31 Days of Thanks

Psalm 106:1

106 Praise the Lord!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!

I am so excited to be a part of the 31 Days of Thanks Blog Hop, that is being hosted by Meg at Homeschoolin’ Mama.   What is the 31 Days of Thanks Blog Hop?  It is where 31 bloggers have come together to share what Thanksgiving is to them, how thankful they are and who they are most thankful for, leading up to the day of Thanksgiving.  Also, as an added bonus, there are gifts being given away! Be sure to check the bottom of this post for your chance to enter for the gifts this week!  I have enjoyed reading everyone’s thankful posts.  I hope you have enjoyed them as well.

I have always loved Thanksgiving.  From as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has always meant being with family and being thankful for what God has given and blessed our family with.  We would all gather at my grandma’s house and have a huge feast.  It was always a family reunion of sorts.  My dad’s side of the family would gather together and celebrate her birthday on that day as well.

However, several years ago, during the summer I was reading Ann Voskamp‘s blog, A Holy Experience and she was talking about being thankful and writing down what God had blessed you with daily.  I honestly had never thought to keep a journal about all the many blessings that God had given me.

By doing this, it really helped change my outlook on life.  By focusing on what I could be thankful for, it took away the focus of what was not going right.  I was a real worrier.  I worried about EVERYTHING.  There would be times that I would worry so much, I would literally make myself sick.  That is not what God wants us to do.  He wants us to focus on Him.  To have faith in Him.

James 1:2-4

2 Count it all joy, my brothers,when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

 

Worry is a sin.  I wasn’t trusting God enough.  I was putting my faith elsewhere.  I was putting it in man, in money, in everything that I shouldn’t have been.

Matthew 6:24-25

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

I now look at Thanksgiving not only a day in November, but every day of my life.   I have an amazing God who loves me and loves me so much that He gave His SON to die on the cross so that I could have eternal life with Him.  I have a wonderful husband and 4 blessings that I call my children.  We have a roof over our head, food on the table and clothing on our backs.  My husband has a great job.  We have our extended families that we love so much.  We live in a land that we are free to worship God.  I am free to be at home with my children and homeschool them.

Do bad things keep happening?  Of course, we do.  Do we still all sin?  Of course, we do.  It is human nature for all to sin and do bad things.  I am thankful and blessed to have that chance to ask for forgiveness and to do my best to not sin again.  God has given us that chance.

Look around you and see what you can find to be thankful for.  Write it down.  Do it on a daily basis.  I promise you, you will begin to see things is a different light.  A better light.   As long as we keep our focus on God, we will find so much to be thankful for.

 

Don’t forget to enter  for a chance to win one of these amazing gifts! If you do not see the Rafflecopter widget down below, please click on the link.  It will take you to the Rafflecopter widget so that you can enter.

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