Spiritual Thoughts

  G ratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance,  chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and  creates a vision for tomorrow. ~ Melody Beattie Let  the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful . ~ Colossians 3:15

  Friday Tale ~ Make the Most of.... I  had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband unexpectedly and suddenly died of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she returned to teaching and shared some of her insight with a classroom of students.   As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there.   With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said . . . ‘Before class is over, I would like to share with all of you a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is the powers that be way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day.’   Her eyes begin...

G ratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.  ~ Melody Beattie   I will praise the name of God with song and exalt Him with thanksgiving. ~ Psalm 69:30

  T here can be no joy  without gratitude.  ~ Richard Paul Evans   T hrough him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His Name. ~ Hebrews 13:15

  W ith gratitude, all life appears as a blessing;  without gratitude, all of life is perceived as a burden. ~ Jonathan L. Huie   A s you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, abounding in thanksgiving. ~ Colossians 2:6-7

T he antidotes for worry are: ·      gratitude, ·      action ·      service, and ·      faith. ~ Jonathan L. Huie   D o not be anxious about anything, BUT in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ~ Philippians 4:6

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.  ~ G. K. Chesteron   T he one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way right, I will show the salvation of God! ~ Psalm 50:23

M ove to your heart, BREATHE. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Slowly. Fill your lungs with love and gratitude. Exhale each and every trouble, again and again:  Gratitude in, Troubles out. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie   G ive thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from sin and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ~ Colossians 1:12-14

  G ratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, and stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~ Melody Beattie F or everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected it if is received with gratitude, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. ~ 1 Timothy 4:4-5

N o amount of regret changes the past.  No amount of anxiety changes the future. BUT any amount of gratitude changes the present. ~ Marc & Angel Chernoff   A lways give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ Ephesians 5:20

T here is peace in a life of constant gratitude. Have gratitude for the smallest blessings, for the crust of bread and the cool drink of water. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie   S o then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and over-flowing with thankfulness. ~ Colossians 2:6-7

  Friday Tale - With Gratitude to God   Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic.           One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my eight year old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body.           But the appalling thing was his face lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning."           He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to ha...

  G ratitude is an attitude that hooks us up to our source of supply. And the more grateful you are, the closer you become to your Maker, to the architect of the universe. ~ Bob Proctor   L et the word of Christ richly dwell in you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,   singing with thankfulness    in your hearts to God. ~ Colossians 3:16

  D o not rail [complain] about life. Make positive contributions where you can. Practice gracious acceptance always. Express daily gratitude for all of life. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie   T he LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. ~ Numbers 6:24-26

  W hen we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes  out, and the tide of love rushes in. ~ Kristin Armstrong   T herefore since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which  we may offer to God an acceptable  service with reverence and awe. ~ Hebrews 12:28

  T here is peace in a life of constant  gratitude. Have gratitude for the  smallest blessings,  for the crust  of bread and the cool drink of water. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie   L et the peace of Christ rule in your   hearts, to which indeed you were  called in one body, and be thankful. ~ Colossians 3:15

  T he miracle of gratitude is that it  shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see. ~ Robert Holden   T herefore, since we receive a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude . ~ Hebrews 12:28

  T he more you recognize and  express gratitude for the  things you have, the more  things you will have to  express gratitude for. ~ Zig Ziglar   W hatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:17

  G ratitude is the inward feeling of  kindness received. T hankfulness is the natural  impulse to express that feeling. T hanksgiving is the following of  that impulse. ~ Henry Van Dyke   S ince we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and love. ~ Hebrews 12:28

  G ratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary  opportunities into blessings. ~ William Arthur Ward   F or everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude. ~ 1 Timothy 4:4