Giving Thanks Challenge 2024

In November I participate in a Giving Thanks Challenge where I post one thing I’m thankful for each day. I like to read over these from year to year and also enjoy reading what others post. Join me! Being thankful is important for every day not just on Thanksgiving.

Day 1: I’m thankful today for good salad bar and laughter (because of a cricket 🦗).

Day 2: I’m thankful today for time at the deer lease 🦌 and the memories for these brothers.

Day 3: I’m thankful for the beautiful rainbow we saw.

Day 4: I’m thankful to hear the sound of the rain falling.

Day 5: I’m thankful to be able to go vote on a beautiful fall morning in small town Texas and hear the chimes at the Methodist church downtown playing “I Love To Tell The Story.”

Day 6: I’m thankful I found the misplaced checks that I was depositing from a PTO fundraiser and that the fundraiser was a success! 💰

Day 7: I’m thankful for quilting time on Thursday mornings. I love this hobby and my teacher!

Day 8: I’m thankful for our school and staff. It’s great to witness the care they have for the students and how they all work together to teach the students and also celebrate them.

Day 9: I’m thankful for Saturdays without plans.

Day 10: I’m thankful for our church family and the new people I’ve met so far that are joining us. Special day at our church!

Day 11: I’m thankful for a pretty afternoon walk at the park.

Day 12: I’m thankful for our ladies Bible class and what those ladies mean to me.

Day 13: I’m thankful I could help at the book fair at school this morning!

Day 14: I’m thankful we could go to a fun event at the school together… walking at the track followed by supper provided by the bank, then looking at book fair and seeing the students’ projects on a book they had read.

Day 15: I’m thankful for Caleb. I’m blessed to have him for my son for so many reasons. I’m also thankful that I got to have lunch with him today.

Day 16: I’m thankful for meeting for lunch with family including cousins, uncle and aunts. It was nice to see everyone I haven’t seen in a while.

Day 17: I’m thankful for food to eat, clothes to wear, and our vehicles.

Day 18: I’m thankful I could hear the presentation by the B... family with TxDOT at the school sharing their daughter’s story.

Day 19: I’m thankful for my husband and his love, support, and friendship. Also for our tradition of Tuesday lunch dates.

Day 20: I’m thankful to have Sydney for my “daughter in love.” She is a blessing to our family. I’m thankful Caleb chose her as his wife and for her love and support of him. Also she’s a sweet big sis to Titus.

Day 21: I’m thankful that Titus is my son. He has such a sweet,caring heart. He always knows when I need a smile or hug and I love that about him. I’m thankful we could have lunch at the Thanksgiving feast at school too with him.

Day 22: I’m thankful for friends that keep in touch.

Day 23: I’m thankful for our traditional P.... family Thanksgiving get together. And our cousin picture!

Day 24: I’m thankful for pretty weather and my favorite tea at HTeaO.

Day 25: I’m thankful for a nice day at home with Titus for chores.

Day 26: I’m thankful to have Titus along with me for my errands and for calls from Caleb.

Day 27: I’m thankful for family, good food, and being together.

Day 28: I read this quote this morning and have pondered it today. My heart is full of gratitude for our family and the joy it brings to have our old traditions and to be making new ones. Happy Thanksgiving!

Day 29: I’m thankful for the beauty of nature…animals, stars, fall leaves.

Day 30: I’m thankful for the hope I have because if Jesus.

Have a day of blessings! 

 Bethany

Book + Journal review!

About the book:

Adopt a lifestyle of thanksgiving with the help of this inspiring book and discover that no matter how messy life gets, God will make it good.

Each moment that you’re given is a precious gift from God. You can choose to have a thankful attitude and live each moment full of joy, simply because God is good. In The Power of Thank You, renowned Bible teacher and #1 New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer encourages us to take a look at ourselves and the importance of being thankful.
 
Living life with a heart of gratitude for who God is and what He has done lifts your burdens and allows you to see everything in a different light. Regularly giving thanks to God not only helps you fully realize how He’s working in your life, it gives you a new perspective—your mind is renewed, your attitude is improved, and you're filled with joy.
 
Things will certainly happen to you that don’t seem fair, and it’s much easier to make excuses and feel sorry for yourself. Keep saying, “I trust You, God, and I believe You will work it all out for my good.” If you find The Power of Thank You in every situation, truly believing that God is working everything out for your good, you will end up with the victory every single time.

About the journal:

Find your own gratitude attitude with this helpful journal inspired by the teachings in The Power of Thank You and discover that no matter how messy life gets, God will make it good.

Living life with a heart of gratitude for who God is and what He has done lifts your burdens and allows you to see everything in a different light. Regularly giving thanks to God not only helps you fully realize how He’s working in your life, it gives you a new perspective—your mind is renewed, your attitude is improved, and you're filled with joy.

Things will certainly happen to you that don’t seem fair, and it’s much easier to make excuses and feel sorry for yourself. By using the characteristics outlined in The Power of Thank You, this journal gives women a place to write out their praises, concerns, prayers, and thanksgivings, and the beautiful four-color interior design makes My Thank You Journal a stunning and extraordinary gift for any time of year.

Keep saying, “I trust You, God, and I believe You will work it all out for my good.” If you find The Power of Thank You in every situation, truly believing that God is working everything out for your good, you will end up with the victory every single time.

My thoughts:

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you should know that thankfulness is important to me.  I was glad to read this book focusing on thankfulness by Joyce Meyer.  The Bible has a lot to tell us about being thankful. It can be life changing if you take the time to be truly thankful in life. As Joyce says in the book...."Why be grumpy when you can be grateful?"  This book is a reminder of why thankfulness is important and how it can change your life.

The journal is a nice addition to the book for you to record your own thankfulness.  I like that it has thankful quotes and verses at the top or bottom of each lined page.  The journal is meant to be a reminder to you of God's provision, care, and blessing in your life.

 I enjoy Joyce's writing style and recommend this book to you. Buy the book and journal together for a nice gift for yourself or a friend.

I received a copy of this book and journal from Hachette book group for my honest review.  Thank you.

Have a day of blessings!

 Bethany

Book: 100 days of thanks

About the book:

Focus on the things that bring you joy with 100 Days of Thanks. Short inspirational readings, space to record your thoughts, and brief Scripture references in a high-designed four-color gift book will help you find a peaceful, happier life.

The rush of a busy schedule, a barrage of disheartening news stories, and the wear and tear of everyday life can be enough to drag anyone down. Simply pausing to recognize and express thanks for the good gifts that surround you has proven to make a major difference in happiness, peace, and contentment.

100 Days of Thanks, a beautifully designed inspirational book of short readings, Scripture verses, and journaling space is the perfect tool to promote Christian mindfulness and gratitude. Whether you are looking for a thoughtful gift to encourage a loved one or a simple tool to create a habit of thankfulness, this lovely little book is a wonderful place to start.

Take a few moments out of your day to be grateful and feel your burdens get a little lighter, starting today.

My thoughts:
This book has been just wonderful to read each day.  I have really enjoyed the short devotional thoughts and questions asked to get you thinking how to apply the thought to your own life. 

This little book is beautifully done. The first thing I liked was its size.  The photos throughout really add to the beauty of the book in my opinion. It has a bookmark to keep your place as you read each day.  I found the devotionals gave me a new perspective and caused me to think about being grateful for many new things in my life. (And purple being my favorite color added to my enjoyment of the book!)

I recommend this book.  It would make a nice gift for a friend.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Have a day of blessings! 
Bethany

2010 Book #3: Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

I have finished Choosing Gratitude Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. What a wonderful book to read at the beginning of a new year!

In this book Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes of the transforming power of gratitude in our lives. Because of the grace we've been given, gratitude should be evident in us. The purpose of this book is to show how we can have a lifestyle of gratitude and how this will change our lives as we become grateful people. She writes about reasons we need to be grateful and how we can show our gratitude. At the end she also includes a 30 day devotional guide to put into practice the things she talks about in the book.

This book was a pleasure to read and I highly recommend it to you. I really gained a lot by reading it and want to share it with others. I also look forward to reading other books by this author.

Thank you to Moody Publishers for providing this book for review.

Have a day of blessings!