! www.saintandrewsseattle.org
by Sue Duby,
Ankle biters. I don’t know where Chuck and I first crafted that phrase or where it came from. We just know they are… and that we get bitten more often than we would dare care to admit.
It’s like my morning rounds in the garden to pull off those pesky Japanese beetles that all too quickly devour my roses. As I tip toe among the plants, I feel nothing. Until… five minutes later, back in the cool air conditioning, my legs itch like crazy. Tiny mosquitoes (I never see them!) craftily camp in low clumps of garden greens. The record to date… 10 welts per leg… all in one short round!
I smiled pondering this and realized that the phrase itself explains a lot. My ankles are down so low… almost to the ground. I don’t spend much time thinking about them and am generally unaware of how they are doing… unless, of course, I twist one and feel pain. I don’t stand watching my ankles in the garden, waiting for a mosquito, else I can’t get on with my beetle-grabbing duties. I guess it makes ankles a prime target!
I wish my only ankle biters were mosquitoes. A bit of bug spray or anti-itch cream would quickly take care of it. Sadly, the real ankle biters that get me are emotional and spiritual. Those unexpected “bites”, that suddenly jolt me into varied measures of discouragement, self-doubt or fear. The ones that lead me down a trail of not-so-great thoughts, before I’m even aware how I got there.
In this season, I’ve purposed to try new things, explore new joys and be bolder. I gave myself a lecture in the process: ”Don’t worry about how things turn out or where they will lead. Don’t worry what anyone else may think. Don’t rate your efforts… just enjoy the journey”. No problem… in theory!
I love flowers and I love creating. That led me to a delightful batch of YouTube videos on water color flowers. I set up a table by a sunny window, found some paints and brushes on sale, played quiet music, and mixed some happy colors. One session and I was hooked. I felt peace and joy. My creations made me smile and I even shared them with family and friends (not to get a rating, just to share my fun discovery). A few weeks down the road, the ankle biters hit.
One day, I excitedly held a brand new brush, ready to follow a video on summer flowers. A young mom, who clearly loved painting, began demonstrating steps for tulips. Ankle biter #1 (out of nowhere): “All these videos are from young gals. I’m not that… and I’ll never be as good.” I followed along until my tulips were complete. Ankle biter #2: “My tulips look like watermelons! I’ll never get this right.” Then I dared to turn off the video and try to create my own version of a lily. Ankle biter #3: “That’s a big orange mess. Doesn’t look much like the photo I copied!”. Suddenly, I felt it – that old battle with perfectionism (thought that one had been put to rest!). Ready to quit. My joy totally sapped. A weight of “work” (trying to make it right) replaced freedom to create.
I’ve been down this trail before… many times. Always the choice looms… to give in to the ankle biters and wallow in misery or remember what I’ve learned before, what’s true and move on with a smile. Some days I choose well. Other days, not so much.
Just a few months before, I’d exclaimed to a friend, “I know it’s in me, how God made me, and it just needs to come out. I don’t really care what it’s for or if anyone sees it, I just need to create”. No performance. No scoring results. No wondering what others might think. Just doing something that brought me joy. How very quickly ankle biters can fog what we know to be true.
Each of us are fearfully and wonderfully made – hand-crafted with love, affection, and purpose. (Psalm 139:14) “Fearfully” means with honor, reverence, and respect. The very notion! That God honors and respects me and did so when He created me. Not just “OK”, but made “wonderfully” – distinct, separated, and distinguished. That’s for all of us! Each unique, true wonders, designed by the only One who can perfectly design and create.
And that’s not all. There’s a little nudge at the beginning of that verse I tend to forget… ”I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (NIV). I know in my head what’s true, but do I actually stop to truly thank Him for crafting me the way He did (agreeing with Him in my heart)? Acknowledging His amazing work is life-giving… especially when that work is me!
I know ankle biters will always be lurking. However, I’ve tasted the gift of discovering how He made me and rediscovering truths to guide me back to a place of rest and joy. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty”(Psalm 91:1). I may feel those nips (and sometimes pay too much attention to them)… but I trust He’ll continue to strengthen the muscle that allows me to choose to dwell, rest, and continue tasting His joy in the unfolding journey of this life He’s given me.
Join us on September 29th at 9am PST for the Facebook Live session with Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin. The recording will be available on YouTube later today if you cannot join live.
I take a lot of photographs. I will see something that inspires me and take several shots. That’s the beauty of the phone! You don’t have to worry about using up film or making a mistake. You can keep what you like and leave the rest.
I use art and photography to inspire me to pray. It’s become a prayer practice. Art is a part of our thinplaceNASHVILLE gathering too. We use slides shows of art to pray with and we go to art museums and art exhibits and let the Holy Spirit speak to us through the different art pieces on display. This past week, I discovered a great resource for both individual and corporate use in worship. The Vanderbilt Divinity School already put together slide shows of art and scripture to go with the Sunday lectionary readings. I’ve used the art from their website before, but this past week was the first time we did a prayer meditation with the pre-made slide show. It was a fantastic addition to our gathering! The process of using art and/or looking at an object or photograph is called visio divina. You look at a photo, painting, or other visual item and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you. This link will take you to a PDF with more details on the practice if you want them. For our time today, I’ve selected some of my own photos and one from the Vanderbilt Slide Show to inspire you to try out Visio Divina. You can also pray with the lectionary slide show for this week, Begin HERE
Look through the series of photos below and the one above. Which one do you notice first? Which one speaks to you?
Look at each photograph and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you through it… LOOK FIRST.
What do you see? What do you notice? What is God’s invitation to you through this photograph?
AFTER YOU PICK YOUR PHOTO…
Then use the questions to help you pray or take time to answer the questions in your journal.
Are you feeling parked these days, like the truck in the photo above? Or, are you back on the road feeling overly busy?
What road is Jesus inviting you to try out? Or, do you need to stay parked and enjoy the view?
What if God is giving you the gift of the sunset every day, just for you? How does that make you feel?
michigan sunset
LOCK
How are you feeling locked out? What needs to be opened in your life? Talk to Jesus about this.
barbed wire
What pain are you feeling today? What pain or suffering in our world can you give to Jesus to carry for you? Pray for suffering places or people.
Often we focus on the barbed wire and not on the open field behind it… why is that?
Iona doorway
What is the new doorway you are being invited to walk through today? Are you willing to walk into new territory with Jesus?
Brazilian street artist, Eduardo Kobra, paints beautiful murals. This one is called “Looking for Peace”. How are you looking for peace these days? Who helps you find it? How can you be a peacemaker in your community?
Looking for Peace
Fall is in the air. What excites you about this new season? What inspires you? Ask Jesus for new inspiration.
fall gourds
The water refreshes, calms, or crashes against the beach. For many, the beach or being near water is a chance to be with God. Take time to remember a favorite time near water. What were the feelings and emotions? Take time to thank Jesus for the beauty of the place. Maybe you are feeling alone today, like this seagull, talk to Jesus about this. What can you learn from the beach or from the bird, the seagull?
seagull at the beach
Now your turn to take photos. Take time this week to get outside and take some photos. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you through what you notice along your walk. Take several photos throughout the week and then sit down and look through them. What do you notice? What is the invitation from Jesus? What colors or symbols stand out? Take time to be still and be grateful for the simple beauty that is all around you!
If it’s too wet or it’s just nasty weather, find an online art museum or go to a gallery and look at the art. Walk through and find one that speaks to you and stand or sit in front of it and allow God to speak to you.
Share what you notice and what you learn with a friend!
Art is a reflection of God’s creativity, and evidence that we are made in the image of God.
Francis Shaeffer
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
Embark on this healing journey with Christine Sine, Lilly Lewin, and Bethany Dearborn Hiser with the Time to Heal Online Course. Each session is lead by one of our instructors and allows you 180 days of access for only $39.99. The goal of this course is to provide time, space, and tools to work toward healing.
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