Transform

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

Colossians 3:15-16

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“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:17

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Gratitude

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
    Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Psalm 100:1-3

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Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:4-5

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling through North Dakota)

A Psalm And A Song For Giving Thanks

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
    Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Psalm 100:1-3

Forever by Chris Tomlin

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Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:4-5

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Spread An Attitude Of Gratitude

One act of kindness, compassion and thankfulness can set off a chain reaction…

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Colossians 3:12-15

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“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10

(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Be Thankful…Be Content

  “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:15-17

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But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

1 Timothy 6:6-8

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

Peace In Our Hearts

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

Colossians 3:15-16

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“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:17

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Gratitude

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

    Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Psalm 100:1-3

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Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:4-5

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Be Thankful

What are you thankful for today?  How often are we able to look for something to be thankful for during difficult times?  It is not easy…yet it is a choice.  An attitude of gratitude may not come naturally to us but we should strive for it as it can make such a big difference in our lives.  We don’t have to do it alone…start by thanking God for Jesus Christ and what He did for you at the Cross and see where you can go from there.  Amen.

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Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:15-17

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling through North Dakota)

Start With Gratitude

It’s an incredible thing…choosing to start with gratitude is a clear path to changing your perspective.  Ask yourself, ‘what am I thankful for?’ and it leads your thoughts and your mind to search for what is good, positive and optimistic.  If at first it is difficult and you find yourself quickly slipping into ‘what I don’t have’ or ‘the way things used to be’ consciously stop yourself and make a list of 2-3 things that you are grateful for.  The more we put this into practice the more our perspective will change.  If you struggle with this turn to Jesus Christ in prayer and ask Him to help you see the good that is all around you.  Trust in the Lord and give Him thanks for all that He has done for you.  Amen.

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
    Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Thanks Be To God

There is hope…even at times when it feels like there is no hope…God is still on the throne in heaven and even though things don’t go the way we want them to, or how we want them to, or things don’t happen when we want…we still have hope for the future because of Jesus Christ.  No matter where you are or what is happening or not happening in your life, look around your life for what is good, look for what you can be grateful for and give thanks to God.  Amen.

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“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:57

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)