Overcoming the Turmoil in Our World: Coffee Sips and Lovely Links

Between the women's march, "vagina hats", talks of Trump, Obama, abortions, and all the way down to whether or not it's okay to whip out a boobie in the middle of Target to breastfeed- the media has blown up in the past few days (and even the past year or so).

There's so much going on in the world that has nothing to do with feminism or women's rights, but right now, that's what is on my mind. And I have lots of opinions about each one of these things, but this blog is not the place where I share most of those.

I want to encourage you all to become better versions of yourselves, and I fear that if I opened up the floodgates of politics and sharp opinions, I would sorely regret it. So as tempting as it is for me to vent, rant, and spew all of my thoughts out onto this page, I'll refrain.

But you know what I will do? I'll tell you what I am thankful for.

I'm thankful for:

-The freedom to believe what I want

-The freedom to live by what I believe

-Rights and privileges that other countries do not offer

-Friends that love and respect me even when we don't agree

-A laid-back hubby who reminds me to calm down

-This blog

-Fun music that cheers me up when I am stressed

-Coffee...Lots and lots of coffee

-More Coffee

-Did I mention coffee?

Obviously, I am thankful for so much more than that, but this list was meant to prove a point: We can choose to focus on the things that make us crazy- that make us want to hide under a rock- or we can be thankful for the things we are blessed with.

Being thankful doesn't erase the issues of life, or the turmoil in our world, but it does re-frame our minds and hearts and helps us be more in tune with the blessings we have.


And since TPT's Coffee Sips and Lovely Links segments are designed to provide you with helpful links on specific issues, if you need some help overcoming the turmoil in our culture and in the world, here are a few helpful, encouraging links!

My husband started a blog recently and he has some great thoughts on how to overcome the outrage culture we are seeing around us. It's his first ever blog post, so you should definitely check it out. He's kinda cool 😉

Or how about this 2.5 minute interview with John Piper about the fact that God will supply ALL of our needs?

I also LOVE Chip Ingram and am always blessed by his messages. Honestly, I haven't listened to this one but I felt that this would be appropriate to this post (based on the title). I've never heard a Chip Ingram sermon that didn't encourage me: How to Experience Peace in the Midst of Uncertain Times.

I hope you come away from this post (and the lovely links I left for you) extremely encouraged. Be thankful, be humble, and walk in the truth of Jesus and his love.

Why We Should Be Thankful for the Good Things

Well hello there, friends! We are just one day away from Thanksgiving and I can't quite believe it. Where has 2016 gone? Wasn't it JUST May, and wasn't I JUST complaining that I was missing the beach during the Summer heat?!
But flying by or not, I still love this time of year. Taylor and I will be in South Carolina at my family's farm for all the Thanksgiving festivities and I am so excited. This is the first Thanksgiving out there! Woot woot!

If you've been following along for a while, you know that Mondays and Fridays on The Peculiar Treasure are usually themed. Typically we have Mug-spiration Mondays and then Coffee Sips and Lovely Links on Fridays. But during the next few weeks, I am going to vary a little bit from my normal series. I want to get the holiday spirit going and get as many festive posts into the mix as possible.

So today, I am continuing with the theme of "thankfulness". If you read Friday's post, you'll know that I am a believer in being thankful for the "bad" things that happen to us in life. But of course, there are still the happy things, which obviously deserve thankfulness too.

It seems obvious to make that statement, but I wonder how often we think of why the "good things" in our life are actually good things. What makes them that way? And is there anything deeper that good things in our life can reveal to us?

Why You Should Be Thankful for the Bad Things

It's that time of year, friends! The time for everyone to share what they are thankful for, and a time for everyone to try just a little bit harder to be nice. People who are typically brusk and temperamental can even be found making the tinsiest bit more effort. Maybe it's the weather, or the excuse for cozy blankets. Maybe it's the copious amounts and turkey and pie that they anxiously await, but whatever it is, it helps.

I am definitely a fan of the human race being kinder and more festive. Believe me- this time of year lifts my spirits just as much as the next gal. But I have to wonder: in all our giving thanks, do we ever give thanks for the things in our lives that are difficult? Are we ever thankful for our physical ailment or our emotional trauma? Do we thank God for our car accident or for that time we were embarrassed in front of our friends?

An Attitude of Praise and Thankfulness (A Guest Post)

The following is a guest post by Kristie Hillway of IntoHimSee. You can check out her blog here, and I would highly recommend you follow her on Instagram. Her account is one of my favorites, and that is actually where she and I started getting to know each other. If you are looking for a super-encouraging-Christian-cool-kid to follow on Instagram, Kristie is your girl!

You know when things just aren’t going your way and it frustrates you?
Work messed up your pay and your behind on your bills,
Your husband/wife didn’t do the favour you asked,

Your kids aren’t listening and are driving you up the wall,

You lost your job,

You’re going through a break up,
Your car broke down and you now you’re stuck…
These are all things that can cause us stress.

Praising God and thanking Him when things are difficult is hard for us. For some reason we like feeling sorry for ourselves and we allow our circumstances to rule us.
Last week I had a number of things happen that really stressed me out and upset me. I allowed myself to marinate in that frustration and I developed a stinker of an attitude!

My boyfriend and I were driving home the other night after a meeting at his church and as I sat there, leaking my horrible attitude. He stopped and asked me what I was thankful for. Then he asked me what my favourite parts about God are and then He got me to pray and praise God and tell Him what I think of Him. At the start I struggled, but after naming a few things I was thankful for and talking about what I love about God, something shifted. Joy entered in.

When I looked beyond what I was feeling and made a decision to thank God and praise Him, it allowed room for the Holy Spirit to raise me up.

“When you complain, you remain. When you praise you are raised.” -Joyce Meyer

If we choose to just sit in our problems and complain about our life, God cannot move within us because we are standing in the way. And how can you see the good that God is doing in your life if you’re just focusing on what is wrong with your life?
Complaining will stunt your growth.
But when you praise God, He raises you up! You might still be in a frustrating situation, but taking your eyes off that and putting them on God, who is so good, gives Him the space to work within you and it releases such joy!

The atmosphere in the car that night shifted as soon as I started praising Him. Suddenly I was not speaking out negative things and complaining, I was full of joy and thankfulness!
My situation has not changed, but my attitude certainly did! And as soon as I was able to stand and praise God and thank Him continually, He lifted me out of that situation.

Praising will raise you. Complaining will hold you down.

In a world that is constantly changing, it is so important that we hold tight to our God is unchanging- the same yesterday, today and forever. And He is so, so good and so wonderful.
He is worthy of our praise. And an attitude of thankfulness will take you far in the Kingdom.