{"id":144,"date":"2021-11-22T18:00:04","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T18:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/?p=144"},"modified":"2021-12-13T04:37:26","modified_gmt":"2021-12-13T04:37:26","slug":"thanksgiving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/?p=144","title":{"rendered":"Thanksgiving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Monday, November 22, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This past year has been incredibly difficult for many people: Sickness, death, loss of jobs and security, conflicts in the family, political unrest and confusion, and more. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many are finding it difficult to even be thankful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The definition of thankful:<\/strong> \u201cis someone feeling or showing appreciation or gratitude. When you are pleased and grateful for what you have, this is an example of a time when you are thankful<\/strong>.\u201d The definition of gratitude:<\/strong> \u201cis the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.\u201d In other words, to say, \u201cthank you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Max Lucado describes it: \u201cA grateful heart sees each day as a gift. Thankful people focus less on what they lack and more on the privileges they have.\u201d <\/strong>He goes on to say: \u201cThe grateful heart is like a magnet sweeping over the day, collecting reasons for gratitude. A zillion diamonds sparkle against the velvet of your sky every night. Thank you, God<\/em>. A miracle of muscles enables your eyes to read these words and your brain to process them. Thank you, God<\/em>. Your lungs inhale and exhale eleven thousand liters of air every day. Your heart will beat about three billion times in your lifetime. Your brain is a veritable electric generator of power. Thank you, God<\/em>. For the jam on our toast and the milk on our cereal. For the blanket that calms us and the joke that delights us and the warm sun that reminds us of God\u2019s love. For the thousands of planes that did not crash today. For the men who didn\u2019t cheat on their wives, and the wives who didn\u2019t turn from their men, and the kids who, in spite of unspeakable pressure to dishonor their parents, decided not to do so. Thank you, Lord<\/em>.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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As you can see, there are so many things we can be grateful for that we take for granted each day. One exercise I like to do from time to time\u2026 I need to do it more often\u2026 is to go through the alphabet and tell God something I am grateful for which starts with each letter. Each time, the list will be different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Did you know Gratitude can get us through the difficult times? Max Lucado goes on to say: \u201cTo reflect on your blessings is to rehearse God\u2019s accomplishments. To rehearse God\u2019s accomplishments is to discover his heart. To discover his heart is to discover not just good gifts but the Good Giver. Gratitude always leaves us looking at God and away from dread. It does to anxiety what the morning sun does to valley mist. It burns it up.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I struggled years with depression but it wasn\u2019t medication which got me out of it. It was gratitude. Someone suggested I take time before bed and write down 5 things for which I was thankful for that day. Yes, it was really hard at first. But soon I was making longer and longer lists. To this day I still, though not faithfully every night, thank God for 5 or more things from the day. Ephesians 5:20 says, \u201cGive thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> Did you notice it says FOR EVERYTHING! Yes, even the most difficult things.  Someone else said: \u201cA general attitude of thanksgiving in both the trials and blessings of life distinguishes the Christian.\u201d What do you need to give thanks for today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfulness is a prominent Bible Theme. Here are just a few examples I would challenge you to spend time dwelling on this week:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Thess 5:16-18: \u201c<\/em><\/strong>Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 136:1: <\/strong>\u201cGive thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Job 1:21: \u201cAnd he said, \u201cNaked I came from my mother\u2019s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 Corin 2:14: \u201cBut thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hebrews 12:28: \u201c<\/em><\/strong>Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Peter 1:6-7: \u201cIn this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith\u2014more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire\u2014may be found to result in praise and glory and honor.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James 1:17: \u201cEvery good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ephesians 1:3: \u201c<\/em><\/strong>Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Psalms are full of praise and giving thanks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let us be people who are so very grateful this Thanksgiving Season. Gratitude is a choice. What are you going to choose? Gratitude or gloom?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GRATITUDE<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gratitude
Heartfelt
Gut level
Sincere<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gratitude
Overwhelming
Exuberant
Overflowing<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gratitude
An attitude
Unhampered
By circumstances<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gratitude
A result
Of my expanding love
For my God<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abba Father<\/em>
I give my
Steadfast gratitude
To You!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Mari Dekle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Happy Thanksgiving! Mari<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Monday, November 22, 2021 This past year has been incredibly difficult for many people: Sickness, death, loss of jobs and security, conflicts in the family, political unrest and confusion, and more. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many are finding it difficult to even be thankful. The definition of thankful: \u201cis someone feeling or showing appreciation or… Continue reading Thanksgiving<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=144"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":198,"href":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions\/198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mari.dekle.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}