Gratitude - Day 6

Today's guest post is from Kalyn Gustafson ... "I am a wife to my best friend, Jake, and mama to a spunky 3 year old girl.  It should also be stated that I am, for better or worse, a Seattleite to the core.  I love taking advantage of all this beautiful city has to offer, being crafty, throwing parties, and probably spend too much time on Pinterest as a result.  I am so thrilled to take part in Common Table's journey from the very beginning and to see what God is going to do through us in the city I love."

 

 

 

It would be an understatement to say that my childhood wasn't ideal.  For all intents and purposes, I shouldn't have the skills to have such a loving, healthy, family as an adult- something many of those who know my story remind me of constantly.  All I ever wanted growing up was to walk through the front door knowing what to expect on the other side.  God gave me that and so very much more.  It is only through His grace and love that I was able to accept and give unconditional love in my marriage and it is only through His teaching and molding of my heart that I can be proud of the mother I have become.  God has placed so many lessons and people in my path to fill in the gaps that my early years left. I am constantly astonished and grateful that the Creator of the universe has an interest in healing my broken heart.  Not a day goes by that I am not, for a moment, in thankful awe of such tender love and greatness.

Gratitude - Day 5

Today's guest post is from Theresa Craw, a Seattle native who is a good friend, member of our prayer support team and a great softball player (in my opinion)

 

 

On the eve of my 40^th birthday I find myself the most grateful I’ve ever been.  God has blessed with a healthy baby-to-be, due just after the New Year.  He’s also blessed with me with a rock-star family and friends who are already serving as my village.  When I sometimes worry about how I can best serve this child as a single parent, God doesn’t let me worry too long before he helps me remember that I am not alone.  He is here with me and this wonderful baby is part of His plan.  More than ever, I also find myself blessed that I was fortunate enough to grow up in a church community.  From a very early age my Grandma Grace made sure I attended my church’s elementary school and Sunday school and that the word of God was part of my everyday life.  It’s a gift that I will pass on to my child – the blessing of knowing that God loves us no matter what and that when we let the grace of God shine through our words and actions, those around us are blessed.  A Bible verse has surfaced as my new favorite, and through God’s love is how I pray that I can live my life and guide my family:  Phillipians 2:3-4, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.  Thank you Jesus, for all the blessings of my life.  Please provide me the strength and courage to follow your will and the compassion and love to live a life of humility and service of others.

Gratitude - Day 4

Today's post is by Dan Jacobs, the normal keeper of this blog.  A husband of 29 years, father of 2 great adults, papa to 2 (and one in process) incredible grand kids... Long time blogger, long time pastor, short time church planter, lover of craft beer, I am constantly amazed by grace and Gods ability to paint with broken brushes.

On a sunny Monday morning, I am blessed by the presence of my granddaughter (Princess Lily ).  She, along with her cousin (Prince Aiden), are reminders of what unconditional love looks like.  To be greeted with arms and smiles wide open, is to experience grace in all its fullness.  Nearly every encounter with them is a whisper that pierces the noise that has tends to fill my soul with self doubt and questioned worth.  On a sunny Monday, for this day, the whisper is so much louder than the noise... I feel the love so far beyond even theirs... And I'm grateful 

Gratitude - day 3

Todays thoughts on gratitude come from Common Table member Jake Gustafson who writes

 

"I am an East Coast transplant who now calls Seattle home. I get to share my life with my lovely and talented wife K and our adorable and bright 3 year-old daughter Elle. God has called our family to be part of this amazing church plant and share Christ's love with all of the people in this amazing city. My favorite past times include running, discovering new microbrews, and enjoying Seattle."

As I reflect on what I am grateful today during this journey I think about this quote by Albert Schweitzer.

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."

I think about the times in my life when I have had my light rekindled. I am grateful for those people, especially my beautiful and loving wife K. It was through her that God reconnected with me and started me on my journey back home. I will always be grateful for the way Jesus used my wife to be the spark in my life. As I continue on my spiritual journey I understand that God uses both the times when my light is out and when it is lit as an opportunity to work in my life.

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Gratitude - day 2

Todays guest post is offered by Joanne (pronounced Joanie) Jacobs.  Besides being my wife of 29+ years, dedicated mom to two great adult children and a loving, crazy gramma to two (with another on the way), She holds the crucial role of "Community Facilitator" for Common Table.  In this role she is able to flourish in hospitality, the culinary arts and all things that build community both inside and outside of Common Table.

 

 

 

Gratitude.... What a word, I think about what that means as I sit in a place that I never thought I would be in. I am grateful for a partner to share this journey with and for friends that have supported not just myself but the dream of a vibrant growing community of faith in South Lake Union. More people being able to find and live out the story that the author of all stories has written for them, I am grateful to be able to play a part in that. More importantly I am grateful for those that will meet him maybe for the first time and allow their story to be intertwined with his and allow their lives to forever be changed. I am feeling grateful ....grateful for so much but also grateful that I am willing to listen to that voice inside my head and heart that encourages me to be willing to allow God to continue to write me into the pages of His story. Is that as easy as it sounds? Absolutely not. Will I continue? Absolutely! Scared....excited...amazed....scared again.....but most of all grateful.

 

 



"I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus"             The apostle Paul writing in Philippians 1:3-6

 



Gratitude - day 1

"To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives- the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections- that requires hard spiritual work"

Henri Nouwen

 

 

Today on this first day of gratitude, I realize that all of life, not just the parts I choose, go into my formation.  I am grateful that, with an investment in the work of gratitude for these 30 days, I can look forward to an altered heart and rejuvenated spirit.

A month of gratitude

According to Brennan Manning, "It is simply not possible to be simultaneously grateful and resentful or full of self pity".  I believe this to be true ... I also believe that those who follow Jesus do not model a life of gratitude nearly enough for a broken and hurting world.  People do not need any more relationships in their lives that are based solely around commiserating with perceived trials and challenges.  We don't need any more "life sucks then you die" fed into our lives.  Resentful and self pity are becoming the norm, like the concrete skies of a Seattle winter.  Gratitude is like a sunbreak when all that is expected are clouds. 
We have much to be grateful for here in the earliest days of Common Table.  The most obvious, for me, is that we would even be entrusted to a task so large and eternal in nature as the establishment of a new church community.  For that we are exceedingly grateful...but there are more involved and invested in this eternal effort than Joanie and I.  Locally, we have a growing core of people who are becoming the hands and feet of Jesus in the neighborhood.  Beyond the local, we have an ever widening team of people who have invested in us through prayer and or financial support.  During the month of November, as a unified expression of gratitude to the one who makes all things possible, members of our team, both locally and beyond, will be sharing posts on this blog.  The posts here will be as diverse as the people who are posting them...the only thing the same will be the feelings of gratitude behind them.
We, those of the Common Table, invite you to enjoy, to meditate, be inspired and encouraged to interact with each of these.  Please comment freely and share these posts and this blog everywhere its needed.