SUNDAY DEVOTIONAL: HEART OF GRATITUDE.

 

Heavenly Father has truly blessed us beyond measure. God sent His only Son to die for our sins. God has given us the priceless gifts of eternal love and eternal life. We, in turn, are instructed to come before our Heavenly Father with reverence and thanksgiving. But we, as busy women get caught up in the inevitable demands of life, we sometimes fail t pause and thank our Creator for the countless blessings He has bestowed upon us. When we slow down and express our gratitude to the One who made us, we enrich our own lives and the lives of our loved ones too. Thanksgiving should become a habit, a regular part of our daily routines. Since God has blessed us beyond measure, and we owe everything to Him, we should give Him our eternal praise. 
 
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.

- Psalm 100:4-5

"The act of thanksgiving is the demonstration of the fact 

that you are going to trust and believe God. 

-Kay Arthur

God is worthy of our praise and is pleased when we come before Him with thanksgiving. 

-Shirley Dobson

Thanksgiving or complaining-these words express two contrastive attitudes of the souls of God's children in regard to His dealings with them. The soul that gives thanks can find comfort in

everything; the soul that complains can find comfort in nothing.

-Hannah Whitall Smith

It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain 

about what is not given. One of the other becomes a habit of life.

-Elisabeth Elliot

The ability to rejoice in any situation is a sign of spiritual maturity.

-Billy Graham

 What are some of the things you are grateful for? Comment below. 

Spirit of Gratitude

 

The Lord wants us to have a spirit of gratitude in all that we do and say. When we live with a spirit of thanksgiving, we can have greater happiness and satisfaction in life. Gratitude turns our hearts to the Lord and helps us to recognize His influence and all the many blessings that we have in our lives. Even during the most difficult times, we can find much to be grateful for. Doing so will strengthen and bless us.

He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious

-Doctrine & Covenants 78:19

 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

-1 Thessalonians 5:18

O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

-Psalm 107:1

Some verses from one of my favorite hymns. 

This hymn always lifts my spirits, kindles my faith, and inspires my thoughts:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. …

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged; God is over all.

Count your many blessings; angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end. 

Do you have a gratitude journal or a journal that you write in daily?

Would love to hear your thoughts/comments.

Feelings of Ingratitude.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “Ingratitude” as: “Forgetfulness of, or poor return for, kindness received.” It can also be defined as not appreciating or valuing what you have, or have been given. Unexpressed gratitude is also considered ingratitude.

In today’s fast-paced world, most people seem to not have time for thankfulness. Work, traffic, family, doctor appointments, and countless other things are their main priorities.

They seem to have no time to thank others or count their many blessings in their lives.

We live in one of the most abundantly blessed lands in the world. Our country enjoys plentiful food, shelter, electricity, running water, wealth, air conditioning, heating, transportation, sanitation, and many other blessings.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our day to day lives and we simply forget or do not

acknowledge that EVERYTHING we have is from Heavenly Father.

I would love to share my personal experience...

Just a few days ago I found myself repenting and ask my Heavenly Father for forgiveness.

Last Monday we moved into our new house.

You can see the story on how we got this house HERE

We spent hours and hours packing, moving, unpacking, organizing, and trying to get things just where we wanted them.

It was pretty stressful especially moving and unpacking just a week before Christmas.

Amisdt all the unpacking and organizing, I found myself starting to experience a lot of feelings of ingratitude and I didn't even realize that I was doing it until I stopped to correct myself and then felt horrible because I knew this was a HUGE blessing from God for us to be able to get out of our apartment lease and find this home at the perfect time.

On some Saturdays I work Photo Booth.

Most of the parties that we do are in Scottsdale. With it being December we have booked

alot of Holiday parties. You walk into some of these homes that have been professionally decorated, super organized, spotless, or the wife is super talented and crafty and decorated the home herself.

It's the same thing you see on some of the blogs or on Pinterest. These picture perfect homes that some people have and you begin to feel a little low and a little envious of what they have or what their home looks like.  This is where the comparing starts and once it starts you have to stop it. Just simply stop it. Otherwise it will get a lot worse.

I started comparing and saying "I wish we" this and " I wish we" that. I simply had to stop myself, control my feelings and look around and think of all the many many blessings that God has given us. After pondering, praying and repenting I felt a huge weight lifted of my shoulders. I have also made a promise to myself to thank God even more at the end of each day.

Have you experienced feelings or are you experiencing feelings of ingratitude?

Although it is a part of our human nature, there are some ways to that we can avoid these feelings of ingratitude.

1. Thank God Daily

God commands us to go to Him in prayer with praise and thanksgiving. Do you thank Him daily?

The are many scriptures with examples of God’s servants showing their gratitude towards Him.

I Chronicles 29 records King David being deeply moved at the people’s generosity in preparing God’s Temple. David was inspired and expressed his earnest and sincere gratitude in honor of the great God. He exclaimed: “Blessed be You, Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of You, and You reign over all; and in Your hand is power and might; and in Your hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of You, and of Your own have we given You”

Paul writes, “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks” (I Thes. 5:16-18).

Psalm 92 records a special Sabbath psalm used to praise God: “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Your name, O most High: to show forth Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night…For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work: I will triumph in the works of Your hands. O Lord, how great are Your works! And Your thoughts are very deep…You, Lord, are most High forevermore. For, lo, Your enemies, O Lord, for, lo, Your enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered”

You should never run out of things to thank God for! Go to Him in prayer and continually thank Him for all the blessings He has provided you!

2. Tithes and OfferingsAnother vital way to demonstrate gratitude towards the great God is through tithes and offerings. The prophet Malachi records God’s words: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse: for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:8-10).

Although God provides absolutely everything that we have, He promises to provide more—through pouring out blessings from heaven—if we merely do our part by paying tithes and offerings! Through our heartfelt dedication in supporting His end-time Work, He promises us much more than we can possibly desire!

3. Serve Others

I have always realized that there are many out there in today's world that are a lot less fortunate that we are. For Christmas Josh's family picks a family in need to help out.

The family that we served this year was so sweet. The father of the family had lost his job and they had to sell most of their things to pay bills. They moved into an apartment with their 3 boys (2,4, and 6) with literally a few trash bags full of clothes, a bed and a couch.

They literally had nothing. We all showed up at their doorstep (all 39 of us) with clothes, toys, household items, food, etc. The look on their faces was priceless. One we will all never forget. When you serve others you forget about yourself and your own trials.



 

4. Say "Thank You" More

 Many people fear thanking others. They often fall into the mentality that, by thanking, they are somehow in debt or owe something to that person. But the truth is far from this!

Throughout history, great men have been known for specifically thanking others. It is not a sign of weakness—it is a sign of meekness!

Think of the things that people do for you—from opening a door for you, to giving you a ride to the store, or providing a kind and reassuring word. We live in an age when common courtesy and politeness are all but extinct.

Say “thank you” and “please” often. You should never run out of people to thank. You would be surprised how happy those little words can make others feel!

5. Count Your Blessings, Not Your Worries Look around you. When was the last time you lost a loved one to starvation or rampant disease? When was the last time you gave up eating to make sure your children had food? When was the last time you had to sell your children because you did not have the money to survive or even provide for them? Chances are you have never experienced these things. Unfortunately, these are grim realities that many around the world face each day. Thank God each day for all the terrible things that you have not had to endure!  I have started a Gratitude journal. Every night I record  the things that come to my mind that I was grateful for that day. It really puts things into perspective and it's nice to be able to flip a few pages back and see what I wrote days, weeks or the months before.

6. Everything Happens For a Reason

It is so easy to fall into the routine of constant “grumbling” and complaining about problems and worries. When you find yourself complaining about finances, traffic, problems at work, family issues, car troubles, or whatever other difficulty or trial you may be experiencing, remember that everything God does and allows is for a reason. Although difficult, it is for a greater good—if you overcome them!

Consider the following analogy that I have heard a few times.... Each ingredient used in making a cake is not always sweet or good to the taste. By themselves, their tastes can range from bitter, to salty, to sweet, to chalky. But the end result—the cake—is delicious and sweet!

King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, recorded, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecc. 3:1).

Although it is difficult to do, when you are experiencing trials, look for the good that God wants you to learn from them. For example, if you are having car problems, and will need an expensive repair, perhaps you are mishandling, or wasting money on other things, and God wants you to re-examine your budget. Many of the difficulties that you encounter can help you realize whether or not you are living properly. You can learn from these experiences!

When people grumble, they are complaining about a situation that God has allowed—and sometimes even caused—them to be in!

Paul admonishes us to “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:14-15). Remember Paul’s three commands:

(1) “Rejoice evermore.” (2) “Pray without ceasing.” (3) “In everything give thanks.”


Today think or write down all the many things that you should be grateful for in your life.
Have a blessed day!!

FYI: I came across THIS blog today. She is amazing and a great writer. Check her out!

We Found a House!

 We are moving!! Yippee!

God is so amazing and we are ever so grateful and blessed 

that we were able to find this place last week.

It's kind of a funny story actually....

Right now we live in an apartment.

We really love our place.

It's cozy, comfortable and the perfect size for just the two of us.

During the middle of this year we had discussed about

what we were going to do about our lease that needed 

to be re-signed in September. We were really debating whether we 

should re-sign our lease for another year or search for a house.   

We searched for houses with a possible rent to own option 

within our price range. Nothing.

After much searching, time was getting short and we would need to make a decision.

Just a week later, we still found nothing. 

We both agreed that we were happy just being together in our apartment

and we would re-sign for another year and search again when that time came.

We are just grateful for what God has already blessed us with and 

when our time to get into a house comes that He will make it happen. 

Well...I guess it was that time....little did we know.

God works in mysterious but miraculous ways!!  

A little over a week ago Josh's boss mentioned to him in passing

that his best friend (involved in real estate) 

had a house available just a few miles from our place where we are living now

and the price was a steal.

There was just one slight problem.....

We already signed our lease!

We went into the apartment office and told them the situation.

 They let us out of our lease no questions asked!! Can you believe that!

I don't know about you but any other apartment I have lived

in, once you signed the lease that's it and if you want to get out 

there is usually a cost or a penalty fee to go along with it.   

   

That same night we went to check out the house and fell in love. 

It has everything that we want and is the perfect "starter" home for us.

We placed a call to Josh's boss right after we left and said we want the house.

Josh's boss also knew that we would have to pay for the rest of the time in our 

apartment PLUS one months rent for the house.  He offered to pay the house rent

and we could just pay him back! 

 We are moving into our new place December 14th!

Just in time for Christmas!!

God is so amazing! 

Everything has happened so fast and

so many things fell perfectly into place!

I am feeling so overwhelmed 

with happiness and gratitude right now!

Here is our new place!!