30 Days of Thanksgiving ~ Terri Lytle

I am thankful for the steadfast love of my husband. Sometimes, it overwhelms me like the bold scent of pine at Christmas; other times it sneaks up on me like the scent of morning dew after a long night, reviving me. Before we even met, as a new Christian, I prayed for a godly man, a spiritual leader. I believed God had answered at the start but during the early years of our marriage battled disbelief on and off. I thought maybe I had made a mistake and chose the wrong man, mostly for fleshly reasons. Satan began to use this to build a case against our union with his fiery darts. I remember blurting out my feelings mingled with tears to an older, wiser friend who had time and ears to hear. Her eyes didn’t widen with surprise; instead, she empathized with me. She patiently listened and then pointed me to Christ and prayed for me. Over time God helped me to recognize Satan’s strategy and fight back knowing that he was no match for Jesus. God showed me that feelings, although important, are not on what true love is based. Realizing that God is using our marriage for His sanctification purposes helps me trust in Christ who is constant instead of my feelings which seem to ebb and flow like ocean tides. All the while, my husband already has this steadfast, unwavering love for me. He has that kind of love for God too, demonstrated during the suffering we experienced this year. He never faltered in his faith, his Rock was Christ, and he clung to Him like a nimble mountain climber with secure footholds and finger grips. For this, I am eternally grateful and still learning from his example.

30 Days of Thanksgiving~ Linda Armstrong

I am thankful for God's command to us (through the Apostle Paul) ...  [to] 'be thankful in every circumstance'.    I confess that I've often thought of this command as a last resort to gain a right attitude toward my troubles and forget it (this command) when there is a lull in 'noticeable' difficulties  {trouble is always at the door waiting to pounce on ignorance). 

 

From one of my devotional readings this morning, I received this---"And you will seek ME and find ME, when you search for ME with your whole heart."  I was convicted that my seeking was only half- (at best) hearted.  There was no wholeness to me...therefore my attempts to 'be thankful' rose to our all-knowing God as insincere and legalistic!  I repented  of my selfishly-prompted 'thankfulness' (even our repentance is generated by God into our divided hearts by His grace).

 

From my other devotional I read:  'Thankfulness opens your heart to MY Presence and your mind to MY thoughts --enabling you to see from MY perspective.'  My repentance of un-wholesome motives in approaching our God, opened my heart to His closeness and my mind to think rightly about the 'dilemmas' I was currently fretting over!  I actually saw these from a totally new angle.  Jesus' control over my circumstance (facing what I call major decisions on my own) reminded me I am NOT Alone and gave me an 'opened heart to His Presence'; and His equal control over my thoughts  (which tumbled round and round in my head) brought me to 'see things from His perspective' [--my thoughts are NOT His thoughts] on these troubles..

I praise Him (am thankful) that He will continue to convict, convince and control me.  

30 Days of Thanksgiving~ Martha Gessick

Thankful for our Faithful and True God

 

I am most thankful for my daily bread (food/clothing/shelter) and safety from harm and evil. The past two decades have brought many personal struggles and suffering; yet I have seen and remember God’s faithfulness to me, my children and family. During these hard seasons of life, I am especially grateful for my church family and for my pastors who have provided love, guidance and encouragement. As I run the race of faith, I know I must focus only on Jesus as His grace is sufficient. I find reassurance in the following scriptures: Psalms145:18 “The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” And James 1:2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” We must all strive to be faithful as He is faithful until such time as we shall see Him face to face.

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~ Terri Lytle

I’m thankful for seasons. Hailing from the northeast, I observed four distinct seasons, each with its own vivid glories. I will never forget silent, snow laden winter streets at midnight under a full moon, the reflected light making it appear as dawn. Spring was ushered in when first color would sprout up to contrast a very dead looking world – pink crocuses, the principal hope that spring had arrived even if their tiny rosy buds were poking through the snow. Forsythia and finally the heady fragrance of Lilacs would give their stamp of approval. Summer was abundance. Backyard gardens teamed with mouthwatering tomatoes, beans, and peppers, all grown without soil prep or extra water, a fact I did not fully appreciate at the time. Laughter and secrets, both were shared in berry fields; the spoils poured out into sour cherry pies and blueberry crisps. Fall was a kaleidoscope of yellows, oranges, purples, and reds, swirling until they met their final union with earth, and the cycle would start all over again. Texas has four seasons too. Some say they are: “almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas” (yes, there’s a facebook page)! I rather like to say they are bipolar, with summer being manic, and the other seasons playing ping pong unpredictably. No matter how distinct or how subtle or how aberrant seasons are, sometimes we can’t help wishing for another season or desiring the next; the same can be said of the seasons of our lives.

A wise and apparently (from what we just learned at the W.E.L.L.) sexy man wrote about everything having a season, a time for every matter under heaven. What follows is a poetic litany of the ever-changing seasons of humankind. Just as fatigue sets in as I mull over these sweeping human affairs, Solomon asks, “What gain has the worker from his toil?” He doesn’t answer this repeated question straight up, but rather makes two statements and a conclusion. First, God has made everything beautiful in its time. Second, God planted eternity in our hearts yet we aren’t privy to the whole scope of what He is accomplishing beginning to end. God’s enduring forever and immutability stand in stark contrast to our ever-shifting human conditions. He concludes that there would be “nothing better” than to be joyful and do good as long as we live, and that we should take pleasure in all our toil – this is God’s gift. So rather than being driven to earn through our work and times and seasons of life, we ought to be centered on contentment rooted in God’s sovereignty, even if it seems like “still summer” in Texas.
 
Eccliastes 3:1- 15

P.S. I’m also thankful for wise and sexy men!

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~ Darla Page

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. I love the colors, the food, the weather, and the way that the holiday causes us to pause and remember what we have to be thankful for. Over the last several weeks, I have paused and recounted the things that I have not rejoiced over this past year. I believe the Lord has allowed me to remember these things because He is reminding me that in all circumstances He is still Lord and His word is still truth.

 

This year, above all, I am thankful that God isn't subject to my assumptions, who He is doesn't change because of what I feel at the moment.  He is who He is. The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is truth, love, and sovereign. He is able to bring beauty from destruction, life from the dust. He is God, the way, the truth, the life, and that will never change. This Thanksgiving, in particular, I find immense peace in knowing this. In death, in loss, in the midst of a diagnosis, in my own failures as a mother and wife, in watching someone I love suffer, in grief, in persecution.......God is still God and I rest in that.

 

Thanks be to God that He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~Kim Wheeler

As I have been thinking about writing about what I am thankful for this month, it has been difficult to choose one thing on which to focus. I feel the Lord has given me so much to be thankful for. My son, Josiah, turned three years old this month and he reminds me often of a multitude of things of which I must thank God for. I am thankful that the Lord made me a mom three years ago and has also given me a sweet little girl. I am thankful that He has given me good health to be able to care for them; that He has given me a husband that loves me and our children. I am thankful that through being a parent and a wife he has taught me that I’m not as patient, caring and sacrificial as I once thought I was. I am thankful that only through Christ will I be able to give these things to my family. I am thankful that He has provided fellowship with other women that understand this as well.

As I was taking Josiah to preschool this morning, we talked about what we were thankful for. I told him that I was thankful for him, Bekah and Daddy. I then asked him what he was thankful for (fully expecting him to follow suit and say Mommy, Daddy and Bekah) but instead he said “I’m thankful for Jesus.” I think that sums it up pretty well.

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~ Ivy Minich

It hit me like a ton of bricks several years ago when Marcus said that if he "could think of one word to describe his mother it would be SELFLESS".  I decided then that I needed to attune my ear more closely to the things that the said and did!  And in the years since I have grown truly thankful for my mother in law and the example of selflessness that she is to me.

 

She has had many dramatic and varied life experiences, not the least of which is being a single mother to 4 little boys- one of which was disabled.  The stories are always heart-wrenching and surprising.  going hungry?  in America?  really??  But a repeat theme in them all is how the Lord called her to live selflessly- laying down her own life, desires, physical well-being, safety, reputation, pride and even things that I would call basic necessities so that she could humbly live out the grace of the gospel within the life circumstances that God gave her.  That is what biblical selflessness is: laying aside ones self so that the ways of God and His plans are what reign in your life.  Like Moses, when he left Egypt to suffer with the people of God.  Like Mary, when she said "I am the bondslave of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word."  And like Christ, when he laid aside so much in heaven to come to earth and live a humble life to secure for himself a bride.

 

And I so very much get to see this with my mother in law as she accepts things from the hand of the Lord with a heart of peace and the ever present thought of "my life is not my own".  And now while she perseveres again in being selfless as she raises the 4 little girls they have adopted- 2 of which are disabled, I am encouraged to LET THE LORD REIGN as I go about my small life.  As the Lord teaches me to be a selfless servant and love my husband and my children, I can do so without fear!  I do not belong to myself; I belong to my loving King.  And I am so thankful for that!

30 Days of Thanksgiving~ Doris Smith

THANKSGIVING – THEN AND NOW

The cider is brewing, the pies are fresh baked;
The smells of Thanksgiving, my senses awake.
Imagine, if you can, what it was like years ago
Without the conveniences which today we do know.
 
Then, many days before, preparations began;
Now, all we do is open a can.
Then, old Tom Turkey was prepared from the start;
Now, we just put him in the grocery cart.
 
Then, stuffing and potatoes were prepared from scratch;
Now, from a box we get the full batch.
Then, pies were baked and even the crust;
Now, “Mrs. Smith’s” is a necessary must.

 

Then, Mom was the one who prepared the whole fare;

Now, they are at my house, the family to share.
Then, Thanksgiving Day meant church in the morn;
Now, parades and football are early turned on.
 
Yes, things were different in those earlier days,
But one thing is the same . . . the God whom we praise.
He is our Lord and the ruler of our lives.
Let us thank Him sincerely for our bountiful supplies.

Doris D Smith

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~ Mary Magnuson

Some of you know that I run. Before I had children, I began running for physical fitness. I got a dog, and I decided to run because walking just took too long. My dog became one of my running buddies. I also worked out with a teacher friend for many years until we moved to Texas. When I had children, they became my partners; I crazily pushed them in the stroller (or I ran on the treadmill when they were napping).

My philosophy of working out has changed over the year. I am grateful for just moving and fitting something into most days even if it is just a run around the block. Distance used to be important to me, but I stopped letting that get in the way. Speed became less significant too. Now what is important is finding time whether with my children or alone, in which I can relieve some stress, appreciate my physical abilities, pray to our Lord, to appreciate nature, to reflect on life and to be an example to my children.

Once my children, John and Anna, were old enough, they accompanied me on their bikes or on their skates. Through these times, the Lord has tested my patience. I couldn’t worry about going fast if I had to help one of them turn a corner with his or her bicycle. I sometimes held their hands while they skated. This also meant that speed couldn’t be put in front of my desire to go faster. I had to SLOW down. Often I am the type of person who wants to hurry things up. The Lord showed me that I should enjoy these moments.

I truly treasure the times of exercising with my children, the conversations, the leaf collecting, the reflecting on God’s beauty, and the memories. Sometimes we may even take a trip to the library if we don’t take out too many books. Other times we recite memory work as a way to make up for the time spent outside away from schooling. I know that instilling a habit of exercising is essential for my children. I am thankful that the Lord has allowed us to share these moments.

I also appreciate our current dog, Pepper, who truly was a gift from God. My one requirement for our next dog was that she could run with me. Well, not only did the Lord bless Anna with a dog for Christmas as she had prayed, but He also granted my desire. If I am not seen running with John and Anna, then I will more than likely be running with Pepper. The Lord has a funny sense of humor giving Anna dog for Christmas almost two years ago when I wanted her to get one for her birthday in April. I wanted to control the timing of getting a new dog, but the Lord knows what is best. For that I am grateful. Pepper brings much joy to our whole family.

Finally, I am thankful for my truly giving husband, Brian. Although he doesn’t feel well often, he constantly gives of himself and tries his best in spite of his poor health. I am blessed as Brain ALWAYS says!

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~Kris Blaede

I am thankful for the hard gift God has provided me through my son Kayleb.   He has taught me NOT to view the world through my own eyes, but rather look into and learn about the needs of others.   While Kayleb looks like every other regular kid he doesn't function the same.  You can't "SEE" his needs and people often become frustrated (including mom and dad).  When we adopted Kayleb I had the naïve and arrogant thought that I would "fix" him.   What really happened is that God, through Kayleb, fixed me.    Kayleb has made great strides to overcome his tumultuous past and he is striving to move forward.  At the same time I have learned to be more patient, educated, understanding, and most importantly trusting in the Lord.  We struggle daily to progress, but I can't imagine my life without him.    By LOOKING I have learned that behavior is not always a lack of training but can be an outcry for something left unspoken.   It is our job, while we continue to train, to figure it out.    Thank you Lord for this gift!



30 Days of Thanksgiving ~Andrea Belonga

God reveals his character and love through his different names in the Bible. I am thankful for El Roi, which in Hebrew means "The God Who Sees Me". This particular name of God is seen only one time in scripture and it is when Hagar encountered God in the desert and addressed him as El Roi. She had been running away from her mistress Sarai who had mistreated Hagar after finding out about her pregnancy.

"She [Hagar] gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi [the "well of the Living One who sees me"] Genesis 16:13

I find great comfort in the fact that God sees us, hears us, and knows us intimately. He sees our pain, loneliness, confusion, hopelessness, and despair. Even when we think things are hopeless or that God has abandoned us, He is there. He sees. His eye is even on the sparrow; how much more is His eye on us! He cares for us, hears our prayers, and is altogether faithful. He sees our need and He hears our cries for help. He answers in His timing, for our good and for His glory. He is weaving our story into the bigger picture of His story, although we may not understand His purposes or timing.

30 Days of Thanksgiving~ Marylin van Pelt

My daughters and I found this recipe one Thanksgiving several years ago. We were looking for something to do with Thanksgiving leftovers that would be tasty and different. We made these croquettes together and it is now a "new" tradition. My girls were excited and thankful that they got to add to the "traditions" of our Thanksgiving time together and I was thankful that we shared a new experience that turned into a tradition!

Turkey Croquettes with Mushroom-Rosemary Gravy (Rachel Ray, Food Network)

1 clove garlic, cracked from skin

½ small onion

1 rib celery, chopped

¼ small red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup cooked, chopped turkey meat, white and/or dark

1 cup leftover mashed potatoes

1 egg

1 cup leftover dressing

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

Few sprigs of parsley, leaves only

1 cup Italian bread crumbs, separated ¾ cups and ¼ cup

½ cups grated Romano, a couple of handfuls

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons extra-virgin oil

 

Recipe for Mushroom-Rosemary Gravy (You can skip this and use your leftover gravy from Thanksgiving Dinner)

 

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

12 cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups chicken stock

 

 

Place the garlic, onion, celery and red bell pepper in food processor and pulse to fine chop. Add turkey, potatoes, egg, dressing, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and parsley leaves then pulse to process and combine the mixture (I do this part by hand, not in processor). Remove from processor and add ¾ cup of bread crumbs.

 

Heat a small skillet over medium heat with 2 Tablespoons butter and tablespoon oil.  When butter melts add the mushrooms and cook until dark and tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and add rosemary to the pan.  Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and cook a minute. Whisk in the stock, bring to a bubble and thicken, 5 minutes, over medium-low heat.

 

Preheat a nonstick skillet with 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.

 

Use a conical or round ice cream scoop to form 8 croquettes.  Combine cheese and remaining ¼ cup of bread crumbs on a plate. Coat the croquettes in cheese and bread crumbs and sauté in hot oil until deeply golden all over, 5 to 6 minutes for each batch.  Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve the croquettes with rosemary gravy poured down over them.

30 Days of Thanksgiving~ Fran Kaylor

Thankfulness for...

First, my long-suffering, faithful, merciful, gracious Savior, not only for saving me from eternal separation from Him, but equally from a life of hopelessness as I continually struggle, rebel, and repent, running back to His open arms each day. 

Second, the people God sends as ambassadors and fragrances of Christ who, as our Friday morning study has made real, closely incarnate these sweet qualities to me as I endure and am being refined. 

Third, the opportunity Ed and I have to be with our daughter, her husband, and 2 grandchildren in California for the first time ever at Thanksgiving in their 14 years of marriage.

Fourth, the anticipation of answered prayer: for singleness of purpose in all our children's, their spouses', and grand children's hearts and lives to do as Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-40...to love the LORD [their] God with all [their] hearts and souls and minds; and others as themselves.

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~ Rebekah Lovelace

A Tradition of Thanksgiving
 

Some of you know I come from a family of 6 children... Thanksgiving has always been a fun time together as a family... I remember watching Cheaper by the Dozen when it came out and telling Michael that my family was not noisy like that... he was very sweet to just smile. Soon after, we had a family get together and yes, we were that noisy, but honestly I wouldn't change that for a minute! ;) 
 

My Uncle and Aunt and cousin have traveled to celebrate Thanksgiving with us most years, and often we have had other individuals or families join us. I am very thankful for my mother, who instilled in us the importance of hospitality and serving others- inviting others to come together for fellowship over a meal. Oftentimes growing up we would have church family, missionaries or other friends join us for a meal or stay. Fellowship is such a beautiful gift that the Lord has given to us as believers. My family benefited so much from those times and it is my desire to pass that on to my own children. 
 

One of the traditions at Thanksgiving that has always brought a sweet time of reflection and discussion is that my parents would print off Scripture verses of praise. Then they would place one at each place setting. At some point in the meal we would each read our verse then share what we were thankful for. It is something we haven't done in a few years, but I am hopeful that we will begin it again... Especially as grandchildren are now old enough to also join in on this special tradition. :) Time together is wonderful, but bringing the Lord into the midst of our conversations really is a blessing and deepens the relationships that we have with one another. I wanted to share this as I thought maybe you might consider doing something similar. :)
 

May the Lord richly bless you this Thanksgiving season!

 

Revelation 7:9-12 says, "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'  And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'"

 

Love in Christ, Rebekah Lovelace

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~Linda Armstrong

 I am thankful for:

• The gift of salvation
• Comfort in grief
• Life becoming precious to me after many years of longing for 'escape from the reality of it'- (though it's no secret that I long to join those who have gone on ahead of me through death)- I now want to experience the maximum fullness of life while here with assurance of better to come!  
• God's handiwork in creation - in nature but especially in people - 
• Lessons in love - how to receive, how to give (learned mostly from receiving), how to hold onto and how to let go of those ones we cling so tightly to...
• Experiences in travel and in staying put
• Healing:  spiritual, emotional, mental, physical
• Being granted a heart more inclined to obedience to my Lord and Master Jesus  ---a very long row to hoe for me, indeed
• Of correction from the Lord--how very much I need it.  And especially of a resulting genuine repentance.
• The gift of perseverance when I feel like giving up
• The gift of a house for shelter from heat and cold
• Neighbors who accept me - neighbors who would rather not-- and how God intends to use all these relationships for my good and His glory
• Friendship - learning to have, make and receive friends after so many years of 'self-sufficiency' which God abhors...
• Singing out in church (I could always hide under Tim's good voice) with hopefully decreasing self-consciousness and much more God-consciousness
• Looking for and expecting the best from others as opposed to my stubborn skepticism.
• The Promise of being forever HOME 

These are just the beginning.  But some significant things for me.  God is close to the brokenhearted and tender with His own.  But He is also just and (praise His Name) the Justifier  of those who seek Him.

 

May His Glory be made known in and through His people!

Linda Armstrong

Philippians 1:6  'Being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will complete it until the Day of Jesus Christ.'

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~Marilyn Phagan

One of the many things I am thankful for is the training I have received from the Share Your Faith Workshop.  I have been able to use this in talking with friends in a conversational way. When I go with Marty to other churches where this is being implemented, it makes me thankful that God uses people  It is a real blessing to see the Holy Spirit take the conversation and work in the heart of the hearer.  You learn to see where God is working and join Him in it. I am also thankful that this training will be available to the saints of Redeemer Nov 23 .  I pray that God will lay it on your heart to attend.

30 Days of Thanksgiving~ Anne Chamberlin

"I am thankful for the big sky here in Texas. I miss it when I am away in places cluttered with hills and buildings. And when I come back to it I'm so glad to see it is still stretching so far, from from north to south. 

I like the grey tides of clouds drifting across the orange sunset and the deepening blue on the other side, with a few twinkling lights of trucks or stars there.

I like the black hulk of a bushy tree in front of the broad band of twinkling periwinkle. 

I like that I have to shield my feeble eyes and submit to sunglasses driving into that clean, bright morning sun. 

And every morning and evening is a different picture, number 2,732,452 of the Artist's series. 

The firmament here in Texas truly does show his handiwork! I'm thankful for the big sky and the Artist who painted it, for his glory and my enjoyment. 

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~Kelley Burgess

I am thankful for birds. True confession: I am a nerd for birds. I go on birdwatching trips and I carry spare binoculars in my car. I have 5 bird feeders and a bird bath that I watch from my kitchen table. I have been known to have poor eye contact with family and friends around the table if there's action at the feeders. Birdwatching is a spiritual experience for me. When I see a painted bunting I praise God for the supreme Artist that He is. When my resident barn swallows show up in the spring I praise God for the seasons and the events that display His faithfulness. When I see sparrows I am reminded of God's love and care, since not even the death of a sparrow escapes His notice. Do you know that we are commanded to be bird watchers?! In Matthew 6:26 Jesus says, "Look at the birds of the air..." (and then the best part) "they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~ Susan Ray

I am thankful for the word of God that is living and active. In the same way that when God said, “Let there be light,” there had to be light, when he says, “I am with you” and “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” and it is so. His word is truth. Thanks be to God!

30 Days of Thanksgiving ~ Kathryn Ritchie

I told my husband that being in labor gives me a sliver of insight into why a prisoner of war might finally crack and tell the secrets. Just those few hours of labor about did me in. I can’t imagine being in excruciating pain with no end in sight!

After my daughter was born I just held her there in the birthing tub and thanked God out loud for His goodness – in getting me through a natural labor, in giving me this child, in the incredible lovingkindness He had poured into my life, so undeserving as I am.

After great trials are over it can be quite natural to thank God – confidently, out loud, no matter who can hear. We praise God because the trial is so fresh in our mind and we so vividly saw God fight for us, carry us, be our Helper, and be our triumphant victory.  But then things slowly shift back to normal.

A little while ago my son had the largest diaper explosion I have ever witnessed – probably the largest ever known to mankind. That happened the same time my daughter was wailing. My brother-in-law by mistake shredded my credit card (long story of how that happened… and it takes 10 days to get in a new one). Last night my husband and I had been planning a date night and, as we were walking out the door, there was a work emergency that took so long it caused us to miss going to Brooks Brothers before it closed.

Its not always the large things that so subtly steal our joy, putting our once praising hearts back into the captivity ungratefulness. Its often the small things… hardly even worth mentioning to another, yet significant time zapping frustrations about which I’m going throughout the day fretting. I really don’t want to be an ungrateful woman, but at times that characterizes my heart. Didn’t Paul talk about this… oh dreadful soul I am, doing the things I don’t want to do, not doing the things I do want to do?

There seems to be two major reasons my heart loses its gratefulness. First, when I turn my eyes onto my circumstances instead of God. That’s when the dirty diapers seem so out of control. That’s when missing going to a sale at Brooks Brothers seems so irritating (even though that meant we went to the mall instead and now I’m typing while wearing a pretty new pearl ring). But we all have heard that many times… don’t focus on the circumstances… and we all try to catch ourselves from dwelling too long on that negative road.

Here is the second reason and it’s this that we so often miss. Don’t end your focus on the good gifts! That’s dangerous (what happens when you lose a good gift or you see everyone else having something good that you aren’t given at all?) and causes you to miss out on deep joy as a Christian. Don’t get so caught up in the new pearl rings in your life that you miss glorying in your Redeemer. Don’t focus only on what God has done for you, missing taking joy in who He is. You may not always understand His acts, but you can take joy and security in knowing His ways – His attributes, His character. Train your mind and heart to delight in who God is – His faithfulness, His lovingkindness, His goodness, His justice. Meditate on these things and watch how God will mold your heart to live in gratefulness.

This Thanksgiving I am asking God for the gift of a genuine grateful heart focused on His attributes, particularly His lovingkindness. I’m asking Him for this knowing I don’t have it in me. In my own strength I waver away so quickly – seemingly ever so godly and grateful as I held my newborn a few weeks ago, and then sliding right back into ungrateful mode.

And so, I pray… Lord, this Thanksgiving may I take hold of the grace and victory you have given me to delight in You, particularly being mindful of the attribute of Your unfailing love. As I do this may You fill my heart with joy. May my heart continually sing Your praises as I glory in You, My Redeemer, My All.

And a bit of homework for us…

Perhaps make a list, posting it on the refrigerator, on a mirror, or in your Bible. Daily write out several things for which you are grateful… the people in your life, physical abilities (being about to hear, talk, see), items (just think what life would be like without light bulbs, cement, and refrigerators?) Or, as you are driving, rehearse out loud the material and physical gifts God has given you. But most of all thank God for who He is. It is as we focus on the Creator that we gain a heart of thanksgiving. And it is then, as we turn our eyes to creation – to what He has given His people – our hearts will find a proper joy in praising Him for these gifts as well.