Thankfulness.

  A thankful attitude can change everything. I don't know if any of you ever read the PollyAnna books when you were little, but PollyAnna was one of my favorite book's growing up as a child. It's a book that was written in 1913 by Eleanor H. Porter, and depicts the childhood of an extremely positive little girl whose name is PollyAnna. PollyAnna always looks for the silver lining on every cloud. No matter what tragedy may happen to her, she always finds one good thing about it. 

 So, I have been thinking about PollyAnna a lot lately, because honestly my life has been a little stressful recently. I am insanely busy, and I feel like I never have time to give one hundred percent at anything I'm doing, which is really frustrating. I'm taking 15hrs this semester, working a job, forming a people groups team with Muslim immigrants through NAMB, and trying to squeak in a social life.  I have a lot on my plate. I just found out that I flunked one exam I recently had..which I studied really hard for. The professor is thankfully going to have a tutoring session with me and then raise my grade to passing..but, I was really frustrated, I may have even leaked a tear or two later on, when by myself, over it. (I'm a cry baby). 

  I am nearing the end of my sophomore year of college, and I have no clue what I want to do with my life. All my friends are doing exciting things, and have figured out what direction they are headed, but I am floundering miserably.My hours have been getting cutting at work, because of lack of business, which makes things a little tight financially for a student paying their own way through college, and the list goes on...

So...long story short, My life feels rather full of clouds lately, and silver linings feel as though they take binoculars to see sometimes. However, in the midst of all of it I am working on trying to not worry, or stress, but instead, stay positive and thankful. I've been meditating on is this verse,  its says..

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving make your requests known to God , and the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6 

Here are a few things I have been thinking about in regards to this verse. First of all it commands us not to be anxious. which means anxiety and worry is a sin. When we worry we are disobeying the Bible and showing a blatant distrust in God and His providence. We are saying that we don't trust him to take care of us, to provide for us, or to be our all in all. 

Then we are supposed to with thanksgiving, make our requests known. I'm pretty good about making my requests known..but with thanksgiving? What does that even mean? I have been dwelling on that question and  I think it means, that in the midst of admitting our needs to God, we also need to thank God for the things we have. THEN the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds..

 Thinking positively, finding the things you do have, not just what you don't have will change your mindset. You might be stressed, and worried, and feel like life is out of control. And its the human thing to think about and dwell on negative circumstances..it makes us feel like we have control. However, all it really does is stress us out more, and of course our minds and hearts have no peace. So, instead we need to take every thought captive and choose to spend time not looking at the negative circumstances around us but instead spend some time in thankfulness.

Thinking about our negative circumstances doesn't give us control anyways, so why stress ourselves out? Instead trust God with the negative and focus on the positive. When we do this our perspective changes from one of whining, to one of thankfulness, joy, and peace. 

So..here are my ten things that I am thankful for today 

1) I have food-when millions of people around the world don't have any. 

2) I have Christ's forgiveness- something that can never be taken from me. 

3) I have access to clean water, and hot water-After living in India for 5 months without both, I realize what a blessing these things are. 

4) Not knowing what I want in life is forcing me to rely on God more, and to discover the passions and talents he has given me- my character is being built. 

5) I have a wonderful boyfriend, and great friends that encourage and love me even when things are difficult. 

6) I have a warm house to live in this winter when its cold outside-when there are lots of homeless who don't. 

7) My parents are happily married- lots of people can't say that about their parents. 

8) I am healthy

9) I am in the middle of becoming a member of a great church, that teaches the gospel and encourages me every Sunday.

10) I have a Job-lots of people don't right now. 

So..take some time and think about the silver linings, in your life. What do you have to be thankful for?