Tag: thankful

thankful.

thankful.

by Kathleen Moulton

Not feeling much like being thankful? When everything around you is painful, being thankful is not in your mind.

And even if you think about being thankful, the fact is you don’t want to be.

And a picture of a sunset or snowflake or flower won’t do a thing for you. Not when you’re feeling some deep loss or despair.

Feel the pain. It’s okay.

But lift your tear stained face off  that pillow for a minute and breathe. You see the now. But there is a tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. Don’t let the sorrow consume you to the point of not wanting to live.  Just as quickly as that pain stormed down the door and pounced on you – it can leave just as quickly.

The Psalms are full of the heart cries of sorrow. Yet, in the end, the psalmist concludes his pain is bigger than him to handle. The solution for the pain he cannot contain is turning toward God and saying – yet I will trust in You.

There is something to be thankful for. Something.

Abraham Lincoln gave a proclamation to the American people during the Civil War.  Despite a time of severe sorrow and loss, he led the country in establishing our national holiday on the last Thursday of November, and called it Thanksgiving.

What? How can this be?

This wasn’t a war fought in a foreign country. It was right under the noses of the American people. The battlefields could not be ignored. They were stained with human flesh and blood from the slaughtered sons and fathers who never came home. Surely, our nation’s cries of angst echoed in the heavens up to God’s ears. And it took someone such as President Lincoln, who spent many private moments grappling in his own personal darkness, to lead the nation to do the right thing. The thing that makes no sense. But the thing that would bring relief, comfort, and peace for an aching heart.

Thanksgiving.

Finding something to be thankful for is not avoiding or ignoring the pain. It is the secret to getting through the pain and seeing your inability to handle it alone. It is the secret to knowing the God you’ve heard about.

Being thankful won’t make the pain go away. But it will help you through it.

Abraham Lincoln must have known that.

Grace1918photographEnstrom

the power of being thankful.

the power of being thankful.

by Kathleen Moulton

There is real power in being thankful.

We know how to exercise our body to improve balance, tone, flexibility, strength, and over all health.

Did you know there is an exercise for our minds? If you feed it with dwelling on your situation, it is the same as not reasonably taking care of your physical body.

When I become overwhelmed with discouragement, everything looks grim. But when I pause and think about the beauty in the midst of sorrow, it lifts me out of despair. When I choose to give someone more benefit than doubt, I am a happier person.

That’s because I have not allowed that situation access to destroying me. Being thankful for the good that has come my way gives me a better outlook on life.

This isn’t “positive thinking”. It is a deeper, genuine, heart-felt moment of gratefulness.

Our emotions have a purpose, but we can’t live with them being the sole navigator of our thoughts. God gave us emotions (he has them, too) but he also gave us the ability to think reasonably.

You might have good reason to be angry. Set it aside for 1 minute. Let your thoughts go to what you are thankful for.

Dealing with tragedies do take longer. There is horrific, destructive pain out there. No one who loses a loved one is comforted by thinking (or being told) “at least you had them for a time”. No. You want them back and that’s all you feel.

It’s okay. God is not in a hurry. And what I have found is he brings small moments of brightness to your life when you aren’t expecting it. Gently and softly he touches your wounded heart with tender care. People often do not do this for us so don’t be upset. Some people expect more from Christians. It’s understandable because we expect compassion, care, and essentially, love.  It is what it is. Don’t let people define how God does things.

You can conquer the reality of your situation through how you think.

Practice being thankful and watch what happens.

ndbutter / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
ndbutter / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
be strong.

be strong.

by Kathleen Moulton

Strength is a choice.

How we view life makes a difference. What is your outlook?

Good things happen. Bad things happen.

When we are truly thankful for the good, it helps us manage the bad.

live-strong-1_l

There really is something to counting your blessings.

Try it today and feel the difference!

~~~

Photo credit: sfxeric / Foter / CC BY

thankful.

thankful.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 1 Comment

I was thinking about the time during my formative years when I didn’t have a good foundation.  Many times I felt like a lost soul.

But I did have structure.

We know a building is only as good as its foundation. But there’s something to be said for a tent.

The tent is a structure that can provide protection. The structure I did have in my life was to be accepted for what it was and to be thankful.

tent

Whether your house is a mansion or modest farm house, the results are the same. You have a place to go.  There is food, water, and heat.

Humans are more resilient than we think. We can really make it on very little. We have expectations that aren’t necessary for survival. I know what you’re thinking. Who wants to merely survive?

If you can make life better, do it!  But if you can’t, accept it and find the good in it.

Everyone’s life is different for many reasons. Some things you have control over. Some things you do not.

Being thankful for what you do have will give you joy. Joy is being content with what you have. It is not dependent upon circumstances. It’s a constant, steady glow that doesn’t burn too hot or too cold.  Joy gives you the proper outlook on life. It opens your heart to seeing life at all angles.

It would be later in life when I would have a good foundation. But I am thankful for the structure I had which gave me something to be thankful for.

A 3 course meal or bread and water….both satisfy hunger and thirst.

~~~

Photo Credit: Kristofer Williams / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

thankful.

thankful.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

Sometimesstorm-over-the-fenceline-1_l life is stormy.

Some people get angry at God because they say he lets bad things happen.

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But what about the good things God lets happen? Are we thankful?

There is evil in the world. But there is also good.

So when things are really bad, remember that God gives us good, too.

~~~

Photo credit:  ecstaticist / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

blmiers2 / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

grateful.

grateful.

by Kathleen Moulton

I have found myself smiling – even in moments of despair. Where could this possibly come from? I say God.

Being grateful is so opposite of how you’re feeling. But when you choose to think about the good that’s happened in the bad and being thankful, something good happens inside of you.

“Tell a friend or loved one a story about something for which you are grateful.

Don’t be surprised to find yourself smiling by the end of that story.”

-Rabbi Brad Hirschfield

 

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~~~

good things happen, too.

good things happen, too.

by Kathleen Moulton

Sometimes, our life gets stormy.

Some people get angry at God because they say he lets bad things happen.

But what about the good things God lets happen? Are we thankful?

There is evil in the world. But there is also good.

So when things are really bad, remember that God gives us good, too.

Photo credit: ART LEWIS

Photo credit: blmiers2

give.

give.

by Kathleen Moulton

8. We All Have Something to Give

No matter how difficult our circumstances may be, we can all offer support to those around us. Whether it’s a penny, a dollar, or much more, the act of giving always makes us feel as if we have more than we thought we had.

-Rabbi Brad Hirschfield

These 8 tips are not meant to diminish the pain we feel in life.

But I can tell you one thing that I know to be true: when you look to God for all you need, you will not be disappointed. He has all things in His hands. Only God offers peace and even joy when life brings us great sorrow. And only when you know Him in that way, can you trust Him – and be thankful.

celebrate.

celebrate.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 3 Comments

3. There’s Always More to Be Grateful For

Consider the difference between wealth and value. While material wealth is important, it is not the only source of real value in our lives. We can all celebrate value, even when the material wealth in our lives is taking a beating.

-Rabbi Brad Hirschfield

thankful.

thankful.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

It’s a challenge to think about being thankful when you’re facing difficult times. I know first-hand what it’s like to not have enough money to pay the bills, to shop with $40 for the week and have to decide between cheese and bread or eggs and bread.

I used to hate the optimistic quip “when life gives you lemons make lemonade!” It seemed too easy. Too pat. Too happy.

But now, I get it. It is reckoning with the fact we live in a broken world where lots of bad things happen. But lots of good things happen, too. When we think too much about our difficulty, we become consumed with it.

Choosing to think about the good things isn’t positive thinking. It’s coming to terms with what is true and choosing to find what is good and happy in your life – and being thankful.

Rabbi Brad Hirschfield gives us “8 Ways to Stay Thankful in Hard Times” – we’ll look at 1 each day.

1. Find What You’re Grateful For

      

The real uncertainty we face about our economic future can make us quite fearful and sad. Locating those things for which we can still be grateful, brings joy even in the face of those challenges without pretending they are not real.

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