Bridget A. Thomas

As we have talked about gratitude this month, I feel we haven’t even touched the surface on all we could say about gratitude. But I do believe that one important point is that gratitude is a choice.

When we are walking through difficulties, I know it’s a lot more challenging to choose gratitude and praise. When life is good, those things can come easily.

However, the Bible tells us to give thanks in all things and for all things.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 are some of my favorite verses. They remind us to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Not only are we told to give thanks in all circumstances, but it goes on to say that this is God’s will for us.

Giving thanks to God in the midst of the pain is difficult. But we can always find things to be thankful for. In the midst of the illness, maybe we can give thanks for the medical staff that helped care for us. In the midst of the breakup, maybe we can give thanks for the friends who were there.

If we look around, we can find things to be thankful for.

So maybe we can agree with this. Perhaps we can see that even in the middle of a storm, there are still blessings to be found.

However, the Bible takes it a step further. Ephesians 5:19b-20 says, “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This tells us to give thanks for everything. I admit this can be hard to swallow. There are some things in life that are beyond difficult to accept.

Charles Stanley wrote, “For us to be able to thank God in all things, we must be able to see him in every detail of our lives. Our hearts should be grateful toward him, even when we face difficulties, because we know he is intimately involved in our circumstances and will work everything for our good if we have faith and obey him (Ro 8:28).”

Perhaps you are familiar with Joni Eareckson Tada. When she was seventeen she dove into Chesapeake Bay, but misjudged the shallowness of the water. She fractured her neck and was paralyzed from the shoulders down. She is now seventy-five and has spent the majority of her life in a wheelchair. In the beginning, Joni was angry and depressed, as we can imagine. But after time, she was able to find gratitude in each day.

In one of her many books, Joni wrote, “God isn’t asking you to be thankful. He’s asking you to give thanks. There’s a big difference. One response involves emotions, the other your choices, your decisions about a situation, your intent, your step of faith.”

Gratitude is a choice. Even when facing trials, we can choose to give thanks. We might not understand the things we go through, but our gratitude shows we trust the One who does understand.

Dear Jesus, please help us to have an attitude of gratitude. We realize that gratitude is a choice. We are sorry for times when we have not made the right choice. It’s not always easy, especially when facing difficulties. Yet You still want us to give thanks in all things and for all things. We can do that, because we know You are in control and we can trust You. Thank You, Jesus. It is in Your name, we pray. Amen.

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Thank you all for reading. Please continue to pray for my family. Prayers are much needed and appreciated. And please share your prayer requests as well. (Either in the comments or email me at bridget@bridgetathomas.com.) God bless!

© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

When we make it a point to live in gratitude, it helps us to see things differently. We are more grateful for our lives, all that we have, and our loved ones. Gratitude helps us to see beauty in the world around us. It renews our hearts and opens our eyes to God’s goodness.

And gratitude helps us to persevere. If we live in a negative mindset, this will hold us back in many ways. However, when we choose to stay hopeful and live a life of gratitude, this fuels us on our journey. Gratitude helps us to live with our eyes expectantly towards Him.

When we walk in gratitude, it helps us to align our thoughts with God and His Word.

We believe that:

• God hears our prayers. – “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.” Psalm 17:6 NIV is just one example of countless Bible verses that tell us God hears our prayers.
• God keeps His promises. – “And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.” Psalm 12:6 NIV
• God is faithful. – “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.” 2 Timothy 2:13 NLT
• Nothing is too difficult for God. – “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:26 NIV
• God supplies all our needs. – “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NIV
• God is good. – “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” Psalm 145: NIV

Gratitude helps us to stand strong against the enemy’s tactics because gratitude helps change our mindsets from defeat to victory.

“No matter how difficult the circumstances may seem around you, don’t give up! God is for you, and He is bigger than any trouble you may be facing. You can regain the territory the devil has stolen from you. If necessary, regain it one inch at a time, being thankful for and always leaning on God’s grace and not on your own ability to get the desired results.” – Joyce Meyer

Gratitude isn’t always easy. Especially in tough times. But gratitude alters many areas of our lives. It helps us to hold onto hope through the Lord. We have to make a decision to persevere. And living a life with gratitude towards the Lord helps us on that path.

Dear Jesus, please help us to persevere. Help us to see victory. Help us to hold onto hope. Please give us strength to keep pushing forward. We need You, every day. We are so thankful to know You are always there. The enemy will try to discourage us. But You are mightier than the enemy and You are mightier than anything we face. We love You and we are thankful for You, Lord. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

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If you have time to listen to these messages by Jentezen Franklin, I think they are powerful. There are two and they are thirty minutes each. And some of what he says will overlap. That’s because the original sermon was longer than 30 minutes. In order to air it on TV in a 30 minute time slot, it gets split out into two messages. And they also repeat some portions so that the message isn’t lost if someone catches one of them and not the other… Sorry for the really long explanation 😅

https://jentezenfranklin.org/broadcasts/the-strategy-for-victory

https://jentezenfranklin.org/broadcasts/the-strategy-for-victory-part-2

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I believe some strange shenanigans went on with my Tuesday post. If you missed it, here is the link – Adding Gratitude to Our Relationships. And today I am wishing a happy heavenly birthday to the grandma that I mentioned in that post. ♥️

Thank you all for reading. Please continue to pray for my family. Prayers are much needed and appreciated. And please share your prayer requests as well. (Either in the comments or email me at bridget@bridgetathomas.com.) God bless!

© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

Over the weekend, Rainer at The Devotional Guy™ and David at David’s Daily Dose, posted about relationships and how they can be challenging at times.

Check out Rainer’s post here – When Relationships Fail Us

Check out David’s post here – Relationships: A Survivalist’s Guide

It’s true. Relationships can be messy. There will be times in life when other people hurt us – intentionally or unintentionally. Miscommunications and misunderstandings can make navigating relationships feel like walking through a landmine.

There will also be times when we hurt others. And those situations could make us feel even worse than the times when someone hurt us.

It might sound strange, but that’s actually a good thing. If we feel badly when we hurt someone, that means we have compassion. It means we are not selfish and ruthless. And it means the Lord is working on our hearts.

And when we keep in mind that there have been times when we hurt others, this can also help us to extend grace to those who hurt us. It helps us to remember that no one is perfect.

But before we even get to the point of hurt feelings, we can approach our relationships differently in hopes to avoid some of the messy circumstances.

As Christians, we have the power to extend the fruit of the Spirit to those around us – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Spending time with Jesus is what helps grow that fruit in our lives. As we read the Bible and spend time in prayer, this helps us to become more like Him.

Unfortunately, there will still be people who we don’t see eye to eye with. However, we should make an attempt to keep the peace. The Bible reminds us: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). This isn’t always easy. But our relationship with Jesus is what helps fuel our motives. When we remember how much He has forgiven of us, it helps us to also extend forgiveness to others.

Something I read by Joyce Meyer stuck with me – “Be difficult to offend.” Those four words hold so much power. There are so many little things that other people say and do which we could easily find offensive. Our world today is quick to point out offenses. But we don’t have to be like that. When we keep our focus on Jesus, that helps us to let the little grievances go.

We can also make it a point to look for the good in other people. In our world, many are quick to criticize and judge. But we are not of this world. We can choose a different path. We can look for the good qualities in each person we encounter.

And finally, we can also add gratitude to our relationships. When it comes to family, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, or anyone we encounter – we can find ways to say “thank you” to them for the little things they do.

If your spouse made dinner, say thank you. If someone held the door for you as you went into the grocery store, say thank you. If your coworker cleaned the Keurig, say thank you.

Years ago when it was my paternal grandmother’s birthday, I wrote a note in her birthday card about some of the fond memories we had together. Things like playing Old Maid and Dominoes. And of course we always drank a root beer. That was a treat. My father told me that my mentioning those things in her birthday card really brought her joy.

The point is it’s not just the two words “thank you” that we can say to express gratitude. And gratitude is not merely in the words we speak. We can show gratitude in our actions as well. If a coworker helped with a project, we can return the favor and offer to help them with something they are working on. If a family member is always there for us, we can look for ways to help them out with something. The possibilities are endless when we get creative.

Navigating relationships can be a challenge. But thankfully we can turn to Jesus and seek His help. He can show us how to form better relationships. And He can also help us to forgive when someone has wronged us. As we focus on gratitude this month, I hope we can find ways to incorporate gratitude into our relationships.

Gratitude universally speaks to all hearts.

Gratitude has a way of building bridges in our relationships.

And gratitude can help us to live at peace with one another.

Dear Jesus, one thing we are thankful for today is the fact that You have walked this earth. Therefore, that means You know how hard life can be. It is full of struggles. And some of those struggles come through our relationships. It’s not always easy to navigate our relationships with other people. Even relationships with people we love can be tricky. But we are so thankful that we have You to help us. Please flood us with the fruit of the Spirit, so we can extend Your love and kindness to those around us. Please help us to be quick to see the good in others and not to be quick to judge. Please help us to weave gratitude into our relationship because gratitude can do all hearts some good. Thank You, King Jesus. We are so grateful for You. You are always there for us and hear our prayers, no matter how big or small. You are our Shepherd and You guide the way with all the difficulties we face. We love You, Lord. It is in Your holy name we pray. Amen.

© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

One powerful way to add more gratitude to our lives is to add gratitude to our prayers.

Personally, much of my prayers consist of asking God for things. And it’s okay to seek God in prayer when we have worries, if we need the Lord’s guidance, or if our loved ones need prayer. But when we include gratitude and praise in our prayers, this will help alter our prayer lives and ultimately our attitudes.

We have a sign hanging on a wall in our home that says, “Dear God, I want to take a minute, not to ask for anything from you, but simply thank you for all I have.” I wish I could say I read that sign every day. Unfortunately, like many things in our homes, we get used to seeing them and neglect to take notice.

However, if we do take the time to say “thank you” to God each day, this will steer our focus away from ourselves and our problems, and instead help us to see God’s goodness.

Gratitude in our prayers will also remind us of times when God has come through for us in the past. This will fuel our prayers with hope and power.

When we include gratitude for who God is, this will help us to remember that He is mightier than anything we are facing. He can handle any problem we are up against, big or small.

Gratitude in our prayers will also remind us that God is with us. He is actually walking alongside us through life’s ups and downs.

Ultimately, gratitude will bring restoration to our souls and healing to our hearts.

Perhaps you’re familiar with these verses written by Apostle Paul: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV)

These verses remind us that we can and should meet with God in prayer when we have worries on our minds. It says by “prayer and supplication … let your requests be made known to God.”

And did you catch the two words tucked in there? I think I’ve always skipped right over the “with thanksgiving” part. But they’ve been there all along!

With thanksgiving we are to bring our worries and needs before the Lord.

When we do this, we don’t have to be anxious. God will give us His peace which surpasses understanding. When we trust God with our cares, He brings that peace to our hearts.

Maybe you think these words don’t apply to you. Maybe you’re thinking, But you don’t know what I’m dealing with.

One thing to note is that Paul wrote these words when he was imprisoned. In his walk with Jesus, he had been beaten, persecuted, and shipwrecked. Yet he still found these words to be true. Paul saw firsthand how the Lord had been with him through all of his trials.

Dr. Charles Stanley wrote, “It is no wonder that we feel apprehensive when we measure our troubles against our ability to handle them. Anxiety, however, disappears when we learn to take our concerns to God. He is the only One who has the power and wisdom to deal with every issue perfectly. This is why we stand tallest and strongest on our knees. When we are submitted to the One who always works in our best interest, we know we have absolutely nothing to fear.”

And that is something to be thankful for. The next time you turn to God in prayer, take a moment to include gratitude, along with your needs and worries. God will love to hear it, and it will help your heart to feel at peace too.

Dear Lord, we are thankful we can come to You in prayer. We’re thankful to know You care about the things that weigh on our minds. We’re thankful that You are right there with us, through all we face. And when we cast our cares on You, we can find peace, because You are bigger than anything we face. Lord, this isn’t always easy, because our problems seem like mountains at times. Please help us to keep turning to You. Help us to rely on You. And help us to come before You with gratitude. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

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The two pictures below aren’t great because we were riding in the vehicle when I snapped them. (No I wasn’t driving. My husband was. lol.) But I wanted to share two things that bloom around this time of year in Florida – cassias and rain trees. They are prettier in person!

© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

A couple of things I want to note before we get too deep into the topic of complaining vs gratitude:

• If there is something wrong that is important to express, then of course we should speak up. When we try to watch our complaints, this doesn’t mean we allow others to take advantage of us. And we shouldn’t risk our own health or safety because we don’t want to say something that might sound like we’re complaining.
• Also, in my post on Saturday, my friend Judy and I chatted a bit in the comments and she helped trigger an important point. Sometimes we will have bad days. So when that happens, we shouldn’t beat ourselves up. Jesus understands the worries we face. And He offers us grace. As it says in Romans 8:1 NLT, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus..”

While keeping those things in mind, today I want to talk about trading our complaints for gratitude.

We are surrounded by complaining and negative vibes every where we go. This easily rubs off on us, and then we find ourselves voicing complaints and negativity too.

We can’t change everyone, but we can work on our own attitudes. And even when everyone else chooses complaints and pessimism, we can choose gratitude and hope.

Here are some things that have helped me trade my complaints for gratitude.

Have you heard of the Complaint Free Challenge? A pastor, Will Bowen, started a powerful movement – all with a purple bracelet. He originally asked 250 people to join him by not complaining for twenty-one days. They each wore a purple bracelet on their wrist as a helpful tool. If they complained, they had to switch the bracelet to the other wrist and start their twenty-one days over. This challenge exploded and now millions of people have participated, including me.

(You can order the bracelets online. Or of course you could also use your own bracelet or rubber band instead, if you wanted to do this challenge. If you are interested in learning more, I have some links at the end of the post.)

This challenge isn’t easy. But it does help us to be more aware of our griping. I no longer have my bracelet. And I complain more often than I want to these days. But the challenge still left an impact on me. When I complain, I am more aware of it. And this helps me to tamp it down.

Something else that has helped me in this area are chronic complainers. You know those people. If the skies are clear, they can still find a dark cloud. When we are around others that complain a lot, it can be draining. So that is one reason why I try to limit my verbal complaints. I don’t want to be draining to those around me.

I also find the H.A.L.T. principle to be helpful. I have heard Charles Stanley reference this many times. Whenever we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, we need to tread carefully. This is when we are more susceptible to things like temptation, sin, and making rash decisions. And this will also play a role in our complaints. If we are mindful of times when we are feeling vulnerable in one of these areas, that will help us to choose better thoughts and words in those moments.

Ultimately, when we pay attention to our thoughts and words, we can then pivot in a new direction.

For example, if we find ourselves complaining about something we are eating, we can pause and give thanks that we have food to eat. Or if we are tempted to complain about our jobs, we can instead say a prayer of thanks that we have a job.

Lately when I am tempted to complain about something someone did that I didn’t like, I will instead say, “Bless their heart.” (I believe this saying is used sarcastically sometimes by people. But that is not my intent.) This helps me to see the person with kindness instead of irritation. And it helps me to move on, instead of fixating on the offense.

The next time we are tempted to complain about something insignificant, let’s pause and choose gratitude instead. We can always find something to be grateful for. We can always find something to praise God for. We can shift our thinking off of the minor situations that bother us, and instead focus on the blessings in our lives.

Dear Jesus, we are sorry for our complaining. We know that many times our complaints stem from discontentment in our lives. But the truth is that we have so much to be thankful for. You bless us so much. And not just with material things. The things that really matter the most are the immaterial – Your love, Your grace, and Your faithfulness. Our family, our friends, and even the air we breathe. We thank You, Lord, for always being with us, for providing for us, and for protecting us. We love you. In Your beautiful name, we pray. Amen.

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Links pertaining to the Complaint Free Challenge:

• About Will Bowen and the program
• To order bracelets
• Will Bowen also has a great book called A Complaint Free World

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© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

As you might know, today is Veterans Day in the United States. One thing I am thankful for today is our veterans. I would like to take a moment to say “thank you” to all the veterans who have served our country.

And I am proud to say that one of those veterans is my own dad who served in the United States Army. So I would like to extend a special “thank you” to him as well. 💙

Those of us who live in freedom do so because of others who made our freedom possible.

I hope you all have a good day. If you know any veterans, take a moment to say thank you.

I have a dental appointment this morning. They will be replacing an old filling.

I will be back tomorrow to continue the series on gratitude.

In my last post I talked about clearing the clutter in our minds in order to aid us on our path to more grateful hearts. And this is also key when we are fighting a battle.

Today I want to stress that we have to be relentless on this path. The enemy is ruthless when it comes to pushing our buttons and bringing attacks our way. Therefore, we have to be relentless when it comes to our armor and our walk.

It is imperative to continually choose thoughts and words that align with the Word of God and ultimately His heart.

A couple of months ago I was in the kitchen making dinner. Everything was going well … until I dropped the meatloaf. Thankfully the meat itself was spared from hitting the floor, and stayed in the tray. But there was a lot of gravy to clean up. Thankfully, my husband came in the kitchen to help with the mess. 😅 We talked as we worked and we both agreed that the devil would have liked to see us get upset in these types of situations.

Sometimes it’s minor things like this that can trip us up. We feel frustrated and our gratitude flies out the window. Moments like these are a good test. Will we allow them to steal our joy? Or will we press forward with perseverance?

Romans 12:2 (NIV) says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

If we allow Him to, Jesus helps us renew our minds as we walk with Him. Spending time with Him, reading the Bible, and prayer aid in the renewal of our minds.

This is good news! This means that when we are consistent with spending time with the Lord, He will guide us. All the pressure isn’t on us.

However, we will have times when we will feel blindsided. And our old negativity will try to creep in. The evil one will attack and try to fill our minds with discouraging thoughts.

Therefore, it’s important to keep an eye out for these attacks. This will help us to handle them in the best possible way.

I love the words in Psalm 86:11 (NIV): “Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Emphasis added.)

We cannot have a divided heart when it comes to choosing our mindsets. If we choose gratitude and positivity one moment, then choose grumbling and negativity the next, we will not make much progress.

Joyce Meyer wrote, “A lifestyle of gratitude requires a sacrifice of praise or thanksgiving. I would rather offer a sacrifice of my thanksgiving to God than sacrifice my joy to the enemy. Many doors are opened to the devil through complaining. When we get upset and refuse to give thanks, we end up giving up our joy. In other words, we will lose our joy to the spirit of complaining. Being thankful will help you keep your joy.”

Every day we will face opportunities to choose gratitude and victory, or complaining and defeat. I pray we choose wisely. I know it’s not always easy. But thankfully we have Jesus with us at all times. When we turn to Him, He will help us on this path.

Dear Jesus, this road can be a challenging one to navigate. We have an enemy who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But we know that You have come so that we may have life and have it abundantly. We are so thankful for this truth. We know this means we have to choose You, every moment of every day. We will have hurdles that try to block our path. But as we keep our focus on You, this helps our hearts to also stay aligned with You and Your ways. Please help us to remain relentless and to persevere. We choose gratitude and praise. We choose faith and hope. We choose You. Thank You for guiding the way. It is in Your name, we pray. Amen.

© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

Hi friends! In my last post I mentioned that I wouldn’t be able to post daily this month, as I have in some Novembers past. However, I am still trying to post a little extra, as we focus on gratitude. I will try to post on Tuesdays and Saturdays for three weeks, and Tuesday and Thursday for the final week in November.

Today I want to talk about some prep work we need to do as we work towards having more grateful hearts…

If we are trying to be more grateful and optimistic, or even if we are in the midst of a battle, it’s important that we clear the clutter of negativity in our minds.

It’s not easy to grow good seeds in our garden when there are weeds taking up territory in the soil.

It’s not easy to push towards victory when our thoughts are full of land mines.

The Bible reminds us to take control of our thoughts:

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) says, “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.”

I will admit, this isn’t easy. It takes a lot of work. If we have allowed our thoughts to run rampant for years, it will take time to retrain our minds. But it’s necessary and it’s worth the effort.

Choosing life-giving thoughts over life-draining thoughts will not only have lasting impact on our daily lives, but this will also honor the Lord.

In the words of Dr. Charles Stanley, “The mind is the primary battlefield for spiritual warfare. Remember, what you focus your mind on has lasting ramifications. This is because a thought reaps an action, an action reaps a habit, a habit reaps your character and your character reaps your destiny. Therefore, we must reject anything that does not honor Christ in our thinking.”

It is much easier to choose good thoughts when things in life are going well. Praise and gratitude are an effortless choice when we have all we want and need, and when we are not facing any difficulties.

However, when trials come our way, the enemy will take that opportunity to bring us down. Therefore, in the midst of challenges, we need to press forward and choose thoughts and words that build our faith.

Susie Larson wrote, “When we find ourselves on the battlefield, we need to clear the field of the accompanying emotions and attitudes that make fighting and winning almost impossible. No one can do that for us. Fear has to leave. Worry too. Unforgiveness. Ungodly assumptions. Attitudes that usurp authority. Pride. Jealousy. Judgments. Idolatry. Hatred. Bitterness. And a host of other heart conditions that open the door to the enemy’s influence in our lives. He is a legalist. If we give him the opportunity, he’ll take it. Every time.”

And the Bible is clear on this too. We have to protect our hearts, minds, thoughts, and words from the evil one:

Proverbs 4:23-27 (NIV) says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

Something I have started praying each morning for myself and my family is that Jesus will break the spirits of depression, anxiety, bitterness, resentment, offense, fear, anger, and negativity.

You might be thinking that having some of these emotions isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And that’s true. There are times when anger, for example, is appropriate. However, what I am getting at is when these emotions have control of our lives in an unhealthy way. The enemy wants us to wallow in these feelings.

But Jesus wants us to find joy and peace and gratitude, by keeping our focus on Him.

I don’t believe it’s enough to just pray about this, though. I also believe we have to act on it. For example, if I pray that Jesus will break the spirit of offense, and then I am easily offended by something someone said, I am not getting very far on this path.

Moment by moment we might need to evaluate the posture of our hearts and our thoughts. As we weed out the negative, this makes it easier for us to build gratitude inside. This places us on the path to victory.

Dear Jesus, please help us on this path. Please help us to lay aside the negative thoughts and feelings that have taken root. We want to choose joy over depression, peace over anxiety, faith over fear, gratitude over grumbling, kindness over bitterness. It’s not easy, but with Your help we can do it. We turn to You and rely on Your strength. Thank You. We are so grateful for You. It is in Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

Here we are for another monthly reflection of the blessings and lessons learned in our lives.

One thing I was reminded of in October is the blessing we have in technology. Some of us had texting issues this month. We couldn’t text certain people, resulting in a red “Not Delivered” error.

My friend Lorraine and I resorted to emailing each other. Under normal circumstances, Lorraine faithfully texts me every morning to say hello and wish me a good day. What a gift! When the phone issues were fixed and we were able to text again, I was overjoyed.

I am happy to say that I never lost the ability to text my family, which is especially important right now. It’s a good way to check in, make sure everyone is okay, and keep one another updated.

The Lord reminded me to be thankful for this small convenience that was unheard of twenty-five years ago. We have so much at our fingertips these days. Yet people are less content. We forget to look around for the little blessings that God sends us.

Ephesians 5:20 reminds us to always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This past month I was also reminded that we have so many blessings in our lives, even in the midst of worries and discouragement. Each day will hold good things and not-so-good things. When we have big concerns we are dealing with, our focus tends to stay on the negative. It can be difficult to see the beauty around us. We need to put extra effort into looking for the good. This doesn’t mean we are being unrealistic about the battles we are facing. It means we are choosing faith over fear. It means we are remembering that God is in control and God is still good.

“God’s goodness and faithfulness are foundational to our victory in battle. Somehow, we need to settle it in our hearts that God is a profoundly good Father and that He will never forsake us.” – Susie Larson

Numerous events that happened recently reminded me of the importance of people. We each have family and friends in our lives, but do we take them for granted? God reminded me how much the people in our lives matter. Taking the time to appreciate them will help bring joy to both their hearts and ours.

So with that being said, I want to extend a big thank you to each of you! I appreciate you being here, your friendship, and your prayers. You truly are a gift!

Now perhaps you are wondering why I’m posting on Friday instead of Saturday. Since today is November 1st, and since in November we celebrate Thanksgiving in the US, I wanted to encourage the idea of approaching the next thirty days with gratitude.

I won’t be able to post every day like I have done in some prior years. But I aim to keep my posts related to gratitude over the next few weeks.

I feel that often times we live our lives at a fast pace and we forget to cling to Him like we should. Life’s concerns take our focus, and then we get stressed and frustrated. We can walk in His peace and we can find gratitude, even in the midst of difficulties. But we have to make an effort to lean on Him. I’m so glad Jesus is always there, He wants to help us, and He never gives up on us.

If you plan to embrace gratitude (or anything in particular) this month, I’d love to hear what it is. And I would love to hear how your October went.

© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

Psalm 21 is a powerful chapter, with each verse manifesting strength. It is believed that the psalm was written after a battle. And the psalm overflows with a victory mindset.

(Note that “the title names David as the author, but then the psalm itself speaks about the king in the third person. The king as song composer could certainly write about his office in the third person, but it is also possible that the psalmist is some second party who speaks about the king” [1]… We will assume David is the author, especially since the Bible gives him credit. Keep in mind that in the verse I share below – “You” is referring to God and “him” is referring to King David.)

You can read Psalm 21 in the New International Version here. If you prefer a different Bible version, you also have the ability to choose the translation on that webpage.

Psalm 21 reminds us of many reasons why we should be filled with praise and gratitude towards God:

• God brings victory.
• God hears our prayers and answers our requests.
• We can trust in the Lord and His unfailing love.
• The Lord is our strength and the One we can turn to when facing a battle.

While we might not face the kind of battle that David did, we will still face different hardships in life. But Psalm 21 reminds us that God is there with us. He is on our side. When we call out to Him, He hears us. When life is unbelievably hard, it brings true comfort to know we have Someone we can turn to. Someone who is Almighty and can handle anything that comes our way.

This psalm also reminds us of the delight we find in the Lord’s presence. Psalm 21:6 in the NIV says, “Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.”

The NKJV says, “For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.”

And there are several versions that put it this way – “For You grant him blessings forever; You cheer him with joy in Your presence.”

David is bubbling over with gratitude as he writes this. David has seen firsthand how much the Lord bestows blessings on His children. And he has seen in his life how the Lord’s presence leaves an impact.

Even in the midst of a difficulty, as we are waiting to see our victory, we can still seek the Lord and find cheer in His presence. His presence truly is a gift.

In the words of Dr. Charles Stanley, “God invites us to ask him for the things we need and the desires of our heart. But only his presence brings lasting joy. The deepest delights are found in him, not in anything this world has to offer.”

When reading about David in the Bible, we can see how he always had his eyes and heart fixed on the Lord. His relationship with God was a vital part of his life. This means that when he faced a difficulty, trusting in God came easily. And when he saw victory, praising God was second-nature. I pray we all have a heart that is fixed on the Lord.

And when we are seeking a victory, I pray we remember to turn to Almighty God and His presence. He loves us and wants to help us with everything we face. He is always working on our behalf. Some days are really hard, but as we cling to Him, He will lift us up. He will be there and His presence will fill us with joy and cheer. He delights in us, as we delight in Him.

Thank you for stopping by and reading. I know time is precious, and I don’t take it lightly that you have taken the time to read my post. You all are in my prayers. And if you have any specific prayer requests, please let me know. And thank you all for the prayers you have lifted for my family. They are truly appreciated. God bless you!

[1] – Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary. © 2014 by Tremper Longman III

© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.