ThanksLIVING!

Philippians:4-7 (NIV) ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

As Thanksgiving approaches this week, take a few moments to reflect on life. Many times I am getting so bogged down in details that I forget to be thankful for the experience and paying attention to what God wants me to learn. I am trying to do better at learning the first time so I do not need to keep being reminded that I'm doing "it" again....or still.

It seems that there is so much negativity (maybe it's because on the news that....like sex....is what sells....or gets watchers) on TV, etc. I've watched people who are becoming "famous"....just because of who they have been with while people that are doing really worthwhile things are overlooked. I try to limit my exposure to the news, and TV in general, because it is really easy for me to get dragged down. I am surprised at the new levels that some TV shows have sunk to.

SO, how to combat that? There is much talk about developing an "attitude of gratitude" which basically means finding things to be thankful for. I'm going to refer to it as ThanksLIVING. More than just giving thanks, I want to live a life of thanks. I want to rejoice!

There is a story in Luke 17 about 10 lepers. Jesus heals them. Only 1 comes back to give him thanks. Sometimes it is inconvenient to show thanks. I say the word "thanks" a lot. I want to get to a point of realizing there is more to it than just stating it. It is living like it makes a difference to me and others. Many times especially lately, I have come to realize that it is OK to be thankful for things that are NOT happening to us also. I can focus on the problem(s) or the Problem Solver.

In the verses above, I am reminded again to be anxious less and pray more.

I looked back at last year's post and I was thankful that my mom was coming home after a month in the hospital, etc. after her heart attack. Other than a few bumps, she is doing well!

Thank you to my family and friends who make life worth living!