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Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Choose Joy Day 27 -- Joy in the Gifts


"My praise is in direct relation to the thankfulness in my heart. And my thankfulness in all things needs to be in equal measure.

I think we're sometimes stuck on the rush. We're stuck needing something to hit us over the head and scream "something good just happened!" for us to really stop and take notice. But the reality is, when I stop in my moments and give praise to God, my heart feels the same when I am thanking Him for something big that someone has blessed me with, as it does when I'm thanking Him for the sparrow that landed on my feeder.

Because both are results of His eye being on me as much as it is on that sparrow. God has given me loving and attentive people in my life who provided me with so much. He has given me the birds that sing to me in the morning and fly around to remind me that life exists beyond these walls.

He lets the thunder roll and reminds me of His magnitude. He gives me the ability to walk to the kitchen and reminds me I will always have the strength I need when I need it. Some of His gifts smack me upside the head and others I need to keep my eyes open to see. But in the end, all are gifts. And all deserve my whole heart thanks. Every one of them deserves my praise.

So, on the days when things are supremely difficult and the pain takes all my energy, my eyes have to remain alert to see the blessings. Then there are days when His goodness is obvious and hits me upside the head like I've just had a V-8. And at the end of both of those days, when I think over the hours and my blessings and I stop to thank Him for all of it, do you know what the difference between them is?

Absolutely nothing.

Because in the end, love is love. Gift is gift. God is God and He is good. All the time.

And that's why I praise Him through all of it, with the same amount of thanks in my heart. Because, whether obvious or subtle, He is always there with gifts. You just have to be sure you're paying attention." ~Sara Frankl

Give yourself the gift of Joy by ordering your book today...Choose Joy: Finding Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts.
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