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It's a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.
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Germany Kent
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Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.
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Henry Clay
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Take time daily to reflect on how much you have. It may not be all that you want but remember someone somewhere is dreaming to have what you have.
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Germany Kent
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Spread love. Hug the people you care about and make sure they know that you care and appreciate them. Make it known to your friends and family that you love them.
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Germany Kent
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Let us give thanks for our shadows
for they are there in the first place
because of the presence of light.
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Kamand Kojouri
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It is impossible to lose everything and still be alive.
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Mokokoma Mokhonoana
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Father God, we thank you for your grace and your mercy, for allowing us to be together under your covenant and God we thank you for the revelations and for the breakthroughs; for your direction and for your healing. We thank you God for the opportunity to just be a vessel for your kingdom. God we trust you, we love you, we honor you, and all glory is yours. Amen
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Germany Kent
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The road to happiness starts with a deep breath and an awareness of the many blessings tied to that single breath.
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Richelle E. Goodrich (Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year)
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Soul Mate
When we are born, the soul we are given is split apart and half of it is given to someone else. Throughout our lives, we search for the person with the other half of our soul. Very few ever succeed.
I am blessed that we have met. In a sudden moment, warm within your loving glare, my soul said, “At last! I can rest. I have found my missing half.” When this happens, it is said we have found our soul mate. We are happy and at peace. When we shared ourselves, we were engulfed in eternity, dancing in a timeless universe. I am truly blessed because that day, my heart recognized you as a part of its own.
Thank you for blessing me with you. Thank you for dreaming with me - for seeing the same future as I do. For your beautiful eyes, reminding me of the truest bliss in life. I am forever grateful for you.
I will spend an eternity loving you, caring for you, respecting you, showing you every day that I hold you as high as the stars.
I am sorry that it’s taken me this long to find you – I shall make it up to you, my flower, as long as we live.
I love you!
”
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Steve Maraboli (Life, the Truth, and Being Free)
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The very quality of your life, whether you love it or hate it, is based upon how thankful you are toward God. It is one's attitude that determines whether life unfolds into a place of blessedness or wretchedness. Indeed, looking at the same rose bush, some people complain that the roses have thorns while others rejoice that some thorns come with roses. It all depends on your perspective.
This is the only life you will have before you enter eternity. If you want to find joy, you must first find thankfulness. Indeed, the one who is thankful for even a little enjoys much. But the unappreciative soul is always miserable, always complaining. He lives outside the shelter of the Most High God.
Perhaps the worst enemy we have is not the devil but our own tongue. James tells us, "The tongue is set among our members as that which . . . sets on fire the course of our life" (James 3:6). He goes on to say this fire is ignited by hell. Consider: with our own words we can enter the spirit of heaven or the agonies of hell!
It is hell with its punishments, torments and misery that controls the life of the grumbler and complainer! Paul expands this thought in 1 Corinthians 10:10, where he reminds us of the Jews who "grumble[d] . . . and were destroyed by the destroyer." The fact is, every time we open up to grumbling and complaining, the quality of our life is reduced proportionally -- a destroyer is bringing our life to ruin!
People often ask me, "What is the ruling demon over our church or city?" They expect me to answer with the ancient Aramaic or Phoenician name of a fallen angel. What I usually tell them is a lot more practical: one of the most pervasive evil influences over our nation is ingratitude!
Do not minimize the strength and cunning of this enemy! Paul said that the Jews who grumbled and complained during their difficult circumstances were "destroyed by the destroyer." Who was this destroyer? If you insist on discerning an ancient world ruler, one of the most powerful spirits mentioned in the Bible is Abaddon, whose Greek name is Apollyon. It means "destroyer" (Rev. 9:11). Paul said the Jews were destroyed by this spirit. In other words, when we are complaining or unthankful, we open the door to the destroyer, Abaddon, the demon king over the abyss of hell!
In the Presence of God
Multitudes in our nation have become specialists in the "science of misery." They are experts -- moral accountants who can, in a moment, tally all the wrongs society has ever done to them or their group. I have never talked with one of these people who was happy, blessed or content about anything. They expect an imperfect world to treat them perfectly.
Truly, there are people in this wounded country of ours who need special attention. However, most of us simply need to repent of ingratitude, for it is ingratitude itself that is keeping wounds alive! We simply need to forgive the wrongs of the past and become thankful for what we have in the present.
The moment we become grateful, we actually begin to ascend spiritually into the presence of God. The psalmist wrote,
"Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. . . . Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 100:2, 4-5).
It does not matter what your circumstances are; the instant you begin to thank God, even though your situation has not changed, you begin to change. The key that unlocks the gates of heaven is a thankful heart. Entrance into the courts of God comes as you simply begin to praise the Lord.
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Francis Frangipane
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My soul is exceedingly joyful.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
I cannot imagine how much I must’ve suffered in my previous lives to be fortunate enough to have parents like you in this life.
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Kamand Kojouri
“
Life is always beautiful when we focus on the greatness of our God.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
Gratitude is the antidote for misery. When you are counting your blessings you are too busy to be counting your problems.
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Miya Yamanouchi (Embrace Your Sexual Self: A Practical Guide for Women)
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If you have life and good health, you have the greatest blessings.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Count Your Blessings And Not Your Depressings
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John M Sheehan
“
Our roots run deep and are strong to the core.
I am proud to see women taking a stand. Many times, we have been fallen warriors; there have been plenty of times we have been wounded warriors, but we are still standing. We are standing up for our rights. We are standing up for a cause. We are standing up for movements that empower us to be heard, respected and appreciated!
We are bold!
We are courageous!
We are thankful!
We are grateful!
We are blessed!
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Charlena E. Jackson (A Woman's Love Is Never Good Enough)
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If you’re reading this you’re already blessed, not that you’re receiving something special, it’s more that you have the existence of sight aiding you. Take a moment to be thankful for what you’ve received, and I’m not speaking in the materialistic vain, but rather for what we undervalue. Be grateful for your ability to take that first breath every morning, to place both feet on the ground and stand, be thankful… Be thankful for the people in your life right this very moment, and those that communicate with you via the internet. Be thankful for the time already spent on this planet, and for what’s to come.
I’d like you to stop whatever it is you’re doing this very second, and take a moment for self reflection. That unexpected jolt of reality that life hit’s us with during a crisis or when accolades are given is powerful. None of that is happening right now, so this is the time to show gratitude, and share a moment with no one else but you. Just take a moment and be thankful.
What am I most thankful for?... I’m most thankful for doing the best I can with what I’ve got, because I’m cradled in blessings.
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Fayton Hollington (Conception of a Dialysis Patient (the Untold Truths))
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Thank God for His daily blessings.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Be thankful that you have clothes to wear, food to eat and a place to sleep.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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To live, to truly live, one must consider each and every thing a blessing.
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Kamand Kojouri
“
But there was always a shortfall, wasn't there? Between the match that the Holy One, blessed be He, envisioned and the reality of the situation under the chuppah. Between commandment and observance, heaven and earth, husband and wife, Zion and Jew. They called that shortfall 'the world.' Only when Messiah came would the breach be closed, all separations, distinctions, and distances collapsed. Until then, thanks be unto His Name, sparks, bright sparks, might leap across the gap, as between electric poles. And we must be grateful for their momentary light.
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Michael Chabon (The Yiddish Policemen's Union)
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To wake up every morning is miracle. To make a good use of every day is an appreciation of miracle. To waste the entire hours of each day is ungratefulness towards a miracle already given and received!
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Israelmore Ayivor (Leaders' Watchwords)
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The mind is inclined to zoom in on your problem, or few problems, to an extend that you cannot see your many blessings.
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Mokokoma Mokhonoana
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Find much to be grateful for in every day. Doing so will not only enrich your life, it will bless those around you in ways you may never know.
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Richelle E. Goodrich (Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year)
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We joyfully pray with grateful heart’s to welcome blessings in New Year.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Inner peace is a sacred blessing
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Count your summers, not your winters.
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Matshona Dhliwayo
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If you don't take inventory of your blessings, ingratitude will try to steal them from you.
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Matshona Dhliwayo
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Always grateful, forever blessed.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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So thankful, forever blessed.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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We ought to be thankful not only for what we have but also for what we do not have.
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Mokokoma Mokhonoana
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To savor the simple privilege that every day I have a sunrise to bathe in, a storehouse of opportunities to romp through, the thick wrap of relationships to keep me warm, a God who meticulously tends to every detail round about me, and it all costs me not a dime. What madness would keep me from being eternally thankful for all that?
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Craig D. Lounsbrough
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All deaf people would kill for an opportunity to spend the entire day listening to sober adults whine.
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Mokokoma Mokhonoana
“
If people begin to be more grateful, they will see the wonders of life.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Never live a day without saying ‘Thank you’ to God.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Heavenly Father, thank you for the blessing that you bestow upon me daily.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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My greatest privilege is being married to a gentle loving husband. I am very grateful God made our path cross.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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Gratitude is often caused not by gain but by loss.
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Mokokoma Mokhonoana
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Gratitude is a blessed act.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Life, time and nature are the three greatest gifts to mankind.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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If you woke up tomorrow to only the things you've expressed your gratitude for today, then what would be missing from your life in the morning?
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Nanette Mathews
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We have been blessed with the privilege to live life. May we live to the fullness.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Overflowing thanksgiving; glorious grandeur!
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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I know what it is to have nothing and plenty.
Always count your blessing and be grateful.
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Lailah Gifty Akita
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Thank the past for all the lessons it taught you; anticipate the future for all the blessings it has in store for you.
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Matshona Dhliwayo
“
So thankful, so grateful.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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A thankful heart
is the key to overflowing joy.
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Human Angels (365 Wisdom Pills: Your daily dose of angelic wisdom (365 Days Of Inspiration and Blessings))
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True gratitude is about the ordinary.
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Anthon St. Maarten
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You are not blessed until you recognize that you are blessed.
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Toyin Omofoye
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A daily written thankful gratitude is a heavenly blessing.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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My arms are wide open to all of the blessings that are coming my way. I fully accept them with immense gratitude.
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Robin S. Baker
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Critics work for you;
they reveal your weaknesses.
Critics work against you;
they envy your strengths.
Wisdom works for you;
it counters your weaknesses.
Faith works for you;
it increases your strengths.
Forgive those who hurt you;
compassion is the offspring of blessings.
Love those who hate you;
love is the offspring of great blessings.
Be grateful for whatever you have;
much is made from little.
Be grateful for the plenty you have;
thankfulness makes room for more.
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Matshona Dhliwayo
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Lord I thank you for the gift of breath, eyes to see, ears to hear, tongue to taste, nose to smell; mouth to speak, face to smile, voice to sing, body to dance, legs to walk, mind to think and hands to write.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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Today, I choose not to take my life for granted.
I choose not to look upon the fact that I am healthy, have food in my refrigerator and have clean water to drink as givens. They are not givens for so many people in our world. The fact that I am safe and (relatively) sane are not givens. That I was born into a family who loves me and into a country not ravaged by war are not givens. It is impossible to name all of the circumstances in my life I've taken for granted. All of the basic needs I've had met, all of the friendships and job opportunities and financial blessings and the list, truly, is endless. The fact that I am breathing is a miracle, one I too rarely stop to appreciate.
I'm stopping, right now, to be grateful for everything I am and everything I've been given. I'm stopping, right now, to be grateful for every pleasure and every pain that has contributed to the me who sits here and writes these words.
I am thankful for my life. This moment is a blessing. Each breath a gift. That I've been able to take so much for granted is a gift, too. But it's not how I want to live—not when gratitude is an option, not when wonder and awe are choices.
I choose gratitude. I choose wonder. I choose awe. I choose everything that suggests I'm opening myself to the miraculous reality of simply being alive for one moment more.
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Scott Stabile
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The Prayer Process 1. Gratitude: Begin by thanking God in a personal dialogue for whatever you are most grateful for today. 2. Awareness: Revisit the times in the past twenty-four hours when you were and were not the-best-version-of-yourself. Talk to God about these situations and what you learned from them. 3. Significant Moments: Identify something you experienced today and explore what God might be trying to say to you through that event (or person). 4. Peace: Ask God to forgive you for any wrong you have committed (against yourself, another person, or him) and to fill you with a deep and abiding peace. 5. Freedom: Speak with God about how he is inviting you to change your life, so that you can experience the freedom to be the-best-version-of-yourself. 6. Others: Lift up to God anyone you feel called to pray for today, asking God to bless and guide them. 7. Finish by praying the Our Father.
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Matthew Kelly (The Four Signs of A Dynamic Catholic: How Engaging 1% of Catholics Could Change the World)
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After witnessing the inauguration ceremonies, I am compelled to state how deeply grateful and infinitely thankful and eternally blessed I am to and by God for the privilege of being born and for living out my life in this amazing country- The United States of America
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R. Alan Woods (The Journey Is the Destination: A Book of Quotes With Commentaries)
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Great Universe,
Thank you for my many blessings.
I thank you for the food I eat,
The roof over my head,
The comforts I enjoy,
The family that supports me,
The friends who love me,
And the health I enjoy.
May I always be grateful for these blessings and all others.
”
”
Arin Murphy-Hiscock (The Witch's Book of Self-Care: Magical Ways to Pamper, Soothe, and Care for Your Body and Spirit)
“
Do you know the first thing Jesus did with that meager offering? He looked up to heaven and gave thanks to God for the little he was given by the boy. I wonder what it was like for that boy to see his meager meal held up to the heavens by the hands of a grateful Jesus. Jesus, of course, knew it wasn’t going to remain little, that it was about to be multiplied into great abundance. But let’s not miss this moment. The Son of God, holding our offering up to Almighty God and blessing it with his thanks! Remember Kalli, unable to imagine what she could possibly do to help but volunteering anyway? We need to be like her. We don’t need to know how God is going to use our meager offering. We only need to know that he wants to use it. Always remember that God celebrates our gifts to him and blesses them. Next, Jesus broke the bread and the fish. When he blessed it, there were five and two. But when he broke it, we lose count. The more Jesus broke the bread and fish, the more there was to feed and nourish. The disciples started distributing the food, and soon what was broken was feeding thousands. The miracle is in the breaking. It is in the breaking that God multiplies not enough into more than enough. Are there broken places in your life so painful that you fear the breaking will destroy you? Do you come from a broken home? Did you have a broken marriage? Did you have a broken past? Have you experienced brokenness in your body? Have your finances been broken? You may think your brokenness has disqualified you from being able to run in the divine relay, but as with my own life and Kalli’s, when we give God our brokenness, it qualifies us to be used by God to carry a baton of hope, restoration, and grace to others on the sidelines who are broken.
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Christine Caine (Unstoppable: Running the Race You Were Born To Win)
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The happiest people on earth are not those who have robust bank accounts, or all the good things in this world; but, they are those who truly embrace the attitude of gratitude. Some of these folks are poor, but are still very grateful for the little they have; for the peace of mind they enjoy, for the love in their lives, for the unity in their family and for all the ordinary things many people take for granted. They always focused, not on the things they are aspiring for, but for all the things God has used to bless their lives.
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Sesan Kareem
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I am grateful to the Lord for hundred-fold blessings.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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Be glad for your sacred days on earth.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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Faith in God gives us joy. It is a certainty of His glorious blessings.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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A glorious life is a life live with gratitude.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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My greatest gratitude is the gift of life.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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The more grateful you are, the more your life overflow with abundance.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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The gift of life is the most valuable wealth.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Lord I thank you for the gift of life.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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When you count your blessings, count life twice.
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Matshona Dhliwayo
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Count your blessings. Give thanks in all things and don't forget to do your best, every day.
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Geoffrey Ocaya
“
The Practice of Gratitude is about Gratefulness and Gratefulness is about:
- Being Thankful
- Being Appreciative
- Being Kind
- Being Joyful
- Being Blessed
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Sandra C Bibb
“
Be thankful for what you have.
Be thankful for what you wish you have.
Be thankful for what you are capable of having.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
My parents always reminded me to count my blessings and be grateful for the things that were good in my life and that it could always be worse. I was raised not to focus on the negative, but be thankful for the positive.
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Jennifer Arnold (Life Is Short (No Pun Intended): Love, Laughter, and Learning to Enjoy Every Moment)
“
One of the best things about gratitude is that it serves both you and the one to whom you are giving thanks. When you share your feelings of being blessed and grateful, not only do you vibrate at higher level, but your expression contributes to an increase in the energy of those around you, and especially serves the individual to whom you have expressed your thanks. The result is that you raise the level of universal well-being by choosing to focus with gratitude on your blessings.
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Susan Barbara Apollon (An Inside Job)
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Meanwhile, genuine equality says: "What do I care if you are more talented than I, more clever, more handsome? I'm glad for it, rather, because I love you. But though I may be less important to you, I respect myself as a person; and you know this and respect me yourself, and I am happy with your respect. If you, through your abilities, can bring me and everyone else a hundredfold more benefit than I can bring you, then I bless you for it; I marvel at you and thank you, and in no way do I hold my awe for you as something shameful; on the contrary, I am happy that I am grateful to you, and if I work for you and for all in so far as my feeble abilities allow, then it is certainly not to try to balance my account with you, but because I love you all.
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Fyodor Dostoevsky (A Writer's Diary, Volume Two, 1877-1881)
“
DECLARE I am grateful for who God is in my life and for what He’s done. I will not take for granted the people, the opportunities, and the favor He has blessed me with. I will look at what is right and not what is wrong. I will thank Him for what I have and not complain about what I don’t have. I will see each day as a gift from God. My heart will overflow with praise and gratitude for all of His goodness. This is my declaration.
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Joel Osteen (I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life)
“
Gracious heavenly Father, I thank Thee for the White Way of Delight and the Lake of Shining Waters and Bonny and the Snow Queen. I’m really extremely grateful for them. And that’s all the blessings I can think of just now to thank Thee for. As for the things I want, they’re so numerous that it would take a great deal of time to name them all so I will only mention the two most important. Please let me stay at Green Gables; and please let me be good-looking when I grow up.
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L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables (Annotated))
“
They aren’t destroying everything, then,” she said. “Yes, how terribly blessed we must be.” Aturach laughed, extending his arms to the sky. “Thank you, O Wise Healer, for in Your infinite wisdom, You have decided to kill only most of the people in this city. Let all who doubt Your mercy hear my cry.” He cupped his hands over his mouth and screamed into the night sky. “It could have been worse, ingrates! Fall to your knees and be grateful that the Gods killed only half of your families!” “You’re not helping.
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Sam Sykes (The City Stained Red (Bring Down Heaven, #1))
“
Lord, I thank You for coming to earth so You could redeem me. When I think of the extent to which You were willing to go in order to save me, it makes me want to shout, to celebrate, and to cry with thankfulness. You love me so much, and I am so grateful for that love. Without You, I would still be lost and in sin. But because of everything You have done for me, today I am free; my life is blessed; Jesus is my Lord; Heaven is my home; and Satan has no right to control me. I will be eternally thankful to You for everything You did to save me! I pray this in Jesus’ name!
”
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Rick Renner (Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word)
“
Anna said. “I’m a student of happiness, you know. It’s all I really want—happiness, every day for the rest of my life. Sometimes happiness comes to us. But usually you have to seek it out. I read that somewhere.” “And that’s all you want? Happiness?” “What could be better?” “How do you find happiness?” Anna paused, then said, “You start by looking right around you for the blessings you have. When you find them, be grateful.” “Father Re says the same thing,” Pino said. “He says to give thanks for every day, no matter how flawed. And to have faith in God and a better tomorrow.
”
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Mark T. Sullivan (Beneath a Scarlet Sky)
“
Has Christ provided such a blessed banquet for us? He does not nurse us abroad—but feeds us with His own breast—nay, with His own blood! Let us, then, study to respond to this great love of Christ. It is true, we can never parallel His love. Yet let us show ourselves thankful. We can do nothing satisfactory—but we may do something out of gratitude. Christ gave Himself as a sin-offering for us. Let us give ourselves as a thank-offering for Him. If a man redeems another out of debt—will he not be grateful? How deeply do we stand obliged to Christ—who has redeemed us from hell!
”
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Thomas Watson (The Lord's Supper)
“
Today, I choose not to take my life for granted.
I choose not to look upon the fact that I am healthy, have food in my refrigerator and have clean water to drink as givens. They are not givens for so many people in our world. The fact that I am safe and (relatively) sane are not givens. That I was born into a family who loves me and into a country not ravaged by war are not givens. It is impossible to name all of the circumstances in my life I’ve taken for granted. All of the basic needs I’ve had met, all of the friendships and job opportunities and financial blessings and the list, truly, goes on and on. The fact that I am breathing is a miracle, one I too rarely stop to appreciate. I’m stopping, right now, to be grateful for everything I am and everything I’ve been given. I’m stopping, right now, to be grateful for every pleasure and every pain that has contributed to the me who sits here and writes these words. I am thankful for my life. This moment is a blessing. Each breath a gift. That I’ve been able to take so much for granted is a gift, too. But it’s not how I want to live—not when gratitude is an option, now when wonder and awe are choices. I choose gratitude. I choose wonder. I choose awe. I choose everything that suggest I’m opening myself to the miraculous reality of simply being alive for one moment more.
”
”
Scott Stabile
“
The key to a happy, healthy, successful life is gratitude. It uplifts us and sustains and draws to us what we want. Just as I did three months ago on a morning hike, when we focus on what we want with gratitude, we draw it to us. We become a magnet for our good. When we give gratitude to life, life gives back to us. When we feel grateful, people, as well as the abundance of the universe, are drawn to us. If you have money problems and you find a penny, feel gratitude with great intensity, and you will draw more money to you. When we give thanks for the situations and events in our life that are challenging, knowing that we are being blessed with wisdom from this experience, the very act of gratitude transforms the negative experience into a positive one. When we express gratitude, we draw to us people and situations to be grateful for. That is the magic of gratitude.
”
”
Louise L. Hay (Gratitude: A Way of Life)
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Thank God daily for such a terrific guy, mentioning specific qualities for which I’m grateful. • Look for daily ways to be a blessing to my husband (trying to understand what pleases him, anticipating his needs, etc.). • Chart my menstrual cycle and remind myself on the PMS days that what I’m feeling isn’t true and to keep my mouth shut and let it pass. • Avoid books, magazines, and TV shows that describe what marriage, family, and husbands ought to be like, and make a conscious effort to be grateful for things as they are instead of trying to change the people around me. • Take responsibility for my own emotional well-being: Stay rested, don’t overcommit and then complain, stay in touch with friends with a positive influence. • Stay focused on making a home for my family and remember that this is my highest calling and responsibility, and that it has eternal value. The more I do this, the happier and more content I am.
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Laura Schlessinger (The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands)
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It was the ultimate sacrilege that Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, was rejected and even put to death. And it continues. In many parts of the world today we see a growing rejection of the Son of God. His divinity is questioned. His gospel is deemed irrelevant. In day-to-day life, His teachings are ignored. Those who legitimately speak in His name find little respect in secular society.
If we ignore the Lord and His servants, we may just as well be atheists—the end result is practically the same. It is what Mormon described as typical after extended periods of peace and prosperity: “Then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One” (Helaman 12:2). And so we should ask ourselves, do we reverence the Holy One and those He has sent?
Some years before he was called as an Apostle himself, Elder Robert D. Hales recounted an experience that demonstrated his father’s sense of that holy calling. Elder Hales said:
"Some years ago Father, then over eighty years of age, was expecting a visit from a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on a snowy winter day. Father, an artist, had painted a picture of the home of the Apostle. Rather than have the painting delivered to him, this sweet Apostle wanted to go personally to pick the painting up and thank my father for it. Knowing that Father would be concerned that everything was in readiness for the forthcoming visit, I dropped by his home. Because of the depth of the snow, snowplows had caused a snowbank in front of the walkway to the front door. Father had shoveled the walks and then labored to remove the snowbank. He returned to the house exhausted and in pain. When I arrived, he was experiencing heart pain from overexertion and stressful anxiety. My first concern was to warn him of his unwise physical efforts. Didn’t he know what the result of his labor would be?
"'Robert,' he said through interrupted short breaths, 'do you realize an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ is coming to my home? The walks must be clean. He should not have to come through a snowdrift.' He raised his hand, saying, 'Oh, Robert, don’t ever forget or take for granted the privilege it is to know and to serve with Apostles of the Lord.'" [In CR, April 1992, 89; or “Gratitude for the Goodness of God,” Ensign, May 1992, 64]
I think it is more than coincidence that such a father would be blessed to have a son serve as an Apostle.
You might ask yourself, “Do I see the calling of the prophets and apostles as sacred? Do I treat their counsel seriously, or is it a light thing with me?” President Gordon B. Hinckley, for instance, has counseled us to pursue education and vocational training; to avoid pornography as a plague; to respect women; to eliminate consumer debt; to be grateful, smart, clean, true, humble, and prayerful; and to do our best, our very best.
Do your actions show that you want to know and do what he teaches? Do you actively study his words and the statements of the Brethren? Is this something you hunger and thirst for? If so, you have a sense of the sacredness of the calling of prophets as the witnesses and messengers of the Son of God.
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D. Todd Christofferson
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LEADING LESSONS
Live in a state of gratitude.
When I was a little boy, my dad taught us how to pray. We’d give thanks for meals; in church we’d thank God for his blessings. But as we grow older, expressing gratitude seems less important. We’re not as appreciative of the little things; we lose sight of what we already have in our quest to have more. I’m not a religious person anymore, but I see the value in prayer. It’s a brilliant incantation you deliver at any time during the day. You physically change your body--you fold your arms, you bow your head--and then you give thanks out loud for all that’s good in your life while expressing faith that what’s bad will get better. Gratitude reminds us to not give up, to have a positive attitude, and to open our hearts. When I was in London, I would gaze out the train window and think to myself, How lucky am I? Not every kid gets to follow his passion with every fiber of his being. I was so grateful, and that made everything I experienced so much richer. Today, in the crazy rush that is my life and my career, I constantly have to remind myself to stop and take stock.
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Derek Hough (Taking the Lead: Lessons from a Life in Motion)
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Lord, I intend to be aware today of the presence of your divine being in every other living being that I encounter.
I intend to center my spirit in alignment with the spirit of Love before I commence my day.
I intend to ground my being in your source, Universal Intentional Love Energy, recognizing my role as a cell in the body of the universe.
I intend to be loving and compassionate with every person I encounter today, observing their activities in the context of their growth, and not judging their decisions as good or bad. I intend not to attempt to blame or shame other people, but rather to encourage and support.
I intend to be creative today, emulating the divine creative essence in my life.
I intend to be joyful today, aware of what good things I have, picking up the scent of wonder, and breathing in the good things with thanks and appreciation.
I intend to reject any opinion of other people offered which negatively affects my ability to achieve the above goals.
I am blessed and will be grateful for the presence of love in my life.
I will grow today, learning more and applying love to the best of my ability.
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Phil 'Philosofree' Cheney
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Pride in my father, thankfulness that he had been my father, and an ultimately grateful feeling of respect (grudging at first, it took a while to come) for the aching if imperfect love he never ceased to feel for Mom—these are the things I wanted to hold on to. It will soon be seven years since the night I bent down by his bed to press my ear against his chest and listen to his breathing as his life came to its end. But even now, and even after rounding out the story of his sometimes turbulent complexity, as I’ve felt obliged to do in order to keep faith with the reality of who he was, it is the reaffirming memories that crowd out all the rest. The sense that I was on a journey with my father—seventy-two years is a good big piece of anybody’s life—did not end abruptly on the day I buried him. On cold November nights when I’m in a thoughtful mood or worried about problems with my work, or personal missteps I may have made, and go out walking by myself along the country roads around my house, I like to imagine that he’s there beside me still, tapping that old cane of his, making his amusing comments on the unpredictable events and unexpected twists and turns in other people’s lives. Perhaps, over the next few years, that sense of his continuing companionship will fade. It probably will. But some part of the legacy my father and good mother gave me will, I know, remain with me even when their voices and their words and the expressions on their faces and the vivid details of their life’s adventure become attenuated in the course of time. Some of the blessings that our parents give us, I need to believe, outlive the death of memory.
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Jonathan Kozol (The Theft of Memory: Losing My Father, One Day at a Time)
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Sometimes it takes a knock in life to make us sit up and grab life. And I had just undergone the mother of all knocks.
But out of that despair, fear, and struggle came a silver lining--and I didn’t even know it yet.
What I did know was that I needed something to give me back my hope. My sparkle. My life. I found that something in my Christian faith, in my family, and also in my dreams of adventure.
My Christian faith says that I have nothing ever to fear or worry about. All is well.
At that time, in and out of hospital, it reminded me that, despite the pain and despair, I was held and loved and blessed--my life was secure through Jesus Christ.
That gift of grace has been so powerful to me ever since.
My family said something very similar: “Bear, you are an idiot, but we love you anyway, forever and always.”
That meant the world to me and gave me back some of the confidence that I was struggling to find again.
Finally, I had my not insubstantial dreams of adventure. And those dreams were beginning to burn bright once more.
You see, I figure that life is a gift. I was learning that more than anyone.
My mum always taught me to be grateful for gifts. And as I slowly began to recover my strength and confidence, I realized that what mattered was doing something bold with that present.
A gift buried under a tree is wasted.
Alone one night in bed, I made a verbal, out-loud, conscious decision, that if I recovered well enough to be able to climb again, then I would get out there and follow those dreams to the max.
Cliché? To me it was my only hope.
I was choosing to live life with both arms open--I would grab life by the horns and ride it for all it was worth.
Life doesn’t often give us second chances. But if it does, be bloody grateful.
I vowed I would always be thankful to my father in heaven for having somehow helped me along this rocky road.
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Bear Grylls (Mud, Sweat and Tears)
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Thank you Lord for the blessings, thank you for the challenges and hardships that keep building my life to a person You were created me to be thank you for your mercies and thank you for your grace. Your mercies are new every morning and your grace is enough for me. Thank you Jesus!!!
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Euginia Herlihy
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Thank you Dr Jason Diamond and Dr Kevin B. Sands, DDS for sharing my saying, I'm ever so grateful for your support. May God bless you both.
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Euginia Herlihy
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Today I would love for all of us to get it at last: not to focus on what we don’t have, but to be grateful for what we do. For us to accept, give thanks, bless, and share.
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Sarah Ban Breathnach (Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort of Joy)
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Dave and I had a family ritual at dinner where we’d go around the table with our daughter and son and take turns stating our best and worst moments of the day. When it became just three of us, I added a third category. Now we each share something for which we are grateful. We also added a prayer before our meal. Holding hands and thanking God for the food we are about to eat helps remind us of our daily blessings. Acknowledging blessings can be a blessing in and of itself. Psychologists asked a group of people to make a weekly list of five things for which they were grateful. Another group wrote about hassles and a third listed ordinary events. Nine weeks later, the gratitude group felt significantly happier and reported fewer health problems. People who enter the workforce during an economic recession end up being more satisfied with their jobs decades later because they are acutely aware of how hard it can be to find work. Counting blessings can actually increase happiness and health by reminding us of the good things in life. Each night, no matter how sad I felt, I would find something or someone to be grateful for. I
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Sheryl Sandberg (Option B)
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Mother's love is bliss, peace, and a gift or blessing that every child receives. If one loses her, the very essence of life; is taken away from him or her. Mother is an inspiration, a leader, a friend, a philosopher, and a symbol of compassion, kindness, and bravery. We are so grateful and blessed to have a mother like Angel. We haven't seen an angel, but we do live with one. We are too small to express our gratitude, so all we can say is thank you for your efforts. Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there. -Shree Shambav
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Shree Shambav (Journey of Soul - Karma)
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My heart aches with gratitude for He has blessed me with sorrow and sunshine. I have lived in the dark and He has flooded me with His goodness and light.
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Allene vanOirschot (Daddy's Little Girl)
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for! Statistically, we always have more to be grateful for than ungrateful. Ingratitude means to forget the blessings in our life, to ignore the kind things people have done for us. It is not just positivity we feel when we embrace gratitude. Better sleep, the ability to express more kindness, feeling more alive and even having a stronger immune system are all benefits of being thankful.
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Gaur Gopal Das (Life’s Amazing Secrets: How to Find Balance and Purpose in Your Life)
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THE END OF THE YEAR PRAYER
This is the month of December, the last month of the year 2021 and I can’t be grateful enough to my Heavenly Father for His priceless mercy and grace throughout the twists and turns of the entire year in the name of Jesus. Father God thank you for being my unshakable pillar and the father that I could crawl to when I am drowning in the pool of trails and tribulations. Thank you Lord Jesus for your faithfulness and your unfailing love. Hold us with your gentle hand and walk us through the last lap of the year 2021, fill us with peace, joy and strength as we are plodding slowly towards the coming new year and help us to make the right decisions and help us to serve you like never before in the mighty name of Jesus. King of glory, remember those who are lying in the sickbeds and heal them with your blood in the mighty name of Jesus. Remember those who are feeling alone, scared, discouraged, abandoned, tortured, and disappointed. I ask you the God of hope to fill them with all joy and peace, again and again(Romans 15:13) in Jesus name.
Heavenly Father remember those who are feeling misjudged, mistreated and labelled by others. I ask you Lord to bless them with love, peace, joy and favour in the name of Jesus.
King Jesus, remember those who have no place to live, cushion them under your wings of protection. Remember those who have nothing to eat and those who have no clothes to wear. I ask you Jehovah Jireh to make a way where it seems to be no way and provide for every need. Put smiles on their faces and help them to keep their faith in you Jehovah.
Remember those who have lost their loved ones and give them comfort, strength and joy. Thank you Lord for your mercies, your mercies are new every morning.
Father God, we ask you to take control of our lives and help us to overcome this ugly monster(corona virus) which keeps raising its head up in different forms of evilness. Heal and deliver every single individual who is infected or affected by it in the mighty name of Jesus. You are our only hope and our lives depend on you Jehovah and our future is in your hands, help us to talk the talk and walk the walk and help us to finish this year stronger than ever before and help us to enter the year 2022 with clear minds and wise decision making. I thank you in advance King of glory and I will be forever grateful in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
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Euginia Herlihy
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Never forget the discipline, drive, and dedication that got you to where you are. Never forget the people and places that inspired you along the way.
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Germany Kent
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I step out onto my porch, pull up my granny rocker, and sit in the dusky silence of a day bidding itself farewell. And I do that because contemplating the blessings of a day passing best prepares me for the challenges of a day coming.
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Craig D. Lounsbrough
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Heavenly Father thank you for the breath I take every moment and thank you for the beautiful family and good friends you have blessed me with. Thank you Lord for your blanket of your unfailing love that cover us twenty four seven. Thank you for the drops of your mercy and your grace that shine on us daily. Thank you for your hedge of protection that surrounds us day and night. Thank you Lord for your peace that gives us the sound mind in the midst of this chaotic world. Thank you father for the hope that you have instilled in us so that we can continue with life. Thank you King Jesus for your joy that gives us strength to endure every situation in life. Thank you for the trials and tribulations that make us acknowledge your faithfulness and your presence that surround us at all times. Thank you Lord for your divine direction.
We are so grateful for your blessings and promises. Your promises are Yes and Amen in the mighty name of Jesus amen.
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Euginia Herlihy