The Power of Thanksgiving - Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

-
There is a song called 'Give Thanks', written by Henry Smith and recorded by songwriter and singer Don Moen. 'Give Thanks' is simple in it's lyrics but powerful in it's message.

 "Give thanks with a grateful heart
 Give thanks unto the Holy One
 Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son 

 And now let the weak say, 'I am strong'
 Let the poor say, 'I am rich
 Because of what the Lord has done for us' 

 Give thanks"

 I Thessalonians 5 says "16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

 So many people struggle to give thanks when life hits hard. This scripture doesn't say to give thanks FOR those trials, but to give thanks IN all circumstances as we go through them. 

 There is power in thanksgiving. God has been trying to teach me to give thanks in all circumstances for a while now. When I was going through cancer treatments I was so discouraged at times that I found it hard to be thankful. But it was during that time that I really started to realize how MUCH I had to be thankful for. I wasn't thankful to have cancer, but I was thankful for good days; thankful to have an appetite, or have the strength to take a shower. I became so thankful for my husband and daughter who cared so tenderly for me. I eventually became thankful for even being put in a position where I was forced to be still, where I had the time to draw closer to God because of cancer.

 The more I give thanks to God, the more I learn to trust Him.  I am still learning to let go of petty griping and instead look at what I have to be thankful for. 

 Look for ways to give thanks:
  • Instead of complaining about dirty dishes in the sink, be thankful you have food to cook and dishes to serve on.
  • Instead of complaining about the traffic you drive in daily, give thanks that you have a car to drive and the physical capability to drive that car.
  • Instead of complaining that your house is messy, be grateful you have a house to live in, and people in your life to share it with.
  • Instead of complaining about office politics, be thankful you have a job that provides an income


 Giving thanks to God is the secret to true gratefulness. When we look outside of ourselves and intentionally look for our blessings, we grow more thankful for what we do have and less at the inconveniences we may experience.

Comments

Post a Comment


Popular posts from this blog

In a Heartbeat

-
Image
  It was a dark and stormy night…… Just kidding My story starts on a beautiful day in Hocking Hills, Ohio. Our family all met together down south of where I live, in the beautiful county of Hocking Hills, Ohio. My husband Dave couldn’t join us due to his work schedule.   I traveled three hours to meet up with our daughter, her husband and 3 children and our son, his wife and their four children, where we all stayed in cabins and agreed to meet up the next morning at Cedar Falls, one of the gorgeous falls in the area. We had a wonderful time hiking, wading and climbing. All the kids got along great with each other, whom they hadn’t seen in way too long, and between 5 adults constantly counting 7 children, we felt safe letting the kids climb and explore the caves and caverns in the area. We eventually went to Ash Cave and ended our hiking that day at Cantwell Cliffs.   I remember when our son announced our last stop for that Thursday was to go to Cantwell Cliffs, I remarked “that should
Read more

Christmas tablescape

-
Image
I enjoy creating tablescapes. Whether it is for a holiday or just a special meal with family or friends, I like making the table "special". Tablescaping is another way to express my creativity. I will see a dish or piece of art (Pier 1 is my favorite place to be inspired) and just have to buy it! I can almost see a table done with one inspiration piece. My honey gave up on me a long time ago with telling me "no more dishes" or "you don't need that" and just goes with the flow now, although I still get the occasional lifted eyebrow. I've had a few friends ask me what a tablescape is and although there is no true definition, it simply means making your table special by using props, decor and coodinated place settings to create a mood or atmosphere. If you google tablescape you'll find all sorts of wonderfully inspiring pictures from some extremely creative people who do this for fun as well as those professionals who are lucky enough to make a li
Read more

It's Your Move

-
Image
My husband loves to play chess..and he's very good at it. So with that in mind, I created a table setting that he would enjoy sitting at.He seems to enjoy all my endeavors at the table, but I wanted something just for him.  Check! It's your move now honey. I will be submitting this tablescape for Tablescape Thursday over at  between naps on the porch . Check it out to see plenty of inspirations I've never been very good at chess, but with this tablescape I think it's a winner! Chess players time clock Simple but dramatic color scheme Close up of the layers This Fleur de lis makes a bold statement Choosing sides A marble chess set acquired on a missions trip to Guatemala. A gift from our son.  I love the detail of the chess pieces Sources: White plates Corelle Red plates Waechtersbach Fun Factory Black Chargers, tablecloths and chair sashes at Tableclothfactory.com Chess pieces and Fleur de lis at Hobby Lobby Checkered table runner handmade
Read more