Special Gratitude Edition

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say this – those He redeemed from the hand of the foe, those He gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.” – Psalm 107:3

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“Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays the most or fasts the most, it is not he who lives the most, but it is he who is always thankful to God, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it.”

– William Law

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“What part does gratitude play in my life?  Whenever I think of gratitude, the first thing to pop into my mind are the many verses about giving thanks, but the main one that comes to mind is:

“16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

 Another thing that comes to mind is Thanksgiving. Every year for most of my childhood into a couple years past college, our extended family would go to my favorite place ever, The Alisal Ranch. It was a guest ranch, and we would stay there Wednesday-Sunday of Thanksgiving week. I LOVED being with extended family, dressing up for dinner, enjoying “fall,” time relaxing with family, making new friends, doing arts and crafts and many traditions. One of the traditions my mom started doing with us was passing out paper leaves. Every year she would have everyone at the table write the year, their name and what they were thankful for. And it’s so fun to look back over the years at what we said. When we were younger, our lists included our favorite childhood blanket or family members. As we got older, it got more specific and included more friends and experiences. It was always fun to look back over the leaves as we put them up in our room each year. I also loved seeing what others would put. I am forever thankful for that tradition - especially this year, since my mom went to heaven earlier this year. It makes me want to ask my dad for the leaves. 😊”

– Destinee V.

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“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

– Ephesians 5:18-20

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“Seems like every day I find more and more to be thankful for.  Because of the free gift of salvation, I have so much.  Each time I am outside, the colors are so beautiful in this season.  Spring, summer, and winter bring other things and colors that speak out to me and touch my soul.  I have a peace that is beyond comprehension - that is so much to be thankful for.  (God) gave me an absolutely wonderful family of three children, and then they have blessed me with six grandkids and three great granddogs.  Oh, how thankful I am for each of them.  Then I am also thankful for my other believing family - that they have come to know Christ as Savior.  And the rest of my family challenges me to let them see Christ in me.” – Joyce Z.

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“We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good, if bad, because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.” – C.S. Lewis

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Abba Father, You’ve called Your children from the ends of the earth to rise up in thanksgiving for the blessings in our lives. We thank You for the rich traditions in our families, we thank You for our loved ones, we thank You for the beauty with which You surround us. Thank You for Your comfort in the loss of those who are dear to us, for Your strength in loving those who are difficult to love, and for “the hope of our eternal country.” In all circumstances, we need only to look barely beneath the surface to see the handiwork and the goodness of our Master. We – the redeemed of the Lord – cannot contain how grateful we are to belong to You! Thanking You in the beautiful Name of Jesus, amen.