Multitude Monday

For the past two years I've been on a journey. A journey of thankfulness. Of counting my blessings. In October of 2009 I decided that I would begin to make a weekly list of blessings in my life. Our family had gone through a severe trial and there were days I thought I was drowning. I needed to focus on some bit of hope in my life.

Some of the things on my lists were small – the smell of fresh baked bread, sunshine after a few days of rain. Others were larger – gifts that were given to us, lessons the Lord was teaching me.

I also started thanking Him for the things that don’t seem like blessings – a car that died by the side of the road after a long road trip and NOT during it. Trials that kept me clinging to God or discouragement that did the same.

It has really changed the way I look at things. At times, I slip back into my old complaining ways but I have noticed that I’m more aware of the little ways God blesses me on a daily basis.



It is essential that those who say they follow Christ Jesus develop a Spirit of Thanksgiving. If you are constantly looking at the negative side to things or seeing the glass as half empty, it will be difficult for people to see God in your life. What they will see is bitterness, anger, depression, complaint and irritability.

Let’s be known as people of praise and thanksgiving. People who are positive and see the Lord’s hand in all circumstances. Let’s point people to Jesus, not make them run the other direction.

One way to start doing this is by remembering 2 Corinthians 10:5 ~ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

This is hard work. Every time you begin to think a negative thought you must stop that thought process. You have to focus on what the Lord IS doing. The arguments and pretension that this verse talks about often comes from Satan himself. He wants to keep you focused on the problem and defeated and feeling like God is not in control.

One way to do this is to get a journal. Whenever you have a negative thought or begin to focus on the problem, write down some blessing in your life that the Lord has given you. It doesn't have to be big! Just a little something.

Then focus on that blessing. Thank God for it. Ask Him to open your eyes to more around you. Dwell on the positive things in your life. Pray for the trial or bad circumstance and ask God to work through it, but focus on those positive things. When you think of the blessing, write it down. Begin to develop an attitude of gratitude and you will see a change in your outlook.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this month, let’s not stop when the day is over. Let’s continue on and become thankful people; people of praise.



Today I'm thankful for Blessings #701-715

♥ A table ready for guests.



♥ A child who got her wish to play in the snow, two months early.



♥ I've been praying that the Lord would show me who to invite for Thanksgiving and he has done just that.

♥ Candles warming the house.



♥ 4 days without power that made me thankful for the things I take for granted.

♥ Warm sunshine after the storm.



♥ A warm place to camp out for a few days.



♥ Staying busy by cooking for the fire house which kept my mind off the fact that we had no heat, water, or electric at home.

♥ Because I cooked for a crowd, we were able to salvage most of our food.

♥ That Emily got to go ahead with her plan to trick or treat with a new friend, even though there was a foot of snow on the ground and school was closed.



♥ Ministering to ladies in our church.



♥ New faces at church.

♥ A daily visitor.



♥ Autumn decorations.



and finally...

♥ A family who is coming up with a list of thankful things each day for the month of November.