30 Day Praise Challenge, Week 1

Have you ever read a book and felt like the author wrote it just for you?  That’s how I have felt each day as I’ve read through Becky Harling’s book, the 30 Day Praise Challenge, over the past few days.  There are specific things in each day that we are encouraged to praise God for.  I’ll share with you a few things that I’ve gleaned from each day.

day 1:
I was feeling particularly inadequate on this day regarding caring for Mason.  He had two therapy sessions back to back that day and by the time it was over, I was emotionally spent.  How was I ever going to help him learn how to talk?  And, how would I be able to do it?  I was at unrest in my spirit about caring for my son.

Then, I read these words:  “Every time you feel an uncertain angst in your soul, praise God immediately that He will give you discernment for that moment.”

I definitely need God’s wisdom, and if I can learn to praise God in advance, I would avoid unnecessary grumbling in my spirit.  He promises wisdom; I need only to ask.

day 2:
Tired is an understatement these days.  I’m sure you all can relate!  Life is busy and there are certain seasons for each of us that are more taxing than normal; I’m in one of those more taxing seasons.  And it’s not just physical weariness, although I do feel that.  There’s a soul-weary that comes from challenges, changes, circumstances we didn’t expect, etc.

In Becky’s prayer that day she says, “I praise You that when I feel exhausted, You invite me to rest in You, reassuring me that You are not demanding or harsh in Your expectations for me.”

We have strength from a God who never grows tired or weary.

day 3:
This day was all about praising God for how He has made us.  Quite timely for me, who is hanging onto more pregnancy weight than I want to right now.  It was a good reminder to me that we were created in God’s image, not to be skinny and feel good about myself, but God designed us “to reflect Your {God’s} beauty in a world that is often not very beautiful.”

day 4:
There have been periods of time over the past 18 months, since finding out our son had Down Syndrome, that I have struggled with his condition more than others.  This fall has been particularly challenging for some reason.  Over the past two weeks, though, Mason has crossed some major milestones {I’ll share more on that later this week}. I have really been thinking on the kindness of God–He always seems to give me encouragement just when I need it.

Then, I read, “Perhaps, just when you felt you couldn’t handle the challenge of having a child with special needs, you experienced an unexpected breakthrough.”  Yes!  That’s exactly what happened!  Even when things feel unfair or hard, God is always kind.

day 5:
God never changes.  This was the theme today and I needed that reminder.  We are facing some changes in our family in the coming months, and I have tried not to think about them because I start to become anxious about the unknowns.

I love the verse that Becky ended the day with:  Psalm 26:1 says, “I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.”

I want to be able to say that.  Even when I am facing all sorts of uncertainties, I don’t want my trust in God to falter.

In summary, I am thoroughly enjoying this book.  I’m being challenged, blessed, and I find myself praising God more even in the mundane things that I do each day.  My heart is being turned to praise more and more.

If you’re joining in this month’s challenge, I’d love to hear what you’ve learned so far!  Feel free to share in the comments, or you can email me: onlyfromscratch at gmail dot com