It's my birthday week, so I'm calling the shots.
Okay, at least just on this blog. Probably not anywhere else.
Some friends and I were talking a while back about how social media has become this place of just flat-out negativity and sometimes meanness. In fact, life has become that all the way around. It seems as if someone is always finding something to be angry about. I am guilty of being one of these people, too. So I say it's high time we did something about it!
One of the themes God has been placing in front of me lately is thankfulness. We have talked about it a great deal on this blog, but in the past couple of months, it has become a recurring topic with the Lord and me. If you were at Kaleidoscope and heard me speak, you know that I mentioned Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts. I read it a couple of months ago, and her main points are still rattling around in my head. It is a beautiful book, and she makes an excellent argument for thankfulness being an essential element of our lives. In fact, she makes the case that thankfulness precedes a miracle in our lives. One of the ways she started being intentionally thankful was keeping a journal of one thousand gifts she noticed in her life. Some of them were big things. Some of them were small. But every single one made her more and more aware of the Giver of all gifts. Because after all, every good and perfect gift comes from Him. (James 1:17) The more we notice those blessings, the more we come to know about our loving Heavenly Father.
Since it's my birthday, I am starting right now to make a concerted effort to notice those gifts from God and thank Him for them. The first way I'm going to do that is to get you involved! I want you - yes, YOU - to leave a comment on this blog or on social media about something for which you are thankful. It can be a big thing or it can be a small thing. Then I want you to be a force for change. Take note of what you post during the week. Take note of what you say to others as well. Is is positive? Is it negative? Are you trying to build up or tear down? Paul says in Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." If it doesn't meet this criteria, then let's not post it.
Let's start a thankfulness revolution! I know I need it in my life. I can't wait to see your comments! Bless the One who has blessed you out loud for all to see!
Okay, at least just on this blog. Probably not anywhere else.
Some friends and I were talking a while back about how social media has become this place of just flat-out negativity and sometimes meanness. In fact, life has become that all the way around. It seems as if someone is always finding something to be angry about. I am guilty of being one of these people, too. So I say it's high time we did something about it!
One of the themes God has been placing in front of me lately is thankfulness. We have talked about it a great deal on this blog, but in the past couple of months, it has become a recurring topic with the Lord and me. If you were at Kaleidoscope and heard me speak, you know that I mentioned Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts. I read it a couple of months ago, and her main points are still rattling around in my head. It is a beautiful book, and she makes an excellent argument for thankfulness being an essential element of our lives. In fact, she makes the case that thankfulness precedes a miracle in our lives. One of the ways she started being intentionally thankful was keeping a journal of one thousand gifts she noticed in her life. Some of them were big things. Some of them were small. But every single one made her more and more aware of the Giver of all gifts. Because after all, every good and perfect gift comes from Him. (James 1:17) The more we notice those blessings, the more we come to know about our loving Heavenly Father.
Since it's my birthday, I am starting right now to make a concerted effort to notice those gifts from God and thank Him for them. The first way I'm going to do that is to get you involved! I want you - yes, YOU - to leave a comment on this blog or on social media about something for which you are thankful. It can be a big thing or it can be a small thing. Then I want you to be a force for change. Take note of what you post during the week. Take note of what you say to others as well. Is is positive? Is it negative? Are you trying to build up or tear down? Paul says in Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." If it doesn't meet this criteria, then let's not post it.
Let's start a thankfulness revolution! I know I need it in my life. I can't wait to see your comments! Bless the One who has blessed you out loud for all to see!
First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! :) Reading your blog about thankfulness, it does remind me of all the small and NOT so small blessings throughout the years. The most recent blessing that I remind myself to be thankful for every day is that Caleb survived his accident, and his leg also survived! Things can change so quickly and as a mother I realized instantly that he could have/would have/maybe should have been hurt even worse, or killed, instead of his leg injury. I remember before his 2nd or 3rd surgery, kneeling on the floor beside his bed in the hospital and praying for God to save his leg. Tears running down my face. And He did. He saved his leg and he healed it where Caleb can live a fairly normal life with all that he wants or needs to do. The scars and deformed muscle are a constant reminder to me that life is more than precious - and should not be taken lightly. And I am thankful for my friends and church family for the love and support during that trying time. So to sum it up, sometimes the most difficult times are the ones that make us the most thankful.
ReplyDeleteYes, they certainly are. Next week will be one year since Evan almost died. It makes you appreciate every single day! So thankful for Caleb's recovery!
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