Attitude of Gratitude

By Kathy Carlton Willis –

Thanksgiving Day, as celebrated in the United States, is today. What a great way to kick off the holiday season leading up to Christmas! One of the greatest reasons of all to give thanks is because we have the gift of Christ from our Heavenly Father. God’s unconditional love allowed Him to give up what He held most dear, His perfect Son, to provide a way of salvation for His created humanity. What better timing then, for Thanksgiving and Christmas to go hand in hand.

When we think about it, we must admit, we are so blessed. Even families enduring great hardships can find something for which to be thankful. In fact, it is an attitude of gratitude which will transform a downcast spirit into a countenance radiating joy. Others may not even realize the trials you are enduring because your shoulders are not weighted down and there’s still a spring in your step. Happiness depends on happenings, but joy comes when we focus on all the reasons we have to be grateful.

I know at least two families who read their calendars wrong and celebrated Thanksgiving last week. At first, I laughed at their silly mistake. But then I couldn’t help but realize there is nothing wrong with wanting to hurry up Thanksgiving. In fact, it is one holiday that could change our world, if each of us would have an attitude of gratitude all year long.

Just think what a transformation would take place if we were all thankful. Thankful for our salvation, we’d tell others about Christ. They would become thankful for the gift and have their own spiritual birthday. Thankful for God’s provision, we would share our provisions with those in need. Thankful for friendships, we would get along better with others. Appreciating our families more, we would spend more time together. Grateful for our jobs, we would become the best employees possible.

Can you see how developing an attitude of gratitude could transform our world? It wouldn’t just become a positive place to live. It would become a Christ-filled world.

AUTHOR QUOTE: May this Thanksgiving Day start your own gratitude revival!

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7 TLT).

Today’s devotional is by Kathy Carlton Willis, Christ-servant, wife to Russ, editor, publicist, certified CLASSeminars speaker and faculty member. Kathy Carlton Willis Communications encompasses her many passions. Kathy’s tagline captures her essence—Light & Lively: His Reflection/Her Laughter. Schedule Kathy for a speaking event or contact her firm for promotional assistance. KCWC gets jazzed shining the light on God’s writers and speakers.

Praying the Small Stuff

By Carin LeRoy –

I remember as a little girl that my Mom would pray about all the trivial things in life. Like, “Lord, can you help me find a parking spot?” Sure enough, we’d find the perfect place. Or, “Lord, can you help me find my keys?” Growing up, I used to think it strange that my mother would pray about such things, and even thought it was silly. I thought we could figure those things out without bothering God. But as I grew older I realized that God does care about even the smallest concern, and He loves for us to involve Him in our lives.

For my daughter’s wedding a few years ago, I needed to find yards and yards of material to decorate the reception. Being on a tight budget, I decided to look in Wal-Mart at their discounted fabrics. Praying hard, I walked over to the $1.00 per yard table. Sure enough, there were several bolts of a white material and the perfect color for her table centerpieces and runners for the buffet table. I walked out of the store spending less than $50 for everything I’d bought. Her wedding reception was beautifully decorated with all the inexpensive material. I don’t doubt that God helped me find exactly what I needed for the price I could afford.

I believe God loves to orchestrate things for us. Imagine my surprise and delight when I found exactly what I needed. I also believe that God was smiling when He had answered my prayer and made my day. I am reminded of the verse that says, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are attentive to their cry” (Psalms 34:15 NIV). God hears our prayers no matter what our concern might be. I believe He loves to answer them. It’s another one of the ways that He shows His power and love for us.

Do you think to pray about the little things in your life? Let’s remember to ask God even about the small stuff. God would love to surprise you with an answer!

PRAYER: Father, thank You that You are concerned about small things going on in my life. Keep me mindful that You love to surprise me with answers to my prayers. Help me to include You more in my daily life and concerns.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him” (I John 5:14,15 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Carin LeRoy, wife to Dale, mother of three grown children and one high school teenager. She has served as a missionary with PIONEERS since 1982. Her passions are family, playing and teaching piano, missions, and writing stories that show glimpses of God.

Let’s Talk Turkey!

By Kathi Macias –

It’s November, and I want to talk turkey. Trust me. I know a lot about the dirty birds. I’ve spent my life dreaming of soaring with the eagles, but…well, you get the picture. In fact, something tells me I’m not the only one who’s spent more time with turkeys than with eagles, am I right? Unfortunately, in my family, the chances of breaking out of that worm-pecking, bug-eating flock on the ground to join that majestic bunch in the sky are just about zero and none.

Let me explain. My late father (who was never late for anything in his life!) lived by the adage that there was “a place for everything, and everything in its place”; the “early bird catches the worm”; and “if it’s worth doing at all, it’s worth doing right.” On top of that, he was German! And since I was the firstborn (and the only girl), I caught the brunt of his “how to become self-disciplined and accept responsibility” lessons. I learned them well.

Now, as a so-called grown-up, if I don’t arrive absolutely everywhere at least fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, I think I’m late. If something goes wrong within five miles of me, it has to be my fault. If it happened beyond that five-mile limit, it was also my fault because if I’d been there, it might not have happened at all.

You get the picture: overly responsible type-A firstborn, devastated when I receive a 98 percent score on a test because all I can see are the two I missed, volunteering for everything and striving to succeed—yet never quite making the grade in my own eyes.

Why does that make me a turkey? It doesn’t. But it keeps me from soaring with the eagles because I’m always looking down at the ground, hunting and pecking to see if I’ve missed a bug or a worm, or if the dirt needs raking or the sidewalk needs sweeping. As a result, I miss a whole lot of the soaring that’s going on over my head.

My two younger brothers, on the other hand, have always been just the opposite. Bob, the typical middle child, was oblivious to such things as dirt or worms or bugs because he felt no responsibility whatsoever to clean them up. After all, he already had me to do it for him! And Jerry, the baby? Puh-leeze! All he had to do was whimper, and we all came to his rescue!

Most people think firstborns are the ones who come out on top—the eagles, so to speak. Shows how much they know! Reminds me of the cartoon of the man walking his dog. The canine is having a great time, while the owner walks obediently beside him, carrying a scooper and a little plastic bag. In the thought balloon for the dog it says, “And he thinks he’s in charge!”

Firstborns are a lot like that. We think we’re in charge. We think we’re responsible. We think we’ve got it all together, but we also think it’s all our fault—everything! We can never just relax and go with the flow—which sometimes turns out to be an updraft that carries all who are willing on eagles’ wings, far above the everyday drudgery of turkey-type living. While everyone else is soaring and swooping overhead, we’re missing out because we’re still trying to clean up and fix the mess below.

I love and appreciate all that my disciplined father taught me, traits that enabled me to be a hard worker and a respected citizen. But sometimes we turkeys need to stop trying so hard and just look up—way up!—and maybe catch a whoosh of Holy Spirit wind and let God carry us for a while. I’ve heard the view up there is something else!

And with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’d like a slightly different perspective than that of a turkey, wouldn’t you?

Kathi Macias (www.kathimacias.com; http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com) is an occasional radio host (www.blogtalkradio.com/communicatethevision) and award-winning author of more than 30 books, including the popular Extreme Devotion series from new Hope Publishers and Valeria’s Cross from Abingdon Press. She and her husband, Al, live in Southern California where they spend their spare time riding Al’s Harley—hence, Kathi’s “road name” of Easy Writer!

Thanksliving

By Kathy Carlton Willis –

No, it’s not a typo! Rather than celebrating Thanksgiving once a year, let’s show our gratitude by Thanksliving. Thanksgiving can be a reminder for Christians to daily count our many blessings. As the old song goes, do we really name them one by one? If I were to journal my blessings, I could not find a book large enough to contain the list.

Our Lord enjoys our praises. Psalm 92:1 (KJV) says, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.” God inhabits praise, meaning He is in the midst of praise. How often do we just take Him for granted?

My pastor shared a quote from Shakespeare that says, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth is an ungrateful child.” He compared the serpent to the devil and the ungrateful child to God’s children who neglect to thank and praise their Heavenly Father. This really hits home. American children have been accused of developing a sense of entitlement. They believe they have a right to receive certain things regardless of whether they act responsibly or show appreciation. Perhaps we, as God’s children, are also guilty of feeling entitled to His blessings. Thankfully, He loves us in spite of our shortcomings. When we realize it is because of who He is, rather than who we are, we can come to Him just as we are and thank Him for the many showers of blessings.

AUTHOR QUOTE: So, this Thanksgiving, I’m going to work more on living a life of thankfulness. Then, I will be ThanksLIVING.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17 KJV).

Today’s devotional is by Kathy Carlton Willis, Christ-servant, wife to Russ, editor, publicist, certified CLASSeminars speaker and faculty member. Kathy Carlton Willis Communications encompasses her many passions. Kathy’s tagline captures her essence—Light & Lively: His Reflection/Her Laughter. Schedule Kathy for a speaking event or contact her firm for promotional assistance. KCWC gets jazzed shining the light on God’s writers and speakers.

An Amazing Grace

By Marty Norman –

Who says nothing is impossible for our God! Recently I attended the wedding of an 84-year-old woman and a 91-year-old man. It was a miracle!

Both were the parents of two friends which made it even more of an honor to participate. Their story is an amazing grace, one of hope, redemption, renewal and love. What I learned from this experience is twofold: never underestimate the promises of God and never doubt the power that heals. After hearing their story you too will agree that for Jesus, all things are possible.

This, then, is their story.

Claire, 84, had been divorced for more years than she could count. Four children and an unhappy marriage, she became a career and small business woman until her retirement. Moving from home to apartment to retirement center, she was no different than many seniors as her health and hope declined. Soon after her move, she fell, was hospitalized and went downhill rapidly. Almost dying twice, she weakened to the point that she could no longer walk and was confined to a wheelchair. Dementia, as often does, crept in.

My friend, a strong believer, did not give up. Through prayer and God’s grace, she lovingly ministered to her mom and loved her as Christ loves his people. Slowly Claire began to come back. She started attending a weekly prayer group as well as a weekly Bible study. Painfully she began to walk again. A friend prayed over her prophesying that “the best was yet to come -her best years were ahead of her.” You could have fooled me by the looks of things. That kind of shows the condition of my faith.

Brad’s story was the exact opposite. A retired Army Colonel with three married daughters and numerous grandchildren he was happily married for over 60 years. He was the sole caretaker of his beloved wife, who was in ill health for many years.  After she died, he was active, bright, quick, with a great sense of humor and continued to drive and live alone, although the loneliness was overwhelming. Everyone was worried that the loneliness would get the best of him. His daughter, my friend, began to drop by to visit him in the evenings. Her loving presence allowed him to open up as never before. But he needed more. Who could have guessed what the Lord had prepared, but then we know that with the Lord, all things are possible.

One day, my two friends got together to discuss the loneliness of their parents. Since both were huge history buffs, an idea formed to take them to lunch and introduce them to one another. It was love at first sight.

An amazing transformation occurred.

Acting like teenagers, they began to date, going out to eat, laughing, joking, holding hands and talking for hours. They never seemed to run out of conversation. Five months later they tied the knot.

What an awesome experience. The wedding party consisted of her daughter and his grandson who stood with them at the altar.  Attendants were over 16 great grandchildren with numerous children, grandchildren, in-law and friends in attendance. A picture of them holding hands with the caption “We love you, Bow Bow and Dadaw!” graced the program.

It was a perfect day.

The church overflowed as many came to celebrate their joy. Handsomely decked out in their finest, they both were radiant. They stood, and sometimes sat, at the altar like teenagers. Her two sons gave her away, and her son and daughter-in-law officiated. His great grandsons did the Scripture readings. The highlight of the ceremony was an operatic recording made in 1942 by her mother, which provided the music and a teary moment for all. Truly I tell you it was a day made in heaven.

So now when people ask, I tell them nothing is impossible with our God and I share Claire and Brad’s story—the perfect witness to an amazing grace.

Marty Norman is a wife, mother, and grandmother of five, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas.  She is the author of Generation G – Advice for Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray. You can learn more about her at:   www.martynorman.com, http://martynorman.blogspot.com, http://savvygrandmothers.blogspot.com.

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