Tag: thankful

Thanksgiving Memories

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:4-5)

As a child, my family would load up in the car and either drive across town to my grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving or drive several miles into the country to eat with my one of my dad’s siblings. No matter which side of the family we gathered with, my brother and I always had plenty of cousins to play with. Continue reading “Thanksgiving Memories” →

Giving Thanks for the Small Things

Posted on by Staci Mauney

This post was originally published on November 5, 2017.

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:18).

I carried the container of water to the front of the house, amazed that it was the end of October and still so warm. I poured the water on the pink periwinkles that had spread and taken over the container in which I had planted them. Periwinkles had never grown this well for me before.

I glanced down as a flash of hot pink caught my eye. A lone periwinkle poked its head through the crack in the sidewalk and flourished for all to see. I stopped watering and stared in amazement. Continue reading “Giving Thanks for the Small Things” →

Practicing Gratitude

Posted on by Staci Mauney

This blog post was originally published on November 11, 2018.

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” (Ps 95:2-3)

Being grateful isn’t something that comes naturally. We’re inherently selfish and focused on ourselves. We don’t always feel thankful. There are a lot of bad things happening in this world, and it’s sometimes hard to figure out how to be thankful in the midst of them.

Learning to be grateful takes practice. When faced with a trial or an unexpected bump in the road, my first thought is never how thankful I am for the difficulty or inconvenience. How I wish it were! Turning my mind from my struggles and onto the things for which I’m thankful allows me to grow closer to God and to receive physical and psychological benefits. Continue reading “Practicing Gratitude” →

Practicing Gratitude

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” (Ps 95:2-3)

Being grateful isn’t something that comes naturally. We’re inherently selfish and focused on ourselves. We don’t always feel thankful. There are a lot of bad things happening in this world, and it’s sometimes hard to figure out how to be thankful in the midst of them.

Learning to be grateful takes practice. When faced with a trial or an unexpected bump in the road, my first thought is never how thankful I am for the difficulty or inconvenience. How I wish it were! Turning my mind from my struggles and onto the things for which I’m thankful allows me to grow closer to God and to receive physical and psychological benefits. Continue reading “Practicing Gratitude” →

Thankful to Be Me

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Author’s Note: This month, my blog posts will all focus on thankfulness.

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6)

As Thanksgiving draws near, I begin to think more about all the things for which I’m thankful. In an effort to focus more on my blessings, I’m participating in the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI) gratefulness photo challenge this month. Each day, I’ll post a different picture of something for which I’m thankful.

The first photo prompt was to share a photo of someone I see every day, which was a challenge for me since I live and work alone. I can go for several days without seeing another person unless I make an effort to do so. For the photo challenge, I shared a picture of my dog, Lilly. She’s a loyal companion, and I’m more thankful for her than I can really express. After I posted the photo, I felt God speaking to my heart, encouraging me to think more deeply about the meaning the prompt had for me. After all, I realized, I do see someone every day. Continue reading “Thankful to Be Me” →