A Life of thankfulness


  I've been trudging though October and it's finally coming to a close and soon we will be greeted by a cool November! We will be celebrating my birthday, the birth of my nephew, more birthday celebrations, a visit from Wesley's brother and wife then Thanksgiving! The anticipation of a new month is looming, the excitement is building but I want to take a moment to share my heart and all that this last month has been teaching me, as well as my husband!
   Wes and I have been meditating on Thankfulness. How do we truly give thanks in every day life? How do we give thanks even when we aren't "feeling" thankful.
   A couple weeks ago I was discouraged and lacking joy in my day to day routine, feeling like I wasn't able to keep up with the demands of life and then it struck me! I was feeling this way because I wasn't giving thanks for all the little blessings the Lord showers us with each and every day. I wasn't actively looking for things to give thanks for.  I kept looking at what I didn't have focusing on the areas of my life I wished would change. No wonder I was discouraged! We all have things we wish were different, or wish we had, but those things should NEVER take precedence.
  Our life should be one that looks for all the little things we are blessed with, pray patiently for the things we desire, and WAIT on the Lord and His timing.
  Wes and I have been put in a season of waiting and it has been hard to trust. Plain and simple. It's hard. But we always come back to the promises the Lord makes to us and think back on all the times He has been faithful and trust He will be again. There's hope in waiting. There's hope in knowing that the Lord has been and will always be faithful to us.  If I push for what I want when I want it will be a disaster. No doubt. But the Lord's timing is perfect. And how much more rewarding is it to wait and then see His hand in everything? To know that we've prayed, meditated, waited, and the Lord has answered. He might even answer us in a different way than we expected, in a way that is even better than we imagined!
When we continually offer thanks to God something wonderful happens. Our attitudes change, our focus shifts, and we can clearly feel the JOY that the Lord offers us anytime, anywhere. If our focus is not on the Lord, we will never be satisfied, always wanting, always discontent with what we're given.
Giving thanks always produces JOY. There's joy in trusting and there's joy in the simple things in life that we often take for granted.

Here are a few things that I am thankful for:
Family
Cool mornings
My loving, hardworking husband
The health of our family
An Encouraging hug from church ladies
A roof over our heads
Food in the fridge
Fellowship
Laughter
Cozy sheets
The smell of fresh laundry
Our growing succulent garden 
Funny Skype sessions
My silly kitty
Children's smiles
The ability to work
Emails from friends
Time
Fresh fish
Date night


Giving thanks is a habit and a choice as well as a mindset that produces thankfulness. And joy is not to be confused with happiness. Our happiness is a product of our circumstances. Joy is a product of our thankfulness and trust in Him.

 Friends, I urge you to give thanks for today and all that He has blessed you with and experience the Joy that comes from having a grateful heart.



Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.














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