Remembering to have a heart full of gratitude is so important.  But during our busy and stressful schedule, sometimes that can be difficult.  Setting aside time to be grateful can be as important as setting aside time to exercise each week .

Thankful Thursdays is a great time to simply remember to be thankful. Devoting a day to be thankful, grateful and appreciative is a perfect solution to getting more in touch with the Lord and what He is doing in your life.  We have so much to be thankful for, just look around you and you will agree.

Simply choose to be grateful throughout the entire day.  It is a bit easer said than done, but it can be done.  In Colossians 3: 25 it say, “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule your hearts.”  For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.   And always be thankful.  Give God thanks for all He is doing in your life. When you begin to complain, choose something positive and thankful to say instead.  It is a great way to stop being negative, to stop complaining or to stop being indifferent.  Rejoice and celebrate your life and what God has done and is doing for you.

You can choose any day of the week. I just chose Thursday and of course I try to include Sunday’s. In the Power Prayer Girls Handbook I share about Thankful Thursdays because it is a great way give prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord. Prayers of Thanksgiving turn our hearts from asking God for things to thanking Him for things. Again in  Colossians 4:2 we are reminded to “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”

Now, I am just like you.  This is a work in progress and I too am working on this.  But here is a real life example on how to make Thankful Thursdays work in real life.

Today’s Thankful Thursday – every one of the Sons of Thunder dragged out of bed. There were no happy hearts, just grumbling and mumbling.  Everyone is ready for Friday, including me.

The Sons can’t find shoes, backpacks, etcetera and they begin to fight over who will be in the front seat.  REALLY?  Must we? We jumped in the car. And the bickering continues.   The oldest Son is not happy to be in the back seat, one because he is the oldest Son and the oldest always assumes the rightful ownership to the front seat passenger side because he is the first-born. At least that’s how he sees it.  And then he complains about being carsick.

The following tips will help you find the best spegeneric viagra online t near you. The long hours of persistence of this drug and read about other effective drugs such as kamagra, generic cialis online, cialis etc. Due to this issue, men cannot continue normal conjugal life and experience lots of cheap levitra on line personal problems. It boosts semen load and helps to enjoy intimate moments sildenafil online pharmacy with their females. Oh joy!  And he was to bring breakfast bars for his brothers, but manages to only bring one for himself. It appears it  is every man for himself and the life lesson emerges like a billowing cloud of smoke right before my eyes.

I wave goodbye to Winters and begin Thankful Thursdays by thanking God I have a car to drive and three healthy Sons that can speak even if they are bickering.  I thank God that we have money for breakfast bars and I am simply thankful.

Life Lesson – breakfast bars and do unto others.  I remind the Sons that Jesus said it is more about others than self.  It is not about only me and what I need and I want.  What about “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” We need to be thinking about other people’s needs too, not just what I need.

The Oldest Son gives a list of reasons why he forgot the breakfast bars and I assure  him it is alright.  My life lesson ends.  But
I close with reminding  them to think of others more than themselves …

A minute goes by and the eldest Son, who thinks he is in the  deepest darkest part of Africa because he’s in the back seat of Winters’ tiny car, sends over a peace offering to his bothers.  He offers up a bite of his breakfast bar.  Aah, a lesson learned.

Learning to be thankful, grateful, appreciative and even giving is a gift. A life filled with a heart of gratitude is a life filled with joy!

Be blessed and encouraged abundantly on this Thankful Thursday!