#WarOnGrumbling Day 24

I'm thankful I live in a city with rivers where I can go to pray.

Palmerston at Aubrey ©  Bryan Scott

Today I did exactly that on the banks of the Assiniboine River in Wolesley at sunset with a sister. Oh did we ever pray to the Good Lord, who will surely show us the way.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way!

O sisters let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O sisters let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

O brothers let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
Come on brothers let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

O fathers let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O fathers let's go down,
Down in the river to pray

O mothers let's go down,
Let's go down, don't you want to go down,
Come on mothers let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

O sinners let's go down,

Let's go down, come on down,
O sinners let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

#WarOnGrumbling #40DaysOfThanksgiving

#WarOnGrumbling Day 18

I'm grateful that my home has become a house of prayer for all nations.

When I think about all the nations who have prayed in my house, I just shake my head in awe. At various times throughout the past decade, I've had prayer meetings, prayer counselling and individual prayer with young people originally hailing from Afghanistan, Belgium, Colombia, Dominica, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jamaica, Korea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Trinidad and even more I'm sure.

Sometimes you just need a mountaintop view to realize how big God's plan is for raising up prayer among every tribe, tongue, people and nation. And I'm so grateful that I've been woven into it.

#WarOnGrumbling #40DaysOfThanksgiving

#WarOnGrumbling Day 6

I am super thankful for the friends God has planted in my life. This has not been an easy season in the relational department, but my heavenly Papa has brought me some deep friendships.

Today I slept until noon and sat around dazed for a couple hours wondering if I really was going to lose both of my parental units in the same year. I was about to veer into a full scale pity party when a dear friend called because she was in my neighborhood. She dropped over with tea and donuts, sat on my couch and listened to me rant for awhile, and then prayed for me.

Shortly after she left, two others came over to pray with me for a mutual friend in Swaziland and for each other. 

I don't have the proper words to describe the value of people like this who show up in your distress, ignore the mess, bring food and stand in the gap when you feel so weak and your prayer life is decimated. I'm just very grateful.

If this world makes you crazy //
And you’ve taken all you can bear //
You call me up //
Because you know I’ll be there

#WarOnGrumbling #40DaysOfThanksgiving

war on grumbling day nineteen

Day 19 

I'm so thankful that I have been discipled well so that I can return the blessing and go make disciples of all nations. #WarOnGrumbling #40DaysOfThanksgiving

When I got saved, a group of friends -- the same ones who prayed me in -- came alongside me to disciple me in my Christian walk. I was entirely unchurched, with little or no knowledge of the Bible, Christian music, church culture, prayer, healing, the Holy Spirit and so many other things. I'm forever grateful for the untold hours they spent in order for me to get where I am today. 

Today, I spent chunks time with a couple of dear ones from Nigeria and Sudan. I helped them navigate through some of the same murky waters I swam in by listening and giving advice, plus dispensing love and prayer. I feel I owe it to them because this is the kind of discipling that was so graciously gifted to to me. And honestly, it's the best part of my job.

It's just this black and white stuff // 

If I just started with Scripture, here's what I'd do: I'd start making disciples

war on grumbling day six

Day 6 

I'm thankful that God gives me revelation and lets me in on His secrets about His Kingdom. #WarOnGrumbling #40DaysOfThanksgiving

There's several rather difficult situations I've been praying for as of late. Earlier today, while in the shower, I was struck with crystal clear information about one of them and how to pray. It came via information I'd watched earlier in a totally unrelated video. I am always humbled that He trusts me with His secrets, because there's nothing quite like receiving His revelation and strategies direct from the throne. 

All treasures of wisdom and things to be known // Are hidden inside your hand

And in this fortunate turn of events // You ask me to be your friend

My little War On Grumbling - Day 1

I must like the number 40. Or maybe just scared from reading what happened to the Israelites when they grumbled. But when I heard about the 40 days of thanksgiving campaign launched by Nayomi Thomas, author of The Thankables (and wife of my favorite IHOP-KC worship leader Jaye Thomas), something inside me immediately said yessss.

All I had to do was come up with something to be thankful for every day, post it on Facebook and include the hashtag #WarOnGrumbling so others could follow along. Easy right? Ha! What a journey...


I'm a nightwatcher by nature, so I decided to come up with my reason to be thankful for at midnight for 40 consecutive nights in November and early December 2013. 

Day 1

I'm thankful that God never ever does anything on just one level. It's mind-bending seeing the multitudes of layers He can work on and that never ceases to awe me.  #WarOnGrumbling

It was intriguing that I chose to do my little war of grumbling at the start of what I thought was a bad cold, but what turned out to be a nasty viral infection that lasted almost the entire 40 days. Oh the challenge of finding something to be thankful for when my body...just...wouldn't...heal. I was quite upset and a little freaked out, if I'm being honest. 

And then I had a moment of clarity. Although my body seemed to be failing, I suddenly realized my heart was being tested. Abba was prompting me to choose Him in the middle of this adversity. 

And honestly, a viral infection?! Pfft. I have several friends with life-threatening conditions and chronic illnesses and here I was whining about a really bad cold? It was a wake-up call for sure. Eventually it lifted, which is not something they get to experience very often. 

It definitely amped up my prayer life. I prayed...and prayed fervently...and prayed continually. I also asked for prayer from anyone who was asking, and even some people who weren't. My end gain was a lot more compassion to pray for my friends and what they are dealing with.

Then, every night around midnight, I'd sit down and decide what I was most grateful for...and there was so much. And for the first time, I got to truly grasp what counting it all joy REALLY meant. 

What in my community causes You grief?

Why not ask God about your community? Like me, you might be taken aback at what He has to say about the things you can do to affect change. It doesn't take much.

Day 22: What in my community causes You grief?
Why does it grieve You? How do You want me to respond? 
Shall I pray? Shall I speak out? Shall I act?

I wrote: I'm scared to ask this question for some reason.

God said: The same thing that drives you...marginalized people being left aside. Aboriginal people and their plight in your city and country. People who are precious to me being invisible.  Each of them are precious to me, Gaylene.

I said: How do you want me to respond? 

God replied: Look into their eyes. They want to be acknowledged like anyone. You don't need to give money but I do ask for you to acknowledge them with love. Of course you shall pray. You already do. Simple prayers I do not despise Gaylene. Act when the Spirit prompts. You know.

Next: What in my community brings You joy?