Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Does God really expect me to be joyful, prayerful, and thankful in everything?

• What about when my head is pounding and feels like it will explode at any moment, do I need to be joyful?

• I just lost all my files or an important document I was working on. Do I need to be thankful?

• My family is going through a major crisis. How can I be joyful?

There will be trials and problems in life. Since Adam and Eve’s sin, we face circumstances we don’t like. God does not say we must like everything coming our way. He does want us to learn, grow, be a testimony through each and every thing we do.

Don’t go around downcast and grumpy about what is happening to you. It does not help you and it brings others down. Look and be thankful for the good points in life.

When your head is pounding, about ready to explode, and you have a mile long to do list, start thanking God for the blessings you have enjoyed throughout your life. There are many people facing the same problem or worse. Don’t be pulled down. Be joyful for what you have.

Pray continually. God does not expect you to sit and pray all day, everyday. He does want you to have a prayer on your heart and mind. As things come to your mind, pray for them with thanksgiving. Praise God as you give Him your request. Make praying as natural as breathing. Work at making prayer a regular part of your day.

How can I be thankful for losing my files or important document?

Think of it this way. How can I not be thankful, when I have blessed abundantly. Earthly things are important, but do not compare with spiritual blessings. Use your problems as opportunities to be a testimony. Don’t waste time being upset and aggravated over things you can’t change. Put your time and energy into what will matter for eternity.

My family is in crisis. How can I be joyful, when life feels like it is falling apart?

“God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

God will not allow more on you than you can handle. He is there to give you help and strength. You can be joyful by going to God for your joy. The joy of the Lord is my strength.

“Nehemiah said,… Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

Look for the positive things in life.

Be thankful and praise God continually.

Share the joy of the Lord through your positive response to life’s problems.

You are blessed!

God has blessed you abundantly in many ways.

Are you breathing? Did you have food to eat today? Are you reading or listening to someone read this? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then you are blessed.

Life can be hard. You may be facing a trial, short on money, disappointed in others, or going through another hardship. There are difficulties because we live in a sinful world. Even during hard times, you receive blessings from God.

Blessings come in many forms. Sometimes blessings are so small they can easily be missed, but bring life altering help. Other blessings may be dropped in your lap and leave you in awe of how God works.

Blessings are all around you! God wants you to praise and thank Him for the blessings He has given. Start praising God by recognizing the blessings in your life.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Psalm 150:6 (NIV)

Here are 3 fun ways to count your blessings.

1. Start a Blessings Journal: Record the ways you are blessed.

Each evening, individually or as a family, write the blessings you received during the day in a journal. Younger children can draw pictures of how they were blessed. Have a time of thanksgiving and praise to God for these blessings. Occasionally go back and look through your journal. You will see the many ways God has blessed your life.

Praise Him for his acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness.

Psalm 150:2 (NIV)

2. Make a blessings jar: Count your blessings and bring inspiration to your day.

Get your blessings jar prepared by finding or decorating a special jar. Cut slips of paper and keep them near the jar with a pen or pencil. Hold the jar and thank God for the blessings He will bring your way. Put the jar in an accessible location.

Throughout the day, write down blessings and put them in the jar when you pass by. Thank God for each blessings as you put it into the jar. When you feel down or discouraged by life, take out the blessings and read them.

As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more.

Psalm 71:14 (NIV)

3. Take a walk: Look around and count your blessings.

Go for a walk. As you walk, look around. Praise God for His nature. Look at the leaves on the trees. Thank God for how He made the trees not only beautiful, but useful for life. Give Him praise for what He has made and how it is a blessing to you.

All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to You, they sing the praises of Your name.”

Psalm 66:4 (NIV)

Count your blessings, each and every day and praise God for them!

I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Psalm 146:2 (NIV)

There are big and small blessings. Needs and wants met, protection, and more are given freely by God. Yet how often do we forget to praise and thank Him for His blessings and answers to prayer?

In this tea time video I am sharing my thoughts from Psalm 107:28-32. Watch and let God speak to your heart. What does He want to hear you tell Him?

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,and he brought them out of their distress.

He stilled the storm to a whisper;the waves of the sea were hushed.

They were glad when it grew calm,and he guided them to their desired haven.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.

Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.

Psalm 107:28-32 (NIV)

What do you need to thank God for today?

Thank you for joining me for tea time! Are you looking for a way to make your own tea time special? We love our Floral Teapot with “Flowers appear on the earth, the season of singing has come. SONG OF SONGS 2:12 NIV” written on it. This teapot helps us to keep our thoughts centered on Christ.

Are you spiritually thirsty?

Do you need the Lord to refresh and strengthen you?

1. Pray

Tell God about your thirst.

“O God, thou [art] my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is” Psalm 63:1 (KJV)

Ask God to quench your thirst. Thank Him for providing living water.

2. Evaluate what caused your thirst.

Some common causes of spiritual thirst are lack of time in God’s word and prayer, over-scheduling your life, stress, and problems. What is making you thirsty?

3. Determine what God wants you to do.

Pray and seek God’s guidance. Do you need to cut out activities, relax more, start reading God’s word and praying regularly, or weed out something else that is causing the thirst?

“You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.” Psalm 10:17 (NIV)

Water can be placed in front of you, but it is your choice if you choose to drink it and be refreshed or leave it to be wasted.

4. Drink from the source of the overflowing fountain of living water.

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 (NIV)

Prayer and Bible reading are not the only ways to be refreshed in the Lord. After you have made time for those, find refreshment in other ways.

Here are a few ways you can start quenching your thirst right away.

Fill your mind

Devotional and inspirational books fill your mind with good things and help push out the negative thirst suckers. If you are on the go, listen to an audio version.

Listen to praise music

Listening to uplifting praise music allows God to flow through you and help your cup overflow.

Help those in need and encourage others

By reaching out to others you can get your mind off from your problems and help someone else.

Rejoice in the Lord

Be thankful and praise God for what He has done for you.

“Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” Psalm 63:7 (KJV)

Quench your thirst and be spiritually refreshed TODAY!

Find more help and encouragement for quenching your spiritual thirst here.

Making a blessing tree gives you the opportunity to share blessings. Make an impression on children and influence them to be a blessing to others.

Count Your Blessings Craft and Activity

Supplies:

Construction paper, a marker, and finger paints.

Directions:

1. Draw a simple tree outline on construction paper.
2. Let children paint leaves on the tree with finger paints.
3. As the paint is drying, have the children tell you things that have and things they enjoy and like doing.
4. Explain that all we have is from God. God blesses us. The things that we have and do are blessings. Psalm 100:4 – “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.”
5. Write or have them write on their picture the blessings that they have. Remind them about all the things that they said they have and enjoyed doing.
6. Have children think of ways that they can be a blessing to others.

Thanksgiving is not the only day of the year that we should count our blessings. Everyday of the year we should count our blessing and praise God.

Count your blessings Today!

We have many things that we can praise God for. All that we have is from God. He is the giver of everything. Even during troubles, trails, and discouragements there is always something that we can praise God for.

In life there are many obstacles that can easily discourage us. We can look to God for help and give him praise for what we have. Giving praise to God will help us to focus on what is good rather than what is trying to discourage us.

God wants us to praise him continually. Have a spirit of thanksgiving. Let this verse be a guide to you.

Psalms 34:1 says “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (KJV)

How can you praise God?

Through Song

Praise can be made by singing,  playing, or listening to music that uplifts the name of the Lord and turns your focus to the attributes and greatness of God.

James 5:13 “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” (KJV)

Psalm 7:17 “I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.” (KJV)

Reading Psalms

The book of Psalms in the Bible is an excellent way to read writings of praise. As you read let your heart rejoice. Pick a verse of praise and blessing to share with someone today.

Psalm 34:3 “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” (KJV)

By Praying

Pray for others. Thank God for the ways he has helped and provided for you. Ask God for opportunities and ways to help and uplift others. The apostle Paul was an encourager and knew the value of prayer and praise. He wrote Ephesians 1:16 to the saints at Ephesus.

Ephesians 1:16 “Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.” (KJV)

Encourage Others

Share verses of blessing or words of how God has blessed with others. Encourage them to look at the blessings God has so richly given.

2 Samuel 22:50 “Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.” (KJV)

Isaiah 63:7 “I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.” (KJV)

Listen to:

Ways To Praise God

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/audioPop.jsp?episodeId=296082&cmd=apop

Candy Corn

In the fall of the year this is a popular treat. What does candy corn have to do with the blessings of God? Each letter of candy corn has an important meaning.

Count

All your blessing!

Never

Doubt

Year-round that

Christ Jesus

Offers

Rest in His

Never ending love.

C– Count

Count your blessings! The Hymn “Count Your Blessings” says “Count your many blessings-name them one by one; Count your many blessings– see what God hath done.” We should count our blessings. Luke 11:28 KJV says “Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”

A– All your blessings

Count all your blessings. We have an abundance of blessings in our lives. Each day we receive  new blessings. Some blessings are small and often overlooked. Some of life’s blessings we have not asked for. Others are request that we have continually prayed about.  Sometimes it takes years of praying to see the blessings God has for us. Thank God for the blessing that he so richly gives us. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly place in Christ.” – Ephesians 1:3 KJV

N– Never

The definition of never in the Webster’s Dictionary is: Not; not ever; at no time; in no degree; absolutely not.

D– Doubt

Never doubt that God loves and helps you. Remembering blessings encourage us to not doubt God’s love for us. Keeping past blessings in our mind will help keep us strong during the hard times. How do we remember the bountiful blessings god has given? The Bible tells in Jeremiah 31:21 NIV “Set up signpost, Make landmarks.” There are many options. Here are a few:

• Pray

Pray and thank God for the big and small ways he has blessed you. 1 Timothy 2:8 says “ I will that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”

• Journal

Keep a journal of your blessings and answers to prayer. Journaling your blessings will keep them fresh in your mind. It is an excellent way to review what blessings happen during each day. You can then look over them and thank God for his blessings. Write your blessings down each day. Some days it may be hard to see the rainbow of blessings through the clouds. We are blessed in some way, each day.

• Time line

Another option is to make a time line. It does not have to be complex and time-consuming. Fill it with blessings from each month.  You will be able to look back at it later and see how God works your circumstances into his plan. When you see the blessings God has given you it encourages you in times of trouble.

• Verses of blessing

Write down verses of blessing. Keep them where you see them often. Repeat them out loud throughout the day.

Seeing the blessings God has blessed us with and thanking him for them, will help keep us from doubting that God helps us.

Y– Year-around

365 days a year, 24 hours a day,  God’s love and help is never-ending.

C– Christ Jesus

Christ Jesus is our almighty Savior and friend. In Isaiah 9:6 KJV it tells us the other names of Christ Jesus. “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” These are all powerful names for an all powerful God.

O– Offers

God offers us his love and blessings. Accept this gift and thank God for it. “Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people.” – Isaiah 52:9 KJV

R– Rest

Find rest, comfort, and peace in God’s love and blessings. We find in Psalm 29:11 KJV “The Lord will give you strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.”

N- Never ending love

God’s love is never ending. It has always been and will always be. He will continue to love us and bless us if we live for him.

When you see candy corn, count your blessings, praise God for them, remember how he has blessed you, and find rest in in his everlasting love.

Listen to more details of this article as an audio.

http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/66618

What are we teaching our children? Do they understand the meaning and history of this special day? As the years go by it is easy to let pieces of our heritage slip away. This year I encourage you to spend time with your children teaching them about our heritage. History does not have to be dull and boring. Do hands on activities to keep it fun and interesting. Read the history of July 4′th and then try some of the activities I have listed. It will not only keep history alive but you will be making new memories with your family.

History:

Independence Day is celebrated on July 4′th to commemorate the approval of  Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Here is some interesting Independence Day background information from Wikipedia:

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia.^[4] After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4, 1776. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:

Adams’ prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.^[6]

One of the most enduring myths about Independence Day is that Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on  July 4, 1776.^[7][8] The myth had become so firmly established that, decades after the event and nearing the end of their lives, even the elderly Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had come to believe that they and the other delegates had signed the Declaration on the fourth.^[9] Most delegates actually signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776.^[10] In a remarkable series of coincidences, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two founding fathers of the United States and the only two men who signed the Declaration of Independence to become president, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the United States’ 50th anniversary. President James Monroe died exactly five years later, on July 4, 1831, but he was not a signatory to the Declaration of Independence.

Activities:

The Declaration of Independence signifies freedom. We have many freedoms to be thankful for.

Make a “Declaration of Thankfulness”. Talk about our country and why they wanted freedom and what we have to be thankful for.

• Younger children can draw pictures of things that they are thankful for. Draw pictures of what preschoolers are thankful for and let them color it.
• Older children can read or listen to parts of the Declaration of Independence. Talk about rights that we have, Then write a “Declaration of Thankfulness”. Let them write it on fancy paper and then have an adult burn the edges to make it look old.

Look around your house for everyday things that you can use for music instruments. Water bottles filled with beans, pots, spoons, paperclips in an empty container, and bells are just a few items that you can use for a thankfulness parade. March around playing your instruments and saying things that you are thankful for.

Sidewalk art is a fun way to talk about how we can celebrate what others have done to give us freedom.

• Younger children can draw stars and fireworks with sidewalk chalk. Talk  about how we can do fun things because people wanted us to be free.
• Older children can draw a USA map or pictures of those that signed the Declaration of Independence. Talk about how many people have fought to give us freedom.

Songs to sing:

America the Beautiful

My Country ‘Tis of Thee

Star spangled Banner

Have fun and enjoy this July 4′th in remembrance of why we have Independence Day.