Expressing gratitude...

Today in my Advent reading I read about how the Israelites made covenants with and worshipped the false gods of the nations around them. As long as they continued in these wrong alliances, God would not, could not deliver them. They needed to repent and break these unholy agreements. 

This reading got me to thinking about how, with our mouths, we come into agreement with the unholy thoughts of the enemy. "This situation with never change." "I will always struggle with this."

"I will never get out of this." We are really good at expressing our doubts, fears and unbelief, but not so good at expressing our gratitude and declarations of God's faithfulness. Is it any wonder that we don't see the deliverance of God in our lives when we are living in a wrong alliance with the enemy through verbalizing his unholy thoughts?  Speak gratitude! Speak about God's faithfulness! Remember what God has done and watch what He will do!

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Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.

 I continue to count my thanks, 

piling up gratitude day by day in my journal.

(and capturing some of my blessings via my camera or iPhone)

#11,520-#11,542 

12-10-18-

-new glasses!

-staying home due to a cold, but it meant I got my Christmas cards done!

-God's faithfulness

12-11-18-

-good news about a dear friend's health

-a new look in our church foyer thanks to some creative ladies

-spicy chicken pad thai

12-12-18-

-Jesus, the Bread from Heaven

-feeling better from my cold

-our youngest daughter, her husband and our youngest grandson coming by

12-13-18-

-feeling well enough to go on my walk

-reading my husband's annual Christmas blessing over our family

-having my missionary brother and his wife, my sister and her husband 

and my older brother together for dinner and a visit

12-14-18-

-God speaking to my heart through my Advent reading

-my hubs helping me with prep for our leadership team dinner

-an early Christmas gathering with all our whole family 

before our second born and her family leaves town for two weeks

12-15-18-

-the prophecies that came to pass through Jesus' birth 

and those that will come to pass when He comes again

-classical Christmas music playing while I clean, cook 

and set tables for our church leadership team dinner

12-16-18-

-the third Sunday of Advent-JOY!

-what God is doing in and through us

-a wonderful evening with our leadership team

-encouraging texts

still following-