My Apologies

I did not really mean to create this blog, but now that I have it I feel obligated to maintain it somewhat at least. I guess it might be a good place to put things I want to post that do not fit the theme and content of my Space on MSN.

I hope it will build up some traffic eventually.

This is something I wrote quite a while ago for a group I was involved in:

An Attitude of Gratitude

Do you want to improve your spirits, lift up your heart? Begin counting your blessings and soon you will find the complaints have less meaning.

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

In following the Lord our attitudes toward worldly things change to more resemble His ideal for us. Especially when we give thanks we find that the things mean less than the fact our Creator bestowed them.

I John 2:15-17 exhorts us:
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

We find that all we have, all we accomplish, and all our lives are truly in the hands of our loving Father. We can trust in this fact and rejoice knowing He will take care of all our needs.

Romans 8:28 says:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.

Resting in the Lord during difficult times is sometimes

hard, but if we continue thanking Him for His loving kindness even during trials we gain treasure in faith.

Psalm 33:20-22 tells us:
We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help

and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You.

A sure antidote to feeling sad and pitiable is writing down that for which we are thankful. The exercise may even bring us to sing to the Lord in thanksgiving.

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

When we are grateful and delight in Jesus' blessings toward us we suddenly find our hearts lighter, and our lives full of joy. We become more completely aware of the blessings that continually accrue to us.

Psalm 37:4 says:
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Finally we should go to God in gratitude so that we may find more reason to accept one another. For nothing more brings us together than a feeling of gratitude and love.

I John 3:11
This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
© June 8, 2001

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Smiles,
Jo Ann