Just Be Thankful

I hope you had a very enjoyable - and THANKFUL - Thanksgiving holiday yesterday with turkey and all the trimmings and surrounded by your loved ones. Thanksgiving will not be the same without the presence of those you love.

I am spending the weekend with my husband, daughter, son-in-law and their children at my oldest son's house with him and his children. It's one of those rare occasions when I have all my grandchildren under the same roof with me, and I feel very blessed.

You know, this may seem like a simple thing, but when I think of the number of people who have no one to share these special times with, tears come to my eyes.

So, for those of you who have your loved ones around you, please be thankful. Thank God for them and show them that you are thankful for them too.

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And if you are among the fortunate ones who have the weekend off and you are not heading for the malls, why not complete your relaxation with a good book?

Coming Out of Egypt, a story of hope, redemption and restoration, is just .99c on Kindle and free on Kindle Unlimited.

Thankful For Little

                                                                         
This week I came across a proverb that goes something like this: He who is not thankful for little, will not be thankful for much.

This reminds me of the Bible verse that says,  “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much" (Luke 16: 10). 

I don't have a lot of readers, but I am thankful for each one of you, and especially for those who take the time to leave a comment and share my posts with others. I am also thankful for Thanksgiving Day so that we can gather with family and friends to enjoy God's bountiful goodness and reflect on all He has done and continues to do for us.

As the year draws to a close, I am making plans to bring about some changes to my blog in the new year. I hope you will continue to visit and be blessed by what God has laid on my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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A Month Of Thankfulness - The Weather

Frozen LIQUID (Photo credit: audioburnr)

As I stepped out into the freezing 48 degree temperature this morning, I was truly thankful. I say freezing because in Florida that's what it feels like to us. And I am thankful that we don't have the kind of really freezing temperatures that other states are having. So, I'm thankful for 48. And I don't mind if it hangs around for a few days.

Let us pray that there will be no further loss of lives and that God will send some relief soon to the people who are really suffering on account of this weather.   And let's pray especially for the homeless, that they will find warm and comfortable shelter from this brutal cold.

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A Month Of Thankfulness - Unexpected Kindness

In the Bible, Jesus tells us to seek and we will find. Since embarking on this month of thankfulness I have been seeking out things to be thankful for, and I have been finding that the little things can really make our day as much as if we'd received something big.

Yesterday evening as I entered the supermarket parking lot, I saw that the second space was vacant, but someone had left a grocery cart in the middle of it. I slowed, intending to come out and move the cart so I could park, but before I could stop, a lady came hurrying up pushing her own cart. She quickly moved the cart aside and went into the supermarket.

Amazed at this unexpected act of kindness, I pulled into the space, took the cart and hurried into the supermarket hoping to thank her, but when I got in there I never saw her. Her act of kindness lingered with me the whole time, reminding me that despite what we hear on the news everyday, there are many kind-hearted people out there and there is still so much to be thankful for.

A Month Of Thankfulness

The idea for this post is borrowed from Our Daily Bread devotional of Jan. 1st. According to the article, the month of January is National Thank You month, according to many US calendars. I thought the article a fitting one for the first day of the year since that is the time we usually make New Year's resolutions. And I thought it a fitting one for me since I want to focus on all the things I should be thankful for this year instead of complaining when things go wrong.


Being thankful carries with it many benefits:

1. It shows you how blessed you are.
2. It prevents you from feeling sorry for yourself
3. It helps you appreciate God more

Studies have shown that people who are depressed do not have an attitude of gratitude. They think they have nothing to be thankful for. Other studies have shown that when depressed people are encouraged to talk/write about thankfulness, their depression lifts. You may not be depressed, but the Bible sets great store on giving thanks. Jesus gave thanks every time He prayed and He commended the Samaritan who returned to thank Him after He had healed him of leprosy.

Jesus said, "Were there not ten cleansed ? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger" (Luke 17 : 17).
Psalm 136 : 1 says, "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." The Psalm goes on to recount the many ways God blessed the Israelites and extended His mercy to them.

The Daily Bread devotional suggested that we examine the many reasons we have to be thankful during the month of January and I have begun to do that. I plan to write a "Gratitude" post every day and I would like you to join me. You can write it in your journal or blog and post a comment of it here. 

So here's what I'm thankful for so far:
 Jan 1: I'm thankful to God for bringing me and my loved ones safely into another new year.
Jan 2: I'm thankful to God for giving me the courage to take a new and faster route to work, and for making it stress-free for me.
Jan 3: I'm thankful for the relaxing time I spent today studying God's word and communing with Him. 

What are you thankful for? 

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I'm So Thankful

In my last post, I wrote about being away in Florida with my daughter who was about to have a baby. Well, she did have that baby sixteen days ago, a cute nineteen inch, six pounds nine ounces little girl with powerful lungs. We are all so thrilled to welcome this new addition to our family.

What a wonderful God we serve. He shows us His love in so many ways. Last year around this time, I was enveloped in grief over the death of my daughter-in-law, and now one year later, I'm celebrating the birth of my granddaughter. I can't stop saying it. God is wonderful. He is loving. He is kind. His mercies are renewed morning by morning. Great is His faithfulness. Yes, I am so thankful.