Archive for the ‘Expressing Gratitude’ tag
Remember and be thankful
REMEMBER AND BE THANKFUL
by Pastor Leon Fontaine
Being thankful is synonymous with being happy.
People who make it a daily practice to be thankful for all that God has done for them have a way of attracting quality relationships and excellent opportunities into their life. They exude an uplifting and infectious attitude that is inspiring to others and seem to handle problems with greater ease and happiness.
Then there are those who have lost their attitude of thankfulness, or perhaps never developed one, and repel others with their cynical attitude and negative predictions. They struggle to keep good friends and seem to always be creating unfortunate circumstances for themselves and others. They mistakenly believe they would be more happy and thankful if only they had a reason to be, and they fail to understand itÂ’s not circumstance, but rather attitude, that sets them apart from those who are happier.
In reality, there are plenty of reasons for everyone to be unhappy in this world, but many people choose a better route by deciding to develop an attitude of thankfulness.
Here are a few more thoughts about thankfulness:
1. Thankfulness keeps peace in your life. Good fortune does not always translate into a peaceful, happy existence. In fact, the Bible warns about guarding your heart in times of prosperity because that is when it becomes easy to take things for granted, become proud and lose an attitude of thankfulness, which ultimately leads to poor choices and unhappiness. Regardless of the season youÂ’re in, a thankful attitude and an ability to convey thankfulness will lead to lasting joy.
2. Everything in your life that is good comes from God. Develop, on purpose, an attitude of thankfulness by expressing gratitude each day to Him for the good things in your life, whether itÂ’s your health, your family, career, opportunities or whatever else God has blessed you with. When you fail to practice an attitude of being thankful, you run the risk of gravitating towards negative topics in life and begin thinking, dwelling and talking about all thatÂ’s wrong in the world. But when you practice giving thanks to God for the goodness in your life, you won't become an unhappy pessimist because youÂ’ll be in habit of practicing thankfulness and will automatically retain your joy.
3. In order to increase your blessings in life, you must be truly thankful for what you already have. You will ultimately lose what you arenÂ’t thankful for. ItÂ’s not enough to feel thankfulness; you need to express the feeling in the way you treat others. Find a way each day to show the people around you how thankful you are for the goodness in your life, whether itÂ’s by doing your work with a smile or going out of your way to do something nice for another person. When youÂ’re thankful, youÂ’ll experience God's presence in your life like never before. Give thanks to Him in every circumstance and show appreciation to others and you'll be amazed at the miracles released in your life.
by Pastor Leon Fontaine
Being thankful is synonymous with being happy.
People who make it a daily practice to be thankful for all that God has done for them have a way of attracting quality relationships and excellent opportunities into their life. They exude an uplifting and infectious attitude that is inspiring to others and seem to handle problems with greater ease and happiness.
Then there are those who have lost their attitude of thankfulness, or perhaps never developed one, and repel others with their cynical attitude and negative predictions. They struggle to keep good friends and seem to always be creating unfortunate circumstances for themselves and others. They mistakenly believe they would be more happy and thankful if only they had a reason to be, and they fail to understand itÂ’s not circumstance, but rather attitude, that sets them apart from those who are happier.
In reality, there are plenty of reasons for everyone to be unhappy in this world, but many people choose a better route by deciding to develop an attitude of thankfulness.
Here are a few more thoughts about thankfulness:
1. Thankfulness keeps peace in your life. Good fortune does not always translate into a peaceful, happy existence. In fact, the Bible warns about guarding your heart in times of prosperity because that is when it becomes easy to take things for granted, become proud and lose an attitude of thankfulness, which ultimately leads to poor choices and unhappiness. Regardless of the season youÂ’re in, a thankful attitude and an ability to convey thankfulness will lead to lasting joy.
2. Everything in your life that is good comes from God. Develop, on purpose, an attitude of thankfulness by expressing gratitude each day to Him for the good things in your life, whether itÂ’s your health, your family, career, opportunities or whatever else God has blessed you with. When you fail to practice an attitude of being thankful, you run the risk of gravitating towards negative topics in life and begin thinking, dwelling and talking about all thatÂ’s wrong in the world. But when you practice giving thanks to God for the goodness in your life, you won't become an unhappy pessimist because youÂ’ll be in habit of practicing thankfulness and will automatically retain your joy.
3. In order to increase your blessings in life, you must be truly thankful for what you already have. You will ultimately lose what you arenÂ’t thankful for. ItÂ’s not enough to feel thankfulness; you need to express the feeling in the way you treat others. Find a way each day to show the people around you how thankful you are for the goodness in your life, whether itÂ’s by doing your work with a smile or going out of your way to do something nice for another person. When youÂ’re thankful, youÂ’ll experience God's presence in your life like never before. Give thanks to Him in every circumstance and show appreciation to others and you'll be amazed at the miracles released in your life.
Live and Let Live?
I let a sponsee go this morning.
I realize that I am not her marriage counsellor, therapist, financial advisor, etc, but could no longer look the other way:
She is in a Big Book study with me and didn't go to our first meeting because of previous plans. No problem. This week she says she doesn't want to commit because she wants to get a job. I had already dropped her homework off at her house this morning when I couldn't reach her. It turns out that she met a guy in a restaurant yesterday and went home with him. She wants to stay the night again. I'm not sure if she is drinking.
Upon reflection, I see that she has only gone to those meetings where I gave her a ride. She lives 5 minutes from me and has no vehicle or licence. She hasn't gone to a meeting for about 10 days now.
I had formed a friendship with this girl and really enjoyed spending time together. It felt good to see her sharing at meetings, connecting with others, and expressing gratitude for a sober life.
But .. I am judging her. Guilty as charged. I don't like the way she is conducting herself, while knowing it is none of my business.
Pushing that stuff aside though, when it comes down to recovery, I'm not willing to work harder than my sponsee. I'll do whatever I can to help another alcoholic, but not if they aren't willing to pull their weight.
Am I being too hard on her?
I realize that I am not her marriage counsellor, therapist, financial advisor, etc, but could no longer look the other way:
She is in a Big Book study with me and didn't go to our first meeting because of previous plans. No problem. This week she says she doesn't want to commit because she wants to get a job. I had already dropped her homework off at her house this morning when I couldn't reach her. It turns out that she met a guy in a restaurant yesterday and went home with him. She wants to stay the night again. I'm not sure if she is drinking.
Upon reflection, I see that she has only gone to those meetings where I gave her a ride. She lives 5 minutes from me and has no vehicle or licence. She hasn't gone to a meeting for about 10 days now.
I had formed a friendship with this girl and really enjoyed spending time together. It felt good to see her sharing at meetings, connecting with others, and expressing gratitude for a sober life.
But .. I am judging her. Guilty as charged. I don't like the way she is conducting herself, while knowing it is none of my business.
Pushing that stuff aside though, when it comes down to recovery, I'm not willing to work harder than my sponsee. I'll do whatever I can to help another alcoholic, but not if they aren't willing to pull their weight.
Am I being too hard on her?
