I Am Thankful For...

God's Word.

My fantastic husband and father to our daughter.

Being able to stay home with my daughter.

I am thankful for my best friend/husband.

My children.

Knowing that my Daddy is in heaven.

That my parents taught me about God at a young age and that I have always had God in my life.

Concrete, TV, music, fun, swimming pools, friends, forgiveness, love, smiles, kisses, hugs and my church.

GLARE.

People who helped lead me to Jesus Christ.

My awesome family and friends. My health, my children, my job, my husband, and most of all the gift of salvation.

My amazing children.

My Sunrise family.

Those who continue to love me even when I cannot love myself.

The unconditional love of Jesus Christ and the opportunity in him to live a new life.

For 2nd, 3rd, 4th ... chances.

Grace, mercy, forgiveness.

For God keeping His promises.

I am thankful for my family and getting connected to Sunrise.

My health, family and friends.

For the power of prayer and people who pray for us.

For God bringing us close to home in Hampton Roads so our children and me and my wife could benefit being close to family.

For every single member of my family.

For my mother's husband who helps her accomplish and do things she has always wanted to do and really loves her.

A Brief History

History Of Thanksgiving

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Thanks

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Thankful - Quotes

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. H.U. Westermayer
To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven. Johannes A. Gaertner

If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get. Frank A. Clark

Who does not thank for little will not thank for much. Estonian Poverb

We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning. Albert Barnes

A Good Word

Be very careful never to forget what you have seen God doing for you. May his miracles have a deep and permanent effect on your lives! Tell your children and your grandchildren about the glorious miracles he did. Deuteronomy 4:9 TLB

Psalm 150

1 Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
2 Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
3 Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
4 Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!

Look Around

Things To Stop Doing

The following is taken from "3 Minutes" sent from the The Spence Network

The "Things to Stop Doing" List

Addictions: These are hard to give up as they are deeply ingrained in our thoughts, emotions and behaviours. For whatever reason, they have become a very big part of our lives and we feel stuck in their grip. Some examples are smoking, drinking to excess, drugs, prescribed medications, pornography,food and even sex can become an addiction.

Bad Personal Habits: These are little habits that we have which, in themselves, are not serious, but do annoy others or make them feel uncomfortable. What are yours?

Distracting mannerisms: These are our verbal and non verbal mannerisms that can distract, annoy or make us the brunt of others' jokes. I once heard a guy speak who had a little laugh after nearly all of the statements that he made. It seemed odd when he was talking about poverty in Africa. It made it hard to focus on the content.

Unhelpful interpersonal behaviors: I have to watch that I don't cut people off when they are speaking. I have a lot to say and my mind is often already onto the next thing. This is not helpful when it comes to building stronger relationships. Some people are always complaining or being negative, while others just don't want to talk about anything that involves feelings (often men).

Unhealthy leadership styles: Just because it says leader on your name tag doesn't mean that you are actually leading well. Some leaders are dictatorial while others are so relaxed and disorganized that nothing gets done. Some leaders are harsh while others are too nice and do not make difficult decisions.

Tips on how to stop and change

1. Acknowledge and accept responsibility for your behavior (don't blame your parents for everything).
2. Don't be too hard on yourself (we are only human).
3. Think about how this behavior started and what things are keeping it going, eg. started drinking because of stress at work and continued to drink heavily whenever stressed as it gave some temporary relief.

4. Understand the negative consequences and costs of the behavior.

5. Develop a desire for change.

6. Ask others for help. People who have had training and experience in the area that you are struggling with can help you to change.

7. Create a strategy for change.

8. If you fall back into it try again and again .....
9.Celebrate breaking the cycle and watch out that the behavior doesn't sneak in a later stage.

Give Thanks - Funny

From A Calendar - Thankfulness

Thankfulness is the soil in which joy thrives.

...let us be thankful and so worship God... with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28

Focus

11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. I Timothy 6:11-16

Three

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

FAITH - Forsaking All I Trust Him Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him

Three

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. Psalm 28:7

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them,
is the true measure of our thanksgiving. W.T. Purkiser

Thanksgiving
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Relief

I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?

Jeremiah 32:27 NIV

Life Change

Look To This Passaage All Month

1 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
3 Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100:1-5 NAS

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