It’s the last day of the In Everything Give Thanks Challenge, which is kind of sad. This past month has been such a blessing to me in being able to give thanks to God together! And I hope that this challenge will do for you what it has done for me…to be reminded to make a habit of thanking God in ALL things – every day – and not just one time of the year.
Well, I have fallen behind the past few days, so I guess I’ll be doing a grand finale for this post with Day 28, 29, & 30.
My thankfuls for the past few days are…
[Sunday]
1. An encouraging message about faith and the greatness of Jesus.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” -Colossians 1:15-17
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” -John 1:1, 14
2. Getting to sing and play my favorite hymn – Be Thou My Vision.
3. Getting to worship alongside my grandparents and aunt at their church that evening.
4. Car ride conversations.
5. A powerful verse I read from Amos:
“For behold, He who forms mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth – the LORD God of hosts is His name.” -Amos 4:13
[Monday]
1. Some friends introducing me to a new song – All Glory Be To Christ, set to the tune of Auld Lang Syne.
2. Finally being able to play a certain Christmas piece all the way through without making too many mistakes. 🤗🎹
3. Online tutorials for when I put new strings on my sister’s violin.
4. Strong brothers who were willing to lend some muscle when a tuning peg got stuck. 😜
5. Our very first Christmas music practice! 🎶🌟🎻
[Tuesday]
1. A visit with an elderly friend on her birthday. 🥰
2. My dad being able to fix just about anything (this week it was plumbing). 🛠
3. This challenge and how it has helped me to be more mindful to give thanks in EVERYTHING. ❤️
4. All of YOU who joined me in the challenge this year! 🤗 It was so fun and encouraging to read all of your thankfuls.
5. The Christmas season that is coming up, and the opportunity it gives us to share Christ’s light with a world in darkness.
I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:18
sincerely-amanda.com 
It is hard to believe that this challenge is over… it is December 1st! These past few days I have been thankful for…
Sunday:
1. Struggles that bring me closer to God.
2. That the Holy Spirit- the Spirit of truth- is my Helper.
3. The beauty of lifting up praise to God with other believers with one voice!
4. A beautiful evening sky! ❤ The colors were so striking against the dark tree line- a soft yellow fading into a soft, evening blue.
5. My family, and that I get to do life with them. 😀
Monday:
1. "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." God's love is so great!!
2. A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent. This book is a gem!
3. The impromptu whistling duet Grace and I had at lunch today. 😀
4. A wonderfully long, sweet letter from a friend. ❤
5. That "His mercy endures forever"!!
Tuesday:
1. My sister for waking me up so I didn't sleep in. 😀
2. My cubby hole and little box where I can keep so many notebooks, journals, letters, special things, and my random possessions. 🙂
3. Getting everything checked off my to-do list today.
4. HAPPY MAIL!!
5. This challenge! Thank you, Amanda, for hosting it. It was so fun and encouraging!
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Hellooooooo ladies and Happy December!!! It is so hard to believe that we’re already through with November + our “In Everything Give Thanks” challenge!! A special “THANK YOU” to you, Amanda, for hosting this event and for inviting me! What a special joy to get to be a part with all of you ladies, and such a good reminder to daily remember our blessings!!❤️ And soooo, for my catch-up comment –
November 28th – I’m thankful for:
1. A wonderful convicting + thought-provoking time in studying God’s Word!
2. Convicting reminders that it is about my heart – am I GIVING my BEST to God ALWAYS? Is my treasure in my relationship with Him? “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
3. POWERFUL truths that when we ask, seek and knock, we can KNOW we will receive! I read a version which puts it this way…”continue asking, and it will be given to you. Keep on searching and you will find. Be knocking, and the door will open for you. You will receive, if you will always ask. You will find, if you will continue looking. And the door will open for you, if you will continue knocking.” (Matthew 7:7-8) Let’s keep looking to HIM in faith!
4. I am so thankful that His way – loving others, showing mercy + not focusing “on the speck in my brothers’ eye”, not worrying about tomorrow but seeking Him first, casting down arguments, high things, worries, etc. (2 Corinthians 10:5) – actually brings the most peace and JOY and blessings and abundant LIFE!!❤️
5. My Grandmom today (November 28th🙂) on her 90th birthday!! Praise the Lord! So thankful for the precious person that she is, for precious memories together, the ways her faith has obviously grown the past several years, her OPEN hospitality and “home away from home” for us, and her example of marriage to Grandad ALL of these ALMOST 70 years!!! Also that we share names!🤗
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I’m so glad you were able to be part of this challenge this year, Martha Joy! 🤗❤️ This is such a wonderful list! 🥰 Wow! Happy (now late) 90th birthday to your Grandmom! What a blessing that the Lord has allowed her to see that many years!
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November 29th – I’m thankful for –
1. Getting to enjoy making supper for my family this cozy evening!
2. God’s blessings on my brother’s business event today!
3. Having to learn patience this afternoon, which made me work on some other projects around the house while I waited to do what I was waiting to do.😀
4. That He has a PERFECT, loving, important plan + purpose for my life, which He is preparing, molding and shaping me for! All prepared in His perfect time!❤️ “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.” Psalm 139:16-18
5. The POWERFUL reminder of Ephesians 1:19-21! That He works the SAME POWER in me!! “and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”❤️
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November 30th – I’m thankful for –
1. A STILL, QUIET night, gorgeous starry sky, and a reminder that He is with me!❤️
2. A FULL, busy work day!!
3. This evening of a special meal prepared by my sister, and later a fun sister exercise workout together!😀
4. Sisters in Christ!! Thinking of a couple in particular, but then my list just grows!!🥰 Thankful we can share our hearts and how they encourage me towards HIM!!
5. He is our Shepherd! What would I do otherwise? Thankful He cares for His little lamb and guides and loves me on this journey!❤️ Blessed by Psalm 23, Luke 12:32, and Ezekiel 34:14-16, 31.
Let’s press onward and upward, dear sisters in Christ, on this journey, knowing that our Shepherd does not leave us alone! May we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, the Author and the Finisher of our FAITH, and run with purpose and endurance the race that God has called us to!!❤️
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Thank you for this encouraging list, Martha Joy!! 😍 #5 is such a good reminder! So thankful for our kind, loving Shepherd.
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I know this post/challenge was quite a while back, but I thought I’d leave you a comment to let you know that I was encouraged by your blog, and reading through your thanksgiving challenge and was challenged by the challenge. 🙂 That is, challenged to keep making an effort to give thanks every day and choose to have that sort of attitude as well (because it is a truthful attitude)! God Bless, Joleen Waltman
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Thanks for your comment! I’m so glad to hear that the blog has been an encouragement to you and that you were “challenged by the challenge”. 😁 And now I have to say “thank you” for reminding me of the importance of maintaining a grateful heart each day, even in the midst of discouragements. It is so easy to forget to do that from day to day. ❤️
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Yes, it is easy to forget. I think this is one of the key things in my life that God has shown me He wants me to make an effort in. I will often in the middle of the day realize that my attitude is either complaining or at least not having the attitude of confidence in God that I see portrayed in the Bible (especially in Jesus toward His Father). I love to see Caleb’s confidence in God when he said to his people (who were full of fear of the giants) “We should by all means go up [to take the promised land], for we are WELL ABLE to take it!”
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