A Week of Thanksgiving - Day 7

You can find and print this out at Revive Our Hearts.

Day 7 -

As you have been focusing on thankfulness, have you found some people, items, or circumstances for which it is hard to be thankful?

Dr. Helen Roseveare, long-time missionary doctor in the Congo, told of a point in her life when she was shamefully mistreated at the hands of rebel soldiers.  She described the painful struggle that took place in her heart, as she sought to make some sense out of the humiliation and physical suffering she had undergone.  Then she told of the release and peace that came when she sensed God asking here, "Helen, are you willing to give me thanks for that which I may never give you the privilege of understand?"

Make a list of past or present circumstances, events, trials, or relationships for which you may never have given thanks.  Then, as an expression of faith and an exercise of obedience, say, "Lord, I choose to give You thanks for ____ and ____, which You may never give me the privilege of understanding."  In so doing, you will be acknowledging that God is the "Blessed Controller" of everything that touches your life, and that you trust Him and His sovereign choices for your life.

Difficult things for which God wants me to give thanks:

There are many things that I could say here, but most of these things are private, that few people know.  I am not going to share anything, but if you feel the Lord pushing you to comment and tell about something that is hard to be thankful for, go ahead.

Now that you've spend a week focusing on gratitude, we'd like to challenge you to make a lifetime habit of giving thanks.  In fact, you'll discover that the whole world looks different, when you learn to see it through eyes of thankfulness!

You can find and print this out at Revive Our Hearts.

Thank you for joining me this week in "A Week of Thanksgiving," I hope you enjoyed it!

-Emily

A Week of Thanksgiving - Day 6

You can find this and print it out at Revive Our Hearts.

Day 6 -

Paul instructed the Ephesian believers to "give thanks always for all things..." (Eph. 5:20)

One man of God told of meditating on this verse while he was brushing his teeth one morning.  He was challenged by the thought of thanking God for everything!  He said, "I began my thanking God for my toothbrush.  Then I thanked Him for the toothpaste.  Then I realized that I had never thanked God for my teeth!"  He went on to ask this probing question: "If tomorrow's supply depended on today's thanksgiving, how much would I have tomorrow?"

As you go through this day, try to consciously thank God for all things.  small things and big things!

You can find this and print it out at Revive Our Hearts.

This challenge is one of my favorites from "A Week of Thanksgiving."  It's so challenging what he ends with, because if tomorrow's supply DID depend on today's thanksgiving...I'm not sure how much I would have.  It's an amazing thought to thank God for EVERY little thing!  Try it today!  Everything you use, see, touch, do, thank Him for it.  You can never thank God to much!

Post a few thoughts on things you were thankful to God for today!

P.S. - Picture will be loaded tomorrow...

A Week of Thanksgiving - Day 5

You can find this and print it at Revive Our Hearts.

Day 5 -

Call or write three people on the list you made yesterday, to express gratitude for their influence and ministry in your life.

(I plan on making a few cards and sending out today.)

You can find this and print it at Revive Our Hearts. 

A Week of Thanksgiving - Day 4

You can find this and print it out at Revive Our Hearts.

Day 4 -

Make a list of other individuals who have blessed or touched your life in some way.  You may want to include pastors, teachers, friends, business associates, neighbors, authors, leaders of Christian ministries, ect.  As you write each name, ask yourself, "Have I ever thanked that person for the way God has used him/her in my life?"  Put a check mark next to each individual to whom you have expressed gratitude. (On the pages you can print out it has a list up to 30 and a check box beside each number to make it easier to check off.  You can also do this on a piece of paper.)

1.  Lisa

2. Rebekah

3. Heather

4. Lauren

5. Jeff C.

6. Diane

7. Linda

8. Faith

9. Molly S.

10. Karen G.

(there is my small list...I have a list of others as well.  I plan on making a lot of thank you cards, and either mailing them out or giving them to them)

You can find this and print it out at Revive Our Hearts.

So what about you?  Are there any friends you need to thank today?

P.S. - picture posting thing is STILL not working.  I'll work on it this weekend while I'm at my friend's.

A Week of Thanksgiving - Day 3

You can find this and print it out at Revive Our Hearts.

Day 3 -

Today, focus on expressing gratitude to and for your family members.  Make a list of each member of your family (mate, parents, children, brothers, sisters, etc.).  Then next to each name, write one quality about their life for which you are particularly grateful.

Family Member                    ----             Qualities I Appreciate

Dad                                                                       Hard working.

Mom                                                            Supportive, loving, serving

Jesse                                                                Occasional helpfulness

Take time to thank God for each member of the family He has given you.  Then pick three individuals from your list whom you can express gratitude today, either in person, by phone, or by means of a note.  You might want to begin by saying something like this:

                    "I thanked God for you today.  And I wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you are a part of my family, and especially for this particular quality that I see in your  life..."   

(You may want to express gratitude to someone on your list who has been especially difficult to love!)

You can find this and print it out at Revive Our Hearts.

Well, there ya go!  Post something about your family members and your favorite qualities they have!

-P.S. - Sorry about the no picture today.  It wasn't working correctly.  I'll make sure to add it later.

A Week of Thanksgiving - Day 2

You can find this and print it out at Revive Our Hearts.

Day 2 -

Before we can express our gratitude, we must take time to recognize and identify the specific blessings that we have received from God and others.

Make a list of all the material and spiritual blessings you can think of that you have received from the Lord.  Then stop and thank God for each item on your list.

Spiritual Blessings (if you need help getting started, try reading the first chapter of Ephesians!)

My salvation.

The growth I have gone through this past year.

Being a child of the King.

The Lord gives me strength through my trials.

A better prayer life.

My talents.

Material Blessings

My parents.

My Church family.

The house I live in.

The bed I sleep in.

The BIBLE.

Spiritual friendships.

My one whole year with my car...(it just died before New Year's)

My job.

You can find this and print it out at Revive Our Hearts.

Now of course this is a minimized list.  There are so many blessings that I am thankful for.  How about you?  What are some spiritual blessings you've had in the past year?  What about material blessings?

A Week of Thanksgiving - Day 1

You can find this and print it out at Revive Our Hearts.

Thankfulness should be our way of life.  So often we are discontent, bitter, complaining, anything but thankful.  We need the "attitude of gratitude."  Cultivating a thankful heart will follow with thankful words.  We daily need reminded to be thankful.  [paraphrased by myself from introduction paragraph]

Day 1 - 

Every chapter in the book of Colossians has at least one reference to thankfulness.  Read the following verses and jot down a thought that stands out to you.

Colossians 1:3 - "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you."

My Thoughts - As I read this in the beginning of the book, it seems like an opening/closing statement.  Saying that, we give thanks always, and that we will pray for you.  I think we make this a quote we say often when leaving someone.  Just letting them know that you will remember them in prayer.  

Colossians 1:12 - "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light."  

My Thoughts - I had to read the notes in my Bible to understand this verse a little bit better.  In my Bible it says that it can also be referring that we can share in the salvation, the same that the saints who are in the light had.  Light referring to our spiritual understanding that we are God's children.  {to be a light to the world.}

Colossians 2:7 - "Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith,  as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."

My Thoughts - Because we are rooted in the faith, we are to be thankful.

Colossians 3:15 - "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

My Thoughts - We are to let the peace of God rule in our hearts.  It should rule our thoughts and minds.  We are to be peaceful.  We are also to be thankful.

Colossians 3:17 - "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

My Thoughts - Anything that we do, we are to do in the name of the Lord.  Anything here refers to, anything.  Anything we do in private, public, any area of our life, we are to do to the glory of God.  At the same time we are to be thanking God.

Colossians 4:2 - "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving."

My Thoughts - We are to continually pray, (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and give thanks.

Again you can find this at Revive Our Hearts.  

I hope you all enjoyed the first day!  Make sure to comment on some of the verses, and what they mean to you!