gratitude

Thanksgiving when Giving Thanks is Hard

November 21, 2018

What words and images come to mind when you think of Thanksgiving?

A big butter bronzed turkey?
A table laden with favorite foods?
A gathering of family and friends?
Loud talking and laughter?
Everyone sharing the things for which they are most thankful?
Early Bird Christmas shopping?
Decorating the Christmas tree?
That stuffed feeling where you need to unbutton your pants?

These are some of the happy descriptions that come to mind when I think of “Thanksgiving” – and I’m so grateful for these wonderful traditions and images that have marked this holiday in my life.

But lately, I’ve been asking myself some tough questions:

What if we didn’t have a big butter bronzed turkey, or a table laden with favorite foods, friends, family, and laughter?

What if we weren’t stuffed until we’re about to pop?

What if my expectations for this time or life season weren’t fulfilled?

Would I still be thankful?

Could I still be thankful?

I am learning to – because we are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

What’s interesting in this verse (and I looked it up in about 20 different translations, and found the same result) is the word IN. Be thankful IN all circumstances. Not one of the translations on BibleHub.com had the word FOR in the place of IN.

What this means is that this command to be thankful IN all circumstances doesn’t mean that we must “Be thankful FOR every circumstance” or “Be thankful FOR everything”… It says “Be thankful IN everything” & “Be thankful IN all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

And what a blessed relief that is!

Be thankful IN and Be thankful FOR are two totally different commands.

Be thankful FOR means that whatever happens… terrible as it might be… we must thank God for the terrible thing. And some terrible things that happen to or around us and those we love are just not things to be thankful for! I believe that God KNOWS this… that’s why He commanded us – not to be thankful FOR – but to be thankful IN.

Being thankful IN means that whatever has happened… wherever we find ourselves or our loved ones… even in the most terrible situation we can imagine… we can be thankful IN it because of several unchanging truths:

1. God is present. He knows. He hears. He sees.

2. God is Who He says He is. Every one of His names and characteristics are unchangeable {remaining true, even when they don’t “feel” true.

3. God is working.

4. God will bring glory from it.

If we can think of nothing else for which to be thankful… we can thank God IN the midst of today for these four truths about Him.

I have found that the physical and mental act of giving thanks to God FOR WHO HE IS draws us into the presence of the Lord. It pulls our focus from ourselves and puts it back on God and all He is – even if we detest what we’re dealing with at the present time.

You see, we can not stay in the depths of the pit of grumpy or frustrated or discouraged or lonely or angry when we start making a list of thanksgiving to God for God. Thanksgiving might not change our circumstances, but it surely will change our attitudes. Then our attitudes affect how we deal with those circumstances surrounding us.

If you are having trouble feeling thankful during this Thanksgiving season (or any time), Psalm 103 is a beautiful place to begin giving thanks to God for God. Psalm 103 says “Bless and praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is deep within me, bless His holy name…and do not forget any of His benefits…” Then the Psalmist goes on to list a host of individual benefits of the Lord toward those who love Him (I found 23 benefits in that Psalm) – What a gift Jesus is to us! Check it out: Psalm 103

So, my friends…

ARE YOU DISCOURAGED or DISAPPOINTED?
• Start making a list of the benefits and blessings of the Lord. Write these things down, or call them out aloud.
• Then look around you. Do you have a roof over your head? Write that down. Thank God.
• Do you have enough of whatever you need for today?

ARE YOU FRUSTRATED AT WORK OR HOME?
• Surely there are some things for which you can be thankful. Look around you. Who has God been to you lately? Has He helped you? Given you strength to press on? Given you rest? Given you talents and abilities to do what is required?

During a difficult time at work or home, or in relationships – build a tower of thanksgiving. One brick at a time write down the good IN the midst of the hard… And use each brick to climb above your frustrated attitude.

ARE YOU STRESSED OR WORRIED RIGHT NOW?
• Start writing down some things within your situation that are good or positive, some things that are much better than they could have been… How has the Lord already shown you His protection, provision, presence, and power? Thank Him for that!

Psalm 50:23 says,

“He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me,
and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”

Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever God gives. It is evidence of our faith and trust in God that even when we don’t see what He is doing, we KNOW that He is doing something. It is our unselfish gift to Him as we recognize how very GOOD He is to us.

If you are having a hard time giving thanks this Thanksgiving, you are not alone. I’ve been there and know that the struggle is real. But, so is the choice and discipline of thanking God IN the midst of wherever we are. Remember: Thanksgiving turns our eyes away from ourselves and brings them to rest on the presence of God. And in the presence of God, there is rejoicing and joy!

Ann Voskamp, in her wonderful book, 1000 Gifts, says that, “As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible.”

My friends, I’m praying with you as we all choose thankfulness IN the midst of every circumstance.

“Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord
for his goodness and loving-kindness
and His wonderful works to the children of men!

For He satisfies the longing soul
and fills the hungry soul with good.”
Psalm 107:8-9

Thanking God for Himself… and for YOU~

The “Bumpy Pumpkin” Challenge

September 27, 2017

I noticed something the other day that I can’t get get out of my mind. I was in the produce aisles at the W-mart super store (now big city friends with your Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods and I don’t even remember what else is available out there… we here in our small town America are GRATEFUL for our local WM!!! We even stroll through it’s aisles on date nights with our husbands after dinner. hahaha! But that’s a whole other post entirely. So don’t judge! grin.) when I noticed a huge selection of lumpy, bumpy, warty, scarred, molded-looking, multi-colored-not-your-typical-rounded-orange-picture-perfect-pumpkins.

Because a friend of mine has a daughter that lives in a town with a Trader Joe’s, I was introduced to these bumpy gourds last year. (Of course, many of these are heirloom varieties and have been around forever, and all have been popular in decorating for a few years now… yada yada yada… but I hadn’t seen any up close and personal until then.) I found them fascinating. And to be honest… a bit ugly. At first.

But then, the more I looked at the details, the more beautiful these creations became.

The scars, bumps, and color variations on the outside are the very things that make them stand above the perfectly round orange gourds we’ve come to expect to see when we think of “pumpkins.” Their uniqueness made them beautiful. And valuable. And set apart for a special use.

I did a little research on them, and found that on a whole, the inside fruit of the warty heirloom varieties is rich and sweet.

I couldn’t stop thinking about those bumpy pumpkins God created… and how, to me, they began to represent the precious people He fashioned in His image and traded Jesus’ life to save.

Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder… as in the One who Created it. He promises to make everything beautiful in its time (Ecc. 3:11) – which includes us, lumps, bumps, and all!

With that in mind, I want to throw out a 3 part “Bumpy Pumpkin Challenge” to you. Of course, I’m taking it myself, too.

The Bumpy Pumpkin Challenge:

From now through Thanksgiving:

1. Every time you see yourself, and find yourself focusing on your own imperfections staring back at you, think of these pumpkins, and find something about yourself for which you can be thankful. Even if it’s your warts, scars, or discoloration from the “expected normal.” If you keep looking, with the help of the Holy Spirit and the love of the Father, and redemption of the Son, you will find a unique person, made in the image of God, beautiful, valuable, and created to be set apart for a special use. There is something beautiful about yourself for which you can be thankful. Ask the Lord to help you notice the beauty, and then thank God for it. Every time.

2. When you come upon a “bumpy pumpkin person”... you know the kind I’m talking about – the one that might be a “difficult person” in your life, or the one that is harder to love than the others… look past the warts and scars and bumps to find the beauty. It’s there somewhere. Just like it’s in you… it’s in that person too, who also was created in the image of God, and is loved by Him (hard as it may be to believe at the time!). Ask the Lord to help you notice the beauty, and then thank God for the something beautiful about that person.

3. When you see a pumpkin of any kind, let that serve as a reminder to ask the Lord to let His beauty shine through you to touch the lives of those around you. – For His Glory. You don’t have to know or understand how He will do this… just make your grateful self available to Him for His use, and He will make Himself beautifully glorious through you. Then thank Him in advance for what He will do.

Are you up for the challenge? Let me know! I can’t wait to see how God will use these little acts of thankfulness over bumpy pumpkins. 🙂 Here it is in a summary pic you can copy and keep with you as a reminder.

Speaking of beauty, this is a favorite verse of mine that I pray every day as I get ready in the morning:

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish you the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish it. Psalm 90:17 (KJV2000)

(I love how the Aramaic Bible in Plain English closes out this verse… emphasis, mine.)

Let the sweetness of Lord Jehovah our God be upon us, because of the works of his hands which he has fashioned for us, and he formed us among the work of his hands! Psalm 90:17 (ABPE)

Lumps, bumps, and all~

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When Thanks-giving is Hard

November 25, 2015

Hi everyone~ And a Happy Thanksgiving to each of you.

Isn’t this quote above so true? Among the hundreds and thousands of people and things for which I am grateful, I am so very thankful to the Lord for you and for this blogging platform He has given me. 🙂

Yesterday I was thinking about you and this Thanksgiving holiday, and of how holidays are especially hard if (or when) life isn’t necessarily “good” at the moment, or family isn’t functional, or nearby… and sometimes, it’s just down-right-hard to celebrate Thanksgiving.

If you find yourself having a hard time today, I’m praying for you, and want to encourage you with something God gave me yesterday. (I hopped on Periscope for the first time to share it, and am still learning how to “scope like a pro” – it’s also on YouTube in it’s most raw Periscope form – AND… its turned sideways. Oh well.)

((We’ll talk about Periscope on here as I learn more hints and helps to share about it. The videos will last only 24 hours, that’s why I added it to Youtube. If you scope, let me know. I’d love to follow you and see you face to face. ))

The gist of the message is that no matter who we are, or how privileged we are or are not… every one of us can counsel our hearts into an attitude of Thanks-giving when we fill in the blanks below:

Though I don’t have __________, I DO have __________. And for this, I am truly grateful.

Though you may not have {whatever it is that you are feeling downcast about today}, you DO have {look around you… what DO you have? Your mind? Your health? A roof over your head? Clothes? Community and Encouragement via cyberspace? People in your life who care about you – physically kin to you or not?, etc…}. And for those things, especially on today, be truly grateful.

The eight minute message from Periscope and Youtube is here (in case you can’t see it below).

Oh my friends, what is it that God has given you today? What do these 24 hours hold for you? Will you do like the Psalmist in Psalm 42 and 43 and counsel your heart not to be downcast, but to put your hope in God instead and to praise His Holy Name?

You are loved and valued, both by God your Daddy, and by so many on this planet. Truly. May the Lord bless you as you bless Him in your Thanks-giving today.

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!
Psalm 42:5 (NLT)

Anyone out there need a gentle “Attitude Adjustment” today?

November 12, 2015

What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

What would you have?

Since November hosts the holiday of Thanksgiving, our minds regularly turn to things for which we are thankful. But like a billboard on the way out of our town says, “Gratitude Has No Season” – and for the one who belongs to the Lord, that is so true!

The act of giving thanks to God draws us back into the presence of the Lord. It pulls our focus off of ourselves and puts it back on God and all He HAS done for us – even if we aren’t liking what we’re dealing with at the present time.

Psalm 100:4 is a familiar verse: “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”

But the Message puts it this way: “Enter with the password: ‘Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank Him. Worship Him.’ (Psalm 100:4)

You see, we can not stay in the depths of the pit of grumpy or frustrated or discouraged or lonely or angry when we start making a list of thanksgiving to God. Thanksgiving might not change our circumstances, but it surely will change our attitudes. Then our attitudes affect how we deal with those circumstances surrounding us.

So, my friends…

ARE YOU DISCOURAGED?
• Start making a list of things for which you are thankful. Look around you. Write these things down, or call them out aloud.
• Do you have a roof over your head? Write that down. Thank God.
• Do you have plenty of food to eat?
• Are you sitting in something comfortable right now?
• Can your ears hear and your eyes see?
• Do you have clean clothes? A washing machine and/or a Dishwasher?
• Air and/or heat?
• Start your list with practical things. Then keep looking around and add more detailed thanks.

ARE YOU FRUSTRATED AT WORK OR HOME?
• Surely there are some things for which you can be thankful.
• During a difficult time – build a tower of thanksgiving. One brick at a time… And use each brick to climb above your frustrated attitude.

ARE YOU STRESSED OR WORRIED RIGHT NOW?
• Start writing down some things within your situation that are good or positive, some things that are much better than they could have been…

On a daily basis, I encourage you to get in the habit of listing things for which you are thankful.

Psalm 50:23 says, “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”

Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever God gives. It is evidence of our faith and trust in God that even when we don’t see what He is doing, we KNOW that He is doing something. It is our unselfish gift to Him as we recognize how very GOOD He is to us.

Thanksgiving turns our eyes away from ourselves and brings them to rest on the presence of God.

Ann Voskamp, in her wonderful book, 1000 Gifts, says that, “As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible.”

“Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord
for his goodness and loving-kindness
and His wonderful works to the children of men!

For He satisfies the longing soul
and fills the hungry soul with good.”
Psalm 107:8-9

PS: Below is a Smelling Coffee TV episode on an Attitude of Gratitude. 😉

(Click here if you can’t see the video.)

I’m giving many thanks to God for you, my dear SmellingCoffee.com friends!

gratitude

Thanksgiving when Giving Thanks is Hard

These are some of the happy descriptions that come to mind when I think of “Thanksgiving” – and I’m so grateful for these wonderful traditions and images that have marked this holiday in my life.

The “Bumpy Pumpkin” Challenge

When Thanks-giving is Hard

Anyone out there need a gentle “Attitude Adjustment” today?

FAITH

Just tryin’ to keep the plates spinnin’

Throwback Thursday: “Thus far, the Lord has helped us”

Do you trust God “with strings attached”?

FUN

A little Wisdom one line at a time :-)

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FAMILY

What makes me smile on this Tuesday: James Walker… We did it! :)

So true and beautiful, it makes me want to cry!

Throwback Thursday: The Best Advice You Could Ever Give

LIFE

Some Truths to Combat Election Day Heart-Panic

No news yet…

A Sister/friend of ours needs our help. :-)

FOOD

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup – Homemade Crock-pot Version

LOVE

Throwback Thursday: The Best Advice You Could Ever Give

For This Man I Prayed… and Waited… and Wrote… {Part 2}

For this man I prayed… and waited… and wrote… {Part 3} and God granted my request!

gratitude

These are some of the happy descriptions that come to mind when I think of “Thanksgiving” – and I’m so grateful for these wonderful traditions and images that have marked this holiday in my life.

Thank you!

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FAITH

FUN

FAMILY

LIFE

FOOD

LOVE