Thankful Thursdays: You Are Beautiful

Have you ever looked in the mirror in the morning and thought something like this?

Oh, man. It's going to be one of those days. 

Or maybe, it was more like something like this:

One day, I'll be beautiful.

I have news for you. You already are.

You are beautiful in God's sight.

Psalm 139:14 says, "I will praise thee; for I am beautifully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

On this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful that God is the Creator. Even on those days when you don't feel very beautiful, you are beautiful in His sight. You can always praise God for the way He made you. The world doesn't define beauty the way that God does. It's not about how skinny you are, how smooth your skin is, or how perfect your hair looks. God knew exactly what He was doing when He made you; He loves you just the way you are.

I'm so thankful that God is the Sovereign Creator.

Thankful Saturday

Since I missed thankful Thursday this week, I'm having a thankful Saturday!

This Saturday, I'm thankful for my family. I was able to take a weekend trip home, and tonight we are celebrating Thanksgiving. The tables are set. Everyone will be here soon. I'm so blessed! 

With all the craziness that goes on for planning a meal, it's easy to forget to be thankful for just the time that you have with the people you love. There may be frustrations with cooking, cleaning, and little kids, but that's ok. Because in the end, it's not the food that matters. It's not whether or not your house is clean. It's not even a matter of if the kids are going to behave! 

It's all about being thankful for whomever and whatever God has placed in your life. It could be the best circumstances possible; it could be the worst circumstances ever. But we still ought to be thankful. I'm so thankful for this time with my family. 

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 
1 Thessalonians 5:18 

3 Things to be Thankful For

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In everything give thanks." Everything. Sometimes it's hard to narrow it down to just one thing that I'm thankful for. So, I decided to go with a little more general of a list this week. Here are 3 things that we should always remember to thank God for:

1. What God has done in your life.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the present that we don't even remember what God has done for us in the past. Do you remember any times that you have really seen God work? Did you know that God is the same now as He was at that time? Think back just over the last week. Where have you seen God work in your life? If you haven't seen anything, you may want to step back and reexamine your perspective. We know that God is always there, and He is always working. Be thankful for what He has done!

2. What God will do in your life.

God promises his children blessings when they follow Him. We don't know where God will lead us down the road. If we did know, we might be scared and never follow God's plan. But He always has a purpose, and He is always good. You may not be able to see God working right at this moment, but He has something awesome planned for you! It may not be anything huge like it is in your mind. It could just be those little everyday blessings. Take time to relish what God will do in your future.

3. What God hasn't done and won't do.

Have you ever had something happen that didn't go the way you planned? Maybe you even pitched a temper tantrum in your heart. Oftentimes, we ask for things, and God just says, "No." We don't understand why at that moment, but God sees fit not to give it to us. Later down the road, you will often see why God didn't give you whatever you were desiring. His plan is so much greater than ours! Aren't you glad that we have a God who can see the bigger picture? He knows exactly what we need, and He only does what is good for us. 

On this Thankful Thursday, remember to give thanks in everything. You'll see a changed perspective on your life when you do!

Thankful Thursday

This summer at camp the counselors would have meetings each morning. In our meetings, Thursday became known as "Thankful Thursday." We would go around and each say something that we are thankful for. What better way to start out one of the hardest days of the week?

You know how Thursdays can be. You've been going hard and strong all week. You're tired. Is it Friday yet? No. You just want a break. What better time is there to be thankful?

So, for the first Thankful Thursday on my blog, I'm thankful for time. Time is one of the greatest gifts. It's what allows us to get things accomplished, to invest in other people, to create memories. It guides us throughout the whole day. 

Sometimes, it's easy to get frustrated with time. It seems like there's never enough! But God gives us exactly the time that we need. He's the one who created it! Isn't it great to know that He is in control? We don't have to worry about the amount of time we've been given because we really don't know. We just have to use wisely what God has give us. I'm so thankful for the time God has given me today.