How Can I Give Thanks?

No, this isn’t a Thanksgiving post. And yes, this is a thanksgiving post! Some time ago, I did an exercise in brevity as a prompt from a writers’ group. Using only six words, one of mine went like this… Got troubles? Got heartaches? Get God! On the same day as the prompt, one of my devotional books used the Scripture Philippians 4:6 for its basis, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (NKJV) Do we really think about and obey this verse? With all the stress …

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When Thanksgiving Isn’t Happy

    Happy won’t describe everyone’s Thanksgiving this year. Empty chairs at the table and broken hearts and lives will be the reality for many.   Life isn’t always as festive as a Thanksgiving Day Parade with family, fun and floats. Especially when you’re head-long in the middle of a painful place.   Perhaps this year you’ve lost a loved one. Maybe your mom, your dad, your spouse or even your child. Perhaps you’ve just received some sort of life-altering, heart-breaking news that has rocked your world and left you completely confused. Maybe you’ve gone through a divorce, lost your job, …

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grateful kids

Four words you need to know to raise grateful kids

Every year words are removed from the dictionary for lack of relevance. It’s not surprising to see words like “cassette player” fade from modern vernacular. Still, the words we use have a lot of potential in our efforts to grow grateful kids. Certain words have staying power in a mom’s vocabulary.   To grow gratitude in the hearts of our kids, we have to grab hold of four words and cultivate them in our conversations.    No Children who always hear “yes” at home will anticipate “yes” from the world. Receiving a “no” isn’t only realistic, it’s routine. Daily life …

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A Mother’s Heart…A Thanksgiving Prayer

I love watching old programs and movies. I wish programs today were more like the ones in the ’50s and ’60s. Much more receptive to Christian values. It was a given that people went to church. Although the name of Jesus is omitted from the end of this Thanksgiving prayer, I still love it. I offer to you… Jim Anderson, the imitable father of Father Knows Best prayed this prayer one year at the end of the Thanksgiving episode… “Oh, Lord, we give Thee thanks from the depths of our humble hearts, for all the blessings Thou hast seen fit …

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‘Twas the Tuesday before Thanksgiving

…and all through the house, all the creatures went shopping, except for this mouse. So I sat and I listened to sounds of quiet cheer, and thanked God again for joy soon here. I’m supposed to be cleaning, but before I begin–I wanted to write this thankful note for both kith and kin. Those near and those far, I never forget–each face, through my memory, some I have never met. I stop for a moment and bend my knee, giving thanks for they’ve given so abundantly to me. A smile, a kind word or prayer and a gift–letting the dross …

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Caught on Camera!

    Albums that chronicle my little family’s life fill the study in our home. Recently, I was pouring over those photos to pick just the right ones to include in a family DVD.  Special memories were triggered by the  moments captured by the camera.   Of course the obligatory birthday party pictures happen to be  included in the Kodak collection. Looking over those pictures gave me a warm, happy feeling…until I came across the infamous  four-year-old birthday party. There were at least a dozen pictures of this event. One of the twelve was a moment I had almost  forgotten; a picture …

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10 Ways to Teach Your Kids to Be Thankful During Thanksgiving

I can’t tell you how many times my sweet friend used to say, “Why aren’t my kids thankful?”  Perhaps it’s because THANKFULNESS doesn’t come naturally and children who don’t suffer lack have a hard time understanding the concept of thankfulness.  When our sons were young, we looked for ways to instill a thankful heart and compassion for others. We discovered that when we teach kids to give, they are more aware of the needs of others. And when they are more aware of the needs of others, they are more likely to grasp the concept of thankfulness. Today’s ideas give …

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When You Don’t Feel Thankful

Last November, exactly one week before Thanksgiving, my husband and I experienced our fourth miscarriage. That was after months of fertility testing and thinking that this time was going to be different than the previous three pregnancies. Needless to say, I wasn’t very thankful on Thanksgiving.  All I wanted was to hold the baby that was now out of my reach.  I knew I had a lot to be thankful for, but I couldn’t seem to focus on these things. Instead of focusing on the things God had given me, I focused on what had been taken from me. On …

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A Mother’s Heart…Heart Murmurs

Heart murmurs… * are extra heart sounds caused by turbulent blood flow, sufficient enough to produce an audible noise, ranging from very faint to very loud. * are due to functions and activities of life or of living matter (physiologic conditions) outside the heart. * are a treatable and preventable condition. If not serious, medication will improve the condition. If more serious, surgery may be in order. But what if it is spiritual rather than physical? What then are those heart sounds, from faint to loud, due to conditions outside the heart? Israel had this heart problem. What was it? …

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