Sometimes the holidays can be a difficult time for people. It can feel like something to “get through” rather than something to enjoy. At times there are triggers that can keep us from loving and appreciating the holidays as much as we could. It’s in times like these that we have to make a choice to be grateful and find joy. We need to choose gratitude. I recently heard that gratitude and negative thoughts cannot function simultaneously.
I’ve written previously, that gratitude can affect our hearts and our perspectives. I’ve learned that obsessing and focusing on the negative will make me bitter. It can also cause a spiritual blockage which can in turn be offensive to others and to God.
However, when I can shift my mind from the negative things and intentionally focus on and choose gratitude, a positive internal shift happens. Looking back with gratitude and thankfulness can lighten the load and help things seem a little brighter and less dark. Additionally, choosing to see God’s provision can alleviate some frustration and discontent.
Gratitude affects our mental health & well-being
It should come as no surprise that gratitude is a crucial component of mental health and well-being.
Numerous studies have concluded that gratitude showed significant protection against and lowered levels of depression and anxiety.[1][2][3] One 2015 study indicated that “Gratitude is a protective factor against psychopathology not only due to its association with improved relationships with others, but also because it is connected to a less critical, less punishing, and more compassionate relationship with the self.”[4]
If we find ourselves dealing with difficult and negative thoughts and emotions, it’s a great time to shift our focus. It’s time to choose gratitude.
“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1 (ESV)
The holidays, Thanksgiving in particular, are a good time to reflect on what God has done for us. We can spend time contemplating positive memories, blessings, and just things in general for which we’re thankful. With Thanksgiving being celebrated in the United States next week, it’s a time to be reminded to be thankful for all the blessings and good things we have. We’ve even discussed before that thankful people are happier people.
Gratitude has an effect on our hearts and our perspectives. When we can turn our minds from the negative things around us and intentionally focus on what we have to be thankful for, a positive internal shift and change happen. When we think about what we are thankful for, things around us can seem brighter, and we start to focus less on what’s wrong and more on what’s good and right. Additionally, when we choose to see God’s provision, it makes it hard to be frustrated by all the ways we feel like we’re lacking something in the moment.
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)
“Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given” Psalm 105:5 (NLT)
Take Some Practical Steps to Note What You Are Thankful For:
This past week in the United States we celebrated our Thanksgiving holiday and subsequently the start of the largest shopping season of the year. It’s easy to lose focus and lose sight of what we celebrate this week and to remain in a “thankful” posture. In light of that, that’s a primary reason why the Tuesday following the Thanksgiving holiday has been designated as “Giving Tuesday”.
GivingTuesday.org describes this day as a “Global Generosity Movement” that was “created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.”
Giving Tuesday can serve to remind all of us to be both thankful for what we blessed with as we recognize others in need as well as become more outwardly focused, looking to our communities and to those in need in order to find ways of helping them.
I would like to take the opportunity before Thanksgiving and before Giving Tuesday to get readers to start thinking about a purposed and intentional plan of generosity.
My challenge today is to encourage you to form a plan of some kind of “sacrificial” generosity or giving in one of four ways:
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)
With Thanksgiving being celebrated in the United States next week, we are reminded to be thankful for all the blessings and good things we have. However, I’ve learned that it’s extremely important to be thankful and content in any and every situation and also to be thankful year-round. I’ve discovered that when I’m thankful, things around me seem brighter, and I focus less on what’s wrong and more on what’s good and right.
Thankful people are happier people. I read a good article by Robert Emmons about why gratitude is good. In fact, it stated that studies show that gratitude has the ability to make us healthier, to increase levels of joy, pleasure, and happiness, and to reap social benefits.[i] In essence, people who can stay thankful year-round are happy, healthy, and prosperous people! 🙂
A little Thanksgiving humor to finish out the week: “Shot my first turkey this week…Scared the crap out of everyone in the frozen food section. It was awesome.”
“Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience” 1 Corinthians 10:25 (NIV)
“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1 (ESV)
Thanksgiving seems to be a good time to reflect on what God has done for us, positive memories, blessings, and just things in general for which we’re thankful (for us U.S. folks anyhow!). When my kids were younger, I used try to find some type of Thanksgiving craft-like activity each year to do this with them.
Sometimes we’d write down things we we’re thankful for on construction paper feathers and then glue the feathers to a paper turkey. Sometimes we’d do the same thing on paper leaves and post leaves around as decoration, and we’d even made paper link chains before where each link listed an item of thanks (this encouraged them to think of more than just a few items in order to have a chain long enough to hang!). Previously, I also posted several ways to try to stay thankful like this year round.
When I teach at Glory House I do an activity with them somewhat similar to these Thanksgiving activities (even when it’s not Thanksgiving time). Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for the idea though! I think I first heard this tip from one of our pastors at church years ago. I was taught to write down 3 things that God has brought me through, brought me to or delivered me from. They could be what God has done through victories, ways God has come through for me or has been faithful to me, answered prayers, etc. I was then told to keep this list handy and reflect on it or refer back to it when I’m going through a rough time when things seem hopeless or bleak.
The ladies love when we do this activity. They also usually come up with more than three, but three things are typically pretty easy to come up with and recall. It’s just a good way to remember what God has done. It helps us to think positively and gives us the mindset “He did it before. He’ll do it again.” or “He helped me with that. He’ll help me with this too.”
Everyone is into challenges these days. We see things going viral on social media because people are challenging others to do something. I recently saw something that said “gratitude challenge” where the person was challenging others to write down 3-5 things a day that they are thankful for and to do this for 30 days. She discussed some of the benefits she had personally received from this in her own life and wanted to encourage others to experience some of these same benefits. I’ve written previously about some of the benefits and ways of showing gratitude (previous posts here and here).
Gratitude has the ability to change our hearts and our outlook. Something happens when we can shift our mind off the negative things around us and intentionally focus on what we have to be thankful for. I’ve discovered that when I’m thankful, things around me seem brighter, and I focus less on what’s wrong and more on what’s good and right. Additionally, when we choose to see God’s provision, it makes it hard to be frustrated by all the ways we feel like we’re lacking something in the moment.
Thankful people tend to be happier people. Several years ago I read a good article about the benefits of gratitude. It stated that studies show that gratitude has the ability to make us healthier both physically and mentally, to enhance resiliency to stress, to increase levels of joy, pleasure and happiness, and to reap social benefits.[1] In essence, people who can stay thankful year round are happy, healthy and prosperous people!
It is also God’s will for us to be thankful and have gratitude.
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)
So maybe a gratitude challenge isn’t such a bad idea after all! We have to be intentional and CHOOSE to be grateful. It will take some purposeful and deliberate energy on our part. Sometimes it can be difficult, especially in the midst of hardship, to think of things to be thankful for. Therefore, here are some gratitude prompts to get you thinking about things you can be thankful for.
After all the mega shopping weekend hubbub of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday– there is “Giving Tuesday!” Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Giving Tuesday serves to remind all of us to be outwardly focused…to look to our communities and to those in need and donate towards helping them.
Amanda and her daughter
This year I’m partnering again with the Glory House ministry for Giving Tuesday. I have served with this ministry in a teaching and volunteer capacity for many years. I mentioned last week about how Glory House helps women rebuild stable foundations as they find hope, healing and direction in their lives. This week I’d like to share with you one of the hope-filled stories that happen every day at Glory House. Continue reading and watch a video to meet Amanda and learn about how God, and Glory House, have changed her life and how she’s building a better foundation for herself and her daughter!
I would also like to invite you to pray and consider giving a financial gift on this Giving Tuesday to help us raise the money needed for each of these women. Your gift will help women and their families transform their lives as they come from all over the United States to break free from drugs, alcoholism, anxiety, depression, and other life issues.
Please check out the Glory House Website and Facebook to learn more about what they do…
A couple of years ago, Amanda came to Glory House addicted and struggling as a single mother. However, when God began to work in her life through Glory House, everything changed.
Amanda was adopted at just 12 days old by Paul and Dana Higbee. Like Paul and Dana’s other adopted children, Amanda was special to them. They raised her with the Word of God as a lifeline and set her on a path to success. Still, Amanda struggled with her identity and her desire to truly embrace God as a Father. This led to a life of seeking for an identity in drugs, immorality, and illegal activity. Like most people that abandon a relationship with God, she found herself hopeless.
When you find yourself alone at the lowest part of your life, you can be assured that God is still with you. Amanda also found that to be true.
What made a difference in the Higbee Family?
Amanda, Dana, & Paul Higbee
That answer is not a “what” but a “who”. Jesus made a difference in Amanda and then she made an impact on the rest of her family. Thankfully, we get to be a part of the process. God chooses to work through each of us individually to bring hope, healing, and direction to people. This is why you are so important.
Glory House will invite 6-8 women into the program in 2019. Glory House takes on the responsibility of the women’s physical needs so that they can focus on the one thing they most need, a relationship with Jesus. During that time, they help them discover their identity in Christ, their God-given abilities, and most of all, their new found life in Christ.
Here is what it takes to impact 8 women at Glory House:
Food: $3,120
Housing: $7,920
Utilities & Operations: $3,360
Transportation: $4,080
Spiritual Discipleship: $3,120
Other Living Expenses: $2,400
Approximate Total for 8 women monthly: $24,000
Approximate Total for 8 women annually: $288,000
Glory House is supported by people like you who pray, give of their time, and donate financially. Moreover, your generous donation doesn’t stop at Glory House. Your influence spreads from each woman into the families they impact. Those families help others and the impact continues. This is all made possible when you choose to make a difference.
When you partner with Glory House, you are giving women an opportunity for God to work healing in their lives. You can see lives changed and families restored just by generously donating your financial support.
Please help us raise the money needed for each of these women!
Take A Practical Step to Support Glory House this Giving Tuesday 2018:
I would love for you to join with me in supporting this life changing ministry on this Giving Tuesday! Please pray about giving to help them raise the money needed for each of these women. If you are ready to give now, you can click on the secure Glory House PayPal link below…
Please share this content across your social networks.
Tell your friends too! Giving Tuesday marks the beginning of our revenue campaign to see the lives of women in Tulsa changed by the power of God!
If you are unable to give financially, would you please partner with us in prayer for this ministry and the lives of the women and families affected?
Please stop right now and say a quick prayer for…
-Provision–financial support and needs of the program
-Wisdom and guidance–for the leadership, staff, teachers, and volunteers
-Open and teachable hearts, transformation, and full restoration for the women in the program
-Grace, healing, and restoration for the families
-Continued progress, direction, favor, and success for the graduates of the program
Know someone else who could either benefit from Glory House or who would be interested in supporting this ministry? Share this post via the sharing links below!
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