Day #9 of my Big Thanksgiving Challenge. Excerpted from my 100 Days of Thanksgiving Devotional-Journal which you can order when you CLICK HERE.

Staying Thankful

Being thankful is one thing. Staying thankful is another, isn’t it? It is for me anyway. Sometimes I find my heart so filled with Thanksgiving to God. Then I allow myself to get weighed down with struggles, stresses, worries, troubles, challenges, etc. Next thing I know there isn’t an ounce of Thanksgiving in my heart let alone coming out of my mouth or in my actions. What do you suppose it would take to stay thankful?

I believe staying thankful has to do with learning to keep our focus on the Lord, on the Bible, on His ways and will for us, and above all else on His amazingness, awesomeness, magnificence,  goodness, greatness, blessings, etc. For those of us like myself who have trouble keeping our focus and are easily distracted, it can be a big challenge to stay focused. And to get re-focused when we lose our focus. Whether it’s easy for us or hard, let’s strive to focus on the Lord and to ever be thankful to Him!

Hope these verses encourage you as much as they encourage me!

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection [also “exercise the mind” per Strong’s concordance]on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:1-2 KJV