The secret to having JOY!  Thanksgiving, 2016.

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”1

Did you take my challenge and stop to thank God seven times?

         “I thank thee God for _____” three times in the morning

         And four times in the evening?

Read:  http://pastorwoman.com/ReadArchive.aspx?id=2804

Why seven thank you’s?  David wrote,

“Seven times each day I stop and shout praises

                  For the way you keep everything running right.” 

        Ps. 119.164 ~ The Message

We ought indeed be a thankful people; our God is alive, Friends. I know—I saw his empty tomb last week!  He is moving and wants to be a part of whatever we set our hands to do.  Paul stressed the importance and value of giving ‘thanks’ to God over and over - In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.2

In the last ten years, ‘gratitude’ has been en vogue—though not necessarily gratefulness expressed to God.  May I ask you, how often do you cast your eyes heavenward and say, ‘God, thank you for ____’, or ‘O God, you are so good; I am so thankful for your constant love, for the hope and promise of Heaven, for the word that you wrote to us, for answered prayer, for your desire to be in our lives …’? 

You see, when we stop and give thanks, when we practice gratitude, we increase our positive focus and are more generous, more likely to give back, and less greedy, less selfish.  When we flow in gratitude, we produce more natural joy in our lives.

Regularly I hear folks pray ‘please be with us,’ but it is a rather silly expression, as God promised he ‘would never leave or forsake us’3.   How about changing our prayers to ‘God, remind me that you are with me, and please remind me to be with you.  Lord, thank you so much that you are with me.’

Later than usual I have begun listening to my beloved Christmas music.  A beautiful song has captured my attention, and I must share it with you: Thankful.4

“Thankful”    Josh Groban                                                                                      Some days we forget to look around us                                                            Some days we can't see the joy that surrounds us.                                                                                                                          

So caught up inside ourselves, we take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for What we know can be . . .                                     

And on this day we hope for What we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change and even though we all can still do more. . .

There's so much to be thankful for

Look beyond ourselves, there's so much sorrow.                                     

It's way too late to say, I'll cry tomorrow.                                                

Each of us must find our truth … we're so long overdue.

So for tonight we pray for what we know can be and every day we hope for what we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change and even though we all can still do more. . .

There's so much to be thankful for

Even with our differences there is a place we're all connected.               

Each of us can find each other’s light

So for tonight we pray for what we know can be . . .

And on this day we hope for what we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change and even though this world needs so much more, There's so much to be thankful for . . .”

Click to watch/Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoygmylt2iM

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.4

Oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good, and his steadfast love endures forever!5

Count me thankful!

“Dear Father, as we lift to you our thanks and gratitude for life, come and do what only you can do ~ make us joyful people who shine for you.  Amen.”

1 – G.K. Chesterton - English writer, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, lay theologian, biographer…           2 – I Thessalonians 5:18  3 - Hebrews 13.5  4 – James 1.17   5 – Psalm 107.1