Choosing Gratitude Day 20

Day 20

1 Timothy 5:8; 2 Timothy 1:3–5; 3:14–15

Godly character in every area of our 

lives will show up within the four walls 

of our homes. We can’t say we love 

God if we don’t manifest His love to our 

family members or if we allow 

bitterness to fester in our hearts 

toward them. For the most part, we 

don’t get to choose our family 

members, as we do our “friends.” Yet 

we are called to love and care for those 

in our families, in spite of their 

personalities, their idiosyncrasies, or 

their character flaws. And that’s not 

always easy!

Today, focus on expressing gratitude 

for and to your family members. Make 

a list of each member of your 

immediate family. Next to each name, 

write one quality about their life for 

which you are particularly grateful.

Take time to thank God for each 

member of the family He has given 

you. Then pick one or two individuals 

from your list to whom you can express 

gratitude today, in person, by phone, 

or with a note or email. (Note: You 

may want to express gratitude to a 

family member who has been 

especially difficult to love.)

So true and such a great reminder!! Especially with having to live with my parents at this time, I know I need this reminder! *Smile*

Thank you Lord for reminding me to be grateful for my family and help me to express my gratitude, EVEN if that is incredibly difficult!


Is there anyone in particular that you have a hard time "loving"? How can you express gratitude towards them? I know for me it can depend on the person. :)

For His Glory,

Black Friday Deals

What are your plans for Black Friday? I'm thankful we don't have much planned, since I have a huge headache. 

Do you shop for deals today? If so do you go out?

We aren't doing much this year but, I am looking at a few needed things online.

I wanted to share with you that I am having a Black Friday Sale over at my Etsy shop, Natural Kiss. 

Save 30% on ANY order, with code: BLFRI30

www.etsy.com/shop/naturalkiss

Lilla Rose is also have a huge BLOWOUT sale! Plus if you are a new customer and order 3 flexi clips through me, I will send you a ticket to redeem 1 FREE item ($16 value).

www.lillarose.biz/christen

You can also "like" me on facebook for more updates and info.



What deals did you score this year?


For His Glory,

Choosing Gratitude Day 19

Day 19

Romans 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:4; Ephesians 1:15–16; Philippians 1:3–4;Colossians 1:3–4; 1 Thessalonians 1:2–3; 2 Thessalonians 1:3

When you read Paul’s New Testament 

letters, you can’t help but notice he 

was thankful for others. Paul didn’t just 

leave it at generalized expressions of 

gratitude—he often took time to 

identify specific individuals for whom 

he was grateful and to let them know 

how much he appreciated their 

contribution to his life and ministry.

People matter to God. And they should 

matter to us. It’s important to take 

time to recognize and express 

appreciation for the contributions that 

even little-known people make to His 

kingdom and to our lives. 


Today, make a list of individuals who 

have blessed or touched your life in 

some way. Ask yourself, “Have I ever 

thanked this person for the way God 

has used him/her in my life?” Put a 

checkmark next to each individual to 

whom you have expressed gratitude.

Then begin the process of catching up 

on your “gratitude accounts.” Don’t try 

to tackle the whole list at once. Pick 

one for starters. In the next twenty-

four hours, find a way to express your 

gratitude for that person’s influence 

and impact in your life. Then move to 

the next one … and the next.


That's a great idea! I have many people in my life I'm thankful for. I know some of them I have verbalized my thanks, but I think most I probably haven't. Just because we appreciate and are thankful for them, doesn't mean we have said it out loud and that they KNOW.

Who are YOU thankful for today?

I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!! I know I did! I am so thankful and enjoyed spending time my my 3 year old daughter prepping Wed. night, it was a lot of fun. Yesterday I spend the day cooking/baking with my little sister and my girls joined us. I had some good laughs with my husband as we tried to fix the turkey (my mom didn't cover it properly and it wasn't in a big enough pan).

What did you do?



For HIS Glory,

Choosing Gratitude Day 18

Day 18

1 Corinthians 10:1–13

In today’s reading, Paul reflects back 

on the children of Israel in the 

wilderness and identifies four specific 

sins they committed, all of which had 

dire consequences. It’s sobering to 

realize that He includes the sin of 

“grumbling” with these other sins and 

takes them all seriously!

Grumbling is the opposite of 

thankfulness. Like gratitude, it starts in 

the heart and expresses itself in our 

words. It grows out of the sin of 

discontentment—not being satisfied 

with what God has provided. 

Philippians 2:14–15 says we are to 

“do all things without grumbling,” and 

that when we are obedient in this 

matter, our lives shine the light of 

Christ into our dark world.

Are you guilty of the sin of grumbling? 

If so, confess that to the Lord; ask Him 

to forgive you and to grant you true 

repentance. Purpose in your heart to 

“put off” all complaining and to “put 

on” a heart of thankfulness.

Ask God to make you sensitive and 

alert to situations over the next twenty-

four hours where your natural response 

would be to murmur or whine. Ask Him 

for grace to give thanks every time 

you’re tempted to grumble.


Over the next 24 hours. Hmmm...so remember when your tired after getting up at 4am to put the turkey in and spend the day cooking and cleaning up...no grumbling!!Haha...am I the only one that will need this reminder? *wink*

Do you struggle with grumbling? For me some days are easier then others when it comes to not grumbling,  but we need to remember that God takes grumbling seriously.

Have an AWESOME Thanksgiving (and remember NO grumbling. *wink*)!!


For His Glory,

Choosing Gratitude Day 17

Day 17

Proverbs 3:13–18

When the writer of Proverbs outlines 

the benefits of wisdom, he is also 

advertising the benefits of every other 

habit and discipline inspired by the 

Scriptures. And since the practice of 

being thankful is a basic characteristic 

of God’s people, I believe these 

passages that call us to wise, godly 

living can appropriately be applied to 

the issue of gratitude as well. That’s 

why I really like what’s implied in 

today’s reading. It begins and ends 

with a word—“blessed”—that portrays 

the type of person God desires and 

enables us to be.

Some Bible translations use a slightly 

different word … “happy.” For most 

people, happiness is tied to 

circumstances—to what is happening in 

their lives. For Christians, however, 

happiness or blessedness is not 

dependent on the weather, the stock 

market, or how our last haircut turned 

out. Real happiness—that unshakable 

sense of peace, contentment, and well-

being—comes as we remind ourselves 

of the blessings we have in Christ and 

then respond with thankfulness.

We’ve talked about being “loud” with 

our thanksgiving, being vocal about 

what God is doing. Check to be sure 

your countenance is also expressing a 

joyful, thankful heart.

I know I have struggled with this lately. My countenance has shown my exhaustion and trials and I don't want that! I want to be real and honest with my hardships, but I also want to radiate Christ. I want people to one day say, "I never knew you where going through that...you always radiated God's joy!"

What about you, is your countenance expressing a joyful, thankful heart? What are some things you are thankful for?

For His Glory,

Choosing Gratitude Day 16

Day 16

Psalm 30

The word “sing” occurs over one 

hundred times in the Bible—more than 

sixty of them in the book of Psalms 

alone. Verses 4 and 12 in today’s 

passage both tie singing and giving 

thanks together. There are a number of 

illustrations in Scripture of the powerful 

effect of praise through music.

When I talk with women who are 

struggling with chronic discouragement 

or depression, I often ask two 

questions: (1) Are you memorizing 

Scripture? and (2) Are you singing to 

the Lord? These aren’t magic “pills” 

that will make every emotional struggle 

go away, but I’ve found them to be 

extremely effective at recalibrating my 

heart and restoring inner peace. At 

times, when I am deeply distraught or 

discouraged, I’ll open my hymnal and 

just begin to sing. As I sing to the 

Lord, my heart and mind are re-

tethered to His goodness and love, and 

invariably, the cloud begins to lift.

Whether it’s a cloudy or sunny day in 

your heart, sing! Right now, if possible. 

Put on a CD or your iPod and sing along 

with others, or just sing to Him on your 

own.

I love this! 

I'm terrible about memorizing scripture, I wish I was better. I'll do great for a while, then "Fall off the band wagon." I was never taught to MEMORIZE scripture growing up. I read my Bible all the time, but never memorized it, my husband was the one to introduce me to it. Though it's a newer concept to me, I believe it's an important one! 

We have the freedom to study God's word and shouldn't take it for granted you never know when you wont be able to. It makes me think of Darlene Rose's story. She was a missionary and became a POW and could only "feed" off of what she had memorized and it's true God's word keeps us going through our struggles.

I find it hard to pray lately. How do I explain that statement?? I feel so overwhelmed by everything, when I'm trying to pray it's like..."God you know our situation and EVERYTHING that is going on. Help!!" *smile*

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Rom. 8:26

I find often when I do try and pray it turns into singing. *smile* I sing and praise God. I can feel overwhelmed when I focus on everything to pray and I just singing and praising HIM instead. It happened this morning in the shower, I started praying and felt distraught and discouraged and just start singing and praising instead.

I find myself singing this song lately. It's one of my favorites!

In Christ Alone

Do you memorize scripture? What is one of your favorite songs to sing, praising God?

For His Glory,

Choosing Gratitude Day 15

Day 15

Psalm 50:14–15, 23

Plenty of occasions exist in life where 

being thankful is the last thing you feel 

like doing, where nothing seems good 

or gratitude-worthy.

Today, I’d like you to make a list of all 

the difficult things in your life. Spell 

them out, as detailed as you want. 

Then use this list as a prompt for 

giving thanks. That may seem strange—

or impossible! We’re not expected to 

thank God “for” things that are sinful. 

But we can give thanks “in everything,” 

knowing that God is still God and He 

uses all things in this fallen world to 

accomplish His purposes.

Begin to track the ways that God is 

using these circumstances in your life. 

Perhaps they’re causing you to become 

more dependent on Him, or to call upon 

Him in prayer, or to exercise faith in 

His promises. When we call upon our 

Lord “in the day of trouble” (Psalm 

50:15), with minds set on glorifying 

Him, He does marvelous things in the 

midst of our pain and sorrow. Thank 

Him by faith that He can use each of 

these situations as a means to display 

His glory.


I don't know why, but reviewing this reminded me to pray for my husband. This post "hit close to the heart" for me personally, but going over it again, I thought..."I need to get pass the hurt and get back into praying for him!"

Living at my parents can be really difficult on so many levels!!! But I can be thankful for the chance to grow in my faith and to use this time to teach and be an example for our kids!

And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Jeremiah 18:4

I REALLY don't like going through this hard time and dealing with consequences of sinful choices, yet I am thankful that God loves me enough to "prune" and mold me! Get I get an amen!?! *wink*

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;fn and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." John 15:2

What are some ways you are thankful for the difficult and perhaps painful circumstances in your life?

For HIS Glory,

Choosing Gratitude Day 14

Day 14

Psalm 56

Psalm 56 is a hymn of praise and trust, 

of confidence and strength, of worship 

and gratitude. This particular one was 

written in far less than ideal 

circumstances, however. David was on 

the run from King Saul, and when 

spotted and seized by the Philistines in 

the city of Gath, he faked insanity to 

avoid being detained.

Yet in the midst of intense, frightening 

hardship, he submitted himself to the 

Lord’s protection, and found within this 

relationship the ability to say, “When I 

am afraid, I trust in you…. What can 

flesh do to me?” (v. 3–4). He didn’t 

deny the reality of what was happening 

to him, but he found reason to be 

grateful even for his sorrows.

Perhaps it’s hard for you to find much 

to be thankful for today. Look above 

your circumstances, beyond your fears, 

and ask God to show you what He’s 

doing in the midst of them. Then look 

back through your list of blessings and 

benefits, adding any new ones that 

come to mind. Focus on the ones that 

give you the most comfort in crisis.


Wow, wow! Today's challenge really "hit home" for me. I love studying David because he was so human! God chose him to be king, though he still sinned and made some huge mistakes, he even struggled with being depressed at times, but we are told he was a man after God's own heart. I want to be like that!!

I want to be grateful even for my sorrows.

I want to remember to look to Christ beyond my fears...beyond my doubts...beyond my hurt...beyond my circumstances, to TRUST Him and to ask HIM what HE'S DOING midst them.

I am thankful we have a safe place to live. It's not perfect and I could list my desires, but Christ has provided us a safe place to live. That I am truly thankful for. *smile*

What are some struggles and blessings you are going through right now? How can I pray for you?

For His Glory,