Wednesdays in the Word: Verse X

So many of the verses I chose for this list of Scripture memory have been about learning...and facing hard times...and growth...so I'm excited for this week's verse and the celebration it encourages!!

I haven't really gone this direction when writing about the weekly verses, but today I want to tell you about a person in my life who lives this verse WELL.

Deanna and I met back in the late 90's {which makes us sound so old now...but we are NOT, thankyouverymuch} when we were both student workers in the Financial Aid Office at IWU. I was wildly insecure, floundering a bit and trying to find my way in all areas of life, it seemed. Deanna was bright, bubbly, full of love, encouragement, and {the thing that stood out to me the most} a spirit of praise.

It didn't seem to matter how tough her week might be...how unfair life seemed to be unfolding...or how overwhelmed she felt. Deanna flashed a bright smile and said "Praise the Lord anyway!"

And she meant it. On the very worst day...she praised. For real.

I was privileged to watch her get married to her college sweetheart, and they have three sons now. I keep up with Deanna through Facebook, and my heart is so happy to see that her bubbly personality and desire to praise the Lord...remain firmly intact.

Deanna is a Mary Kay consultant, and just a few weeks ago, she earned her Cadillac.

And in the way she always does, she celebrated by praising the Lord...giving Him full credit for the blessings she enjoys.

Every single time I see Deanna's name scroll through my Facebook feed, and every single time I see that beautiful smile, my instant thought is now there is a girl who praises the Lord without reservation or condition.

I confess my initial reaction isn't always to "praise the Lord anyway." But oh how I want to be more like Deanna in this way. How I want to learn her beautiful spirit of praise.

Thank you, Deanna, for your example to me. Thank you for showing me how to live a life of out-loud praise. And thanks for letting me share you with my friends so they can learn from you too!