thankfulness

Contentment

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As the retail world bombards us with messages of the ‘greatest sale ever’…’lowest prices now’ and this year…’black Friday prices early’…it is a good time to seek contentment.  This could be done by spending more time reflecting on all that we already have been given…realizing how much our needs are met each day and being…thankful.  I find it interesting that the holiday intended to focus on gratitude is constantly getting pounded by the ‘get more’ self-focused attitude.  Let’s work on becoming a new creation this holiday season and spend more time on being grateful for what we have, considering what abundance we can share with others and spend less time fulfilling our self-satisfying wants and desires.  May the peace of the Lord be with you this holiday season.  Amen.

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“But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”

1 Timothy 6:6-9

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

Gratitude

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Where do you see God today?  If you think for a moment where did you see Him at work yesterday?  When was the last time you recognized what God has done for you and you took time to give Him thanks?  An attitude of gratitude starts by taking time to acknowledge what needs have been met by God in your life and offering thanks to God for those blessings.  It is easy to slip into a mode where we take things or people for granted.  A decision to be grateful is a change in perspective that can put to rest the worries and anxiety about what we don’t have and redirect us back to giving thanks to the Lord.  Thanks be to God for His love, mercy and grace.  Amen.

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“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalms 118:24

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Thanks Be To God

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What are you thankful for in your life today?  Giving thanks is not reserved for once a year in November.  Being thankful and having gratitude is about changing your perspective to a positive point of view.  It is easy to focus on what is wrong, what I don’t have and what I can’t do or even what other people are doing wrong…be different…take inventory of your life today…look around, what are you thankful for?  Pray about it and ask God to help you to continue to see the good.  All that is good is from God and for that we give Him thanks.  Amen.

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“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

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

Give Thanks

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Focus on what is good…focus on the blessings you have been given…what are the gifts and talents God has given you that you can share with others?  There is nothing that can separate us from God’s love.  He created us and this world, He has given us free will, He has kept His promises to us…it is up to us to seek Him and His will…it is up to us to pick up God’s word and read, it is up to us to pray and deepen our relationship with His Son Jesus Christ.  Thanks be to God for all He has given us.  May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

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“…Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 5:19-20

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

Gratitude

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Gratefulness…appreciation…recognition…acknowledgment…thankfulness.  Expressing gratitude is one sure way of changing your perspective.  It focuses your attention on that which has been given to you rather than what you think you are missing.  If you are looking for a way to make a change in your life, start with gratitude and give thanks to God and His Son Jesus Christ for all that has been 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; 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 September of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)

Give Thanks and Praise

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It is crazy how quickly the attetntion of so many people is distracted.  Today’s world is filled with so much information and so much more incorrect information that it is easy to get derailed or side tracked.  We need to be able to be centered on something or someone to keep us level headed and not chasing every feeling and emotion as if we are the center of the universe.  God knows everything about us.  I did a brief exercise this morning that I read about in one of my devotionals today…think about your last 24 hours…God knows about every single thing and every single thought you have experienced…yes even that one…now think about the fact that this is true about every single thing and thought in your life…and after all that realize that right now, knowing all those things, God forgives you and God loves you the same today as He did the day you were born.  To show you how much He loves and cares for you He sent His Son to take the punishment that we all deserve so that we can still have a relationship with Him.  Give thanks and praise to God our Father and Jesus Christ, His Son, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.

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“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:4-7

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

Be Thankful

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There is significant power in gratitude.  It is one of the forces that can truly impact our perspective.  The attitude of gratitude drives us to reflect and reconsider, it encourages a  shift in focus on what is good, instead of what is wrong.  It leads us to look for solutions, instead of problems.  It helps us give thanks instead of complaining.  Most importantly it takes the focus off of the self and the sinful nature within all of us.  All that is good in our lives is from God, everything else is because of sin and selfishness, in us and in others.  “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  His love endures forever.”  (Psalm 136:1)  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.”

Colossians 3:15

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

God Came Down

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The coming of Jesus Christ, to be born as a baby here on earth was miraculous for many reasons.  The most difficult part to comprehend is that God, the Creator of the world, the beginning and the end of all things, loves us so much that He took the form of one of us, to save us from our sinful ways.  When we read in the bible about the people of God in the Old Testament, it seems like the people and God go back and forth.  The people are suffering, God does something to help them, win a battle, defeat an enemy, free them from slavery and the people are thankful and grow closer to God…and then time goes by and they wander off again.  The cycle repeats itself several times…much like many of us in our faith journey.  In the New Testament, God changes the cycle and does something that has changed the relationship we have with Him forever.  God came down from heaven and became like us in order to reconcile us to Him…think about that for awhile…the Almighty God, Creator of all things came down from heaven to become one of us because He loves us.  As we think about the past year and the year to come, I pray we reflect on God’s love and the amazing things He has done for us.  Amen.

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“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:5

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

Thanksgiving

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What are you thankful for?  Think about the last week of your life, the last month, the last 12 months.  Where were you or what was going on last Thanksgiving?  Are you able to be with or spend the day with the same people you have for many years or have some gone home to the Lord?  Thinking about the events and people in your life…who or what are you most thankful for?  How you view this day and your life in general is driven by your attitude.  If you want to be more thankful or have a more positive outlook on a daily basis, start each day with time for gratitude for what is good and what you are grateful and thankful for in your life.  We can all start with prayer and thanking God for the sacrifice of His Son to save us.  Happy Thanksgiving Day to you.  May we all experience the peace, love and joy of being thankful.  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; 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 by our daughter while on a family road trip near Dillon, Colorado)

Gratitude

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A key element in shaping our perspective is gratitude.  Being thankful, looking around at your life and recognizing the ways God has blessed you.  We must be careful not to judge a blessing based on the world’s view of us or our life.  God has promised to give us what we need, not fulfill all our wants and not to give us everything that will make us feel better compared to someone else.  We are each unique, created out of love and blessed to be a blessing.  We have already received the greatest gift we could ever receive from Jesus Christ, it is up to us to turn towards Him and give Him thanks.  May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.

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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.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in you hearts to God.”

Colossians 3:15-16

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)