“God is in control, and therefore in EVERYTHING I can give thanks – not because of the situation but because of the One who directs and rules over it.” –Kay Arthur
As Thanksgiving approaches, I center on the One who directs my life and to whom I give all my praise.
He gave His life for me on an old rugged cross more than 2,000 years ago.
I am amazed at His love for me. Storms may rage in my life and problems try to defeat me, but I turn back to the promises of the one, true God who holds me in His hands.
We may face surgeries, sickness, financial woes; but Christ is bigger than all of these. Let’s face it though, we can say this but believing is another matter.
How do we live in a daily thanksgiving spirit honoring the One who gives us blessings and love? Here are some tips to give you hope and help restore a thankful spirit in you.
- We start our days with prayer. We pray without ceasing throughout the day. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
- When faced with desire to complain or give in, we step back and breathe out praise for Him instead.
- We turn our complaints around and think of them as blessings. Instead of “my home is ugly and I wish we had the money to move” focus on the fact that “God provides a home for me. It might not be a mansion, but I am blessed to have a roof over my head.” Or “I had to get help from mom because my car broke down again!” You can turn it around. “My mom is so giving and loving. I was able to spend time with her even in the midst of stress.”
- We remember that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. None of us deserve the promise of heaven and eternal life, but Jesus made it possible for us.
- We don’t take inventory of what we don’t have but of what we do have. We all have our wish lists, but sometimes they can become our complaint lists. Instead of wishing for more, be thankful for the blessings God already bestows upon you.
I want to wish all a very Happy Thanksgiving; and remember as we begin our Christmas Season that Jesus is the One Reason for the Season!
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This post continues my Thanksgiving series on Living Out Thanksgiving. It is also written for the Five Minute Friday Community where the prompt word focused on One.
In other personal news, I am also busy teaching on Outschool. It is a great help for homeschoolers looking for enrichment classes. I am teaching creative writing. Plus, I offer a virtual after school book club experience for teens. The club starts in two weeks.
You can view my profile here. I will be adding more classes for the spring. I hope you will stop by and check out my classes. Do you know a child who loves to write and read? Be sure to share my profile with his/her parents.
Now on to our weekly linkup. First, please follow me on your social media. I love to hear from you:
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Last Week’s Top Clicked
At Lisa Notes
My Favorite Post
Burdens: Jesus Understands and Feels our Pain
By Gayl Wright
In this post, Gayl blesses us with poetic truth and beautiful writing. Be sure to check it out.
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Mary, thank you so much for featuring my post. I love your suggestions for searching for thanksgiving. I can really identify with #3 – I do love my home, but it needs work and is messy, but rather than focusing on that I need to be thankful for the roof over my head and the beauty that is here. Blessings, love and hugs to you, dear sister!
Dear Mary,
Oh, I echo these thoughts with you: “I am amazed at His love for me. Storms may rage in my life and problems try to defeat me, but I turn back to the promises of the one, true God who holds me in His hands.” My Thanksgiving comes from those thoughts of HIs love for us! I pray for a Beautiful and Blessed Thanksgiving for you and your family this year.
Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Patrick Weseman recently posted…Jackson State Forest
Hi Mary,
We don’t have your Thanksgiving celebration here in Australia but I love the concept! Thankful for my relationship with the Lord, for nothing else compares 😀
Blessings,
Jennifer
Tea With Jennifer recently posted…Flourishing when all seems lost…
Thanks for the reminder to keep our focus on thanksgiving and gratitude in this season and really all year. and thanks for the linkup opportunity too. Blessings to you
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving too, Mary!
Happy Thanksgiving Mary, my mother found the poem in my post and I wanted to share it for her. We can be thankful at how much He values us,
I love your practical tips! It is so easy to become so discontent in our culture. I like to remind myself and my kids how great we have it, especially compared to other places in the world. That shift in perspective does wonders, it’s renewing our minds as we are told do in scripture. Thank you for this beautiful post and the link up! I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Julie recently posted…Why We Told Our Kids The Truth About Santa (And How)
The battle to be content and thankful goes on in our thinking, doesn’t it? Thanks for these suggestions for thinking and responding to life in godly ways. Lots of truth here for our walks with the One who died to save us from an eternity spent apart from Him. I, too, want to work at recognizing that and being truly grateful!
What a beautiful post with practical reminders on how to keep Jesus in our holidays. I am taking inventory of what I have. Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving. Maree
Maree Dee recently posted…Freedom Will Never Be Free
Mary, your determined faith reminds me that it is often in trials that we are pressed into a deeper reliance upon God that shows up in greater gratitude.
Blessings to you as you celebrate!
Michele Morin recently posted…The Hard Work of Hanging On and the Brave Work of Letting Go
Great practical advice for cultivating gratitude instead of grumbling!
Such an important topic as we approach the Thanksgiving and busy Christmas season. Happy Thanksgiving, Mary!
Esther | Chosen & Cherished recently posted…Infuse Hope: Resting In God / Scripture For Finding Rest While Waiting On the Lord
Great advice, Mary. It’s so easy to focus on what we don’t have – yet we have so much already. God has abundantly blessed us. I like the way you turned around ways at looking at different situations, from a problem to a blessing.
I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Barbara Harper recently posted…The Potter’s Loving Care