“God has two dwellings: one in heaven,
and the other in the meek and thankful heart.”
-- Isaac Walton
So often we’re asking, asking, and asking for the things we want from God. It’s time once again to talk about an attitude of gratitude.
For almost a year now, my friend Peggy and I have been keeping what we call our “Blessings Journals.” We started out with two identical journals, our favorite pens, and a goal of recording 1,000 blessings in each book. The fun part is that we swap journals every 2-3 weeks and continue recording our blessings in the other persons’ journal.
Last week it was time once again for our “swap,” and guess what? We have recorded almost 500 blessings in each book. Half-way there, but we’ve also decided that the number doesn’t matter anymore. Holding each other accountable and sharing our gratitude, has blessed us both more than we can put in to words. There are some days when the only blessing might be, “the day is finally over.” Other days, God’s abundant blessings never seem to end. It may be a "thank you" for patience, an unexpected check in the mail, a phone call from a friend, bird's chirping in the early morning, a handmade card from a grandchild, a beautiful sunrise, or a slice of cheesecake. The size or number of our blessings doesn’t matter ... it is the attitude, our changed hearts and the joy found in reading the other persons blessings. It is worshipping God with a grateful prayer and a thankful heart.
I think we’ve both decided that we need to continue our shared journals forever. { s m i l i n g }
With a grateful prayer ...
Each one of us have been given more than we’ll ever know.
and a thankful heart ...
Whatever we think about throughout the day affects our attitude.
We worship you, Lord.
Joy, peace, healing, prosperity, salvation - just a few of our many blessings.
I just love this quote, it says it all ... “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” -Melody Beady
It’s Friday, Let’s “Sparkle” ... action required ... Below are some tips for beginning your own Blessings Journal. Why not consider sharing your gratitude with a friend – twice the blessings and twice the fun! I have also included some scripture verses you could pass along to someone that might need to realize all of the blessings in their life.
Go Shopping, be Creative - You can use a beautiful hardbound journal, a plain blank inexpensive notebook, or a simple collection of blank notecards tied together with a beautiful ribbon.
Pick your Style of Journaling – Make a list, write a prayer, jot a thank note to Jesus – simple words or eloquent writing, it’s your choice.
Make a Commitment – Having an attitude of gratitude, a thankful heart, is a discipline. It’s best to try to make a plan – once a day, three times a week, every Sunday, whatever works with your schedule. Be consistent.
Don’t give up! – If you find that you are skipping a day, forgetting to write, or saying to yourself “I’ll start again tomorrow,” pray and ask God for willpower and self-discipline. Another great idea is to ask someone to hold you accountable.
“Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make
known his deeds among the people” - 1 Chronicles 16:8
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise: be thankful
unto him, and bless his name” - Psalms 100:4
Below is a link to a Youtube video of a song entitled “With a Thankful Heart,” by Don Moen. Please enjoy and have a blessed weekend.
God’s Peace, Donna Weaver
Don Moen – “With a Thankful Heart”
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