Day 1

Day 1:

Colossians 3:12–17

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I’ve often said that “gratitude is learning to recognize and express appreciation for the benefits we have received from God and from others.”

This means constantly being on the lookout for blessings, making each day a treasure hunt. It means being intentional about thanking God and others for the blessings that come our way.

Overall, how would you rate your “Gratitude Quotient”?



❑ I look at the world through grateful eyes and consistently express my gratitude to God and others.


❑ I know I ’ ve been greatly blessed, but I don ’ t often stop to actually express my gratitude to God and others.


❑ To be honest, I had not thought a lot about gratitude until starting this challenge. I ’ ve got a long way to go to develop a lifestyle of gratitude.


❑ I ’ m a whiner! I tend to focus on my problems and I frequently express them to others.



Ask the Lord to cultivate in you a more grateful heart over these next thirty days. If you have realized that your “Gratitude Quotient” is not what it should be, confess your ungrateful spirit to the Lord. Ask Him to forgive you and to transform you into a truly thankful person.




Imogene ~

I'm a whiner! I tend to focus on my problems and I frequently express them to others.



I have the hardest time keeping my mouth shut! I feel that this goes hand in hand with gossiping about my relationships. My problems usually involve someone who is very close to me and dear to my heart. Sometimes after I finish explaining the situation to someone else I hate the advice they give me. When I know that God knows my heart and I need to trust in him.



Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

Sometimes I have a hard time trusting the Lord with my own situation, because I can not let him control it.

Where are you in this current situation in your life? Are you trying to drive or are you trying to help God drive? Or are you simply going to sleep in the back seat? Why don't you relax and let your Father drive. You'll wake up refreshed and you'll wake up right where you are supposed to be.

Future Online Study

Would you like to take a 30 day challenge with other Moms? We are going to challenge each mom daily to get in God's word and focus on the treasures that he has hidden for you in your day. We will be taking each day at a time and living through his grace, realizing we are filled with his spirit, and getting into his word. Can not wait to see what he does here and each day we would love for you to post a blessing if you feel led to. https://www.reviveourhearts.com/articles/growing-in-gratitude-a-30-day-challenge/

Chapters 11 & 12 Wrap Up

Chapter Eleven

Question~ What does your teetertotter look like when it comes to balancing work and worship?
Imogene~ Because at the start of this book I was destined to be Martha. I would say that if there was an opportunity to serve or be involved in a group at church I was there. God has told me to be still and he will show me the path of service. He is allowing me to use this computer to blog while my children are sleeping and it does not take away from my family. He also showed me that my quiet times can be worship by going to you tube and watching praise videos with the songs. This is where the idea came from to pair up chapters with music that spoke to me during that chapter. I hope you enjoy.
Question ~ We all need time to let our souls catch up. Can you commit to a prayer time daily? Let us list some ideas of activities that we do everyday that we will not do until we have a prayer time.
Imogene~ I am going to commit to not check my email until I have my prayer time.

Chapter Twelve

Question ~ Have you ever heard a great Christian testimony and wished you could have the faith of that person or live as he or she has lived? What was the process that gave them this product?
Imogene ~ Total reliance on Christ in a moment of failure. I am always looking back and seeing God most in my moments of weakness and despair. He uses us and our experiences to showcase his love for us as our Savior who will keep saving us everyday in everything that we do.
Question ~ What spoke to you most in this passage?
Imogene ~ I loved how the author opened up about how this is a struggle for her. To see how God transformed her to a Martha with a Mary's heart in this world. This is so important for me. When I am in the middle of a Martha moment I need to stop and search for Mary's heart in all this. Thank you! This has been such a blessing to me and I am praying for a transformation in my life starting today!

Chapter 9 and 10

Chapter Nine

Question ~ We have to accept the diagnosis if we're ever going to experience the cure. I believe Martha did just that. Read Luke 10:38-42. Now read John 11:17-28. What differences do you see in Martha in these two stories?
Imogene~ Submission to his will in her life. She accepts his plan and power for her life. This is the desire of my heart. I want to accept his will for my life and rely on his power and not my own.
Question ~ God is willing to forgive and change us~even at our worst. Rewrite your cry for transformation in your own words. The read it aloud to the Lord.
Imogene ~ Dear Lord, Please take the worries of my world and let me use this energy to focus on you and your love that you have for me. I pray that I will see your power and glory in everything and every situation. I pray that my heart will be still while you calm the storms of my life and that I will find true rest in your spirit.

Chapter Ten

Question ~ Mary loved extravagantly because she had experienced firsthand the extravagant love of God. How can we do this on a daily basis as a mom?
Imogene~ I look at my daily life and I think of what I could give up for God in order to be closer to him. At the beginning of the year I decided that I spent a lot of time in Target shopping. When I had a free moment I would run across the street and shop. This is something that I am willing to give up and spend that time in the word or blogging the books that I am reading for an online study. Honestly I would be there right now! I love this time in this book and the word and reflecting on what I got from this book and what application I am going to have daily to have a Mary's heart in this Martha world.
Question ~ What spoke to you most in this chapter?
Imogene ~ Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I have to remind myself of this treasure each time I have a moment of distraction. I have to ask myself, "Am I going to serve this world or him?" Am I upset because of a worldly treasure that may have been lost? I need to see that God prunes me of the treasures of this world so I can focus more on him and his treasures that he has for me.

Chapters Seven and Eight

Chapter Seven

Question~ Read the "hoppy birthday" story. Name the Hula-Hoop responsibilities you have in your life. Which one is the most difficult to keep in motion?
Imogene ~ I feel that my relationship with God is the most hard. With my husband, children, and friends they are right in front of me all day. It is up to me to make time for a quiet time and rely on him through my entire day. I wish there was more I could do for him. Sometimes it is so hard to keep him #1.
Question ~ What spoke to you most in this chapter?
Imogene ~ "I have to let him in before we can enjoy our Living Room time together". Wow! He is always there waiting for me! I want to see all that he has for me in this life and be more in the mind frame of looking for his treasure and not the earth's.

Chapter Eight

Question ~ What is your favorite kind of story and why?'
Imogene~ Romance, I feel that it is a total escape from reality. My prayer group's circle leader made me realize that not only was I using these novels as an escape, but also creating unrealistic expectations on my marriage. Wow! That really made me start thinking about the books I was reading.
Question ~ How would your life be different if you could receive these words as a truth and not only truth but as evidence of God's love in your life? What spoke to you most in this chapter?
Imogene~ "If you are struggling to trust God, it may be because you don't really know God." This hit home. I am trying to read the bible through this year and the more I get into this book of treasures the more I learn about God. I see that he is to be feared and that he will go to the ends of the earth for me. I am chosen and he will protect me!

Chapter 5 and 6 Discussion Questions

Chapter Five

Question~ Someone has said that each one of us is created "with a God shaped hole" and that we will never truly be satisfied until we fill the space with him. Unfortunately many of us, as Terri described, fill up on spiritual snickers bars. What do you turn to instead of God when you are feeling empty.
Imogene~ First I fill it with activities with other people. Then I turn to food if that did not do the job. God has had to scream at me, "Why are you going to all these other people and not just coming straight to me? I am the only one that can fix this." Also I love to eat. Growing up my mom had us on strict nutritional diets and so now I love junk food. It is scary how much I can eat. The I realized that I was emotional eating and it was getting the best of me. I had to start having second quiet times at night before I started my snacking.

Chapter Six

My first favorite song after I was saved:)
Question~ Who was the first Christian in your life to live in such a way that you could clearly see Christ? How did this person affect your live?
Imogene~ This one is an easy one for me, my sister. She was the one that called my up and invited me to go to Campus Crusade Spring Break and instead of drinking we were going to share the gospel with people and save them from hell. She has continued to be an inspiration to me. She helps me see what is really important, and it is not in this world. I love her!
Question~ What spoke to you most in this chapter?
Imogene ~ "Of all the identifying marks of a Christian, Jesus said love would be the thing that gives us away. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples,". I feel that so many times I am so caught up in my own self that I forget to look around to see who God may have in my path that may need a little extra love today. They are there, but am I looking? If I have my quiet time it sets my day off in his focus and I will try to look to see what he is showing me:)

Chapter 3&4 Mary's Heart in a Martha's World

Chapter Three~

Question ~ Martha wanted Jesus to tell Mary to help out in the kitchen, but instead of giving her what she wanted, Dr. Jesus made a diagnosis: "Martha, Martha,...you are worried and upset about many things." If you had been Martha, how would Jesus' words have made you feel?
Imogene ~ Well since I know that I am a Martha, he has told me this multiple times during my life. There have been so many times where I am so worried to the point that I have stomach problems. When I lay them at his feet I know that I have the choice to trust him with these concerns and let them go. He is my Abba and provider. He knows the path that he has for me and he is looking for my trust for him to lead me. He takes me back to my moment of salvation and says, "You trusted me with much, are you not going to trust me with little?"
Question ~What spoke most to you in this chapter?


Chapter Four~

Question~ Read the wagon story. Take a look at your wagon. Which rocks has God asked you to carry? Which rocks have you unwisely and sometimes unconsciously volunteered to carry for someone else?
Imogene~ My relationship with God and my family are the main rocks in my wagon. When things and activities come up, I have to ask myself, "Is this going to make my load heavier or lighter?" I know that God has called me to do much for his name but I have to rely on his strength and will to get me through this journey as a mom.
Question~ Do you ever feel the driven, perfectionistic, spiritual Martha Stewart coming out in you? What does she look like at home? What does she look like at church?
Imogene~ This really hit home for me. I feel that when I get upset about details I am trying to control the situation and the outcome for the credit. When I am at home and hosting a get together, I have a choice to ignore the details or my children. So the details get ignored and the children get hugs. When helping at church I have a hard time delegating details but with a family at home I have to. In both situations I see over and over again how God is in the details. His will is going to be done with or without me worrying about the details.
Question~ Why may the one thing God asks you to do be different from what he requires of someone else?
Imogene~ We are all made differently and God uses us in different ways in different people's lives. I think it is important for us all to remember that God has us just where he wants us. Sometime I find the spirit of comparison trying to sneak in and tell me that what I am doing is not enough and then I have to remember that he wants me to have a Mary's heart in this Martha's world.