Day Nine

Nurture well your thankfulness, for it is the royal road to Joy! In fact, no pleasure is really complete without expressing gratitude for it. It’s good to thank the people through whom you receive blessings, but remember that I am God from whom all blessings flow. So praise and thank Me frequently each day. This nurtures your soul and completes your Joy. It also enhances your relationship with Me, providing an easy way for you to draw near Me.

As My cherished follower, you have received the glorious gift of grace —unearned, undeserved favor. No one and no set of circumstances can strip you of this lavish gift. You belong to Me forever! Nothing in all creation will be able to separate you from My Love.

When you awaken each morning, say, “Thank You, Jesus, for the gift of this new day.” As you journey through the day, be on the look- out for blessings and pleasures I scatter along your path. The greatest treasure is My Presence with you, for I am the indescribable Gift.

I love how every day we share I am reminded of the presence of God and the gift of life we have through His Son Jesus Christ. Today leads us back to basic truths that sustain and brings joy to my souls every say. No matter the circumstances, there is unwavering hope in my Lord. I love starting my day with worshipping Him leaning in to thanksgiving.

There have been several seasons of my life when I have experienced such deep gratitude that it spilled out into every part of my life. One particular time in my life I felt an earnest desire to grow even deeper in this area. What began as a special journaling idea turned into a very special tradition in my home that started many years ago.

As a military family we looked forward to the annual Christmas cards from family, friends, church family and treasured friends we had made through our years of moving. One year after Christmas I decided to really stay my mind and nurture my heart in the area of thankfulness. By nature I am a very thankful person. So I grabbed a journal, my Bible and decided to do a Biblical word study of the word thankful. My heart was to find ways to incorporate thankfulness to God but also how to share my gratitude for others as well.

I happened to notice a stack of Christmas greeting cards that I had not put away. The Holy Spirit nudged my heart toward them. So I grabbed the stack, found a basket and made a decision to draw a card every other day or so, pray for that person(s) and mail them a note relating my gratitude for our shared story. This would go hand-in-hand with my thankfulness journey. Needless to say this simple exercise transformed my heart to one of praying for ways to encourage people by sharing my gratitude for them with them.

It was a beautiful journey that is still a very special part of my life. We would eventually include it as a part of our family table. We would draw a card, share stories of our thankfulness to the Lord for the friend or family and pray for them as well. This has grown so much, that I now have a larger greeting card holder for my Christmas cards. Why? Because throughout Christmas we use it to display our cards, leave them up all year and continue to add any cards or communications we receive to the card holder as a reminder of our shared journey. Every other day or so I still grab a card and pray as an exercise of thankfulness snd faith.

I want to encourage you to find your own journey of thankfulness. I can still feel the joy that I gained during that year of gratitude and thanksgiving. Made my heart large the more I practiced what I learned by speaking life into others. It might just include your time, a prayer, heartfelt writings, reading God’s word more specifically or genuinely thanking the postal clerk for their hard work and service. People need to know they are valued. Our act of obedience is to give thanks in ALL things AND encourage thanksgiving in others.

Finally, these last eight days have been very special for me. I am so very grateful and want to thank you for hanging with me and for the sweet messages you have sent. I am thankful to God for this journey with MRO and that God has allowed our paths to cross. Every relationship that has communicated with me is diverse and MY heart beats to tell you thank you for being the beautiful complete of the years I have served to date. Your kindness is remarkable. You are beautiful each and every one of you. Beautiful soul deep.

In closing, we have today and tomorrow to lead us into Thanksgiving. I am thankful for freedom. I am hopeful for our future because I know my El Shaddai – the all sufficient one is in control. I am thankful for our families health and how God has protected us. I am thankful for the God’s indescribable gift of His son Jesus. I am thankful that He desires to be in relationships with each and every one of us.

Find your I am thankful for in scripture and in life…… write them down, write them on your heart and share the fullness of joy with every opportunity the Lord gives you this week.

Happy Thank-LIVING!!

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! Psalm 95:2 amp

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8–9

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38–39

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15 nkjv