Thanksgiving

The Truth is we can make all the plans we want and busily carry them out but it is only by the grace of God that we live each moment and are able to do the things we do! This Thanksgiving remember not to ask for what we need but to give thanks for all He has given to us…..

Prayer of Thanksgiving


God of all blessings,
source of all life,
giver of all grace:
We thank you for the gift of life:
for the breath
that sustains life,
for the food of this earth
that nurtures life,
for the love of family and friends
without which there would be no life.
We thank you for the mystery of creation:
for the beauty
that the eye can see,
for the joy
that the ear may hear,
for the unknown
that we cannot behold filling the universe with wonder,
for the expanse of space
that draws us beyond the definitions of our selves.
We thank you for setting us in communities:
for families
who nurture our becoming,
for friends
who love us by choice,
for companions at work,
who share our burdens and daily tasks,
for strangers
who welcome us into their midst,
for people from other lands
who call us to grow in understanding,
for children
who lighten our moments with delight,
for the unborn,
who offer us hope for the future.
We thank you for this day:
for life
and one more day to love,
for opportunity
and one more day to work for justice and peace,
for neighbors
and one more person to love
and by whom be loved,
for your grace
and one more experience of your presence,
for your promise:
to be with us,
to be our God,
and to give salvation.
For these, and all blessings,
we give you thanks, eternal, loving God,
through Jesus Christ we pray.
 Amen.

I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
           ~Psalm 69:30~

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope you all have a blessed day with family and friends!

                                                            
Visit Spiritual Sundays for more weekend blessings, hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.

What could possibly be more astonishing than a sunrise?

The display itself is magnificent beyond belief, and yet it goes virtually unnoticed by millions each day.
Beyond that, the meaning of the sunrise is even more spectacular, because it heralds the dawn of a new day, a day filled with bright possibilities.
In an unimaginably vast expanse of nothingness, the sun which lights our every day is the only source of warmth and light within trillions of miles. The distance to the next closes star we cannot even comprehend, much less traverse in a thousand lifetimes. And yet here we are....warm, bright, full of life and energy.
The sun appears around the horizon each morning and makes it all possible.
When you find yourself ready to complain about what you don't have, stop for a moment to consider what incredible things you do have. And resolve to make the most of it all.

New day, new blessings. Don't let yesterday's failures ruin the beauty of today. Blessings of God are new every morning. Today has its own promise of love, forgiveness, joy and success.
                                                          Virginia

The Fragility of Life

Life is so fragile we never know day to day what it will bring. I'm a hairstylist and because I’m in daily contact with many people I come face to face with all their joys and unfortunately their pain.
It is their pain that touches my heart every day, I have witnessed from my clients and in my own life that something can happen in a second that can change a day of pure joy into a day of painful circumstances.
Yesterday one of my favorite clients came in for her monthly appt. and right away I could see something was wrong. Well, I was shocked when through tears she told me that one of her sons died. Her son was only 47 years old, left a wife and a 5 year old little boy. He died unexpectedly of heart failure.
It is these stories that I encounter daily that reinforce my belief that we need to live each day as it is our last, trust in God and do our best to treasure each moment. Not an easy task but something we should strive for. We ( I ) sometimes waste so much energy worrying, obsessing or getting upset at things that I have no control over, or if I’m really honest, are so insignificant and unimportant. Unfortunately it seems to take something huge and usually devastating in your life or in someone else's to realize what you have around, taking a good look at the things that matter most in life, appreciating them and holding on to the important things as you let go of those that aren't as a reminder of the fragility of life. Even when you do realize those things sometimes it is all too easy to lose your way again and get caught up in everyday life, and forget how fragile life is, ours and those whom we love.
So let's LIVE. Live as richly as deeply, as bravely, as boldly, as intensely and fully as we can, believing that there is not a moment in life that is not breathtaking, precious, and extraordinary.
“Life is fragile – handle with prayer.”

 The Serenity Prayer

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen
This is the Full Original Copy of the Serenity Prayer
by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)




















Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

 
Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion. ~Author Unknown

Visit Spiritual Sundays for more weekend blessings, hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.
                                                          Sweet Blessings.
                                                               Virginia

“Choose Your Attitude and Trust in Jesus"

I firmly believe that a positive attitude starts by having a strong faith in Jesus.We should thrive to have a positive attitude not because we believe in the power of positive thinking, but because we are trusting in God.. We accepts the pain or the problem we are having at the moment and then move on to embrace the good and the beauty in our lives.

Attitude Determines Attitude

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.
Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.
Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.
Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.
Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.
Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.
Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.
Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.
Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.
Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.
What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!
by Author Unknown
 
Trusting Jesus
Edgar P. Stites
 
Simply trusting every day,
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Refrain:
Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Brightly doth His Spirit shine
Into this poor heart of mine;
While He leads I cannot fall;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Singing if my way is clear,
Praying if the path be drear;
If in danger for Him call;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Trusting Him while life shall last,
Trusting Him till earth be past;
Till within the jasper wall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.


Visit Spiritual Sundays for more weekend blessings, hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.
                                                 Sweet Blessings.
                                                     Virginia

We can start living in the kingdom now!

Matthew 6:33-34 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (NKJ)

Today, we need to seek the Kingdom of God, do the business of the Kingdom of God, and God's will because all the other things will fall into place.
Worrying about tomorrow wastes your time and energy, depletes your emotions, and doesn’t accomplish anything.
We prepare for the future kingdom by living in it now,spreading Jesus' love 
                               Sweet Blessings,
                                              Virginia
Visit Spiritual Sundays for more weekend blessings, hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.

One Day At Time

Todaay I will delete from my diary
two days: yesterday and tomorrow.
Yesterday was to learn,
and tomorrow will be the consequence
of what I can do today.
Today I will face life
with the conviction that this day
will not ever return.
Today is the last opportunity
I have to live intensely,
as no one can assure me
that I will see tomorrow's sunrise.
Today I will be brave enough
not to let any opportunity pass me by,
my only objective is to succeed.
Today I will invest
my most valuable resource:
my time,
in the most transcendental work:
my life;
Today I will spend each minute
passionately to make it a different
and unique day in my life.
Today I will defy every obstacle
that appears in my way,
trusting I will succeed.
Today I will resist
pessimism and will conquer
the world with a smile,
and a positive attitude
of always expecting the best.
Today I will take the time to be happy
and will leave my footprints and my presence
in the hearts of others.
Today, I invite you to begin a new season
where we can dream,
that everything we undertake is possible
and we fulfill it,
with joy and dignity.

                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34 Bible NIV)

                                                     Sweet Blessings,
                                                           Virginia