Thursday, November 1, 2012

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving and Blessings: A Treasured Moments Devotional

Harvest Psalm 100

A Treasured Moments Devotional © ~ May you find God's love, hope, peace, and encouragement in each of these treasured moments I share.


The facebook status of a dear author friend, Anne Baxter, sparked my interest today. As I contemplated it, God began to flame an idea in my heart. Our lives can be filled with many storms. Some days, these storms can overwhelm us and threaten to drown us. At times, it is easy to let despair and defeat  take hold. Yet, it is when we are at our weakest that He is at His strongest! It is at those moments that His grace moves through us. Instead of allowing life to overwhelm us, we need to allow God's grace to be all-sufficient for us. We need to open ourselves to His love. Instead of allowing life to overwhelm us, perhaps we need to shift our focus. Instead of dwelling on all of the what-if of life or the negative things affecting us daily, our entire day could be drastically changed if we were to focus on the blessings, no matter how small, that God has bestowed upon each one of us and offer Him thanksgiving and praise even when we are in the midst of the worst storms. Since November is the month Americans celebrate Thanksgiving as a national holiday, it seems fitting to invite you to join me in the Treasured Moments Thirty Days of Thanksgiving and Blessings©.  Each day this month reflect upon your day and specifically upon the way God blessed you that particular day. Perhaps you will even want to keep a journal to look back over on the days when life is rough and you need to be reminded that God loves you immensely and is with you always. After reflecting upon your blessings, take the time to offer thanks to God. Know that I will be doing the same, dear one. See if changing your perspective and focusing upon your blessings and giving God thanks doesn't help to improve your days and your ability to handle whatever life throws at you. I know that in my own life, dealing with chronic pain and illness and raising as well as educating a child with ADHD and learning disabilities, reflecting daily upon my blessings has helped remind me that God loves me immensely and is with me always. May you feel His love and peace in a very tangible way this month as you spend time giving Him thanks.


"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength." ~ Psalm 89:15-17

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." ~ Philippians 4:6 


Day One of Thirty Days of Thanksgiving and Blessings: Father God: Thank You for loving me just as I am. You have blessed me richly with the friendship of a mother who loves You and is an example of Your love and a precious son for me to love and raise to love you. Thank you for allowing both of these precious ones to be a part of my life! 

 
*Special thanks to Anne Baxter who's post inspired this idea. Visit Anne's website and blog.

1 comment:

Anne Baxter Campbell said...

I wish I could claim to be the originator of this idea--but I stole it from a few others I saw with the same idea. Still--I hope you all find reasons to be thankful, and also that you remember to be thankful in all things--whether they seem good or bad.
God bless
~Anne