Being Thankful

Hello Everyone!  I have a treat for you today!  I am proud to present to you an article posted by a guest writer, that just happens to be my oldest daughter who now resides with her husband in North Carolina. Jamie has always displayed a love for writing beginning with her imaginative stories in her elementary years followed by short stories and a historical-fiction book penned in high school.  Jamie has also written and directed a full length Christmas play, and has assisted me over the years writing skits for live performances as well as for puppets in our various Children Church and Youth programs. Her current articles include a posting online on HubPages. Enjoy her article and don't forget to read her bio following today's post.
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You know when you have those days (or weeks) when you feel like nothing is going your way? You’re stressed out at work because you’re the new guy (or the old guy), your spouse has suddenly discovered ten new reasons as to why you annoy him or her, and your Maui vacation money has to go towards car repairs.  Then there’s the time that you’ve just realized that you’ve been gypped the second burger in your McDonalds dollar double burger sandwich after you’ve left the drive-though (true story!). When we experience such awful days, it’s easy to become consumed with anxiety and depression. We begin to think about how bad everything is, and how there is no answer to our problems. We lay awake at night, our minds tortured beyond relief, and we can literally feel our hair follicles turning gray or falling out of our scalps completely!

But, in times of great struggles, there are also great answers! I was going through much of the same issues I mentioned above in the last several months. Life wasn’t going how I wanted it to go, and mind was going OCD with worry and fear about the future. Then, one day I was praying, and the Lord showed me these verses: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 King James Version) I had previously prayed and asked God for the answers to my concerns, but I was still dealing with negative thoughts that weighed my faith down. In meditating on these verses, I realized that I needed to look on the bright side of my life, and be thankful for all the good things that had happened. I began to make a list of all the blessings that my family and I had received recently, and immediately I began to feel at peace. My mind stopped screaming out negative thoughts, and I began to feel good about life again. It was amazing!

So the next time you feel like your world is crashing down around you, and you’re losing control of your wits, stop and take a deep breath. Remember the blessings that God has given you, and thank Him for them. There are the big blessings like when your car broke down, and you had enough cash to get it fixed without using the credit card, or a large debt you owed was unexpectedly forgiven. There are also the daily blessings such as you and your spouse are still madly in love with each other, and everyone in your family is healthy and strong. There are so many occasions and circumstances to be thankful for that are often forgotten in the midst of negative pressures. The more we focus on the good parts of our lives, the easier it will be to not freak out over the areas that are giving us grief. Be thankful, and God’s peace will keep you at rest! 

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Bio:  Jamie Matthews

Hello! I'm Jamie Matthews, Pastor Jim's eldest daughter. My wonderful husband David and I moved this last year from California to North Carolina for a new job opportunity. Talk about an adventure! We drove cross-country in five days flat, stopping only for coffee, energy drinks, fast food, and our nightly hotel rooms. Our two Rat Terriers, Lizzy and Lucy were such good girls, sleeping most of the time right behind the front seats of our car. We traveled through 12 states, and took as many pictures of the countryside as we could as we drove past at 70 mph! We are now settled in our new apartment, David's doing great at his new job, and I'm scrap booking all the travel pictures. We love our new city, and are enjoying getting to know the area! That's my current life in a nutshell. Thanks for the opportunity to share words of encouragement to you. I hope that you are blessed by them!!!