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7 Bible Verses About Giving Thanks in All Circumstances
Another grey sky greeted us this morning. I went to the window and watched the raindrops cling to the spruce needles like tiny, translucent pearls. I was almost tempted to grumble about the rain until I looked at the rolling fields beyond the yard. Dressed in their springtime garments of young green life, the fields seemed to sing a hopeful song beneath the dripping sky. Immediately, I saw the rainy day through a different lens. Instead of complaining, I gave thanks for the promise of springtime, warmer days, and wildflowers. I was lost in my reverie when, suddenly, our 9-year-old growled loudly from his bed and awoke his little brother.…
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How to be Grateful in Hard Times and Challenging Situations
We’re a half-mile from the truck when the sky opens wide and soaks us with silver beads the size of marbles. Hair matted beneath their bike helmets, the oldest two look at me with shining eyes and declare it the best bike ride of their lives. And to think, I hadn’t seen it that way whatsoever. My kids never fail to teach me how to be grateful in hard times and challenging moments. Obviously, getting stuck in a summer rain shower isn’t the kind of situation that turns a life upside down. There are far worse circumstances. However, our afternoon at the bike path was a gentle reminder for me.…
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When Enjoying Motherhood Doesn’t Come Easily
Morning dawns with humidity hanging thick and heavy like a rain-soaked curtain. I’m tired after thunderstorms kept the youngest awake in the night, and I don’t want to face this day. These are the days when enjoying motherhood doesn’t come easily. I arise from bed, and in the first moments of the day, nothing goes smoothly. Children argue over who gets to pick the TV show, complain about my choice of cereal, and grumble about why the milk tastes funny. I don’t dare tell them that we ran out, and I pulled the emergency rations of dehydrated milk from the tin in the cupboard. Lord, help us all. It’s not…
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How to Give Thanks to God in Tough Times
Not long ago, I went through a difficult time. I met with a mentor and asked her how to give thanks to God when life is tough, and she offered the following suggestions. I pray these insights help you cultivate gratitude in even the darkest seasons. They certainly helped lift my head. How to Give Thanks to God in Tough Times 1. Every day, thank God for his goodness. You might not feel grateful today. As you look around the room where you’re sitting right now, perhaps you can’t find a single reason to give thanks. The Lord has an invitation for you: Stop looking at what is temporal and lift…
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God Gives Good Gifts to His Children
I sit by the window as God infuses the sky with light, and I begin the day in my usual way. I begin naming the gifts. God gives good gifts to his children in plenty; however, I’m often too busy to pause and give thanks. God Gives Good Gifts to His Children This morning, I’m using a prayer guide to keep my wandering mind from straying too far. The author suggests asking ourselves what we are most grateful for and relishing the gift that comes to mind. He writes: “If I am most grateful for my sister, for example, I place her lovely face before my mind’s eye. I see…
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How to Show Gratitude to God More Often
After the coffee brews, the final drops patter into the pot like rain filling a bucket or thoughts collecting in the secret place. Our days have been full here lately, and I’m desperate for some space to let my soul breathe. I utter a quiet prayer for insight on how to show gratitude to God and close my eyes as thunder echoes in the distance. We all face seasons when life feels overwhelming. We want to give thanks in all circumstances, but it’s not so easy when life doesn’t work out according to our plans. It’s easy to get caught up in all that’s wrong in our lives and forget…
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3 Reasons to Create Space to See the Big Picture in Your Life
It’s a quiet Wednesday evening, and I return home with a truckload of groceries to find an empty house. After stowing the food in the cupboards, I slip to the deck and discover my family playing in the backyard. They are laughing, wrestling, and chasing the beagles across the wilted wildflower fields. Standing on the deck unnoticed feels like a rare invitation to step back and truly see the big picture of my life from afar. I’m sure other moms can relate: Somehow, the kids are surprisingly cuter when you watch them from afar, removed from disciplinarian responsibilities, and momentarily free from the demands of meeting everyone’s varied needs. This…
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3 Unconventional Ways to Worship God While You Work
You are completely exhausted as you drive home after a long day of living out your calling. You know there are four loads of laundry waiting to be folded. The floors are filthy, and dinner waits to be cooked. You’d give just about anything to lie on the couch in front of the TV instead of diving into the work. The last thing on your mind is construing ways to worship God in the middle of your work. Perhaps the idea of worshiping while you work feels like a pursuit reserved for women who don’t have full schedules – or kids. I feel you. I see you. I’m standing with…
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Start Your Day Happy With This 20-Second Routine
The alarm sounds, and it’s been less than an hour since I last laid eyes upon the digital numbers. In fact, I believe I saw these red glowing numbers every hour throughout the past night. What do you do when the idea of learning to start your day happy feels entirely unrealistic? I hear a little voice outside the bedroom door. In the room next to me, tiny legs kick hard against the crib mattress as the youngest considers whether or not to cry for more milk. I pray he returns to sleep. How to Start Your Day Happy I’m praying for little Aiden to return to sleep when a…
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3 Ways to Cultivate Joy when You’re Struggling in Life
It had been the longest winter of my life – the winter of counting down the weeks, the days, and the hours until my health returned. I spent it mostly staring at the dead landscape out the sliding glass door – beige earth folded under ribbons of grey sky that felt dismal and bleak. I’d been trying to cultivate joy by looking to the future, but the discouragement of my illness was like a black cloud blurring my view. You might not be stuck on the couch with a long stretch of illness, but I imagine you have your own brand of discouragement lingering low. Discouraging seasons take all shapes…