Hope this can encourage you to rethink about your reaction to something and remember to rejoice, pray, and give thanks.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV

A song I’ve been listening to lately is “Still Waters (Psalm 23)” by Leanna Crawford, so I’ve decided to read Psalm 23 today. Hope you can find encouragement in these verses.

Today’s Reading: Psalm 23:1-6 ESV

Thankful for the beautiful outdoors. Thankful for the changing colors of the leaves as the seasons change and the weather gets cooler. Thankful for nature and the one who created the stars in the sky.

I’ve been seeing a reoccurring theme in my life right now of being called to love others. This shows up in various messages or verses I’ve encountered, so today I’m reading from 1 John 3.

“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.3.11.ESV

Thankful for a weekend getaway. Is there a weekend that you might be able to plan a getaway with others and take the time to be present and unplugged from your daily life demands?

Today I read a short excerpt about forgiveness and how that’s a step towards happiness. It’s definitely something I needed to hear this week so I hope it can help and encourage you too.

Citation: Lucado, Max. “10 You’ve Been Bustered.” How of Happiness, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee, 2019, pp. 136–137.

Hope you can find time during your week to unplug from the busy day and be present. Maybe it’s a short and simple check in of how you feel and changing the posture you are in.

Read: Proverbs 3

Pray:

Thank God for all that he gives and does for you. Ask God to give you wisdom throughout your days. Pray that you will not lean on your own understandings but pray that you will trust in the Lord and seek to not let wisdom out of sight. Even if it doesn’t feel like your paths are straight in this moment, thank him for his hand in your life and that he is by your side.

Read: Psalm 139:13-15 NIV.

Thought: This world can feed us a lot of lies about ourselves and our identity. And if we believe these lies, we can be kept from fully being free in God’s truth. In Psalm 139 we are told that the perfect Creator formed us with purpose being fearfully and wonderfully made.

What does it mean to be “fearfully and wonderfully made”? What if you broke free of the lies this world tells us and instead were able to fully believe in who God created you to be? How would your life be lived differently? How can you stand firm in the truth not letting the lies and worldly identifiers have impact over you?

Pray: Ask God to help you see yourself as He created you to be, fearfully and wonderfully made. Ask that He will help you to break free from any lies that weigh you down and instead fully believe in the identity you have in Christ.

Celebrating the people you love can be so easy and so much fun. It’s a time to recognize the past and look to the future. There’s also usually cake involved which is always a bonus.