Gratitude

Gratitude


Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

–Colossians 3:16 NIV

The definition of gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation. With Thanksgiving Day barely behind us, there is a desire in many of us for the joy and gratitude of this time to linger on past just a few days or so. While Thanksgiving Day is often spent with family and friends or just quietly alone in observance, it gives us a reason to stop and ponder the blessings of the past year. God’s blessings don’t always arrive on our doorstop with great fanfare though. Sometimes it is the simplest of things that we can see God’s hand in. I believe that if we look carefully, we can see God in the big and little things in our day. It is so easy to take responsibility and credit ourselves for all the good that happens. Yes, our efforts do not go unnoticed, but all good things come from God.

So you might ask, when things get tough, is that God, too? The answer is that He allows things at times to build us up. Make us stronger. Build spiritual muscle. But it doesn’t matter what is happening at the moment. The real key to having a heart of gratitude is to be grateful no matter how good or bad things are. Genuine gratitude doesn’t succumb to disappointment or that feeling of lack. Maybe things aren’t going well at all, but there is always at least one thing that we can be grateful for like having a Heavenly Father that loves us so much. Gratitude also promotes joy. Some of the richest, joy-filled people I know don’t appear to have any luxuries in life, yet they are grateful for each day and the opportunity to serve God in peace. To develop a heart of gratitude, we might think of something to be grateful for during this time of Thanksgiving and offer our thanks to God for all He has done and continues to do.

November

November


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
November 17, 2010

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. –Colossians 3:16 NIV

This is the best time of year to be at the beach! I like when I can have it all to myself. The quiet walks, the dampness of the salt air enveloping me, the warmth of the sun despite the wind makes up a typical November day. There is nothing better to me than hot coffee and a big breakfast before stepping outside. It seems that only the real “tried and true” beach lovers remain in the final weeks of autumn before the winter chill chases us all indoors.

Thanksgiving dinners, buffets and desserts are just days away. November is the perfect month to count our blessings. Oh yes, some people have more than others. But that is not the point to want what we don’t have or to envy those that do have. If financial problems or relationship issues plague us or even health concerns pop up, it can be hard to focus on what is right, instead of what is wrong. But the challenge is to be grateful for the place that we are in and to find the blessing in it. With feeling blessed comes the gift of peace. There is nothing greater than to live in God’s Peace. We are taught to trust Him and give Him our concerns. To live in expectant hope for the future, to know we are forgiven of the past and to live in the present, with His Word close to our heart. While the calendar says that Thanksgiving is just one day, the spirit of it can live much longer in our hearts, our spirits and our actions. Not only am I grateful to receive God’s blessings, I will ask today that God use me to be a blessing to someone He puts in my path. God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving



Bodie Island Lighthouse

Bodie Island Lighthouse


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
November 10, 2010

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; -Psalm 55:22a (NIV)

On my way to Oregon Inlet to take photographs of the beautiful fishing boats, I ducked into the little road leading to the Bodie Island Lighthouse for a quick look at the current renovations. How amazing it looks to see that old lighthouse shrouded in scaffolding from top to bottom and from what I understand on the inside as well. This lighthouse was actually built in 1872 so I think you could say this total overhaul is overdue! Locals know that the correct pronunciation of the lighthouse sounds likes the word “body” as opposed to using a long o for the word Bodie. The name goes back to the Body family that named the land Bodies Island where the lighthouse stands today Located in Nags Head just 4 miles north of Oregon Inlet, the original Fresnel lens provided light until it was upgraded to an electric lamp in 1932 and then became fully automated in 1953. As part of the renovation, the Fresnel lens is being restored and will be re-installed. On our many evening drives throughout Nags Head, it was always special to see the light in the night sky and it will be special to see it again when the work is complete.

Renew, revive, refresh, refurbish, renovate. All of these words mean the same thing. Each day when we wake up we have the opportunity to be refreshed and start anew. When we add to each day the worries and concerns from yesterday, last week or last year, the day is heavy laden before it even begins. Our foundation begins to sag from the weight of the oppression, fear and worry that collects in our spirit over time. Don’t you just wish sometimes that you could shake off those nagging things that occupy your mind that takes up space and robs you of your energy? The good news is we can give all our cares and burdens to God. It lightens our load. If we truly trust Him, we know He won’t forsake us. Wasted time feeling weighed down is fruitless to Christian living. Do the work to put aside the things you cannot change. Give it to God instead. Live according to His Word. Be grateful. Give and do unto Him. He will replenish us daily when we shelter ourselves in the glow of His Light. When we receive His Light, it is ours to share with those still in the darkness.

Cottage Row

Cottage Row


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
November 03, 2010

He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

-Isaiah 33:6 NIV

I awoke to find that the light of day was merging with the night sky to form pink swirls of light dancing in and out of the clouds at sunrise. It was the perfect setting for a morning with my camera to capture as many moments in the morning light as possible. In my opinion, there is nothing more that typifies the Outer Banks than the historic cottages of Nags Head. Known as the “unpainted aristocracy” they have weathered the test of time. These homes intrigue me and I find myself wondering what it must have been like to spend summers there many years ago. Many of the homes are still owned by the families that built them in the early 1900’s. Their appearance is what is known today as the “Nags Head Style” of architecture. The hip-roofed porches, gray shingles, wide railings, and shutters add to the charm of these majestic summer homes built on pilings. Parking my car across the street from this area known also as “Cottage Row”, I was hoping to get to the beach unnoticed so that I could take photographs of the morning sun casting light on the homes and sea oats. A kindly homeowner reminded me I was on private property as I made my way, but with my apologies, thankfully he allowed me to continue. I found a family sitting on their old porch drinking morning coffee. We exchanged greetings and a wave. I thought in a moment that they were truly “living the life”! The seagulls flying by were noisy and their commotion added to the sounds so familiar of the shore. These historic homes are not built in a row. They look staggered and some have dunes in front of them and others do not. A photographer’s delight is to capture the uniqueness of it all in a single shot but it is impossible. All homes have sand fences here and there around the property and near the beach to encourage the sand to build up and not blow away, offering more protection. The amazing thing about these cottages is the fact they are still standing. Don’t we presume to know more today about construction with all the knowledge, technology and tools available to us? Yet, with limited resources and simply good ideas and the work of one’s hands, wonderful homes were constructed to last and they have done just that. Over 40 homes are considered part of this historic district now, and each certainly has its own story to tell.

It is all in the intention, wisdom and knowledge, I believe. Our spirituality is much the same. Internet offers a whole world of informational resources to build our faith, if we are willing to search for it. On Sunday mornings, television is largely devoted to preachers of all faiths. Radio broadcasts and podcasts are free and available to anyone seeking. Bookstores have books on every subject to guide us through our life according to the Bible’s teachings and the authors’ interpretation. Yet, it all comes down to what we are willing to do ourselves. It boils down to the Bible, our relationship with God and what we believe. The single carpenter from Elizabeth City, Stephen J. Twine, who was the builder of the “unpainted aristocracy”, didn’t have the fancy tools of today that we believe we can’t live without, but he found a way and did it with excellence. The same is true of our faith…we often times don’t think to just sit quietly with our Bible on our lap and talk to God. We want to make it too complicated and then offer excuses that we couldn’t make time because we are so busy. Simple faith is all that we need to have as our foundation to live in this world. Much we don’t know or understand, but if we believe with all our heart and seek God, we can weather the storms that we certainly will endure in our time. I know from experience that He gives us hope when we are hopeless. He lifts us up when we are down. He loves us when no one else does. He is Everything. We might stumble along the way in our life’s journey, but like those old cottages, they have made it all these years though hurricanes and nor’easters because of how they were built. We can be assured if we do the foundational work to stay close to God and abide in Him daily, we will continue to stand tall and not fall, too.

Bait

Bait


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
October 23, 2010

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. -John 15:4a NIV

I remember the first time my husband took me into a bait and tackle shop. It was years ago and he thought pier fishing could be something we could do together. I was game. It sounded fun. With each of us purchasing a brand new rod and reel and shiny lures of all kinds to place in our big new tackle box with pull out compartments, we were on our way. Early the next morning we went to the pier. Armed with a thermos full of coffee, we paid at the counter and asked the Nice Man what the fish were biting on….in other words…what bait should we use? As my husband talked to the Nice Man, I walked towards the pier to find a good spot for us to set up. When my husband walked towards me I could see he had a bag he just purchased. He said it was the bait. Still with enthusiasm, I got ready for my first pier fishing experience. And then I saw them…..a bag of BLOODWORMS. For me, the day was over before it began! Growing up, I was never a tomboy so the idea of playing with worms didn’t appeal to me then and certainly not that day on the pier! Within minutes, my role changed from fishing partner to fetcher. I fetched more coffee, got the newspaper when there was a lull in activity, I went back to the car for a wide brimmed hat for shade and more suntan lotion. Most of all though, I enjoyed seeing my husband happy and became his cheerleader when he reeled in his catch, one after the other. I realize by now you probably won’t be surprised if I tell you I had to turn my head when he took the fish off the hook!

One definition for the word “bait” is allurement or enticement. I can look back and see where I have been lured into things or doing something that wasn’t good for me in the end. The enemy can be quite convincing when he wants to take us down the wrong road. What I know is that sometimes wonderful things appear to be in our future. Is it “bait” from the enemy or is it God bringing us the desires of our heart and promoting us with his blessings? At times, it is hard to know. The best way to handle these decisions as they come before us is to put our hope in God, trust Him and walk forward. If God wants us to continue on, he opens every door and places a feeling on the inside of us of comfort and peace. But if it is not of God and we are being “baited”, we will know because there will be warning signs. Things won’t appear right. We won’t have peace. When we abide in God and He in us, then we can be confidant that we have all that we need on the inside of us to make important decisions and choices. So how do we come to a place where we “abide”? It is daily prayer and reading His Word. Growing spiritually helps us to recognize the difference between when God is leading us or when we are being lured.

Turn It Around

Turn It Around


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
October 20, 2010

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! -Isaiah 30:18 NIV

It has always been fun for our family to wrap up the day by making a trip to the docks to see what the deep sea fishing boats have brought in. With every boat that leaves the marina and heads out to sea, it must at some point turn around and come back at the end of the journey. It's exciting to stand at the edge of the water watching the activity of the boats coming back into the marina, each taking their turn as only one can enter the opening at a time. Occasionally they will wave and we will wave back. The fishermen are dressed warmly and look tired and tanned, but content. People gather around to hear the days stories of the sea. A chill in the air is felt as the warm sun begins to fade on the day. The helpers scurry around with hoses to wash the salt spray n off the boats and to clean the decks in preparation for tomorrow.

I went deep sea fishing once. Yes, I say once. I was hoping that the captain would turn it around and take me back to land ,which I was sure would cure my seasickness. Yes, I am one of those people!! But at least I have been able to capture some of the excitement of the sport from the docks at days' end since then.

This week there has been a song in my heart. It is about asking God to turn things around. To open the doors of heaven and pour our blessings. Yes, that has been my prayer this week, as well. The upcoming change of season has always been a call, a reminder if you will, to clean things up and sweep out the door anything that is not of God. In essence, its an act of faith to come closer to God. Old sin habits, old ways of thinking and in general, an attitude that is fruitless is of no benefit to anyone and is useless to God. We have to be willing to take the first step to “turn it around” . When we humble ourselves before Him with our repentant heart, He willingly receives us. We are coming into the season of harvest. God has so much to give us, so much to offer us. God is a God who restores. He heals. He forgives. He performs miracles. He pulls us up and over. He is gracious.

Sea Oats

Sea Oats


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
October 13, 2010

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

 –Hebrews 11:1 NIV

October is when the sea oats are at their most beautiful and majestic in my opinion. The stalks have grown tall and the oats are perfectly formed to create a mass of gold. They protect the dunes from erosion because their roots run deep into the sand. The dictionary says that the root of any plant is the part that develops and grows downward into the soil. It anchors the plant and absorbs nutrients and moisture, all necessary elements for life. While we enjoy the display of gold waving back and forth in the rustling autumn breezes, we are thankful that the root system is strong enough to produce the beauty we enjoy this time of year. We may not be able to see what is going on deep in the sand as roots reach out and anchor themselves to gain strength and stability, but we know the work is being done because of what we can see with our eyes above ground.

Faith is something we simply can’t live without. It is our root system. The discipline of reading the Bible, going to church and saying our prayers is not in vain. We are being fed spiritually when we seek God and His Ways, which in turn builds our faith. You might go days, weeks, months or even years and feel like you are sailing along just fine and then suddenly your faith is tested. And that moment is when you know if you can weather the storm or not based on the strength of your faith. Do we understand why some things happen just because we have faith? No, sometimes things aren’t clear. Again, we need faith to accept the things we cannot change, the things we don’t understand. And more importantly, we need to live by faith so not to remain in that place of fear, crisis or concern. We need faith to rise up in order to move up and over the problem. Can anyone ever have enough faith? Just think of the root system of that swaying sea oat. It never stops working at staying alive. When that root system strives to stay healthy and alive, it thrives.

October

October

Reflections by the Sea
Betsy Ore Glass
Ocober 6, 2010 


The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

–Psalm 28:7 NIV



October is a wonderful time to be at the beach in my opinion. The days are shorter, the nights are cooler. Goldenrod is in full bloom with its mustard colored flowers growing wild here and there. Sea oats look rich in a golden amber hue as they wave back and forth on the dunes in the ocean breezes. Salt spray covers everything. Where tourists once sunbathed on the summer beaches, large flocks of pelicans and gulls have reclaimed those places as their own again. It is sweatshirt weather on most mornings. Pots of seafood chowders and stews are put on simmer all day for early autumn suppers to stave off the evening chill. October spells pure joy to me as it is the one month that everything seems to be just perfect on the Outer Banks.

For a while, I have collected everything I could find with the word “joy” written on it. Tree ornaments, plaques, magnets and more. I use these little messages throughout my home as a daily reminder to stay in joy and not complain or find fault with myself or others. I have learned that it doesn’t take much to get hooked into the emotion of complaining and grumpiness and that is a trap the enemy uses to steal our joy. We have to be on guard against this happening. My favorite definition of joy is “the expression or display of glad feelings”. Being filled with joy can cause us to want to do and share good things for those around us. It is like having a new song on the inside of us. When we can, I think we are supposed to spread our joy outward and see how God uses it to make positive changes in our lives and the lives of others.