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How to Cultivate a Spirit of Gratitude in Your Life

December 4, 2018 By Mrs. Mom Leave a Comment

Gratitude is a personal quality. It’s also a condition of the heart. While many may desire to have a thankful heart, it can be difficult to walk and live this way for more than a few days. This is why it’s important to learn how to cultivate a spirit of gratitude in your life.

The Bible presents gratitude as a gateway to blessing, a way to keep oneself in line with God through humility, and a posture to walk in daily as a daughter of the King of kings.

It helps us to focus on the things of God and to take our focus outside of ourselves. This thankfulness transforms our thinking, surroundings, and lives.

The benefits of gratitude

“Gratitude helps us see our own situation in a way that can lessen panic and open our thinking to new solutions.” ~unstuck.com

Gratitude can make you more resilient, more optimistic, and kinder. It helps you achieve your goals, makes you healthier, and helps you sleep better.

In the midst of suffering or hardship, gratitude changes your perspective and helps you to make it through.

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~1 Thessalonians 5:18

Thankfulness in all things causes your heart to be strengthened and encouraged. Still we must be honest, you don’t just wake up thankful. You have to take steps to have a spirit of gratitude in your life.

Things to do to cultivate a spirit of gratitude

Everyday you have an opportunity to establish an environment around you that affects your inward disposition. As you advance throughout your day, your inward perspective will affect your outward experience. This is why it’s important to cultivate your space. You get to determine what your life will be like by the choices you make.

You can cultivate a spirit of gratitude by doing the following:

Keep a gratitude journal

On a regular basis, you should be logging what you are thankful for. Take a few minutes everyday to list at least 3 things. This journal is a place to house your thoughts and feelings, but it can also serve as a log to reflect on later. There may be times when you need to remind yourself of your previous blessings, and this will help you in those moments.

Say thank you

This seems minute, but trust me, it’s not.

You may not realize it, but we often forget to say thank you for the little things, and this hurts us. It causes our hearts to develop a sense of entitlement in a bad way.

When you say thank you continually, you begin to realize how much is given to you from outside of yourself. You’ll also begin to realize how much people care for you and what God has blessed you with.

Start this practice by saying thank you to God for waking you up in the morning. Before your feet hit the ground, you grab your phone, or even hug your husband, say thank you to our Heavenly Father for his gift of life-giving breath and another day.

Start your prayers with thankfulness

When you go to God in prayer, remember to thank Him for all He has done. This will immediately change the disposition of your heart and allow you to be more open to hearing His voice. Take sometime to be in that space of gratitude toward the Lord for a moment. This pleases Him greatly and benefits you as well. Don’t you love being in conversations with people who show appreciation for you? God looks forward to talking with us all of the time, but can you imagine how it makes His heart smile to hear you say thank you for what He has already done for you?

Don’t complain

This is a hard one that we all struggle with, but it’s something that we must each practice. Complaining generates a disgust within us that makes us angry and bitter. It makes it hard for us to see anything good because we are focused on the negative and ourselves.

When we complain, we are not simply speaking on our dissatisfaction, but turning our hearts toward unthankfulness. You’re not thankful for what you’re complaining about. Staying in this place effects you, your environment, your relationships, and your health.

You have to be able to speak on what’s wrong, what could be better, and what bothers you. Once it is stated, move out of that space and check your heart. Figure out a way to give thanks to God in the middle of your situation.

Make a commitment

There are other ways to cultivate a spirit of gratitude, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. It can be hard to do these things in this day and age. Our society and culture do not encourage gratitude, so starting small is important.

Make a commitment today that you will live and walk in the spirit of gratitude.

When will you start your gratitude journal?

How can you work on not complaining?

If you need help with these things, send me an email, post a comment, and/or purchase my 5 day Gratitude Devotional and Journal.

Make time to position your heart and direct your thoughts, so that your spirit can flourish in a healthy environment.

Are you going to push and praise your way through?

November 21, 2018 By Mrs. Mom Leave a Comment

Ultimate success is fulfilling the purpose of God, for your life. This doesn’t come easy. You cry through it, pray through it, and want to quit through it. Yet, everyday that you wake up, you have to make a choice. Are you going to do it all over again? Are you going to do what God told you to do? Are you going to answer the call and will you praise Him in the midst of it? Are you willing to push and praise?

Admitting the problem

You don’t come to a place of having what you want because it fell in your lap. For every good marriage, there were hundreds of hours spent toiling, fighting within, and praying for change to come. For ever healthy life, there were months and years of mistakes and unhealthy habits. For ever goal achieved, there were times of learning what not to do, so that the “what to do” was engrained on the heart of the achieved.

I know these things from experience. When you want to be successful in life, you worry, but then at some point you realize that worrying isn’t going to get you anywhere, so you seek to do something else.

As children of God, we have to look to Him for our answer and, as we have seen before, He has a word for every situation that we find ourselves in.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 4:6-7

Don’t worry! But what do you do when you are full of worry? You are worried about your house, your finances, your marriage, your personal success, your friendships…so full of worry. And all of this worrying is making you anxious.

Realizing the solution

You have to be willing to do what the Word of God says. You open up your mouth or stop for a moment and commit to action.

You have to say to yourself and to God

“I am not going to be anxious. I am bringing myself to a place of calm. I am going to tell God what is causing me to stress and I’m going to ask Him for what I need. Lord, I need somethings from you and I know that you will come through for me. I believe and trust you, but where there is doubt, help my unbelief. Father, I thank you that you are doing all of the things that you told me you would do. You said in your word that whatever things I ask for in prayer, believing, I will receive. I am asking you for these things now and I know that you are going to give me peace that surpasses all understanding. Guard my heart and mind through Christ Jesus. In Jesus’ name. ~Amen”

You have to push

You cannot quit!

You must not give up!

No matter how you are feeling.

You must know without a shadow of doubt that whatever God has called you to do, He will also equip and accompany you to do.

You must push your way through this and every situation in front of you.

You must get in the word of God and reinforce the words that He spoke to your heart from the beginning. Get to a place where you know that you know that God has called you to this place of pushing to the high mark that He called you to.

While you push, praise.

You have to praise

Put on the playlist. If you don’t know what to play, go on YouTube and pick your favorite biblical song. From there, the app will do the rest, playing songs that are like it. Allow the Holy Spirit to encourage and be with you through this process.

Tell your heart to be glad. Find the beauty and the joy in the midst of the situation. Don’t allow yourself to get in a slum. Yes, cry, if you must, but then be done with it. Give it to God and praise your way through, knowing that He is faithful and He is with you.

He is with you

For everyday that you wake up, He has something for you to do. For every breath that you breathe, there is a task for you to accomplish. For every moment that He graces you with, He is with you spurring you on to accomplish the thing that He has placed in your heart.

So, dream big for your marriage. Have high hopes for your children. Determine that the dreams and visions that He has placed in you, will come to pass because you are going to allow the Lord to work in you and through you, to see them accomplished.

Make a decision, everyday not to give up, so that have the strength to push and praise.

If you are struggling with seeing things in a positive light and need a little push from the outside, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter. You will receive encouragement, right where you are.

If you need to take a few days to refocus, so that your heart can get right, then go ahead and purchase the 5 Days of Gratitude Devotional and Journal. You’ll be encouraged through the Word of God to refocus and live life with a thankful heart.

Understanding Gratitude and the Power It Can Have in Your Life

November 20, 2018 By Mrs. Mom Leave a Comment

Everyday that you wake up, you are given the same opportunity as millions of people across the world. You start off with the same number of hours, the same breath of life, and the same ability to decide how you will see the world around you.

So, what is the difference between a person that sees the world as dark and grim, and the one that sees it as a beautiful place where the colors are a bit faded today?

The difference is perspective

I believe that the difference is perspective. Our perspectives are the way by which we see the world, but it is also the lens that is colored by the environment cultivated within us. In other words, what happens in our hearts, determines the perspective that we view the world from.

Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

~Proverbs 4:23 NKJV

Be careful how you think, your life is shaped by your thoughts. ~Proverbs 4:23 GNT

If you struggle with forgiveness and bitterness, your perspective will always be of one on guard because the world, through this lens, cannot be trusted. If you have struggled with rejection, guilt, or depression, the world will seem mean and unkind because you will feel that you have nothing to be thankful for. You will feel like an outcast in the world and your inner perspective will determine your outlook, actions, motivations, and even, the direction of your relationship.

But what happens if you have a heart of gratitude, where you are constantly on the lookout for things to be thankful for?

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. ~Luke 6:45

Well, like everyone else, you will always have 24 hours in a day, but when spent with a thankful heart, you live loved and optimistic.

I’m sure that you’ve heard the saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I know that we apply this statement to many things, but you can take the same concept and apply it to the condition of your heart. If you look at your life and situation hard enough you can find something to be thankful for. I’d also like to point out that the opposite is also true.

Understanding Gratitude

When you turn your heart from unthankful to grateful, you are expressing gratitude.

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful. It is a readiness to show appreciation and to return kindness.

Now why would you want to be grateful. Well, gratitude involves being appreciative for the things that God and other people have done for you. It causes you to look outside of yourself for goodness, and it makes you feel good in the process. This process occurs because possessing a grateful heart helps you to realize that the goodness you see is beneficial to you, which causes you to feel loved.

“The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I feel good.”

Thinking like this keeps your mind upbeat, joyful, and optimistic. Positive thoughts breed positive emotions, actions, and interactions. When you feel good, life seems good. When this is true, no matter what happens, you can find the good and this is the way that you want to live your life.

The power gratitude can have your life

Gratitude causes you to feel like you are important to someone, cared about, and loved. You begin to feel like you matter. You see people as good and your perspective of life is blessed.

When you see this, you will even begin to bless God for the way that He has cared for you.

Research shows that gratitude has the power to make you resilient, more optimistic, and kinder. It helps you achieve your goals, feel more hopeful, makes you healthier, and can help you sleep better.

Gratitude makes the difference

If each person starts their day with the same ability to make a choice which effects their day, situation, and life, wouldn’t you want to choose the perspective that blesses you the most? If your answer is yes, then choose gratitude. It really makes the difference.

If you have trouble focusing on the positive, go to the scripture.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. ~Psalm 34:1-2

Scripture helps us to focus on what God says and it gives us a new perspective, when ours is out of whack.

Make gratitude a goal by focusing on the things of God to take your thoughts outside of yourself. Begin to thank God for all that He has done for you, ever, in your whole entire life. Sometimes that’s what it takes to make your heart grateful. It may require you to look back over your life and remember where you have been to see where you are and bless the Lord. Your act of thankfulness will transform your thinking, surroundings, relationships, and your life.

Today, I encourage you to think about the effects that gratitude can have on your life. Make a decision to have a grateful heart, so that you life can always be in an upward spiral.

Get focused

I also want to encourage you to take sometime to focus your thoughts and heart. That’s why I’ve written the 5 Days of Gratitude Devotional and Journal. It gives you the opportunity to focus your thoughts, emotions, and actions on being thankful. Get your copy today, it costs $7 and is packed with such great information. It blessed me to write it and I know that it will bless you to interact with it. I want to tell you that while it is a 5 day devotional, it is 44 pages of devotion that will send you on a biblical journey of checking your heart and your perspective, so don’t wait. Get your printable e-book copy of 5 Days of Gratitude Devotional and Journal today, by clicking on the image below.

How to Use Your Mouth to Frame Your Thoughts and Your Day

November 6, 2018 By Mrs. Mom Leave a Comment

Have you ever woken up and found that you were in a weird mood? You don’t know why, but your attitude is a little bit off. You can’t even put your finger on it, but you now have somethings on your mind that are making you feel some sorta way. These feelings are starting to make you wonder if you are going to have a good day or not.

I want to stop you right there and say that we all have mornings like this. Now whether that turns into a bad day or not, is up to each person.

As things begin to happen, you will have to get frame your thoughts. We normally try to figure out whether or not it is going to be a good day or a bad day based upon circumstances, but you and I have to be willing to take a step forward and do something that will effect everything.

We must take control over our thoughts and emotions, using our mouths.

When we feel this way, the Holy Spirit, who is our Helper, will always say something that we must respond to, if we want things change. He will speak words of encouragement or even the word of God.

One time, I remember struggling in the morning to get going. My emotions were all over the place and I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. It seemed like everything was going wrong and getting on my nerves. Then as I stood in the bathroom, brushing my teeth, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart “bless the Lord O my soul.” This immediately triggered me to stop for a second and think on the scripture and the Psalmist’s experience in the Bible.

Let me say that the Lord doesn’t always speak to me in this way, but the more word you and I put in us, the more word He will use to speak to our hearts and direct us.

I continued getting dressed and took my children to school, all the while contemplating the word that was spoken to my heart.

Let’s take a look at Psalm 103

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
The Lordis merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
But the mercy of the Lordis from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.

Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
Youministers of His, who do His pleasure.
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

David used his mouth to fame his thoughts and to get himself, his soul, in line.

This is what we have to do. We have to remind ourselves of God’s goodness and command our soul to bless the Lord. With this we take charge over our experience. We frame our minds and our day by what we are saying.

If you think of a frame, no matter what type of picture you put in the fame, it is going to be perceived by it’s frame. You could have a children’s popsicle frame or an expensive decorative, each one give you a certain perspective, when you look at the picture.

This all matters. By framing your day with your words, using the word of God, you can change your perspective and situation.

So, do as David did.

Speak to yourself commanding, yourself to bless the Lord and to remember all of His great works. Don’t forget the benefits of being a child of the King of Kings.
Remember how the Lord worked in the past because that is His track record. He never changes. What He did for someone else, He can also do for you.
Find the beauty in the world. Slow down for a moment. Look around you and notice how all of creation has chosen to bless and worship the Lord.
Go back and reaffirm to yourself that you should be blessing the Lord with your mouth, heart, and life. You need to be reminded sometimes. Tell yourself to do it and then actually do it.

Keep this up and watch what happens within you and around you. God has given you the power and authority to change what could have been a bad day, into a good day.

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How to Cultivate a Spirit of Gratitude in Your Life

The benefits of gratitude