Giving Thanks in Everything

Since it's already November 6, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon of all of you who are giving thanks for one thing a day for thirty days....

...No!  I'm not going to backtrack and come up with five things I'm thankful for to catch up.

Instead, I decided to try to come up with a new scripture that relates to being thankful and put it to a creative Pinterest-worthy (at least, I hope it's Pinterest worthy) creative photo word art.  My first attempt is above. If you like it, feel free to pin it, print it, frame it, or share it.

All I'd ask in return is for a link back to my blog, or perhaps a mention that it's created by Tere Scott.

The first scripture that came up when I researched this is from I Thessalonians.  It talks about giving thanks in everything.

Thankfully, I do not believe this means to give thanks FOR everything but rather IN everything.

In other words, no matter what kind of day I'm having, I remain thankful.  I'm not necessarily happy that things have gone haywire in one way or another. I'm not thankful that I have more debt than I care to talk about.  I'm not thankful that my kids don't like to read the classics.  I'm not thankful that the days are flying by and days spent with babies and toddlers have come to an end.

Rather, I remain thankful in my attitude that God has it all under control. I keep a cheerful and thankful heart filled with thanksgiving in general.

In the process, I become thankful that I have another day to teach my children through homeschooling (even if they turn up their noses to the teaching styles and ideas that excite me the most).

I become thankful that my children are healthy most days (even if this is a day I'm cleaning up after a sick child).

I become thankful that I am breathing (even if this is a day my sinuses are reminding me they indeed exist and need to be heard pounding in pain).

I become thankful that through it all, death no longer has a sting. I believe I have a savior who took on my shortcomings and sinful nature and became my sacrifice once and for all.  I become thankful that despite my human-ness and failures, I have been washed white as snow.  At least, that's what I believe.

This gives me strength and confidence to muster up thankfulness for another day.