Fruitful Thought

  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5:18 NLT This verse of scripture has been in my face so much in the past few weeks, I had to write about how it has touched me. My wife used the same scripture a couple of weeks ago and I didn’t want to be redundant, but I had to use it again. I believe being thankful starts with a grateful heart. I’m learning to show gratitude by giving thanks in whatever situation I’m in. It is about my perspective. How do I see things? I turned 60 years old this month, and that was one of those milestones that made me reflect. As I reflected, an overwhelming feeling of gratitude took over me. A part of that reflecting time was remembering the things I went through, ( we all can go back there from time-to-time, right? ). That feeling of gratitude prompted thanksgiving. I started thanking God for those circumstances, those challenging times. It was not always that way for me. There were ti

  All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.   2 Corinthians 4:15 As I celebrated my husband's 60 th  birthday with family and friends, a spirit of gratefulness filled my heart. It was so amazing to see everyone so excited to celebrate a person who loves people and loves encouraging them. I call him my “social butterfly” because he sows seed in everyone he meets and at times God allow him to receive a harvest of seeing or hearing the impact it may have had in their lives. This was one of those days. I refer to my husband as my good and perfect gift from God. I am so grateful that God chose me to do life with such an amazing spirit-man. My heart was overflowing with gratitude towards God for choosing to give me such a special gift of a spirit filled man that represent Gods character in every encounter he is afforded. I know the word of God say’s a man finds a wife, but God leads and gu

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the entire world know what He has done. 1 Chronicles 16:8 NLT This scripture puts my everyday life into perspective. It helps me get back on track when I derail. Let me explain. Stuff happens every day. From the time we wake up, until we lay down for the night. Each day has its own challenges and if we’re not careful, they can consume our thoughts and influence our behavior. This scripture is a great example of showing gratitude. It’s David giving Asaph and other Levites a song of thanksgiving to the Lord. That is the first step. Giving thanks redirects our thinking and let’s God know that we appreciate everything he has done and what He continues to do. It cultivates a heart of gratitude. As a parent, when my children show me that they’re grateful for something I’ve done for them, it blesses my heart. It also shows me how they see me. Not as a genie, but someone they appreciate and can trust in. David also said to procla

  Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.                                 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Hello November or should I say Hello “Grateful” month! Have you notice how we get in the spirit of gratitude in November? It is amazing how we attribute an attitude of gratitude to November because of Thanksgiving. Gratitude is an expression of thankfulness and praise. The Bible teaches about the power of having a grateful heart. It tells us to be thankful in all circumstances good and not so good. Also, it is a positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative and is associated with several mental and physical health benefits. When you experience gratitude, you feel grateful for something or someone in your life and respond with feelings of kindness, warmth, and other forms of generosity. Gratitude honors God and it is His will for us. When we have a grateful heart, it develops our character positively. It produces kindness t