With a Thankful Heart

“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,

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”

http://vodpod.com/watch/15731653-don-moen-with-a-thankful-heart-with-lyrics

Kidz Topic: GRATITUDE

This is a new segment of my blog where I will be sharing a variety of thoughts, scripture verses, and “sparkle” ideas just for kids. Feel free to pass them on to your children, grandchildren, or any other young people that God has put in your life.

KIDZ ☮ PEACE... I once read that the biggest difference between people who are happy and people who are not is that happy people focus on, think about, talk about, and give thanks for what is good in their lives. Unhappy people don’t. Sound simple? It is!

1. Do you have an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE? When we become “thankful” our attitude changes ... Did you know that it is impossible to have a bad attitude when we thank God in ALL things - our joys, unexpected blessings, miracles, the small things, and even the hardships, disappointments, and challenges?

I know it might sound a bit strange but yes, we can find blessings in all things. Even when we are having troubled times, we can be thankful in knowing that God is always with us and that He is in control.

Do you know people who go through life mad or frustrated about what they do not have? They spend all of their time complaining and never realize how blessed they are. Sometimes It’s okay to be a “NOT” person, but only if you consider it a true blessing (see the 4th comment in the list below).

Here are a few things to remember about giving thanks...

• Gratitude has to do with our heart and not how much we have or don’t have.

• When we are happy on the outside it is based on our circumstances, but when we have joy on the inside it is based on our attitude.

• God is the source of every good thing in our life, AND our strength and hope whenever we face the “not so good” things.

• Concentrating on the "NOTS" can enable us to see thankfulness from a different perspective (Examples: I am not homeless, I am not blind, I am not hungry, I am not stupid, I am not alone).

2. What does God’s Word tell us? When we go to God in prayer and read our Bible we can find words that instruct us on how to be thankful. Check out these verses: Psalm 69:30, Colossians 4:2, Psalm 136:1, Colossians 3:15, Psalm 100:4.

3. What are you thankful for? Here are two ideas to help you recognize all of the things that you are thankful for.

• Gratitude List: Find a small notebook or journal and try writing down 3 things that you are thankful for every day. As you write them down, give thanks to God for your blessings.

• Not Box: Find a box about the size of a school pencil box or shoebox, and place it somewhere you will see it every day. Anytime you think of a “NOT” that you are thankful for, write it down on a slip of paper and put it in the box. Pick one of your “NOT” slips at night and use it as something to pray about. One example would be: “Dear God, I am thankful that I am NOT sick.”

Kidz Thought for the Week: God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" - from William A. Ward

Keeping you in my prayers. 'til next week ... be thankful in ALL things!
God’s Peace, Donna

Burdens, Blessings and a Friend

“I will be with you always.”

– Matthew 28:20

I’ve been writing a lot lately about friendship and gratitude. We’ve talked about needing friends, being a friend, and about the blessings that can be found if we are thankful in all things.

Today at church the two topics came together in a surprising way. Our pastor has been doing a sermon series entitled “The God of All Comfort,” and the message he shared today was about the comfort of steadying strength, based on 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Below I am sharing some points the Pastor made, supporting scripture verses, and my thoughts from today’s message.

1) Find Refuge in the Lord.
Scripture: “Pour out your heart to God, for He is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8).
Thought: Pouring out our heart ... Isn’t that what we do when with our best friend? We have common interests, share everything, listen to each other, care about and encourage one another, and give/ seek advice.

I was reminded of the song, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, written by Joseph Scriven in the 1800’s. Over two hundred years later, his words still assure us that Jesus will bear our sins and grief, our trials and temptations, our troubles and heavy loads. The song still reminds us what a “privilege” it is to carry everything to the Lord in prayer, and that He will never forsake us.

In Acts 4:13, it was evident that Peter and John were truly friends of Jesus. People could tell they were followers of Jesus by the changes in their lives. I asked myself, “Am I truly a friend of Jesus? Do my actions reflect the refuge I find in the Lord?”

2) Reject a Bitter Spirit.
Scripture: “Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you ... it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives” (Hebrews 12:15).
Thought: Bitterness corrodes from the inside out, but it is impossible to be bitter when you have a spirit of gratitude. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us that we need to give thanks to God IN all circumstances. It does not say FOR our circumstances.

During our communion service a soloist sang Blessings which is a popular song performed by Christian artist Laura Story. When we share everything with a friend, we acknowledge the good and the bad. The same is true with being thankful. Through our gratitude we are given insight to God’s work in every aspect of our lives (even the blessings which may come through difficult times – our “mercies in disguise).

3) Remind myself of the strength of the Lord’s Resources.
Scripture: “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).
Thought: Everyone longs for friendship, to be in relationships. But unfortunately our earthly friendships eventually come to an end. God desires a relationship with us too, but it is a different kind of connection - His is an eternal friendship.

Today I was reminded that there had to be weakness in order for there to be power in the resurrection. When Joseph Scriven wrote the words to the song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” he wrote from the pain and experience of his grief, burdens, trials, and sorrow.

John 15:13 tells us, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” God has asked us to practice that same sacrificial love with others. When we acknowledge our blessings, we can truly see the goodness, power, and strength of the Lord. It is important to share that knowledge and truth with others. “Do I have a friend that needs to know this kind of love?”

Today I am thankful that I have a best friend. His name is Jesus. He wants to be your friend too. We should never take any friendship for granted, so this week ... visualize Jesus walking, working, and standing beside you throughout the day - speak to Him as you would your best friend. “In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there” (Scriven, J).

May you find peace “in His arms” today and every day.
God’s Peace, Donna Weaver

Don’t walk in front of me. I may not follow.

Don’t walk behind me. I may not lead.

Walk beside me and be my friend.

- Albert Camus

Showing My Gratitude

“But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin,

so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ,

might be given to those who believe.” - Galatians 3:22

Paul uses Galatians 3:22, to tell us that our freedom from sin comes from grace alone, through our faith in Jesus Christ. He also restates this belief in the words of Ephesians 2:8-9 when he says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Paul’s message is just as relevant for us today, because we need to remember that our salvation cannot be earned. God’s grace in salvation is for all who believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that their sins would be forgiven and they would have eternal life.

God’s grace is not only unearned, it is undeserved, and unconditional. It is hard for us to comprehend this concept, because the worldview tells us that doing more gets you more, or that doing good will give you more “good” in your life. Too many people believe that if they have “good things” in their life, it is because they have earned God’s favor and blessings. We can use the follow acrostic to help remember that grace is a “gift” ...

G.R.A.C.E. can be defined as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

So, if we can’t earn grace, what should our response be to God’s “gift” as we grow spiritually and mature as disciples of Christ? God’s grace should move us toward repentance and faith, with the obvious response resulting in acts of service. As I thought about the importance of Paul’s words, I asked myself, “Do my acts of service reflect my gratitude and joy for my gift of salvation?”

In just a few days I will have an opportunity to serve as part of a team for a women’s spiritual retreat. The participants will come with empty hands and open hearts, to be filled with the immense power of God’s love and grace. The purpose of the weekend is to inspire, challenge and equip local church members for Christian action – in their homes, churches, workplaces and communities. There is almost nothing better than experiencing the presence of God, seeing Him at work in the lives of others and being part of his Master Plan. I look forward to spending time with my Sisters in Christ and believe that my “gratitude” for the gift of God’s grace is reflected as I serve others in His name.

“While they were talking and discussing,

Jesus himself came near and walked with them.”

-Luke 24:1

But, just as the disciples’ journey did not end on the road to Emmaus, my journey must continue beyond the mountaintop and into the valleys. We can’t get too comfortable in our “peaceful environment,” so again I ponder the question about what my actions reflect. Understanding the gift of God’s “grace” also helps me share my faith with non-Christians. Two things that we need to keep in mind as we witness to others: 1) You can never be good enough to earn salvation since it is of God’s grace and 2) You can never be bad enough to be ineligible for salvation since it is also of God’s grace. I can show others the “joy of my salvation” by being a living witness, letting my actions reflect my faith and bringing the Good News to un-believers. Only then, can I honestly say, “Yes, my acts of service do reflect my gratitude and joy for my gift of salvation!”

So, I ask you the question “Do your acts of service reflect your gratitude and joy for your gift of salvation?” I’d love to hear some of the ways you show your gratitude and express your joy through service and witness.

Peace be with you!
Blessings, Donna Weaver

“Let me tell you what He has done for me.”

- Psalm 66:16