Have an Attitude of Gratitude

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.” Psalm 118:1

Thanksgiving is fast approaching. We are all busy decorating, cooking, and preparing for family meals together. I have been blessed with some unexpected family time this week. This week is Thanksgiving break for my kids and me. Also, due to some rainy weather my husband has been unable to work, so we spent all day together yesterday making memories. I have been making preparations for the many different foods I have been asked to cook for Thanksgiving dinners with family. I have enjoyed watching my husband and my children play together here at home.

When I think about Thanksgiving I think about family. Thanksgiving for us has always been a time of food and fellowship, and football, as I am sure it has been for most people.

Today I want us to take a minute and reflect on the real reason for Thanksgiving. I understand that we all enjoy the food, the visits with family, and the occasional football game, but I do not want this to cause us to lose sight of what thanksgiving is really about.

As we enjoy this thanksgiving season I want us to remember to have  an attitude of gratitude. We need to make sure that between cooking and cleaning up, visiting with family, and cheering on our favorite football team that we do not forget to thank God for all His many blessings. We must remember that it is only because of Him that we are able to celebrate with the friends and family that we have.

My dad offered a challenge to our children Sunday at children’s church and I would like to extend this challenge to you as well. Some time other than meal time, stop for a moment and thank God for something. It is amazing how much we realize that we have to be thankful for when we start counting our blessings.

Thanksgiving is a time of fellowship, fun, food, and family. Let us take the time this week to thank God for the ability to enjoy each of those things. We are a blessed people. Let us today give God the honor and the glory for the blessings we receive.

I pray you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. I am going to take the rest of this week off from blogging and enjoy the blessings that God has given me. I pray that as we go through the rest of this week that we will remember to give thanks to God for the blessings that he has bestowed upon us. I pray that you will have an attitude of gratitude.

Advertisement

Motivational Monday: Count it all Joy

photo credit: Pixabay

” My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

James 1:2

I thought Monday would be a good day to talk about patience. We have all heard the cliché “Mondays are bad days.”  What is it about a Monday that makes it seem so much harder than other days? Whatever your reasoning behind this phrase, I want to take a minute this morning to encourage you, and try to start your Monday off right.

Do you ever find it hard to be joyful? Do you find that you lack patience from time to time?

I believe that we are all guilty of this.

It is easy to be joyful when everything is going right. When all the bills are paid and there is still money left over, or when we are looking for a pen in the cup holder and find that couple of dollars we forgot was there, these are just a couple of examples of times when it is easy to be joyful. Patience is not really an issue here. Life is peaceful and free from any worries.

But…

What about the times when things are not going so well: when the car breaks down, or the air conditioner goes out? What if you lock your keys in your car for the second time that week? Those are the times when it feels like our faith is being tested to the max. Where do we find joy then? It is a lot harder to be joyful then, is it not?

The Scripture we looked at this morning says that we should count it ALL joy when we fall into divers temptations.

So how do we do that?

The most important thing I have learned to do is: replace worry with prayer . James 1:5 tells us:

“If any of you lack wisdom,let him ask of God,

that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not;

and it shall be given him.”

 

I have found in my own life that if I do not understand a situation, instead of fretting and worrying, instead of letting the devil steal my joy, I pray. I have been amazed at the peace that comes from taking my burden to the Lord, laying it at His feet and leaving it there.

 

 

I believe the next thing we need to do is: count our blessings. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reads:

“Give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I know it seems difficult to be thankful when things are not going like we think they should, but it works. I have had to learn to do this on a daily basis. I believe if we can learn to count our blessings we will discover that they greatly outnumber our problems.

 

And the last thing I think we need to do is: Trust. We are told in Proverbs 3:5-6:

^“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

 In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.”

I believe that when we learn to place our faith in God rather than our own circumstances we will find that being joyful even in the midst of conflict is easier to accomplish.

 

I pray these words will encourage you today. If you find yourself struggling this week, think back on these words. Hide these Scriptures in your heart, so that you may lean on them when trials come your way.

~ Remember: God will never allow you to face a situation for which He does not already have a plan.~ It is up to us to pray, be thankful, and trust.

Related articles

• Joy (kevinmugele.wordpress.com)

Motivational Monday: Blessed Beyond Belief

  I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 89:1

Have you ever just stopped to think about how blessed you really are? I know that as life gets busy we can sometimes forget to thank God for all the blessings that He bestows upon us each day.

I want us to focus today on recognizing God’s blessings on our lives and taking time to thank Him for all that He does for us.

As I was writing this morning, this song came to my mind and I want to share it with you. I have included the lyrics and a link to a video I think you would enjoy watching:

“Thank You Lord For Your Blessings On Me” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0svXA-oRTk

While the world looks upon me
as I struggle along
They say I have  nothing
but they are so wrong
In my heart I’m rejoicing
how I wish  they could see
Thank you Lord for your blessings on me

Chorus:
Cause there’s a roof up above me
I’ve a good place to sleep
There’s  food on my table
and shoes on my feet
You gave me your love Lord
and a fine family
Thank you Lord for your blessings on me

I know  I’m not wealthy
and these clothes they’re not new
And I don’t have much  money
but Lord I have you
And that’s all that matters
though the  world may not see
Thank you Lord for your blessings on me

Chorus:
There’s a roof up above me I’ve a good place to sleep
There’s  food on my table and shoes on my feet
You gave me your love Lord and a fine  family
And I thank you Lord for your blessings on me

I pray today that you will take a minute to count your blessings. Take a moment to thank God from whom all blessing flow, because without Him we would be hopeless creatures wondering this world alone.

I would love to hear your story about how God is blessing your life? Feel free to leave a comment below.

God Bless you today!