30 Scriptures on Gratitude

Well, we did it! We journeyed through the month of November, finding a scripture that teaches on gratitude each day! After this post, we will have discussed thirty verses on thankfulness. I hope it has been as much of a blessing to you as it has been to me. And, I hope you can tuck these verses away in your mommy file to use with your children when they need a gentle reminder of gratitude in the future :-) Finally, here are verses #29 and #30...

"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. The service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." 2 Corinthians 9:11-12

God promises to bless us in areas that are important to him. Maybe He made you rich in compassion. Maybe He made you rich in the gift of encouragement. Maybe He made you a blessed mother, overflowing in the richness of patience! Perhaps He has made you rich, literally, in finances. Whatever gift(s) He has bestowed upon you, be sure to use it to bless others. It glorifies Him when we use our blessings to enrich the life of another. We could be generous to our husbands, our children, our family, our friends, or complete strangers. Whoever He allows to cross our paths, let's be sure to bless them with the riches our heavenly Father has given to us!

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12

Mommies, we will all go through hardships in our lives. It isn't if, it's when. Choosing to live a life of gratitude to our Lord, and choosing to set that example for our children, isn't because we have a perfect life without any heartache. How easy would it be to live in a state of thankfulness then! No, it's the fact that we choose to be grateful in the midst of trials that shows true devotion to Christ. A bit of encouragement to remember is that sadness, loneliness, frustration, anger, and mourning will not last forever. He is faithful to do just as He says above. He will always turn our hearts back to dancing, joy, and song. For that, and for so many other daily reasons, let's decide to live a life of gratitude, and let's decide to teach our children to do the same.

I have loved learning His Word on a deeper level with you through November. Thank you for doing it with me! A little cheat sheet of our gratitude verses is listed below (whatever can save a momma some time!). They are all from the NIV of the Bible. Today, and everyday, be blessed and be thankful! Check back tomorrow for a fun challenge to complete each day in December!

Psalm 100:4 -  

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name

Hebrews 12:28 -
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe...

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 -
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 136:1-3, 26 - 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His love endures forever... Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

Colossians 3:15-17 -
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 -
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may leave peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness

1 Chronicles 29:13 -
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise Your glorious name.

Ephesians 1:16 -
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

Ephesians 5:19-20 -
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 107:8-9 -
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Psalm 107:15-16 -
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

Isaiah 12:4 -
...Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted.

2 Corinthians 2:14 -
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

Philippians 4:6 -
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Colossians 1:3 -
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus...

Psalm 75:1 -
We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 95:1-2 -
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.

Colossians 4:2 -
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

2 Corinthians 9:15 -
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Psalm 69:30 -
I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7 -
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

2 Timothy 1:3 -
I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.

Psalm 28:7 -
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.

Jonah 2:9 -
But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.

Ephesians 5:3-4 - 

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

1 Chronicles 16:34-35 -
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise."

1 Chronicles 16:7-8 -
That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the Lord: Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.

John 11:41 -
Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me."

2 Corinthians 9:11-12 -
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. The service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God

Psalm 30:11-12 -
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Gratitude for Sharing and Listening

Thanks for stopping by! We are nearly finished with our journey through scripture, searching for thirty verses teaching on thanksgiving, or giving thanks. My goal for this experience was to learn how God desires for us to show our gratitude by the examples that He has shared in His word. I wanted to get into the habit of starting my day with thanksgiving, instead of starting with my laundry list of prayer requests. I also wanted to compile a list of verses on gratitude with the intent of sharing them with my children as they grow up. It has been an awesome experience, and I have enjoyed sharing it with all of you! Only four verses left! Here are verses #27 and #28:

"That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the Lord: Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done." 1 Chronicles 16:7-8

...Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me." John 11:41

In the first verse, I love how the writer takes the time to tell us that David was speaking this psalm (or song) to others. He wrote a song of thankfulness to God and felt compelled to share it with whoever would listen. Wouldn't it be wise of us to consciously speak our gratefulness our loud, so that our children could learn by example?

In John, the words spoken are those of Jesus. Everything that Jesus said, or did, was meant to set an example. We know that God answers our prayers. He loves to bless us, but He also loves to strengthen our faith and trust in Him. While we know it is important to thank Him for whatever request He has granted us, I think Jesus is saying that it is just as important to thank God for simply hearing us and listening to us. He is a big God, the God of the universe, yet He takes the time to listen to us. In fact, He delights in listening to us. Today, I am grateful for that gift!

  

Be sure to check out my new page, "Get them while they're HOT Deals!" This page will offer valuable money-saving deals, but they have quick expiration dates. Check back for daily updates!

Be blessed, mommies!

MMSM #59
I get really annoyed when we have to spend money on haircuts for the boys (my hubby and son), even if I have a coupon! For my long hair, I will pay good money any day :-) I did a little research and stumbled across this website...Boy Haircut. Well, I tried it last night. It actually looks pretty good! We put "Thomas the Train" on Netflix and set him up in the high chair. My hubby kept Caleb's hair wet as I cut. Yes, I took a tad too much off above the ears, but luckily kids are cute enough even when their hair isn't perfect! Maybe this is a money-saving trick you can start at your house! And remember, if it looks really awful, a buzz cut is always appropriate for a little boy :-)

Tip #45

How cute are these organizational ideas! In the past, we've always taped Christmas cards to our kitchen windows, but I like the ribbon idea much better! And, instead of hanging on to all of the cards because you don't want to lose the pictures, I love the idea of taking a picture with your phone camera and using it as the contact picture for the year. Great ideas!

http://melissadark.blogspot.com

http://blog.tinyprints.com/holiday/what-to-do-with-all-those-holiday-cards-you-tell-us/

Joining Him in Gratitude

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise." 1 Chronicles 16:34-35

I love the last part of this verse..."that we may glory in your praise." Isn't it cool that we get to share in the joy of the Lord when we offer Him our praise. While it shouldn't be our motivation, He blesses us when we give the credit to Him. He acknowledges our efforts when we first place the focus on Him. No matter our circumstances, He deserves praise and gratitude. When we are in the midst of a difficult situation...a sickness, financial struggles, a desperate desire for change in our home situation, etc., we often will begin to see Him work us through that season when our hearts switch from begging for a change, to thanking Him for all He has already done. What are you longing to be delivered from this season? Instead of getting caught up in a self pity-party, myself included, let's turn our words to those of praise for what He has done. Maybe He just needs us to be willing and grateful participants in order for His new plans for us to start to fall into place! Today, and everyday, be blessed, mommies!

MMSM #61

This deal expires today (Monday 11/26), so do it quickly! I found this deal from a mommy's FB page that I follow. I just ordered our desk calendar last night, so I know it is legit. Normally $8.99, you can order a 2013 desk calendar, designed by you, just for the shipping price of $3.99. Type in the code "SPECIALHOLIDAY" at check-out and enjoy this great gift for a grandparent! You will also get a deal sent to your inbox for a certain amount of free 4x6 prints. Enjoy!

Free Desk Calendar

 
Tip #44 

Such an awesome idea! As we move into gift-buying/giving season, it can be difficult to remain organized. Check out what I found on Pinterest!

Gift Planner Worksheet 

This will help with organization, AND your budget. I also have a certain spot in our home (the guest bedroom closet) where I keep all gifts that I purchase, until it's time to wrap. When you have them spread throughout the house, it can get cluttered very quickly, and little eyes might sneak a peek! 'Tis the season!

Showing Gratitude, not Greed

Welcome to the Christmas season! I pray that each of you had beautiful Thanksgiving celebrations with your families, and that you scored some great deals in the stores! Surprisingly, we didn't do Black Friday this year. There wasn't much that we wanted, and we took the opportunity to spend the day together as a family, just the three of us. While it's a bit delayed, I thought I would share this to give you a giggle. So true...isn't it? Oh well, I hope that the main focus of our weekend was our gratitude, and not elbow-dropping another mom to get the hottest toy!

Here are our gratitude verses #23, #24, and #25...

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Psalm 28:7

Isn't that beautiful? How often do we need God to give us strength and to be our shield? Daily, right?!

"But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord." Jonah 2:9

How many of these verses throughout November have encouraged us to praise our Father heaven through song? He loves it! Imagine how sweet it is to hear our little ones singing, a real song or their own creation. I would guess that our God feels just the same way about us. Praising Him through music brings a smile to His face...every time.

Finally, let's all agree to keep our eyes on Him with thanksgiving and not be lured, or have our children enticed, by things of this world.

"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving." Ephesians 5:3-4

As silly as the picture is at the top of this post, there is a bit of stark reality that comes with it. Greed doesn't make God smile, it doesn't bring Him praise, and I imagine it saddens Him to see us act crazy after we spend a day devoted to gratitude. Now, don't get me wrong. Buying gifts for others and celebrating those special people He has placed in our lives is wonderful (especially when you get a great deal!), but I think we're all aware when that line gets crossed. Thankfully, He gives us enough grace to suffice for any moronic behavior we show as humans. Grace doesn't give us a license to sin, but instead gives us positive reinforcement and encouragement to behave in a way that is pleasing to Him. How cool to have the opportunity to teach that to our little ones!

Today, and everyday, be blessed mommas! Also, I will start sharing some great holiday deals that I stumble upon in the weeks to come. Enjoy your Sunday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Today, let me give you on simple verse for us to think on all day as mommies...

"I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers." 2 Timothy 1:3

What a neat verse that the Lord let me to for this day of thanks. Let's remember the family that has come and gone before us, and let's treasure and pray for the family and friends who will gather with us today. I pray a multitude of blessings on you, your husbands, and your children today. Especially today, be blessed, mommies!