Practicing Gratitude

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” (Ps 95:2-3)

Being grateful isn’t something that comes naturally. We’re inherently selfish and focused on ourselves. We don’t always feel thankful. There are a lot of bad things happening in this world, and it’s sometimes hard to figure out how to be thankful in the midst of them.

Learning to be grateful takes practice. When faced with a trial or an unexpected bump in the road, my first thought is never how thankful I am for the difficulty or inconvenience. How I wish it were! Turning my mind from my struggles and onto the things for which I’m thankful allows me to grow closer to God and to receive physical and psychological benefits. Continue reading “Practicing Gratitude”

Fear of Clowns and Other Lessons Learned at Halloween

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. (Ps 9:10)

My fear of clowns began in 1982 when I was five years old. For Halloween that year, my mom, who designed and sewed many of my clothes, made me a clown costume. I can still remember how thrilled I was. It was so cute – a little red costume with a frilly white collar, frilly white cuffs at the feet, and bright yellow buttons. I couldn’t wait to wear it trick-or-treating. Continue reading “Fear of Clowns and Other Lessons Learned at Halloween”

Honoring My Grandma’s Legacy on Her 100th Birthday

“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (Prov 31:31

If my grandma Rena were still with us, she would have turned 100 on September 1. I could tell you story after story about her and her love for life and her fun personality. But what I remember most is her love for people and for Jesus. She is the person who taught me the most about the value of relationships. Continue reading “Honoring My Grandma’s Legacy on Her 100th Birthday”

Anticipation

This post was originally published in my newsletter, Staci Mauney, Author, on August 10, 2018.

“Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Mt 24:44)

I stayed at my parents’ house recently while they went to visit my brother and his wife in Georgia. Lilly watched the door faithfully, and any noise from that direction of the house caused her to run as quickly as possible to see what was happening. She waited in anticipation for my parents to come through the door, and when they didn’t, she would go back to her spot on the couch, her eyes trained on the door, believing they would come through at any moment. Continue reading “Anticipation”

Growing as a Leader

“…but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Tim 4:12)

I’ve never considered myself a leader. I believed that because I’m an introvert and quiet, I couldn’t be a leader. Over the last few years, I’ve recognized that for the lie that it is. Introverts may lead differently than extroverts, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t good leaders. We’re often motivated by productivity, not ambition, and we tend to build meaningful, lasting connections with people. Continue reading “Growing as a Leader”