
Start each day with a grateful heart.
No matter your circumstances there is always something to be grateful for.
God demands our praise and praise starts with recognizing our blessings.
We live in this culture that tells us we are not enough, what we look like is not good enough, what we know is not enough, and especially what we have is not enough.
The art of living is loving. The art of living is not getting.
I wasted so many years putting God aside and making room in my home for stuff. Every time I felt sad I headed to my local home decor store and filled my cart with stuff and my credit card with debt. Sure I was grateful for my health, my family and friends but was I living that way? Was I slowing down to notice all the beautiful little details in my life? Was I serving? Was I loving others?
No I was worried about me myself and I. I was worried about people accepting me for the things I have. My focus wasn’t eternal and my focus wasn’t gratitude.
Gratitude is powerful. Thanking God for everything He has done for us and everything he continues to do for us is powerful.
As a mom we are always doing for others. For our husbands for our kids and when they do not appreciate it we can get grumpy and even resentful about it. This is exactly what we do to God when we don’t thank him for his blessings upon us.
When we are focused on the worldly values it is easy to think well there isn’t much to be grateful for… all I do is work to pay bills, life is hard, no one appreciates me. I wish I got to go on vacations, I wish I got to drive a fancy car, I wish I could afford designer clothes…
Do you know how rich you are as an American? We often don’t consider it that way but when you shift your perspective and realize the vast majority of the world lives on $2 a day, is lucky to get one meal a day and can’t even dream of leaving the village they are in because they are simply surviving, well lets just say it changes things.
I wish everyone would have the opportunity to go on a short term missions trip and witness it for yourself. If I can encourage you to do anything in life. DO THAT!
So start by being grateful for each and every blessing. I highly recommend a daily gratitude practice where you write down everything you are thankful for. Be specific. When you really think about it I bet you could easily fill a page with what to be thankful for.
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Do you see what happens when you are not grateful for what you have? Someone out there would die for your job, your family, your one vacation a year.
You woke up this morning? Lord thank you for the gift of another day.
Your baby woke you in the night? Lord thank you for the blessing of a child.
Thank you for this warm coffee that can give me energy to get through the day.
Thank you for living where I am not persecuted to be a Christian.
Thank you for my husband and for everything he does for my family
Thank you for the birds chirping outside and the beautiful sunshine.
Thank you for the rain and how it grows gorgeous flowers.
Thank you for the circle of amazing mama friends I have.
Thank you for dying on the cross, for washing me clean, for grace, for forgiveness, for the Holy spirit.
Lord, thank you for who you are and all you’ve done for us. I ask you to bless each one of the mamas listening today. I ask you to give them grateful hearts and open eyes to see all the blessings around them. I pray you give them moments of peace and gratitude even when they are facing difficult, challenging things in their lives. I pray protection and safety over all of their sweet children. I ask all these things in Jesus’ name. Amen