Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Gratitude Challenge Day 3
Pray: Dear Lord, today we come before You with regret for all the complaining we tend to do. We know it grieves You when we gripe. We want to turn our hearts around and make gratitude a lasting habit. The world around us has so much negativity and complaining. But we can spread the light of Jesus by being optimistic and practicing gratitude. When we focus on You, Your goodness, and all the ways You bless us, it helps us to turn our complaints into praises. So, we are starting off today with gratefulness in our hearts. Please help us to hold onto this throughout the day. And as we lay our heads on our pillows tonight, help us to recall all the wonderful things that happened in our day. Help us to drift off to sleep while giving You thanks.
Lord, we also take a moment to pray regarding the elections occurring today in the USA. For those who haven’t voted yet, please give us discernment as we vote today. Please help us to keep in mind truth, which comes from You alone. And no matter what the outcome is, we ask for peace. We place it all in Your hands, because our trust is in You alone. Most of all we pray for this country and for the entire world. God, the world has been through so much heartache this year. Please bring healing to every corner of the earth. We pray that all hearts are turned towards You. Thank You, Father. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.
Practice Gratitude: Write down at least three things you are thankful for. Today I am thankful for the gift of practicing gratitude because I have seen in my own life how it can transform our hearts. I am thankful for the opportunity to spread the light and love of Jesus to those I encounter today. And I am thankful for the power of praise.
Praise. Here is today’s song! Enjoy! Counting Every Blessing by Rend Collective
Please share in the comments if today’s reading spoke to you. Or you may add a prayer, your gratitude list, praise, etc.
© 2020 Bridget A. Thomas
Gratitude Challenge Day 2
Pray: Dear God, we start this day with a thankful heart. And we ask You to help us start each day this way, throughout the month. If we make this a habit for thirty days, our hope is to continue beyond this challenge. Lord, the truth is that sometimes life brings us down; therefore, starting the day with a grateful heart isn’t always easy. But we know it is possible, when we walk in Your strength. And we know that the trials which come our way are often from the enemy. He wants to bring us down so that we cannot live in gratitude and peace. So as we face our day today we remember the promise found in Isaiah 41:10 which tells us that we need not fear or be discouraged because You are with us, You will strengthen us, and You will hold us up with Your victorious right hand. We are grateful for this wonderful truth. What a joy it is to spend time with You today and to soak up Your presence. This helps us start our day and our week with peace and gratitude. We ask for the Holy Spirit to flood our hearts. God, there is no one like You. You are greater and stronger and higher than anything we know. When we remember how awesome You are, it helps us to start our day on the right foot. Thank You, Lord, for this new day. We hand it over to You, for Your honor and Your glory. In Jesus’ Holy Name we pray, Amen.
Practice Gratitude: Write down at least three things which you are grateful for. I am grateful for the opportunity to start this day with a grateful heart, I am grateful for the truth found in Isaiah 41:10, and I am grateful for our God!
Praise. Here is today’s song! Enjoy! Our God by Chris Tomlin
Please share in the comments if today’s reading spoke to you. Or you may add a prayer, your gratitude list, praise, etc.
© 2020 Bridget A. Thomas
Gratitude Challenge Day 1
Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we come before You with an open heart this month. Over the next thirty days, we ask You to help us keep our focus in the right direction. We pray that through this challenge, our hearts will be filled. This year has been a struggle, Lord. There have been so many things that have brought us fear, discouragement, and devastation. But instead of allowing the circumstances of this year to crush us, we are going to remember to treasure life in a new way. We are going to remember that every day is a gift from You. We are taking a step forward in faith towards You. This month, we are going to cling to You. God, we want to be overwhelmed by Your goodness this month. Please open our eyes to all the beauty around us. Lord, we ask You to please bless this time and help us each to grow closer to You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Practice Gratitude: What are you thankful for? Write down at least three things that come to mind. I am thankful for the overwhelming love of God, I am thankful for a new day, and I am thankful to be embarking on this journey with you.
Praise. Here is today’s song! Enjoy! Overwhelmed by Big Daddy Weave
Please share in the comments if today’s reading spoke to you. Or you may add a prayer, your gratitude list, praise, etc.
© 2020 Bridget A. Thomas
Countdown to the Gratitude Challenge
Hello, friends! No official post today. I just wanted to remind you that the gratitude challenge is coming in a few days. I am looking forward to it, and I hope you are too. For more information, please see this post. And here is a beautiful praise song to get you ready to pray, practice gratitude, and praise: Awake My Soul by Hillsong Worship. Blessings to all!
God’s Love Each Day
Every day is a gift from God
There’s much to be thankful for
If we open our eyes and our hearts
We’ll see life as something to adore
Each morning when we wake up
Thanking God should come to mind
He has blessed us with a new day
And we have new treasures to find
What a precious jewel each day is
A new day to soak in Jesus’s love
Every day can bring us peace and joy
If we keep our eyes on things above
God’s love is overwhelming
We thank Him for this new day
Eager to see what the day will hold
We seek Him every step of the way
© 2020 Bridget A. Thomas
In my last post, I mentioned that during the month of November I will be holding a gratitude challenge. A fellow blogger, DarylMadden, commented on that post, sharing a YouTube video. (If you enjoy poetry, then I highly recommend Daryl Madden’s blog!) I wanted to share the YouTube video with you, as well. So please take a few moments to watch it. It is so beautiful. I want to live every day of my life with this mindset. Here is the link to the video: A Grateful Day with Brother David Steindl-Rast.
Gratitude Challenge Coming In November
Hi Friends! I have exciting news today. I will be hosting a Gratitude Challenge during the month of November! I have to be honest. I did not originally plan on doing this. But a friend asked me last week if I would consider it. Since 2020 has been so difficult for many, she felt we all could use a gratitude boost. And she is right.
If you walked through the Gratitude Challenge with me in 2018, this one is similar. However, there will be some key differences. In 2018 we walked through my book Every Day is a Gift, and then we met up here every day to discuss each of the thirty short chapters. This time, you are encouraged to read through Every Day is a Gift again. But you don’t have to, if you don’t have time. We will still meet up here each day. However, the content that I will be sharing in each post will be broad enough for everyone, even if you did not read the chapter from the book.
My intent is to keep each post short, for those of you with busy schedules. However, I am going to pack each post with encouragement. My hope is that we can get our hearts in the right place each day, as we focus on gratitude, and ultimately the Lord.
The layout of this year’s Gratitude Challenge is going be set up with what I am calling a PPP format:
Pray – In each post I will include a prayer. This will be loosely based off of that day’s reading in Every Day is a Gift. However, you will still be able to get meaning out of the prayer, even if you were not able to read that day’s passage in the book.
Practice Gratitude – Each day we will be practicing gratitude. I ask you to come up with at least three things you are thankful for each day. (In the book I recommended that you come up with five things. But I am trying to condense this challenge for those with busy schedules. Of course, you may come up with more than three, if you would like to.) You are welcome to share your gratitude list in the comments, if you feel comfortable doing so. But I encourage you to also write your items down in a personal journal. I will share three items of my own in each post.
Praise – In each post, I will include a link to a praise song. If you have been following my blog this year, then you know I talked extensively about the importance of praise. There is something miraculous that happens when we praise God.
I really am excited about this PPP format. Prayer, practicing gratitude, and praise should be vital elements in our daily lives. But often, due to our active schedules, we don’t take time for these things. Hopefully this challenge will show us how easy it is to work these things into our schedules. And what’s more, I hope that this challenge shows us how powerful prayer, practicing gratitude, and praise are. I truly believe after doing each of these three things for thirty day, our hearts will be transformed.
I hope you will join me for the 2020 Gratitude Challenge, starting on November 1!
Are You Struggling?
Have you been walking through some difficulties? Are you struggling in any areas of your life? Have you been feeling defeated? I can relate! I was walking through some hardships recently as well. But I learned some valuable lessons along the way. I had the honor of writing a guest post for The Peaceful Wife blog, where I talk about the things God revealed to me during this time. I invite you to check out my guest post here: Why Am I Struggling So Much? I hope you get some encouragement out of it!
The Peaceful Wife blog is one that I have been following for over seven years! The blogger behind The Peaceful Wife is April Cassidy, author of The Peaceful Wife and Peaceful Mom books. April’s posts most often pertain to marriage and what God intended for our marriages to look like. She shares all that she learned along her own personal journey. But April also touches on other topics that have helped me, and countless others, have a closer walk with Jesus. I cannot tell you how much April’s blog has been a blessing to me, my marriage, and my Christian walk. Check out The Peaceful Wife blog here.
Romans 8:28
Romans 8:28 is one of my favorite Bible verses. The NKJV puts it this way, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” The NLT puts it like this, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” What an incredible promise that is. As children of God, we are assured that God will work all things together for good.
Many people like to say that “everything happens for a reason.” I don’t really believe that is true, to be honest. Sadly, we live in a fallen world. That means many cruel and evil things will happen to us and around us. Add on top of that all the mistakes we make as well. I don’t believe initially there is a good reason behind everything. But we often hear people say this as an attempt to bring comfort to a difficult situation. I would like to suggest, however, that instead of saying, “everything happens for a reason,” we turn to God and to the promise found in Romans 8:28.
As Christians, we can trust that God can and will turn things around for good. That promise really gives me comfort when I am facing something difficult that I do not like or do not understand. Or when I look back on my life and I wish I could erase some things from my past. Or when a loved one is struggling with something hard. In difficult times like these, we can find solace in knowing that God will work all things for good.
And, yes, the verse says ALL things or EVERYTHING, depending on the translation. There have been certain things in my life that I didn’t believe could be worked out for good. But one night when I was praying about some of those things, I felt God speak to me. He said, “Yes, even that.” What a simple, yet beautiful, statement.
As a child of God, this promise is true for you too. God can and will work everything in your life for good. Even the worst things in your life. Even the things that have brought you the most pain. He is a loving God and will love you through your suffering, if you allow Him to. The Contemporary English Version puts Romans 8:28 like this, “We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose.” That first sentence is so beautiful and truly portrays God’s love for you.
But perhaps there was something in your life which you have not seen anything good come from it. In our human eyes and human understanding, we might not see or comprehend the good that came out of some things. But we have to believe God, trust God, and have faith in God.
Charles Stanley puts it this way, “On this side of heaven we may never understand how all things can work together for good for God’s children. Though not all things we experience are in themselves pleasant or helpful – some of them are very painful – we are promised that God uses everything for our benefit. Therefore, we must have faith that He will turn our failures and hardships into opportunities for spiritual growth.” (The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible)
Our God is trustworthy and faithful. He does not lie and He keeps His promises. So when you are facing something painful in your life, or when you look back on something painful, run to the Lord and hand it over to Him. Pray about the situation and tell Him that you are trusting Him to work it all out for good. This process of surrender will take a weight off your shoulders and you will feel a peace that surpasses understanding.
© 2020 Bridget A. Thomas
Choose Joy
Hearing from God can be so special. I don’t hear an audible voice. But there are times when I “hear” something deep inside and I know it’s from God. One particular time when this happened was on February 26th of this year. I know what day it was because it was also Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.
On that day, I asked God to show me anything that might be a roadblock in my relationship with Him. And His answer was, “Negativity.” When I asked the question, an answer came quickly. And I had a feeling deep within that made me know this came from God.
If you know me, perhaps you think I am always a positive person. I do try to be. But I am not perfect by any means. Sometimes I complain and gripe, just like everyone else. I don’t like being that way. And it is something that I try to work on. But when the Lord spoke to me about it, it really hit home! So, this is something I have been working on even more this year.
It can be difficult to stay positive in our culture. And with all the events of 2020, it has been even more difficult. But it is possible. We have to stay rooted to the Lord, remember He is our source of truth and strength, limit time watching the news, express our gratitude towards God, and praise God. Those things have helped me to be more optimistic.
But I have two secrets to share with you that will catapult you into a positive frame of mind. (1) You have a choice. All the thoughts that come into your head, do not have to stay in your head. (2) Feelings are liars. Just because you feel a certain way, doesn’t make it truth. You should take your feelings to God and compare them to Scripture. When we know we are thinking or feeling negatively, we can choose to turn it around.
There are many Bible verses that speak about this topic as well, so it helps to memorize them and recite them when you are tempted to be negative.
- Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. – Philippians 4:8
- 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. – Romans 12:2
- Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Philippians 4:6
- Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. – Proverbs 4:23
- The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. – Romans 8:6
- 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. – 2 Corinthians 10:5
- The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. – Proverbs 18:21
Have you been sucked into a bad habit of complaining and negativity? Will you join me in turning it around? I hope so! Let’s start today! Let’s choose joy. And we can be a shining light to the world around us.
© 2020 Bridget A. Thomas
Praise and Gratitude
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalm 118:24
No matter what you are going through today, no matter what you are facing, I just wanted to take a moment to remind you that God is still on the throne. This is wonderful news. This means that we can trust Him with all of our needs. We can rest knowing that He has everything under control. Even if you are dealing with something that you don’t understand, He does. Today, take some time out of your day to praise Him, and to extend gratitude. Tell Him how amazing He is. And tell Him all the things you are thankful for. This is guaranteed to turn your heart around. You will feel more peace inside as you focus on the good, instead of the bad. God blesses us and cares for us. He loves us and protects us. We have so much to be thankful for and we have so much to praise Him for.
I have breath in my lungs
My heart beats steady
I extend love to God
And greet the day
Praise the Lord
I have seen another sunrise
As dawn tells the night goodbye
Displaying God’s artwork
Across the sky
Praise the Lord
I have the gift of salvation
A debt I can never repay
Jesus took my place
On a cross in Calvary
Praise the Lord
I look forward to eternity
Singing to our Savior
Every day with Jesus
Loving Him forevermore
Praise the Lord
(c) 2020 Bridget A. Thomas
Bridget A. Thomas 