Thursday, November 20, 2008

Thankful Thursday

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 
I Chronicles 16:34

We hear so much around this time of year about being thankful and counting our blessings. But, what about the rest of the year? 

And how do we teach our children to have a heart that is filled with gratitude?

First, and foremost, we moms must model to our children what we want from them. They need to see us regularly acknowledging the things we are thankful for. It needs to become a way of life to us. 

Here are a few things I thought of just off the top of my head that we can do in our daily lives to teach them by example:

-At dinner or bedtime each night have each person tell about one thing they are thankful for. 
-Always thank people when they have done you a service. Whether it’s your server at a restaurant or the clerk in the checkout line, let people know you appreciate what they have done for you, even if it is a job they are getting paid to do.

I figured a Thankful Thursday post each week is a good way to help us all to be thinking about the things we have to be thankful for.

Here are just a few of the things I'm thankful for today:

1. Salvation ~ The fact that Jesus died on the cross for ME is something I am still amazed by. John 3:16
2. My husband ~ He truly is my hero.
3. My children and grandchildren ~ That they live within minutes of me and like to spend time with me.
4. My church ~ I am so thankful for my church for so many reasons I don't even know where to begin. So I'll just go with the two things that have been on my heart this week. First, I am so thankful for the amazing team of leaders in our Children's ministry department. I had the privilege of joining them for a bit on Sunday night during Super Sunday night service and I'm still thinking about it. I so appreciate the heart each of them have for children. They have a gift at not just doing church, but bringing kids into the presence of Jesus. Jeremy and Debbie, Melissa, Jason and so many others, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! And second, I am also thankful that the people that make up this church are some of the most generous, giving people I know. Even in slow economic times. Because of that generosity, we got to put together 250 Thanksgiving food boxes to hand out at church Sunday. 
5. The Internet ~ Without it there would be no blogging.
6. Nate Scott and Flying Rhino ~ Thank you so much for the amazing blog header and everything else you guys do to serve the body of Christ.

Your turn. What are you thankful for today?

3 comments:

Susan said...

Ruth,
I am so sorry. I don't know how I did it, but apparently I accidentally rejected your comment when I thought I was accepting it. I appreciate your comments, so if you want, please resubmit it. Again, I am sooooo sorry. I promise to be more careful in the future. :)Susan

Ruth said...

I appreciate Susan posting this reminder to be thankful (even if she did delete my first comment :-) ) I woke up this morning determined to be more thankful and more appreciative of what I have!
I am so thankful for my husband. He has been my rock through some tough times!
I am so thankful for the beautiful, healthy children God has given me. I am even thankful for the challenges they present in my life because it makes me realize I can do this on my own.
I am so thankful for my church and the strong leadership - from the moment we walked in to CBC as wounded, hurting people we have felt at home and have healed.
Most of all I am thankful that I serve a Living and All Powerful and forgiving God

Pregnancy Prayer said...

On a spiritual side, today, I am thankful for God's Word. I needed some stability in my thoughts and emotions. I am so thankful I can open His book and I can trust everything in it. It never waivers and will stand the test of time.

On a practical side, I am thankful for kleenix...whoever invented those was in the will of God! I'd be a mess with out them!