"30 Days of Thankfulness Challenge"

Several years ago I started an "I Am Thankful" challenge on my blog; you know, where you write one thing for which you are thankful each day.  After a few years had passed and I began using Facebook more than my blog, I began writing my thankful posts on there. 

Psalm 107:1 Give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever.

As November is approaching quickly, I began thinking about how it's almost 'that time' again.  As I considered it while perusing my Facebook news feed however, I felt God prod me to do more.

I was convicted to not only write one thing for which I am thankful each day in November, but also to strive to not complain.

Complain, complain, complain.  How easy our pet peeves, annoyances and gripes roll off the tongue (and fingers).  "We need to vent!" we'll reason.  Yes, it's true, I feel the need to vent sometimes too.  But have you ever signed onto Facebook for a quick minute before work just to check in and at the end of that minute feel annoyed or almost depressed over all of the negative posts in your news feed?
What if, ... what if, instead of just posting what we are thankful for that day, we also endeavor to keep our posts positive for the whole month?  How would that make us feel individually, not to give into that grumpy voice in our heads?  How would it make us feel to see primarily happy, positive posts in our news feeds?

Now of course, things will come up.  People will have real needs, hurts and problems.  I'm talking about giving up for one month, posting about how horrible the coffee server was who forgot to double cup your latte.  I'm talking about not speculating how anyone could buy a new car in that color.  I'm talking about not complaining that anyone who likes a particular show, movie or band is a moron.  See where I'm going with this?  We all have the right to our opinions, I'm just challenging us all to not go negative for one month.
Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
This will also help us with Philippians 4:8 - Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

And what if we take things even one step further (now I'm really getting crazy!).  What if, we challenge ourselves to let at least one person per week through November know that we appreciate them?  (More than just a grumbled, 'thank you' as you go your way.)  A handshake and a word of thanks.  A card with a note of appreciation.  What then?  How would that effect both the giver and the receiver?
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up ...

What do you say?  Anyone with me on this?

Would you join me for "30 Days of Thankfulness"? 

Feel free to save the picture below and put it on your Facebook page or blog.  If you have a blog, leave me a message with your address and I'll link to your site.

The Ultimate "Quicker-Picker-Upper"

The other day, I was rushing around doing the ‘normal’ weekday routine.  Getting two children ready for school, making sure they had on clean underwear, making lunches, packing backpacks, putting in laundry and getting myself ready for work, etc.  I then sat down to take a minute to check my emails before heading out the door, when my youngest son came in for a kiss and a snuggle (so blessed to have lovey sons!!).  I had been sick with a yucky head cold the whole week, so when I sneezed, my son wanted to take care of mom so he ran and got a box of tissues for me.  As he came back in the room, he pushed the box onto my desk and went to hug me again – but in doing so, he inadvertently knocked over my almost full cup of tea (the mug was still almost full despite the fact that I had made it an hour ago and had reheated it three times).  The tea immediately consumed the school permission slip on my desk and quickly made it’s way to my files.

My poor son felt terrible and tried his best to help – but the more he tried, the bigger the mess got.   I “asked” him to scoot over so I could clean as the tea was making a b-line for my computer at record pace.  I frantically wiped up the mess as my son started to cry and apologies repeatedly.  Once the danger was averted, I sat down and took him in my arms.  I told him I loved him and assured him that I wasn’t mad at him, but that mummy had to get in there to clean up the mess before it got worse.

Looking back at this event, it makes me think; doesn’t our Heavenly Father want the same thing?  When we make a mess in our lives, and when that mess threatens to spill over the edge, doesn’t God want us to step aside and let Him clean it up?  If we try to handle it on our own, don’t we usually just make a bigger mess of things?

When we’ve made a mess (aka, we sin, and don’t follow the will of God, whether intentionally or not) we need to go to Jesus. 

1 John 1:9 says -  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Just as my son told me he was sorry, we need to confess our sin to our Father, apologize for our mess and then turn to Him to do the cleaning.

Psalm   51:7-9

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.

On our own, it would be as if we tried cleaning up with dirty rags – but Jesus can make us truly clean.  Not only will He clean our mess, but will renew us.

Think of when there is a spill on the carpet.  We clean it, but the mark always comes back, even if a little fainter.  Not so with Jesus.  If we let Him, He will make us whiter than snow, He will blot our all our iniquity.

So remember, when you make a mess, we all do, God loves us and is ready, willing and able to clean up our mess.  He is the ultimate ‘quicker-picker-upper’!!  So run to Him, and get out of the way, and watch what He will do!