The Rescued Letters

Heather M. Dixon: Bible Studies & Bucket-List Living for Women with Courage

Courage

Live with Courage

  • Did you know that you can categorize the Psalms into seven different types? One of those types are Psalms of Thanksgiving, so I wanted to share some of them with you as we celebrate Thanksgiving in the states. Here are ten Thanksgiving Psalms that I'm reading this week: . Psalm 18 Psalm 30 Psalm 32 Psalm 34 Psalm 40 Psalm 66 Psalm 92 Psalm 116 Psalm 118 Psalm 138 . As we turn our hearts toward gratitude, may we see God as the giver of all good things and thank Him for His faithfulness.
  • My goal in prayer this week: saying thank you before I see it answered.
  • Okay let's talk about two things: . 1 - we have a TEENAGER in the house. This guy turned 13 yesterday but we were too busy celebrating and playing hockey and then going to more hockey to post anything about it. Happy birthday Thomas! . 2 - Disney+ - do you have it? What have you watched? We got it, obvi. And so far we've watched Steamboat Willy, Brain Games, Encore, Bedknobs & Broomsticks - twice, Beauty & the Beast, and a lot of Marvel things (#teamcap)
  • "This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24 NLT . Our time on earth is measured. We should want to make every moment count—not only because we aren’t guaranteed the next one, but also because this is exactly how our Savior spent His time here. He was determined to rescue you. . Life is precious. You are precious. Go into this day knowing that you are seen and loved. . 👉From: Determined: Living Like Jesus in Every Moment, my six-week Bible study on Luke. . #determinedstudy
  • On repeat.
  • Stream of consciousness for today: I flew on a plane. I survived flying on a plane. I had little issues flying on a plane (except for probably a ruptured eardrum, but that's another story). I can fly on another plane. I CAN GO BACK TO PARIS. And spend my day walking through this charming street market and come home with every kind of cheese and these perfect little grapes. Today is a good day.
  • I'm showing my age here, but remember playing records on your record machine? If you're not old enough to remember, just google it;) My first record was a Mickey Mouse exercise routine. Anyone surprised by this? Ha! . Anyhoo, you place the record onto the machine and drop the needle into a groove to get it playing. And as long as the needle stays in that groove, the record plays on. Unless...your brother is playing football in the house and his aim is off and his ball knocks the needle off the record. The needle scratches and the song is over. . My brain is like that when I am struggling with anxiety. . It's stuck in a groove and I need a needle scratch. So I've got to trick my brain to think in a new groove. To do that, I start pointing out obvious things around me. . The carpet is blue. The sun is shining. My shirt is wrinkled. We are out of milk. . However many basic and obvious things I've got to point out until my thoughts settle, I keep doing it. . But I don't stop there. . Then I open my Bible and start filling my brain with verses that settle my heart. It's a new groove pattern and it works to calm my breathing and shift my focus on Him, instead of my anxious thoughts. . Someone mentioned a comment in an earlier post this week about listening to music also. What are some of your favorite songs to listen to when you are anxious?
  • The customer rang the bell from behind the counter. I hustled to the front from the back of the bakery. The manager had taken off that afternoon and I was the only one in the little sweet shop. Expecting to help the customer choose a cookie or a cupcake for an afternoon treat, I was shocked when she asked for her daughter’s birthday cake. . We had no birthday cakes that were decorated and ready to go in the freezer in the back. I checked again, just to be sure. No. No decorated birthday cakes. I apologized profusely to the mother while my brain furiously tried to come up with a suitable solution. The bakery’s owner had forgotten to decorate the cake. . I was the cookie baker. This was my role. Arrive early. Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs. Add flour and seasonings. Roll, cut, spoon the cookies onto the baking sheet and into the oven they go. And repeat. Newbie baker that I was, I had not graduated to the cake-decorating role as of yet. But the frazzled mother was standing in the bakery on her way to Sayer’s fourth birthday party. I could not let her leave empty-handed. . Twenty minutes later, I emerged from the back, covered in powdered sugar and pink icing. Sayer would have her birthday cake. That was the day I learned that I had a bit of talent in the cake-decorating arena. . Sometimes, we are prepared for the unknown and sometimes we are thrust into it blindly. Either way, we would be wise to recognize when it’s our turn to take the lead. If we’re listening, God will tell us when it’s time. . With God’s guidance, we must chart our own course. You must be solely and exactly who God designed you to be, and not someone else. God has designed and equipped you to do a very specific job at a very specific time in a very specific place. . Chin up if you are facing a new task today. I'm rooting for you, always. . #readystudy