Heartfelt Gratitude | How to Give Thanks beyond November

What ever happened to heartfelt gratitude? You know, the kind of thankfulness that overflows from the heart.

Last week, my friend Lori and I were overwhelmed by all the gratitude posts we received to share as part of our Wake Up to Gratitude series. (Don’t worry if you missed it we’ll be doing it again soon). We were blown away by the responses and all the really good stuff written by these amazing Christian writers.

Lori shared some for her Moments of Hope Link-up as a way of counting our blessings before it’s too late. And I gathered together a round-up of inspiration of things to be grateful for.

Yet, even after the deadline passed the posts kept pouring in and I knew we had to share another round with you. Because, hey? Giving thanks shouldn’t be a one time thing, right? No, gratitude should be commonplace. An everyday kinda thing.

But truthfully, I can’t say that heartfelt gratitude is always present in my life.

And even more frankly speaking, sometimes giving thanks is just ‘blah’.

You see, in the Caribbean where I’m from, having good manners is a big thing. As a young child growing up I could get a good ‘talking to’ for not saying ‘Good morning’, ‘yes, please’ or ‘thank you’. And so these words became kind of standard. Maybe too commonplace.

It makes me wonder if we really stop to think about what we’re saying when we mindlessly mutter a rushed ‘thank you’.

How about you?

Are you giving thanks from the heart?

Or are you saying thanks because you know it’s the right and courteous thing to do?

Inspired by Heartfelt Gratitude 

I was moved (pun intended) by this post How to Move Toward Gratitude. As Laura recalled the ten lepers, I felt a nudge on my heart.

I wondered about how many times I’ve forgotten to say thanks. Am I like that one grateful leper who returned to give thanks? Or do I run off thankless in the crowd?

 

And on a good day when I remember my manners, do I pat myself on the back?

Do I rest satisfied with doing the right but with the wrong heart? Is my ‘thanks’ mere words or does my ‘thanks’ flow from a grateful heart? 

Food for thought, dear friend.

My Own Heartfelt Thank You

Oh, and while we’re talking about heartfelt gratitude, I pause here to give a very big, heartfelt shout-out to my fellow Christian writers, Sarah Geringer and Jaime Wiebel. Both Sarah and Jaime had good reasons to celebrate recently and chose to do so by hosting a giveaway. Wouldn’t you know it, I was the lucky winner for both giveaways!

What can I say? I’m just blown away by God’s goodness and His timing. The giveaway winners are electronically selected but I think God knew I needed the encouragement.  And, yes, I am extremely grateful. Thank you, Sarah and Jaime!

Now before you get overtaken by the green-eyed monster, please go ahead and stop by Sarah and Jaime’s blogs. I’m sure you’ll find some words of encouragement there and maybe you can even sign up for their next giveaway! 🙂

In the meantime, I pray that you will inspired to pursue heartfelt gratitude as you read the posts from our gratitude round-up below.

Inspiration for Living a Life of Heartfelt Gratitude 

I found these faith-filled posts both inspiring and uplifting.  I hope you will take some time to let them speak to your heart.

Gratitude: The Secret Ingredient by LeeAn G. Taylor, Embracing the Mosaic Life

How to Stay Content {or, Gratefulness is like a Patronus Charm} by Evelyn, Smallish Blog

A Thanksgiving Prayer – The Best Way to Start Your Day by Christine Drews, Digging Deeper with God

A New Kind of Thankful by Jessica, Inspire the Mom

Looking for Thanks in All the Wrong Places by Carlie Lake, From Dust Towards the Heavens

How to be Thankful When You Feel So Weary by Julie Loos, Unmasking the Mess

6 Biblical Characteristics of a Thankful Heart by Diana, Diana’s Diaries

 

Cultivating an Attitude of Thanksgiving by Lureta, Journeying by Faith

How to be Truly Thankful – 4 Tips to Develop Christian Gratitude by Christ-centered Mama

The Power of Gratefulness by Char, Trekking Thru

The Best Ways to Show You’re Grateful this Thanksgiving by Connie Bartlett, Bless Your High Heels. Plus don’t forget to grab her FREE 30 Days of Gratitude E-book while you’re there!

10 Reasons Why Being Grateful is Good for You by Deb Wolf, Counting My Blessings

Making Friends with Monsters by Christine, Living With Margins

Is Your Focus Inward or Upward this Season? by Rachel, Heart After God

Not Your Average Prayer of Gratitude from a Mom of Three by Corrine Niebell, Nurtured by Grace

Practicing Heartfelt Gratitude

If you’re looking for a challenge, or project, or some other way to practice heartfelt gratitude, check out these beautiful posts as well.

Thankful to Giving: A Family Project by Rachel Larson, The Well Place

Free 5-Day Gratitude Challenge by Katie McGowen, My Joy in Chaos

My Neighborhood: A Feast for the Senses by Carri, Down Aspen Lane

Showing Gratitude: Challenge by Karen, IAMKYT She is Divinely Sewn

The Thanksgiving Jar by Intentional Traditions

I pray you and those around you will be blessed by meaningful expressions of heartfelt gratitude.

I’ll be taking a break for Thanksgiving but rumor has it that my very popular Goals Planner will be released on Black Friday. So keep your eyes open for that. You can take a peak at the 2017 version of the Goals Planner to see what you can expect. I promise you this one will be even better.

Until next time,

Shine bright!

 

Wishing you blessings, 

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And if you’re looking for more encouraging and inspiring content, check out these amazing sites where I link up my weekly posts.