Day 2 What is a Life of Thanks (in America)?

Welcome to the second day of: "A Life of Thanks: The Blessings of Life in America Since 1607." This is a combination of a blog post series, a memoir, and daily devotional and journaling thoughts about counting my and our blessings of life in America. It's to help us appreciate the supreme blessing we have now, from our past, and in our future as a nation and as individuals. Therefore, as I share daily thoughts, I hope we will count our blessings--and do so more each moment of every day.

Counting our blessings helps us ensure we do not take anyone or anything for granted. It also helps live a more intentional, purposeful life.

There is another reason for this blog post series: I do not know about you, but what has happened in our country since September Eleventh, 2001 has me disturbed. Current events and politics only add to my disturbance. What has happened to us as a nation? Have we lost our way? Have each of us pulled our weight to make America the land of the free and beautiful? And far more importantly, have I?

Now would be a good time for me to make a request. Keep a journal and count your blessings about your life in the United States of America. Also, think through,and interact with, each day's material in your journal.

Why should you do this? It's because the more you think things through, and the more blessings you count, the more you will get out of these daily readings. Journaling will help you with this endeavor.

Another reason to have a journal and count your blessings is to help you keep track of them. On a tough day, or in a tough moment, it can be difficult to find one blessing to count. Keeping a list helps remember in spite of that moment, our lives are extremely blessed and it helps us see that this moment is temporary. Hence, counting our blessings gives us proper perspective and helps us live a better life in spite of the challenges of the moment.

The last decade and a half, our nation has seen its challenges. Our current events show how we are divided more as a country than we have been in decades. Living a Life of Thanks is one way each of us can actively make a difference in this regard.

Is living a life of thanks a way to have world peace? I wouldn't go that far. People are people. And, because people are people, I do not think without the hand of God we could ever achieve world peace. However, learning to count more bleeding than find worries or complains sure couldn't hurt or make things worse. In fact, it would help each of us individually to live better lives,more purposeful lives. If we were to really do this, we as individuals, as families, as communities, as states, as a country, and as a world would be radically transformed.


Devotional and Journaling Thoughts:

List at least five things you are thankful in your life.

List at least five things you are thankful for regarding America.

How would you define "A Life of Thanks?"

I would rather count my blessings than complaints. How about you? Journal your response.

List at least five more things you are thankful for.

Day 1 An Introduction and Explanation (A Life of Thanks in America)

Life has a way of steering us in the direction it chooses for us. Rarely, if ever, do things happen how we want them and when we want them. We have a choice to embrace where it leads or buck and complain or fret.

This new series of 365 blog posts is a prime example of this phenomenon and is my attempt to make the best of this new path in my life and in my writing and spiritual life more specifically.

Current events, among other words things, has led to my great frustration with the USA and with the people of the nation, including the government and Church, never mind the citizens thereof. And, these current events and other frustrations have forced me to look within. After all, I think it is imperative to look at self first and analyze and change self before I ever ask that of others.

The bottom line is this: I want to live a life of thanks through every situation and I believe if everyone did the same, this world would be a drastically different place.

This first round of 365 blog posts will be of my thankfulness for America the Beautiful, in the past, present, and future.

I use the phrase of America the Beautiful intentionally, for she is. I think we all have forgotten the beauty of this land and nation, and if we remembered it, this country would change and become truly America the Beautiful once again.

Would you care to join me on the journey of learning to live a life of thanks and finding the blessings in the United States? That's what the next 365 blog posts in this series will have as it's focus. After all, we are truly blessed as Americans.

Working title of a new blog post series:
A Life of Thanks: The Blessings of Life in America Since 1607

Journaling and Devotional Thoughts:
List at least 5 things you are thankful for.
Do you live a life of thanks?
Do you live a life of thanks every moment?
Do you want to do so?
Are you thankful for America? How and how not?
What makes the United States of America beautiful?
List at least five more things you are grateful for.

Blessings,
--Stacy Duplease
Email:
agodlyvision@gmail.com
rememberingyourpresent@gmail.com
Blogs:
http://rypstories.blogspot.com
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire HDX Tablet

My Personal Prayer Journaling and Blessings Counted List

March 16, 2015, Monday

Good morning, Lord.

Pause. I try to focus on You alone.

My mind wanders instead, therefore, I will count my blessings instead and see if that helps:

New coffee mugs.
The first cup of coffee for the day.
Sinan Cat enjoying bird watching through the sliding glass doors he didn't have for roughly 3.5 years.
Cell phones so hubby can check the grocery list items as he shops. Also, that he would think to call.
The smell of a freshly brewed pot of coffee.
Wisdom learned from my uncle last night.
Remembering how things could always be so much worse.
Being grateful for what and who I have today. They are more than enough.
Once feral cats.
When one of my critters comes to me for love and attention.
Beautiful big blue sky days.
Fluffy cat tails.

~*~*~

Verses to prayer journal, ponder, apply, and memorize

1
Philippians 4:6 New Living Translation (NLT)

6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

~*~*~

Prayer journal and blessings counted list

March 16, 2015, Monday

Good morning, Lord.

Pause. I try to focus on You alone.

My mind wanders instead, therefore, I will count my blessings instead and see if that helps:

New coffee mugs.

The first cup of coffee for the day.

Sinan Cat enjoying bird watching through the sliding glass doors he didn't have for roughly 3.5 years.

Cell phones so hubby can check the grocery list items as he shops. Also, that he would think to call.

The smell of a freshly brewed pot of coffee.

Wisdom learned from my uncle last night.

Remembering how things could always be so much worse.

Being grateful for what and who I have today. They are more than enough.

Once feral cats.

When one of my critters comes to me for love and attention.

Beautiful big blue sky days.

Fluffy cat tails.

~*~*~

Verses to prayer journal, ponder, apply, and memorize

1

Philippians 4:6 New Living Translation (NLT)

6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

~*~*~

Living Philippians 4:6 Today

Personal prayer journaling

Lord, You know me and worrying. It is something I have always struggled with and is something I try to stop. You have taught me that worrying is also thinking about something more than once, something that tends to dwell in my thoughts, when I should be praying, being open to You, counting my blessings, and thinking of You.

Philippians 4:6New Living Translation (NLT)

6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Lord, You know how my life is in... What is the Word? Not in upheaval... In flux? Yes. My life is in the waiting mode. My husband, whom I will call B, and I are waiting for answers. We moved and are awaiting a job and house to open up and this is a little unnerving. Scratch that. Or could be. If I think about this, waiting for the stars to align so to speak, my heart starts to pound and I start to feel uneasy. Then, I remember Who is really in control, Who has perfect timing, and Who has a perfect plan. That is all I need to remember and then I stop worrying. You are perfect and infinite. You know best.

You have never once failed me. Your timing and plan are usually, okay--always, different from mine, but have always been for the best. So, I do not worry about job or house. I do not need to, for You have it. You are in control. You are capable. You know so much more than I. To YOU be the glory. Use us, Lord, for Your will.

I am not worried overall and am absolutely confident in You and Your perfect plan. Thank You, Lord, for bringing me to this point.

Help me, Lord, to pray for and about everything as I also count my blessings.

Living Philippians 4:6 Today

Personal prayer journaling

Lord, You know me and worrying. It is something I have always struggled with and is something I try to stop. You have taught me that worrying is also thinking about something more than once, something that tends to dwell in my thoughts, when I should be praying, being open to You, counting my blessings, and thinking of You.

Philippians 4:6 New Living Translation (NLT)

6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Lord, You know how my life is in... What is the Word? Not in upheaval... In flux? Yes. My life is in the waiting mode. My husband, whom I will call B, and I are waiting for answers. We moved and are awaiting a job and house to open up and this is a little unnerving. Scratch that. Or could be. If I think about this, waiting for the stars to align so to speak, my heart starts to pound and I start to feel uneasy. Then, I remember Who is really in control, Who has perfect timing, and Who has a perfect plan. That is all I need to remember and then I stop worrying. You are perfect and infinite. You know best.

You have never once failed me. Your timing and plan are usually, okay--always, different from mine, but have always been for the best. So, I do not worry about job or house. I do not need to, for You have it. You are in control. You are capable. You know so much more than I. To YOU be the glory. Use us, Lord, for Your will.

I am not worried overall and am absolutely confident in You and Your perfect plan. Thank You, Lord, for bringing me to this point.

Help me, Lord, to pray for and about everything as I also count my blessings.

How I want to live

A devotional and personal prayer journaling:

I want to allow the Bible, verse by verse, to sink as deeply into my heart and mind as possible. I want to listen fully to You, Lord, and learn everything You want me to from each verse. I do not want to read a word and then move on. I do not want to rush the process. I want to pray the Word and meditate on it literally day and night.

Lord, teach me to do all these things.

Lord, what do You want me to learn from the following verse?

Philippians 4:6 New Living Translation (NLT)

6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Pray about everything. Every-thing. Meaning without exception. There is nothing I should fail to bring to You, Lord.

And, always thank You for what You have done.

Philippians 4:6 Expanded Bible (EXB)

6 Do not ·worry [be anxious] about anything, but pray and ·ask God for everything you need [or make your requests known to God], always giving thanks.

Expanded Bible (EXB)

The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.

Lord, teach me how to live this verse. Fully. Truly. Deeply. All the time. Without stopping. Help me make this verse the way I live... the way I choose to live my life. And, help me to actually do it and live it. 

Oh, how this is my heart's desire. Guide me, teach me, show me how, God.

Pray about everything... always giving thanks, Father, for what You have done. Everything. Always. Never stopping. 

Slowly, purposefully meditating, contemplating, and pondering the Word

Friday, March 13, 2015, Personal blessings and prayer journaling

I think one of the greatest errors we make with Your Word today, Lord, is rushing through it so we can check off the box and feel good about ourselves. There. We did it. Now, we can move on and do other (more) important things, or at least that is what our actions say.

Lord, that could be said about me far more often than I care to admit. However, I need to acknowledge this and try to change this.

Through the rushing through Your Word, through a Bible study or a yearly Bible reading, we do a grave disservice to Your Word. In rushing to make the checkmark of "done" in the real or imagined To Do box, we fail to fully think through Your Word. In doing so, we then misunderstand the Word and then fail to apply the Word correctly. We do not allow it to sink in and enjoy it. And, far more importantly, we fail to listen to You (fully) regarding Your Word, the Bible. Through these rushing failures or errors, we miss so much. We miss You and the fullness and abundant life You have planned for us.

Hence, Abba, I hope to glean as much out of the following verse as possible:

Philippians 4:6 New Living Translation (NLT)

6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I want to get as much as possible out of this verse, and all others, as possible. I want to make sure I listen to You, fully, about it and not rush off to the next few person, place, thing, or event that steals my attention.

Philippians 4:6 New Century Version (NCV)

6 Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.

New Century Version (NCV)

The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

(Edited last on March 16, 2015.)

My life of prayer and blessing

My prayer journaling about Philippians 4:6:

Lord, thank You for so patiently, and thoroughly, teaching me about this verse:

Philippians 4:6 GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
6 Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group

What I find interesting about Your Word, Lord, is how it takes on far more depth and meaning each time I read it. Philippians 4:6 is a prime example of this. I have read it repeatedly over the last two plus decades, for it is one of my favorites and is one I try to keep in mind and apply (live by). And I can honestly say that the verse means more to me, as far as my understanding, today than it ever has. The beauty is I know how with Your living Word, I will be able to say the same with this verse for the rest of my life. (This also shows why it is so important to be in the Bible and stay in the Bible through reading it repeatedly).

Thank You for this lesson and reminder, Lord. Thank You for the beauty of Your Word.

How is it best to live each day, in every moment? The answer is found here:

Philippians 4:6 New Living Translation (NLT)
6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I wish I lived this verse a great deal more than I do. I wished it became a true way of life and living. If I did, I would truly practice His presence and live in never-ending, unceasing prayer. My life would be a prayer of thanks and blessing.

Wow. Wonder of wonders.

Pause.

I am going to sit here for a moment and allow this to sink in more fully and thoroughly. I do not want to rush this moment.

Hah! I just realized the blog name You gave me: A Life of Thanks. A life of prayer and thanks. Philippians 4:6 comes around full circle and the meaning grows deeper.

​The truth of the journey

​The truth of the journey is this...

The truth is nothing in my life has turned out the way I hoped or expected.

Nothing has happened when I wanted it or in the way I wanted it.

I dream big dreams and they don't come true... haven't come true.

My schedule has never worked, nor has my planning.
Am I complaining or bemoaning? No. Not at all. I am stating fact.

Now, let me add this: Thank God.

Thank God none of this has happened. It has all been for the best. It has been according to His purpose and timing. To Him be all glory, honor, and praise.

Rather than get frustrated, freak out, feel anxious or have anxious thoughts, I am learning how Father God really does know best. His timing and plans are perfect, eternal, and far surpass mine. So, I go with the flow, try to not swim upstream, and try to allow God to have His way with me and my life. After all, hitting my head against the wall, throwing a temper tantrum, or feeling sad when things do not work out has never helped me or the situation.

This lesson has not come easy.

It's taken forty years of wrestling with God to get to this point and learn this lesson (and apply it).

I have learned I have no control, and frankly, do not want it. If I take the wheel, I make a mess of things and go the wrong way. I also fail to look around and enjoy the scenery and the moment.

This blog journal is my story and how I have gotten to this point, how I give thanks today, and want to count my blessings tomorrow. I want to be a blessings counter. This is how I want to live my life and enjoy wherever, whenever God leads.

I have learned that I need to do something so I keep myself from trying to take the wheel. Giving thanks and counting my blessings is what I do instead, and it has sure made things easier and far more enjoyable. After all, my life is not mine or about me. It is about Him. He allows me to live today for a reason. Counting my blessings is the key. The more I count, the more I see and hear God, and the sweeter of a journey He takes me.

Letting go and allowing God does not make for an easy journey, but is sure a blessed one, provided I look for the blessings and remember to count them. I try to take nothing and no one for granted.

A new blog

Welcome to my new blog, A LIFE OF THANKS.

It's a prayer journaling, spiritual memoir, blessings counted list, devotional, Christian Living blog. It's my journaling and my thoughts of faith in the world we live in today and how the Bible applies today.

A Life of Thanks is about counting my blessings, no matter what.

Blessings,

--Stacy Duplease

Email:
agodlyvision@gmail.com
rememberingyourpresent@gmail.com
Blogs:
http://alifeofthanks.blogspot.com
http://rypstories.blogspot.com
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire HDX Tablet