Thoughts of Thankfulness

What is the key to happiness?

Job, family, prayers answered?

Happiness not based on Happenings

Happiness= Gratitude

Take for granted The small things and the large blessings we have forgotten we recieved

Hours begging and praying, how many hours of praise and gratitude

“You don’t know what you have until you use it”

God uses our distress to bring him back in relationship with Him

If God’s grace was taken from this earth from our lives we would recognize all He has done and is doing for us.

Country we live in is a blessing

1. Is there thought behind your thank you?

The word “thank” stems from the Latin word tongēre. The root tong- means “think.” Loosely translated, the expression might read “I will remember what you have done for me.”

Psalm 103:1-4 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

According to Harvard Health “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

We are raised and told to say thank you, but thank you is not just a word you say.

When you understand the meaning behind your thank you it leads to gratitude.

Glass half full or half empty? Choose to see the full

2. What are your thoughts?

If we were to answer this question truthfully some would be disturbed by our answers

When you stop thinking you stop being. Thoughts and self-awareness is what make us ourselves they differentiate us from all other living things. Thoughts make us, us.

Would you be okay with having all of your thoughts spoken aloud?

Wisdom teeth removal story

If you are not in control of your thoughts you are not in control of your life.

, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Who you are is not what is displayed but what is in your mind.

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.”- ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Thoughts turn into actions.

3. Renew Your Mind

Think about a path through a forest. If it is walked on daily there will be a path. If you travel the same thought process everyday you form a neural pathway.

Coyote at zoo.

It takes focused attention, repetition, right environment

Romans 12:1-2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We are called to renew our minds

-Renew means to make new again. The world makes your mind old/shabby/dirty.

If you don’t know what God’s will is it is because you are mostly in this world and not in His word

-If your faith is lacking it is because of your lack of relationship with God.

-Mind is transformed by relationship

True gratitude brings about humility

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain, but I labored even more than all of them, and not I, but the grace of God with me.”

-Its not about how hard you work but the grace given to you, to even do the work.

We are ending this year with a theme of Gratitude for a reason.