Thankful

Do you struggle with depression?
Loneliness?
Feeling sorry for yourself? your situation?
Can't get moving?
Negative thinking?

I hope you don't struggle with any of these things.
But, if sometimes you do...or ALL the time you do...please, read on! OR even if you don't, the following is for EVERYONE!!!
We go through many seasons in life--both good and bad. You are NOT alone!

As a wife of a military man, I find myself thinking negatively quite often.
Deployments do not get easier with time. In fact, I think they get harder every time.
And when all you see is the negative--OMGoodness!!! Negativity is an EASY road to follow, but
as Christ followers, we are to be like-minded as Him. Do you think He only sees the negative?
"Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus"-Philippians 2:5.

I really don't like my thought patterns at times and I have found myself allowing a thought to snowball into ideas that I should never think. My mind often drifts down the "what-if" road...The Bible says that we are to take captive every thought---especially these! "Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" 2 Corinthians 10:5.

So, the question is: "How do we change this pattern?"

Well, have I got a revelation for you!!!
Actually, it's not mine to give, but I would love to share it!
I recently read a book entitled "1,000 Gifts", by Ann Voskamp.
This is a book written in poetic prose about thanksgiving--not the holiday, but the act.
Being thankful.
In essence, this book is about a journey of thanksgiving, begun by a challenge to write 1,000 things she (the author) is thankful for.
It is an AWESOME read.

Can you think of 1,000 things you are thankful for?
The Bible is FILLED with verses addressing thanksgiving.
My favorite: "In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you"
-1 Thessalonians 5:18.
There are even verses talking about a "sacrifice of thanksgiving".
Are there times being thankful would actually be a sacrifice for you? A sacrifice of your time, maybe?

From "1,000 Gifts": The Greek word for "thanks" in this verse (1 Thess) is "eucharisteo". Eucharisteo means to be grateful, to show gratitude. The root word in eucharisteo is "charis", which means grace, gift, favour, pleasure. Charis is a derivitive of the Greek word "chara", which means JOY:)

Do you get it? JOY? Thanksgiving? Eucharisteo?
Can I get an AMEN???
Did you just have a light bulb moment? I certainly did the first time I read this book!!!

Give thanks!!!
God, thank you for your many blessings. Thank you for the warm sun on my face. Thank you for the roof over my family. Thank you for protecting my husband! Thank you for the rain! Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins! You owe me nothing---I owe you EVERYTHING!

I challenged my Bible study group to write some things they were thankful for as a military wife.
I wrote 100.
Some of the things I am thankful for (military wise) are strictly situationally related.
For instance, I am thankful for some places we have been, due to my husband traveling there and taking us with him; otherwise, these are places we never would have been able to go.
I hope you can find some inspiration from these:

1. Homecomings
2. meeting different people from all over the world
3. Camaraderie
4. sense of pride in not only my husband, but for what he stands for and fights for
5. New York City
6. Tucson
7. Tricare
8. BAH
9. Commissary
10. PX
11. block leave
12. my husband in uniform;)
13. stable income
14. housing
15. Family Readiness Group
16. tax free deployment pay
17. job security
18. being able to be a stay-at-home-mom
19. Post 9/11 G.I. Bill
20. Scholarships--MyCAA
21. Certification transferability
22. military discounts
23. our family has become more athletic
24. VA loans
25. USAA
26. My husband can attend college for free.
27. Backwards planning
28. skype
29. long-distance phone calls
30. hand-written letters
31. unexpected flower deliveries
32. TSP
33. Destin
34. Cabin #13
35. Marriage retreats
36. free tax services
37. screened in porches
38. sky diving
39. rocky mountain climbing (Yes, just like the Tim McGraw song--we did both of these:)
40. 5k
41. mud run
42. crossfit
43. retirement dreams
44. midnight talks
45. encouragement
46. the way John Denver's "God Bless the U.S.A." takes on a whole new meaning
47. motivation
48. being away from extended family--which has drawn us closer together
49. familiar faces
50. broadened vocabulary
51. history lessons
52. geography lessons
53. appreciation for where you came from...
54. Disney
55. 0500 coffee time:)
56. bonuses
57. retirement at such a young age
58. opportunities to begin again
59. trying new things
60. flying
61. museums
62. new rank
63. ceremonies
64. competitions
65. Christmases at home
66. Birthdays together
67. military style haircuts
68. chaplains
69. new friends
70. old friends
71. solitude (sometimes:)
72. freedom
73. endurance
74. the butterflies that I get in my belly when I see him for the first time, in a long time:)
75. clean shaven face
76. when I don't have to pump my own gas
77. hearing cadence
78. seeing a formation
79. flying a flag
80. my nice car
81. the bond shared between fellow military wives
82. dental insurance
83. survival skills
84. employment services
85. National Anthem
86. standing at attention
87. parachute's falling
88. absence making the heart grow fonder
89. discipline
90. schedules
91. graduations
92. demonstrations
93. finding your own way
94. confidence
95. three and four day weekends
96. the example he is setting for our children
97. honor
98. support
99. community
100. resiliency

Deployments suck. Separation from our spouses in any vicinity sucks, BUT there are things we can be thankful for during those times. Be thankful for time to grow closer to your family. Be thankful when the phone rings from overseas. Be thankful for the internet, that supplies the e-mails you will receive. Be thankful for the pay check that pays the internet bill! We can change our perspective:) Be thankful!