Works for me Wendesday- Thankfulness

Nothing combats a bad attitude like thankfulness! I have discovered that the more thankful I am, the more joyful I am. In fact, the more thankful I am, the more happy my husband and others around me are as well! Thankfulness WORKS FOR ME! Sometimes, finding things to be thankful for is very easy, but during trying times, it is just as easy to forget to be thankful for all you have been given because the trial is in the forefront of your mind. This is when being thankful is a bit more difficult to say the least.

I once read in a great book that you can either practice bitterness and negativity, or grace and thankfulness. Many people (trust me, I could have been one of "these people" very easily), practice bitterness and discontent for years (often times towards the people they love the most- their spouses, children, and family) until it is their first response. Others carefully practice grace and thankfulness for years and the more they practice it (sometimes it takes WORK), the more natural it becomes for them to automatically give themselves and others grace and remain thankful to God and to others. It is important for me to look at the thoughts and actions that I am practicing on a daily basis (I know there are many that I need to discover and work on) because out of my heart, my mouth speaks and I act (seriously!). If you find yourself hitting the keys of bitterness and unthankfulness today, start a new habit- give thanks, give grace! It WORKS FOR ME!

Practice with me this week:
- Say or write one thankful comment to your spouse, significant other, kids, or friend each day. Appreciation is powerful!
- Put the things you are thankful for in writing. Having these things in writing is extremely helpful when you are having a "tough time" being positive.
- Look for things to be thankful for throughout the day, when you discover them, give thanks to God!

Learning...
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,..." (Phil 1:3-5)

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;..." (Col. 4:2)

"Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire." (Heb. 12:28-29)

"From the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34)