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31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 22 – Kristin Weber

When Amelia asked me to do a post for her 30 Days of Thankfulness series, my mind immediately jumped to all the things I take for granted on a daily basis: family, friends, Chipotle, abundant hiking paths close to my house, coffee, etc.

I generally attach thankfulness to the things that bring me joy or warm fuzzy feelings.

When I was a kid I’d sometimes hear adults say they were thankful for a difficult season. Some even had the audacity to say they wouldn’t change their weaknesses or circumstances because of the good they’d seen come out of those situations.

While I still don’t completely understand the why of our weaknesses and trials, I have a little more perspective on how God uses these things to shape us, mold us, and make us more like Him.

So, this year I’ve decided to specifically give thanks for the circumstances that have brought me the most trials. Specifically:

1.I’m thankful for my lack of natural talent. Because of it I’ve learned how to work hard.

2. I’m thankful that God has withheld a number of life’s milestones and successes. Because of it I’ve learned to celebrate the “little things,” which are often actually the “big things” in the long run.

3. I’m thankful for my singleness. Because of it I have the freedom to serve, go, learn, and grow.

4. I’m thankful for the long season of loneliness and depression I experienced in my teens and 20s. It’s driven me to reach out to others who might be lonely and to encourage young women that life gets better.

5. I’m thankful for not having it all together. Because of it I have compassion for others who are struggling.

6. I’m thankful for my tendency toward cynicism. While cynicism isn’t a godly mindset, recognizing my bent toward it has taught me to always go back to the joy and purpose Christ offers unconditionally.

7. I’m thankful that I can’t keep up with technology. It’s kept me reading real books.

8. I’m thankful I’m a slow learner. As a teacher I know how to patiently motivate my students to persist and overcome.

9. I’m thankful I’m not athletic. It’s really fun to run like a Muppet.

10. I’m thankful for my weakness. They’ve taught me to rest in Christ’s strengths.

About the Author –

Kristin Weber is a comic, writer, speaker and music teacher. She loves hiking and Chipotle. You can find out more about her by visiting www.kristinweberonline.com

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31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 21 – Angela Hoover

First, I want to thank wonderful Amelia for asking me to write about being grateful. It’s a wonderful assignment and I feel no pressure after reading all the others.

It was my 25^th birthday. I was celebrating by laying face-down crying in the shag carpet of my bedroom floor. I was living in an apartment in Redondo Beach with my sister. (Not the reason I was crying.) At the time I was the executive assistant to Jack Canfield the co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, and today, on my birthday, I felt like a total failure.

Jack had just started to see some major success with his new book and I was his new executive assistant. I handled his bookings, spoke with clients, and tried to look executive assistanty, since my training consisted of someone showing me my desk.

From time to time I had to put press kits together for Jack. Copies of newspaper articles, photos, reviews, awards, celebrity joint ventures, etc., were all stuffed into one glossy white folder.

To me, it was the “look at all the things I’ve accomplished and you haven’t” folder.

Honestly, I thought I was going to be the short stocky Julia Roberts by 23. Here was the plan. I would be working on feature film after feature film by my early twenties, I’d absolutely be set financially and at this time I would have already surprised my hard working mom and dad with a new home. It would have Spanish tiles. Because my mom loves Spanish tiles. They would cry, and I would say thank you for everything (while still crying) and they would be blown out-of-the water ecstatic, but unable to get the words out because of their crying.

I had won all sorts of awards in high school drama and I loved performing so much so I just knew that this was going to be it for me. It wasn’t until I took my first professional acting class that I found out, I had no idea how to act.

So, I started taking acting classes in LA, sang in a gospel choir in Inglewood, and did theater in the South Bay. I really hustled. I did all this with the undercurrent of feeling that I was behind. I had missed the boat. Yes. At 23.

This went on for years. And then more years after that.

I had a very disciplined practice.

It consisted of looking at, and focusing on how far away I was from what I dreamed my life would be, feeling terrible, and then holding that feeling.

All day, err day.

It sort of stopped when I had my first child. But then, before long, it was back. Of course I had many moments of joy. My wedding, my 2 babies, all the moments I got to experience with the kiddos working from home. But I would always go back to feeling like I was getting farther and farther away from my calling. My dream. From where I was “supposed” to be.

I knew in my mind what I was grateful for. You know that obligatory check list you go through in your head?

I was thinking gratefulness, but I wasn’t feeling gratefulness. I was feeling more like a victim.

So, the question. How does one feel gratefulness?

Practice. Gratefulness is a practice, which means it takes practice. And most of us, don’t like to practice. Anything.

My dad was the ultimate provider. He worked his life away providing for my mom and three girls. For the most part, I don’t think he really ever really felt proud of what he had done for us. He couldn’t feel it. He was racing. He too felt like he had missed the boat. From drying his shoes in the oven as a little boy, to buying a home in Palos Verdes, Estates, California. He still felt like he hadn’t grabbed that brass ring. But he had. I used to tell him that all the time. It’s difficult to feel grateful when you set an impossible standard for yourself because it makes you feel like you never ever get there.

I was blessed to be able to make it out to Florida to tell him how grateful I was to him for everything he had done before he passed in 99. I was out there for two weeks and at 5am before I headed back to the airport, he finally sat up in his bed and spoke. We had a beautiful conversation. After we talked, he gave me 2 free drink tickets for United Airlines. Ultimate provider.

Being grateful does not mean that everything is just the way you pictured it to be. Or that you don’t want more. As my friend Diana Lang says “Acceptance is not resignation.” I love that saying. It’s saying things are what they are right now, and you know what? It’s okay. And, the more you make it all okay, the more things magically seem to change. Without you forcing them to.

I’ve had a lot great opportunities in my life. I’ve been flown to Cannes. I’ve traveled to London to interview Renee Zellweger and my imaginary husband Colin Firth. (Yes. More handsome in person.) I’ve performed at Radio City Music Hall twice and have had an absolute ball on some really hilarious and silly productions. I’ve been able to mostly work from home raising two kids. Only one of these things were in my original vision.

The most important lesson I learned from my dad was to make sure that I feel my life while I’m in it. I’m in charge of that everyday. To accept my life and know that it’s perfect just as it is. And even if it’s not perfect, it’s perfect. Just saying these words, I feel grateful. Because truly, I would take my family on the couch with me, over a month in a Honeywell trailer any day of the week.

Unless it’s a 3-episode arc, then that’s totally doable.

About the Author:

Angela Hoover is mother of two, a comedian and a lover of all things character. She owns more wigs than shoes.

Angela was a semi-finalist doing celebrity impressions on season 8 of NBC’s America’s Got Talent has guest starred on Inside Amy Schumer and Casual, and you can see her on Disney’s Walk the Prank if your under 12.

Last year she did 30 celebrity impressions in 30 days. To see all of them or to be notified of her next challenge you can follow her on @angelahoovercomedy on Instagram. Her strengths are cake making, impressions and hugging her kids. Her weaknesses are too long to list but include time management and weighing the pros and cons of a situation for hours on end.

Instagram: AngelaHooverComedy

Facebook AngelaHooverComedy

Twitter: AngelaHoover07

Visit the website: angelahoover.com to subscribe to her newsletter

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31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 19 – Joy Mason

Being the 19th day into this awesome series on thanksgiving, I am intimidated, to say the least. I also do math all day, so writing is not my forte’. All that aside, I know that we always have a story to tell!

I have been meditating immensely on the human coping mechanism of “foreboding joy” recently. This idea is not mine, but from my favorite researcher, Brene’ Brown*. She presents that when the vulnerability of pure joy comes our way, we try to counter that deep joy with a splash of reality so that we are prepared if/when the source of our joy goes away.

How silly is that!? Instead of basking, dwelling, and enjoying our JOY from a blessing or answered prayer or little gift from God, we “sterilize” it so that we’re not as disappointed when/if it goes away!

For example, I have some new, wonderful friends that have taken my husband and I under their wing, since we’re the newbies in town. I can barely wrap my mind and heart around the fact that they are my friends, love hanging out with me, and are intentional about our time spent together. We have conversations about meaningful things and silly things. It’s so enriching and energizing to have them, to need them, and to be needed by them.

I realized, after meditating on the concept of foreboding joy, that I had been “splashing” this blessing and the joy that it brings me with the foreboding “Joy, you’re going to mess this friendship up! You’re going to do something that will turn them off to you. Then, your relationship will slowly fade away and you’ll grow apart and distant from each other.”

Just writing that out makes me shudder. Thankfully, Brene’s research gives us a great counter action to these silly stories we tell ourselves. The Holy Spirit has been telling us the same thing: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). The perfect reaction to pure joy is gratitude.

[clickToTweet tweet=”The perfect reaction to pure joy is gratitude.” quote=”The perfect reaction to pure joy is gratitude.”]

The next time I’m sitting in the middle of a blessing (i.e. having a glass of wine with my friends, walking my sweet dogs on a beautiful day, reading a really good book, etc.), I am going to smile in my heart, mind, soul, and body, giving deep thanks to our wonderful God, who wants us to have pure joy when he gives us gifts and blessings. I am going choose not to listen to the foreboding joy tapes our enemy likes to replay in our heads.

Let us move forward, letting God’s full glory shine through our thanksgiving instead of numbing it down to protect our hearts. Let us play the tapes of child-like joy instead of adulting all the time. Let us thank the giver and fully take the gift!

*I have read her book, Daring Greatly and am currently reading Rising Strong. Both will rock your world.

About the Author:

I grew up in SC, but now call Chicagoland my home. I am a wife, dog mother of 2, and do math all day as a risk analyst. I love seeing how God is in all moments, people, and arenas of life, and am personally called to be in the “secular” space. My days are usually filled with one or more of the following: chatting over a glass of wine with a friend, walking my dogs along the Fox river, or reading a book after dinner (currently, my husband and I are reading The Chronicles of Narnia). I love cooking for people, so if you are an adventurous eater and chat as if nothing is forbidden to talk about, we would have fun in my kitchen!

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31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 18 – Janice Thompson

LIGHTEN UP! HOW TO LIVE A JOYOUS LIFE

“Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.”
Bill Cosby

Living on the light side comes easily to some; other have to work hard to be funny. (Sounds funny, doesn’t it. . .working hard to be funny?) I’m one of those who came into the world with an overactive funny bone. Oh, it occasionally gives me trouble. Life’s woes kick in and my funny bone gets arthritic. It locks up. Whenever that happens, I trip myself on purpose, just to loosen it back up again. (Hey, a girl can only go so long without laughter!)

Yep, from the time I was a little girl, I was the happy-go-lucky sort. Giggly. Goofy. My mom always called me a ham because of my overly-dramatic style. Not that I minded. Oh no. Drama was my thing. And performing comedy on the stage was the thing that made me happiest.

Then I grew up. . .and life happened. Unfortunately, some of the events of my grown-up life weren’t funny. In fact, they were pretty tragic. Still, through my faith and my innate desire to keep on keepin’ on, I managed to keep my smile intact much of the time.

They key? Let humor lead the way! Be known as an easy-going person. As an author, I find that being funny on the page is easier when I’m truly walking through life with a joyous attitude. It’s not always easy (and life often intervenes, threatening to remove any hint of humor), but for those who live a life of faith, it is possible.

1. TIP ONE: THINK OF LIFE LIKE A TELEVISION SITCOM OR COMEDY/THINK “SITUATIONS”: Think of Larry, Mo and Curly. Sure, their antics got a little old after awhile, but you get the idea. For me, Everybody Love Raymond is near the top of the list. Why did I love that show so much? The characters were (individually) hysterical. Each one had his/her own quirks. And those quirks got them into (and out of) jams. Funny characters also mess up. . .a lot. They get in trouble and need help getting out. We relate because we’re the same way.

2. TIP TWO: CELEBRATE YOUR IMPERFECTIONS. GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO MESS UP. In my “Weddings by Bella” series, I created several funny characters (and boy, have I heard from readers about them). These characters include Aunt Rosa, Uncle Laz, Bella and the trio of “sisters” from Splendora Texas. These wacky people will stay with me for the rest of my life! I think some of my readers have adopted them, as well.

3. TIP THREE: REALIZE THAT WE’RE ALL CREATED DIFFERENTLY. This is what makes TV shows work! A diversified cast! Were there ever four more different people than Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel? Because of their differences, we knew there would be conflict. And because of the conflict, we knew it would be chaotic and funny.

4. TIP FOUR: MAKE A SMALL DEAL OF THINGS. You have a choice: Big deal, or small deal?

5. TIP FIVE: HUMOR IS CONTAGIOUS: USE IT TO DIFFUSE ROUGH SITUATIONS. Think of Everybody loves Raymond. Raymond’s brother Robert was an exaggerated character. His moodiness was definitely over-the-top. But it worked, especially in contrast to the silliness of some of the other characters.

6. TIP SIX: TAKE CARE OF YOUR TEMPLE. Nothing will kill your sense of humor quicker than not feeling well.

7. TIP SEVEN: MEMORIZE SOME GREAT QUOTES OR SCRIPTURES. Put them around your house. The Bible is loaded with all sorts of great scriptures about joy. Check out this verse: “‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.’ (Proverbs 17:22)

[clickToTweet tweet=”‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.’ (Proverbs 17:22)” quote=”‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.’ (Proverbs 17:22)”]

8. TIP EIGHT: WHAT WOULD JAY LENO DO? WHAT WOULD LUCY DO? WHAT WOULD CAROL BURNETT DO? When you’re in a rough situation and are tempted to react, think of your favorite light-hearted character or comedian and say, “What would so-and-so do?

9. TIP NINE: DO THE OPPOSITE THING. When you’re tempted to react (or over-react) say these words: Do the opposite thing. It will throw people off every time.

10. TIP TEN: LIVE IN THE MOMENT (FORGIVE THE SINS OF YESTERDAY, DON’T FRET ABOUT TOMORROW) No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. Philippians 3:13

ONE FOR THE ROAD: LET YOUR FAITH LEAD THE WAY: You can’t drum up what isn’t real.

About the Author:

Award-winning author Janice Thompson got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published over 100 books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children’s books and more. She particularly enjoys writing light-hearted, comedic tales because she enjoys making readers laugh. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. Her tagline, “Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters!” sums up her take on life.

Janice can be reached at:

Facebook: JaniceHannaThompson
Website: www.janiceathompson.com
Twitter: booksbyjanice
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31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 17 – Ashley Ousley

Hey y’all!

The last few months of my life have been eventful to say the least; I received a new caseload at work, we moved to a new office, a dear friend moved away, my brother married a precious girl, an impending move and foot surgery on the horizon, plus upcoming changes at work, and a family vacation I leave for this week. I’m exhausted just thinking about it 🙂

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with life, to get caught up in the stress, worry, and negativity. But if we make a conscious effort to take a moment to pause, I think we can all see the little blessings that each day brings to us. It’s so easy to be thankful to God for the big ways He moves in our lives, but He deserves our praise for the little things too. I am trying every day to stop, take a breath, and find joy in the little things.

A few of the little blessings I received recently…

-An unexpected phone call from a friend
-A surprise “thank you” gift that was not necessary, but oh so appreciated
-Kitty cat snuggles. (Need I say more?)
-A text from my new sister-in-law, reaffirming why she fits into our family so perfectly. I won’t share because I don’t want to embarrass her. Or my brother 🙂
-An absolutely perfect cup of peppermint hot chocolate
-And just this morning, an unprompted “I love you most” from one of my sweet Littles.

Life isn’t always beautiful. Or easy. But if you challenge yourself, even just for a few minutes, you’ll find that there’s a little bit of beauty in every day. God knows we need those little blessings, and He gives them to us often. You just have to look for them 🙂

“O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
1 Chronicles 16:34 NASB

About the Author:

Ashley Ousley is a small town girl living in the Oklahoma City metro. She works for the Department of Human Services as a Child Care Licensing Specialist, where she spends her days working to help the children and families of Oklahoma have access to safe child care programs.

In her downtime, she is cat mom to her sweet kitty Jack, and she is a country music enthusiast. She is active in her church where she has been teaching in the preschool department for eight years. She’s an occasional blogger at Ashley Lately, where she writes about navigating life in her thirties.

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31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 16 – Ashley Murray

‌Sacrifice of Praise

Have you heard of the old gospel song “We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise”?

We bring the sacrifice of praise
Into the house of the Lord.
We bring the sacrifice of praise
Into the house of the Lord.

And we offer up to You
The sacrifices of thanksgiving;
And we offer up to You
The sacrifices of joy

These lyrics remind me of singing and clapping joyfully in my church growing up. I was confused by the almost flippant singing of this hymn that stated “sacrifice.” What two opposites this brings together – “sacrifice” and “praise.”

When thinking of how to contemplate “thanksgiving” I was drawn back to this song. It comes from a verse in Hebrews chapter 13 verse 15 which says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” Let us unpack this verse together below.

“Through Jesus” – Let’s start there. It is through His strength and His knowledge that we can praise. Not working in our own strength or circumstances but instead having a power within us of faith and trust in Christ alone. If you do not know Him yet, know His power, He is inviting you to relationship with Him. If you do know Him, what is He asking you to for you to do “through” his name?

“Therefore, let us continually” – This word “continually” in the Greek comes from two words meaning “on account of” and “all.” Jesus is the underwriter on our account and gives us the energy for this continual work that we are required to give in this verse. As my pastor says “all means all, and that’s all, all means.” But in other words no one person, man, woman, nation is excluded – everyone can come and do what it is He is asking us to do.

“Offer to God” – We have something to offer, or bring, to an eternal, almighty being. This can excite and humble us as we think that there is anything that can be given to God. And what is it that we offer Him?

“A sacrifice of praise” – This is what we have to lift up before an almighty God – praise, or worship, is what we bring to the alter.

“The fruit of lips” – We have a gauge or a way to test what we are bringing in this offering to God. The fruit that we should see from our life is found in the final part of this verse.

“That openly profess his name” – A public declaration, an acknowledgement of Whose power we are working through, and an openness to say the name of Jesus. That is what fruit should come from our lives as we learn to praise Him.

Unpacking Hebrews 13:15 gives more of a context to what that old gospel song was proclaiming. This wording “sacrifice of praise” is personal to me in the culture that I live in.

My husband is an Army chaplain and we live in a military community. As a soldier, his body is property of the United States, he is required to deploy where they give orders to live and work, and there is an expectation of professionalism that is required of his actions and emotions. As a military family, my children and I have to allow for long absences of our soldier, move locations and leave friends when our assignment changes, and be prepared to complete many tasks on our own without the help of our service member. There certainly is sacrifice in the lifestyle we feel called to live, but it is through wonderful support of others who come alongside us that we find joy and can praise God through the exciting and stressful seasons of our ministry.

This military culture understands the word sacrifice. I would also say that the language of these soldiers and families is sacrifice. As a chaplain, my husband is able to come alongside and encourage families in this challenging environment for couples. Oftentimes breakthroughs in marriages come when the couple can begin to serve each other like they do the people around them. This service comes at a cost, as many memorials of names and flags can be seen across our country. However, the vast majority of our military and family members consider it a privilege and honor to serve. Our family always answers a person’s kind “thank you for your service” with “it’s our honor” because it truly is. It is a privilege to serve and I can find joy in releasing my husband for tours overseas in harms way because of the families we are helping by his leaving and because we know this is our calling as a family to proclaim Jesus to those hurting. When my daughter was younger I would tell her that it was daddy’s turn to go help so that another daddy or mommy could come home – they were taking turns so that they could see their families. This broader purpose brought empathy and connection with others that was a sacrifice of praise to those we were ministering to.

So, how about you? What acts of worship can you give our God in the everyday mundane and on the glorious platform (both of which God has given you to be faithful in)? Ultimately the view of Hebrews 13:15 is one of “a sacrifice of praise” in seeing God through our worship of Him, connected with fellow believers, and proclaiming the work of Christ to a dark world.

About the author:

Ashley Murray currently lives in DuPont, WA with her husband Jim and their three kids. She volunteers in various military ministries on Joint Base Lewis McChord and loves spending time with her husband and kids and serving the families that serve our country.

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31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 15 – Bethany Wester

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” – Psalm 136.1

Why is gratitude often elusive? Why do I find it all too easy to complain or wallow in self-pity? We all can find a reason to grumble or even defiantly refuse to be thankful, especially in difficult seasons. Disadvantaged childhoods, financial hardship, broken relationships, the death of a loved one, illness, broken dreams, war, poverty, natural disasters, corruption… We all suffer to varying degrees, and our afflictions can seem pointless. Gratitude can also escape me in the good times. I either focus on the minutiae, fussing about the areas where life isn’t perfect, or my pride gets the better of me and I think I’ve accomplished my pleasant circumstances on my own. In suffering or in plenty, the temptation is to look inward.

[clickToTweet tweet=”“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” – Psalm 136.1 ” quote=”“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” – Psalm 136.1 ” theme=”style1″]

Thankfulness is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. God’s people were and are to be a thankful people. The psalmists frequently issue a call to thanksgiving and declare decisively that they will give thanks. God even built a thanksgiving offering into the Old Testament sacrificial system. He insisted that his people give thanks where it was due. Even when their circumstances were less than ideal, they were to remember his goodness in the past and trust him to be faithful to his promises (Deuteronomy 5.15; Psalm 105).

Gratitude is volitional. It’s also a gift of grace. God calls us to give thanks to him, to look up from the brokenness and depravity around and in us and see the beauty of the One whose love is eternally constant. So Paul can encourage us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5.18).

Thankfulness in affliction helps me see God’s faithfulness in small things. It’s a tender mercy in a severe circumstance that moves my heart and mind beyond the temporal to the eternal to see my all-sufficient Savior who provides for every need.

Thankfulness in the mundane seasons of life humbles me and reminds me that I am not my own, again moving my vision from the temporal to the eternal. Complacency breeds ingratitude. I need to be grateful and remember that this world is not my home.

Ingratitude is easy because we and this world are imperfect, damaged by sin and suffering in the fallout, but God calls his people to remember what he has done and find hope in his promises of redemption and restoration. So, “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High” (Psalm 9.1-2).

About the Author:

Bethany Wester a life-long Floridian who enjoys deep conversation, good books, classic movies, traveling, and Florida State football. She is passionate about Jesus, learning the truth of God’s word beside other women, and caring for women and families involved in unplanned pregnancies. Today is her parents’ 46th wedding anniversary, and she’s indescribably thankful for them.

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31 Days of Thanksgiving- Day 14 – Scott Hamilton

Below is a post from Scott Hamilton.

Many of you know Scott as an Olympic gold medalist in figure skating. Scott has an amazing story and testimony, and I am honored to have him guest posting on the blog today. I hope his words encourage you as they have me.

Gratitude comes in all shapes and sizes. It can come in quiet moments of reflection, or it can come with a win from your favorite hockey team in the Stanley Cup Finals.

For me, gratitude is inspired by so many memories. Being adopted by two amazing parents and the expert coaching I was given when I first laced up my skates. Later it would be for the medals I was able to win and the tests I was able to pass on the ice. None bigger than an Olympic Gold Medal. Why me? I often ask.

How could it be that with all the obstacles in my way I was able to break through and make a life for myself and family doing something I loved to do. And then there were the tough times. Ironically, these are the times I am most grateful for. My childhood illness that kept me in and out of hospitals for four years stunting my growth and development. It was only when I started skating that my health started to improve. Since I had very little development, every muscle I grew was built to make me a better skater without any excess baggage. Losing my mother to cancer is something I wrestle with everyday. Through the devastation of mourning my mother, I had the only choice to become the person she wanted me to be.

Through broken relationships, I was able to grow in new directions and build a life I never could have dreamed of.

On the ice, I estimate that I fell 41,600 times. Through each and every one of those falls I learned and grew stronger. And each time I fell, I simply and naturally got up. Looking back, I learned very little from my victories, but am grateful for every one. It was the failures and defeats that I most grateful for. I learned the most from them. God saw me through each and every painful moment in my life. Jesus’s words, obedience, and resurrection have given me hope like nothing else. And the Holy Spirit guiding me toward a brighter tomorrow allows great comfort, knowing I’m not nearly as lost as I could be.

Each breath we take has God in it. Every moment we experience is a gift. Each day is an opportunity.

Each expression of love changes the world in ways we cannot imagine. My gratitude has no boundaries.

About the Author: The most recognized male figure skating star in the world, Scott Hamilton has won 70 titles, awards and honors including an Emmy Award nomination, induction into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame and a privileged member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

In 1984, Scott captured the attention of the world with his Olympic Gold medal performances in Saravejo and since has shared his love and enthusiasm for the sport as a analyst/commentator, performer, producer and best-selling author (Landing It, 1999; The Great Eight, 2009. His third book, Finish First: Winning Changes Everything, will be released in February 2018). He further inspires others as a speaker, humanitarian, and as a cancer and pituitary brain tumor survivor.

After losing his mother to cancer, then becoming survivor himself, Scott turned activist, launching the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation (Cancer Alliance for Research, Education and Survivorship. He founded several education and survivorship programs including Chemocare.com and the 4^th Angel Mentoring Program and events such as Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer and An Evening with Scott Hamilton & Friends galas fund research into treatments that kill the cancer and spare the patient.

He is also the founder of the Scott Hamilton Skating Academy at Ford Ice Center in Antioch, TN, where he may frequently be found coaching Learn to Skate students and sharing his love of skating.

In what little free time remains, Scott can be found on the golf course and enjoys spending time with his wife Tracie and four children – at their home outside Nashville, Tennessee.

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31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 13 – Jeanne Harrison

I used to picture “gratitude” kind of like a cheerleader. She was the bright-eyed emotion bouncing into the winning moments of my life:

“Hooray! Graduation at last—thank God!”
“Yes! A trip to the beach—I’m sooo grateful!”
“Oh thank goodness the baby is sleeping through the night!”

It wasn’t until the heartache of life began to line my eyes with wrinkles that I learned gratitude is no cheerleader. If she were, only the shallowest of people would celebrate her. But I’ve seen gratitude shining in the eyes of a mom who once buried her baby. I’ve heard gratitude flowing from the lips of a wife abandoned by her husband. I’ve watched gratitude showered over beautiful children born with devastating disabilities. And here on this blog, created by a woman battling the painful effects of cerebral palsy, I’ve discovered a stockpile of gratitude so vast it seeps out of every post.

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What is the secret to gratitude? For starters gratitude is a discipline, not an emotion. As believers we’re not called to feel gratitude so much as fight for it. “Give thanks in all circumstances,” Paul commands, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5:18). If gratitude was a person, I imagine she wouldn’t be a cheerleader; she’d be a Crossfitter. You know those crazy people who train their bodies to defy human limitations? They endure agony in order to become beautifully strong. Truly grateful people train their hearts to defy worldly values—like popularity and appearance, comfort and materialism. They train their eyes to see God in the midst of suffering. To find grace in brokenness and promise beneath pain. In so doing, they become beautifully strong.

How do we undertake this kind of training? How do we discipline our hearts and minds to choose gratitude? We must look heavenward. You see, gratitude isn’t hiding in bulging bank accounts or romance-novel worthy relationships. Gratitude is the overflow of an eternal perspective. “Look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen,” Paul urges. “For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). In other words, earthly circumstances are fleeting. Beach vacations end. Marriages fail. Doctors deliver difficult news. But the promises of Jesus last forever! They are a firm foundation, and the only soil fertile enough to grow gratitude in the midst of sorrow.

You know that trial in your life—the one that’s always on the back of your mind? Just for a moment, imagine cutting it out of the fabric of your daily life and pasting it into eternity. How can it harm you for eternity? Can it separate you from the unbreakable love of Jesus? Can it follow you into the next trillion years spent in His presence? Is it bigger than the God who spoke galaxies into existence? Is it beyond His ability to redeem?

By no means! As Paul would say, “this light momentary affliction is preparing for [you] an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). As believers we must view our momentary trials in light of eternity. We must view the stuff that will vanish in light of the stuff that will be ours forever. And then, like Peter (and so many of my deeply grateful friends) our hearts will begin to cry:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (I Peter 1:3-4).

Let me tell you, this post was not written by a spiritual (or physical) Crossfitter. It was written by a weary Mom who’s prone to anxiety. A wife who’s quick to complain, and a Christian accustomed to failure. But that’s the beauty of gratitude. We don’t have to “feel it” to choose it. We don’t have to be “good at it” to cultivate it. Gratitude can be grown. It can be grown in sunny seasons, and it can be grown out of the deepest trials of our lives.

Praise God! Gratitude is ours for the taking.

About the Author:

Jeanne Harrison grew up as a missionary kid in the Philippines for the first fifteen years of her life. Today she is a regular blogger for Revive Our Hearts, and the author of Loving My Lot: A Young Mom’s Journey to Contentment and Hiding in the Hallway: Anchoring Yourself as an MK. Jeanne lives in Macon, Georgia, where her husband, Clint, serves as the Executive Pastor at a local church. Together they have four wild and wonderful daughters, ages 1, 3, 6 and 8.

31 Days of Thanksgiving, Articles

31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 12 – Robert J. Morgan

According to Amazon, the most highlighted verse in their e-versions of the Bible is Philippians 4:6 – the Bible’s great anti-anxiety verse. Do you know it? It says: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God.

Actually, no, that’s not what it says. I left out two words. Let’s try it again: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

The verse sounds reasonable either way, but the addition of “with thanksgiving,” adds a dimension that melts away worry like winter’s ice on a sunny day. No matter our crisis or concern, there are always notable items for which we can be thankful, and finding them is critical to worrying less and living more.

In any given situation, whether trivial or horrendous, there are always observable items we can discover and acknowledge with thanksgiving. If we don’t find those items, focus on them, and thank God for them, we cannot overcome anxiety. Gratitude is to worry what antibiotics are to an infection. The old practice of “counting our blessings” is an effective modern treatment for what’s ailing the mind. Giving thanks is essential to mental health.

The great Bible teacher, Harry Ironside, said, “We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.”

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In simplest terms, that means you can instantly lessen the level of your anxiety by finding something for which to immediately thank God. If something triggers an anxious episode, we have to pull ourselves together and say, “As bad as this seems, it’s not as bad as it could be. In fact, here are some things I can thank God for in the middle of this mess.”
This is classic Christianity, but something interesting has happened in recent times in the secular world. An entire science of gratitude has arisen, as legions of experts are discovering the psychological power of gratitude. Most of these modern scholars aren’t coming at it from a distinctively Christian point of view, but they’re nonetheless discovering how a biblical attitude – thanksgiving – has a profound effect on the human spirit.

Dr. Robert Emmons, an influential scholar in this area, wrote: “Our groundbreaking research has shown that grateful people experience higher levels of positive emotions such as joy, enthusiasm, love, happiness and optimism, and that the practice of gratitude as a discipline protects a person from the destructive impulses of envy, resentment, greed, and bitterness.”
The ability to say, “Thank You, Lord,” is among the most wonderful things about being a follower of Jesus Christ. What a tragedy if we fail to do so.

For several years I’ve followed a habit I learned from the writings of hymnist Frances Havergal. I keep a thanksgiving list alongside my prayer list. It’s in a small loose-leaf journal, and every morning before I present my requests to God, I think of one or two or three items from the past 24 hours for which to thank Him. I jot them down and offer them to the Lord in praise.
I hope you’ll develop your own version of this habit, for it will help you bury worry before worry buries you. The Bible says: 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 transcends all understanding, shall guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.

About the Author:

Robert J. Morgan is the teaching pastor of The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has served for 35 years. He is a best-selling and Gold-Medallion winning writer with more than 35 books in print and more than 4 million copies in circulation in multiple languages. He is a writer for Dr. David Jeremiah and Turning Points Magazine, and has many articles published in other leading Christian periodicals. He is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post. Rob has appeared on numerous national television and radio shows.

31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 22 – Kristin Weber

31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 21 – Angela Hoover

31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 19 – Joy Mason

31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 18 – Janice Thompson

31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 17 – Ashley Ousley

31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 16 – Ashley Murray

31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 15 – Bethany Wester

31 Days of Thanksgiving- Day 14 – Scott Hamilton

31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 13 – Jeanne Harrison

31 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 12 – Robert J. Morgan

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