Category Archives: Gratitude

Blogroll, Expectation, God, Gratitude, Growing, Personal, positive, Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Is Just Around The Corner!

I’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving, which is just around the corner. You know that time when once a year we are supposed to focus on being thankful for our many blessing, while stuffing ourselves with turkey, dressing and all the fixings. I try my best to express my thankfulness everyday, because I really do believe that everyday is a gift. I call it practicing gratitude, because I believe to get good at something, we must continually practice.

I’ve discovered that living a life of thanksgiving seems to open the door for me to experience the fullness of life. I honestly cannot think of anything I need and I am even more hard pressed to come up with something I want. I’ve learned through my thankfulness to accept things as they are, to embrace chaos as a friend and this has moved me out of an almost continual state of confusion into a place of crystal clear clarity that allows me to learn from my past, while living in the blessing of today and looking forward to whatever tomorrow chooses to bring my way.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Living a life of thanksgiving is spiritual work. It is not always easy and it requires us to take our eyes off of self, so that we can see all around us at how the hand of God is moving and working on our behalf. Being thankful is a natural part of life, it’s the way we were supposed to do it, before we were corrupted by the world and the selfishness of our flesh.

Take a moment after you read this blog to think about at least three things that you are thankful for. Write them down and tape that note where you will see it multiple times through out the day. Also post your three things on social media to encourage others to think about what they are thankful for and you might just be surprised at how it makes a difference in someone else’s day and life too.

Blogroll, Church, Creativity, Discipleship, Enlightenment, Evangelism, faith, Family, Fellowship, Friendship, God, grace, Gratitude, Growing, Healing, life, love, Ministry, self improvement, Worship

WHY CHURCH?

The CHURCH is not a building. To think of the church as a building is to limit it in so many different ways. The CHURCH is the physical gathering together of spiritual believers. We gather together, because we’ve been brought from death to life and our spirit is empowered to help us live life at a higher level. We gather together to worship the ONE , Who has made it all possible. We gather together to study, learn and grow as disciples set apart to something better than just getting by. We gather together to bless, encourage and serve others, because when we do this we are serving the ONE, Who makes everything possible. We gather together, because we are better, stronger and more powerful together than apart.

Coming together on Sunday is about accountability, community, connection, encouragement, growth, networking, relationship and so much more. This face to face, heart to heart and spirit to spirit interaction accomplishes things that nothing else can. It’s God’s designed way for us to become all that He has created and crafted us to be and then some.

“Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhort one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” -Hebrews 10:25

Why Church? Because Church Is Ministry We Are All In Need Of…

The Ministry OF Relationship! We are a part of something much bigger than ourselves. We belong to a spiritual family that loves us at our best and worst. We are united together as the family of God, a group of men, women, boys and girls who believe in the Gospel “good news” that God made a way where there was no way, so that we might have abundant and everlasting life.

The Ministry Of Example! We need one another to grow spiritually the way God designed us to grow! When we do life together we learn from each other’s failures and successes. We see how “not to do it” and how to “do it”. Learning from failure and success are both important and the good news is: It is not dependent upon you being perfect and never making a mistake. It is just simply dependent upon you living your life, learning along the way and sharing the journey with others.

The Ministry Of Presence! We grow one another! The best way to learn is from one another. When we come together in unity, in spite of all that tries to divide us, it is a brilliant testimony to the rest of the world that there is something (SOMEONE) greater that unites us and ties us together. Young, old and in-between, from every socio-economic background, all colors and creeds, from every walk of life – united in Christ, yielded to the Spirit and in love with God our Creator.

I want to encourage you to find a church that you can be a part of, because you have blessings that someone else needs and somewhere there is someone waiting on you with a blessing you’ve been looking for…

Blogroll, Gratitude, Growing, life, Nature, outside, peace

To Fix The Inside Go Outside!

We have had like five straight days of rain and while that has not exactly got us stuck inside, it does not make for the most exciting times to hang around outside. You may have noticed that some of the folks around you seem a little more cranky than usual and it could be because they feel like they have been stuck inside and their inside is itching to get outside.

“11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. 12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” -Psalms 96:11-12

I begin most of my mornings outside, but I must admit that with the pouring rain, I did not stay outside as long as I normally would and I really failed to enjoy the little bit of time that I was outside, because I was distracted by the discomfort.

A couple of days ago, I could tell that I needed some outside time, so I got me one of my portable rockers and made my way through the rain to a dry spot out under the barn and I just say there and took it all in and it wasn’t long until I was feeling somewhat normal again.

I believe that outside/nature is one of the best natural medicines we have in our arsenal of healing techniques. It almost automatically seems to boost my mood and recalibrate my focus.

I want to encourage you to be intentional about spending some time outside this week. You may go for a short stroll around the yard or you may just sit in a comfortable chair and take in your surroundings.

Here are a few ideas to get you started in the right direction:

1.) Go outside! Just do it. Sit, stand, always around or do all three. Do whatever you like, just enjoy some time outside.

2.) Breathe! Breathe in and breathe out. Take some deeper breaths than usual and practice holding them for a few seconds. Take time to appreciate the power of a breath!

3.) Observe! Look and listen to all that is going on around you. At first you may not notice much, but as you learn to listen to the silence, you will discover that there are all kinds of things happening without your ever giving them a thought.

This is a very small thing and it does not cost you a dime, but it does more than we realize in helping us to get the most from this beautiful gift called life. Live, learn, laugh and love…