Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

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.

Message, Uncategorized

Five Steps To Grow A Heart Of Thanksgiving!

Psalms 100:1-5 1. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3.  Know that the LORD is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5.  For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Here Are The Five Steps!

1.  SHOUT FOR JOY!  (v.1) God has filled us with the good stuff of Himself, we cannot keep that in!  It has to come out and it should come out powerfully in a shout for joy!  God has filled us with Himself, so that we can share Him with others!  Take some time today to think about God’s goodness in your life and start shouting for joy!

2.  SERVE WITH GLADNESS!  (v. 2) We worship the Lord by serving the Lord and we are to serve Him with gladness!  One of the best ways that we can serve Him is by serving others.  Service alone is not enough, it has to be service in the right spirit and that right spirit is service with gladness!  Get busy serving God by serving others and do it with an attitude and spirit of gladness which says:  “I get to!”, not “I have to!”

3.  SING JOYFUL SONGS!  (v. 2) God wants our happiness!  He really does desire for you and me to live happy and fulfilled lives!  We can live these lives of joy and we should live these lives of joy in His presence and for His glory!  Remember real joy starts with you and the attitude of your heart and life!

4.  SENSE GOD’S GOODNESS!  (v.3) Look at your body, it really is amazing that God would bless us with the ability and senses that He has blessed us with!  We can see beauty all around us.  We can hear the gentle whisper of love spoken from those we love.  We can smell the fragrance of sweetness and taste the goodness of God’s surprises.  We can touch and be touched and feel the warmth of love in shared experiences.  God has already blessed us with all of this and He is not finished with us yet!  God made us and we are His.  Sense and appreciate His goodness!

5.  SHARE THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE!  (vv. 4-5) Everywhere we go, we are in the presence of God!  Thanksgiving and praise should be a continual part of our lives!  God is good and His love is everlasting, meaning that it will never run out and it will always be around!  God is faithful and so should we be!

Take these steps and you will be well on your way to growing a heart of thanksgiving!