Category Archives: 30 Days Of Gratitude

This is a devotional series to help individuals consider the power of gratitude to change their lives and the lives of people they encounter every day. If you have a dim view of the world, we encourage you to read through this series. It just may give you the spark you need to make a change, or help you see the world a little differently.

ENCOURAGING WORDS

Finish this… Two all-beef patties, special…

How about this… The night-time sniffling, sneezing…

I bet you could quote lyrics to songs from 20 years ago just as easy as finishing those jingles.

Now, can you tell me any of the Beatitudes found in Matthew chapter 5?

Can you quote anything from the book of Proverbs?

Can you remember the exact encouraging words from a teacher, coach, or Pastor? Continue reading

WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED

In the United States of America we have many traditions. Most of them are beautiful displays of American history, family values, and memorable moments of joy.

Then there is the day after Thanksgiving. Known as “Black Friday.”  This is the day many businesses go from the red to the black on their budget ledgers. But it is also the day many of us spend more money than we should. We rush to the stores because of the advertised deals, but the store owners are ok with that. They know, if they can get us in the doors, we will likely spend more on items that aren’t such deals. Continue reading

THANKSGIVING IS THE ENEMY OF DISSATISFACTION

We would worry less if we praised more.  Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.

– Harry Ironside

Discontentment and dissatisfaction, are spiritual problems that stem from our selfishness.  Our selfishness most often presents itself in our culture through an attitude of entitlement;  this idea that we somehow deserve what we want.

Many people live this way, but we do not realize  how painful this is to ourselves and to those around us.  When we live this way we emotionally punish ourselves by being in a perpetual state of dissatisfaction.  We live miserably. Continue reading

BE THANKFUL FOR THE THINGS THAT CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE

A few years ago, I had a series of events happen that changed my life, and my perspective.  In August 2013, I had the first of several life threatening episodes.  Over the next year, I would be admitted into the hospital several times with symptoms similar to someone that was suffering from sepsis.  The first time that I was taken to the hospital, was by far the worst.  The doctors told my wife if she had waited in longer to bring me in, there is no way I would have survived.  With each incident, I was admitted into ICU, and remained there for several days.  Each time I was fighting for my life as my internal organs were shutting down, by blood pressure had dropped to unsafe levels, my potassium was too high, my heart rate was too fast, and so much more.  With all these symptoms, the doctors never found a source of infection in my body. Continue reading

GRATEFUL ENOUGH TO SHARE

“If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.”

― W. Clement Stone

I believe, if you have a healthy sense of gratitude in your life, you are less selfish, less greedy, and less likely to be a taker. We know from the Bible that it is “more blessed to give than receive.” But to an immature person, receiving is way better than giving. When you receive a gift, you get something tangible to appreciate. When you give a gift, you walk away with nothing to admire. Continue reading