Tag: thankfulness

God, Hope, Quotes, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

12 Quotes on Being Thankful

November brings a chill to the air. Falling leaves, colder weather, apple cider, and Thanksgiving. As the seasons change in the natural and the spiritual, I have to remind myself to be thankful and enjoy the journey. It has not been an easy year for myself and my family. There have been many challenges. Yet through them all, God has been faithful and true. He is with us in the fire of affliction, just like He was with those 3 boys Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

So today,  let’ s take a moment to stop, breathe, and trust God – and thank Him for never leaving us. God is with us! We will make it through this!

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

12 Quotes on Being Thankful

  1. “We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” ― Harry A. Ironside
  2. “The soul that gives thanks can find comfort in everything; the soul that complains can find comfort in nothing.” ― Hannah Whitall Smith
  3. “Cultivate wonder in your children, make your home a chapel of praise. Give thanks, always, with a glad heart. Look for God’s fingerprints. Treasure God’s Word. Treasure each other. Live for eternity.” ― Catherine L. Morgan
  4. “God gave us minds to think with and hearts to thank with. Instead we use our hearts to think about the world as we would like it to have been, and we use our minds to come up with rationalizations for our ingratitude. We are a murmuring, discontented, unhappy, ungrateful people. And because we think we want salvation from our discontents…” ― Douglas Wilson
  5. “Entitlement is such a cancer, because it is void of gratitude.” ― Adam Smith
  6. “Why should we give God thanks? Because everything we have comes from God.” ― Billy Graham
  7. “I am thankful that I can be thankful, for if thankfulness did not exist my heart would be irretrievably imprisoned by the crazed twins of acquisition and possession, and my soul would exist as a forever slave to greed.” ― Craig D. Lounsbrough
  8. “We should not let a day go by without thanking God for His mercy and grace to us in Jesus Christ.” ― Billy Graham
  9. “If we spend more time praising and thanking God for His daily benefits and blessing and all the good things He bestows, there wouldn’t be time to blame, complain. cry and moan over the bad things.” ― Dr. Pazaria Smith
  10. “Could it be — no one receives the peace of God without giving thanks to God? Is thankfulness really but the deep, contented breath of peacefulness? Is this why God asks us to give thanks even when things look a failure? When there doesn’t seem much to give thanks for?” ― Ann Voskamp
  11. “Gratitude doesn’t change the scenery. It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich
  12. “Without darkness, we may never know how bright the stars shine. Without battles, we could not know what victory feels like. Without adversity, we may never appreciate the abundance in our lives. Be thankful, not only for the easy times, but for every experience that has made you who you are.” ― Julie-Anne

“in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1  Thessalonians  5:18 

Life, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

How Thankfulness Changes the Atmosphere and Stops Negative Thoughts

Be thankful. Sometimes easier said then done. Yet I have found when I purpose in my heart to be thankful the atmosphere changes. My focus changes, my heart changes, and my mood changes.

I must admit the first thought in my head may not be the most positive thing. I think the Enemy knows that and when I’m not quite up yet, the self condemning thoughts try to start. I won’t repeat them, just know that they are not good.

I have found the secret to get the bad thoughts to stop – start thanking God. It doesn’t matter for what – anything.

“Thank You Lord for a new day. ”

“Thank You Lord for keeping me and my family safe.”

“Thank You Lord for your grace and mercy.”

These are just a few of my ‘go to’ thank yous. And instantly the condemning thoughts stop!

I don’t think the Enemy can live in the place of praise!

pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 NKJV

Thankfulness changes the atmosphere and stops negative thoughts!

faith, Hope, Spirituality, Uncategorized, Women

Being a Blessing – Guest Post by Jennifer Parrish

This morning my daughter Jennifer Parrish shared an amazing story of how a complete stranger chose to bless her and her family. It is a beautiful story of ‘paying it forward’ and choosing to be a blessing in this world. This is from her FB page today:

I don’t get “serious” on here often, but something remarkable happened over the weekend and I think it holds an important lesson for all of us. I was waiting in a long line to check out at Target with a stockpile of SIX boxes of diapers and various groceries (crazy couponing, of course!) The couple behind me struck up a conversation with me to pass the time. We talked about my baby, mostly. First time mom. Sleepless nights. Those cute yet elusive first smiles and laughs. Jokes about how many diapers she must be going through as they eyed my cart. The cashier finished scanning my coupons, and as I was grabbing my card to pay, they stuck their credit card in the machine. WHAAA??? I was astonished. And overcome with emotion. I think I thanked them a thousand times as I gathered my things, teary-eyed. I haven’t stopped thinking about this. Did I say anything that made me sound like a charity-case? No, I don’t think so. I think they saw a new mom, putting an extraordinary amount of effort into saving money on the things she needed and they genuinely wanted to make a difference. What a gesture! It got me thinking a lot about money and the kind of example I want to set for my daughter. We’re all feeling the pressure to make more money, save more money, spend more money…we’re all obsessed. Even my “crazy couponing” can be viewed as an obsession with money. It’s a sickness. We have a roof over our head, food on the table, and clothes on our backs. And that’s more than most in this world. I want my little girl to know that; to really appreciate that. I think we all need to remember IT’S JUST MONEY. It’s what you do with it that really matters. Maybe it’s less about constantly collecting new and better things, and more about finding contentment and appreciation for what you have been blessed with. Maybe if we find ourselves in an opportunity to help another person, we should take it–without weighing it against our own needs first. Total strangers paid for a new mom’s diapers…and made a lasting impact on her philosophy about money, and the real value in life.

Thank you Jen – for sharing your heart with us today. Your post reminds us all how a simple act of kindness can mean so much. You are an amazing young woman and your daughter is blessed to call you Mom.

Thank you Lord for the kindness of these people. Bless them 100 times over!

Here is my daughter Jennifer and her beautiful daughter Devyn:

(Featured Image – Jennifer and Dameon Parrish)