4 Ways to Practice Thankfulness

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Being thankful is popular around Thanksgiving, but quickly dwindles away in light of Black Friday sales. However, gratitude should be integrated into our daily lives. God's Word commands us to give Him thanks. There's always something to be grateful for. If the ONLY thing you have to be thankful for is Christ making a way for us all to have a relationship with God, that would be more than enough! Most of you reading this, though, have numerous reasons to be thankful. In today's post, I am going to be sharing some ideas I  have learned from others on how to reflect on things we are thankful for daily.

1. Give thanks to God each day. 

First and foremost, we should begin our prayers daily by giving thanks to God. Psalm 100:4 tells us to "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." It's easy to go to God and unload our laundry list of things we need/want, but His Word commands us to give Him thanks for what we already have first. Give thanks to Him for all He has done, all He has given you, and simply for who He is.

2. Start a gratitude journal.

This is something I have just started doing again. A friend shared this with me a while back. Write down 5 things you are grateful for each morning and each night. Here's the catch: Never write the same thing twice. This makes you really dig deep to think of things you are thankful for.

3. Create a Habit of Giving Thanks Instead of Complaining 

A bad habit I really want to break is complaining. I don't want to complain at all, about anything, ever because Philippians 2:14-15 says:

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.

Not complaining is a huge way we can shine for Jesus. Believe me, people around you will see your light shining if you never complain. Someone who never complains is going to stand out. (Of course, you can still pour out your heart to God in prayer about things that bother you.)

Something I love that Joyce Meyer said is that it is easier to form a good habit than break a bad one. So.. in my case, I can form the good habit of being thankful and break the bad habit of complaining. So, every time I am about to utter a complaint, I give thanks instead. I just started doing this and it is amazing how quickly it can change your perspective.

Below are a few examples that Heather Lindsey posted on Instagram that will also help you look at things in proper perspective:

I am going to add a few things to this list:

• In heavy traffic? Thank God you are physically able to drive, have gas, and a vehicle to get you where you are going!
• Didn't get a close parking spot? Thank God you are able to walk.
• Dislike the weather? Thank God you have warm clothes, central heating & air, and insulation in your home.. AND that you have a home.
• iPhone, iPad, or laptop going dead? Thank God you have these items. In 3rd world countries, these are unheard of and many right here in the states cannot afford these items.
• Power outage? There's nothing like a power outage to remind us what a blessing electricity is! There's very little we can do without it.
• Living paycheck to paycheck? In comparison to people in third world countries, you live a luxurious life. Things that we often take for granted as "basic needs" would be luxury items to them: safe home, clean water, food to eat (choices of what to eat), hot water (baths/showers), a car, medical care.. Just to name a few.

4. Start a blessing jar!

Photo credit: Pinterest

 I just started this a couple months ago. I saw this idea on Pinterest one time. The idea is to use a jar (decorate it all you want-- the above is not mine -- I decorated mine with red ribbon!) and every time something good happens (big or small), write it down, and stick it in the jar. On New Year's Eve, review all the good things that have happened this year. Praise God for each thing as you jot it down, as well as when you reflect on them as you read them on New Year's Eve.  So, although I started mine very late in the year, I knew God would do many great things before the end of the year. My jar is already pretty full. I am sure this will help me remember many things I might have otherwise forgotten! As full is my jar is from a few months, I can imagine how full it will be New Year's Eve 2016 (if Jesus tarries) when I have things in it from all year!

Let's make "thanksgiving" a way of life, not merely a holiday. 

If you enjoyed this post, please share it :) Thank you to all my readers out there! God bless you!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

In God's Crazy Love,

Rachel Marie

You Can Be Fashionable & Modest: the Proof is in the Pics!

I had someone comment on my "Modesty Matters" video and ask if I would be willing to show examples of how I dress modestly. I love dressing modestly AND fashionable, so I would love to show some examples. The keys are: cover-ups, tank tops, and cami secrets. With these tricks, you can make ALMOST any top modest (unless it's too tight or see through). Obviously, cover ups are for anything strapless or spaghetti straps and tank tops/cami secrets are to wear under anything too low cut.

Some of these are not full length, keep in mind that I didn't originally take these photos for this purpose. These are just a few random photos from my 2.5 year ongoing modesty journey :)

High/low skirts are my absolute favorite!! They are modest, stylish, and fun. This shirt is a valuable piece for making other pieces modest or a standalone. You will see it better in the next pic. It blends beautifully under a dress or a shirt that needs adjustments to be modest :)

This dress has spaghetti straps, so I added this beautiful top (ok, for some reason you still can't tell, but there's black jewels all along the top of it). It serves 3 modesty purposes: it covers the back, makes up for the straps that are thin in the dress itself, and covers  he front where the dress was too low... And just for fun: adds a little extra glam :) 

Spaghetti strap high/low dress with cover up

Aztec shirt that was made super short, but added a tank under it and pair it with high/low skirt.

Sequin cami under this dress :)

Added a cami & cami secret to cover the top better with high/low skirt

Sweater cover up: you can use to winterize a summer shirt or one that's not modest by itself. Oh, and meet my Maltese: Barbie :)

Finally found a picture where you can see the details of the shirt in the first 2 pictures. I wore it under this shirtsleeve shirt because the neckline was way too low.

My favorite modesty guidelines are from purefashion.com:

To me, the main rules of thumb from above are that necklines should be no lower than 4 fingers below collarbone, skirts/dresses/shorts should not be shorter than 4 fingers above the kneecap, nothing see through, and a cover up for tanks & halters.

And if you don't know what cami secrets are, they are wonderful when you don't want to add a whole extra layer to be modest in the summer, you simply attach to undergarment and voila, looks like you have on an entire cami! They have these in all different colors (more than what's shown above) and some in animal print. You can buy them online.

I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

1 Timothy 2:9-10 NIV

Note: I don't believe this verse literally means you can't wear jewelry. It just means your beauty should come from your relationship with Christ and the fruit of it.

So.. There you have it. I hope you will all join me in dressing modestly! To find out more about WHY you should dress modestly according to the Bible, watch my video, here: http://youtu.be/z3dM6DiDliI

Let God Write Your Love Story

I always say that if you can't accept someone the way they are now, DON'T marry them. You have no guarantee that they will EVER change.

Don't even go on one date with someone who isn't a Christian. It's easier to say "NO" now than it is to break up with them after starting a relationship. Don't risk falling in love with someone you already know you won't be equally yoked with (2 Cor. 6:14). Don't be with someone who merely says they are saved-- make sure their life shows the proof of a daily walk with God.

Focus on growing closer to Christ. HE will show you the right one when it's the right time (Song of Solomon 3:5).

Jesus Intercedes for God's Children

Photo credit: Sid Roth

El Roi, the God who Sees, never abandons His children. Especially when we feel overwhelmed, overlooked, undervalued, unappreciated, and without hope. He not only sees us but also finds us and intercedes and provides for us.

- Excerpt from First 5

To me, one of the most amazing things about our relationship with the Lord is that we have Jesus AND the Holy Spirit both interceding for us, pleading on our behalf before the Father as we pray (See Romans 8:26, Romans 8:34). That's 2 of the 3 in the Holy Trinity and we already know that as children of God, God is on our side, because He gave up His only Son for us (Romans 8:31, John 3:16).

So, when you get overwhelmed, picture this: Jesus, in all His glory --at the right hand of God, pleading for YOU. :)

More than a Conqueror in Christ,

Rachel Marie

Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

- Psalm 139:14 NIV

You are NOT a mistake! You are fearfully and wonderfully made! You are created in God's image (Genesis 1:27). He knit you together intricately in your mother's womb (Psalm 139:13). He knows everything about you: the good, the bad, the ugly YET He still loved you so much that He sent His one and only Son to die for your sins and sicknesses (John 3:16, 1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5). He put on human flesh to redeem you, to rescue you from the dominion of sin. 

Your body is God's handiwork. Therefore, it is flawless. Don't let the number on the scale, the color/style of your hair, the color of your skin, the size of your jeans, the brand of your clothes, or anything else about your appearance define you. Find your identity in Christ alone. Allow Him to fill your every void. Ask Him to help you see yourself the way HE sees you. It will blow your mind. Jesus is crazy about you. He wants a personal relationship with you. Spend time with Him daily in the Bible and prayer. Allow Him to transform your self image. 

Read Psalm 139 for more amazing truths about how God created you. 

Cleansing

Can I ask a personal question? When was the last time you showered?

If someone told you he hadn't showered in a week, you would be pretty grossed out right? In fact, you would have known beforehand... the stench would have been the tell all. 

When is the last time you read your Bible? Prayed? Repented? Worshipped? Don't take your spiritual shower only on Sundays or you will stink spiritually. As the saying going, "Going to church won't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car". Just as we shower daily to cleanse ourselves, we must take our spiritual shower daily by spending time alone with God. 

Allow God to cleanse you, to make you whiter than snow as you confess your sins to Him daily, as you spend time with Him in His Word and in prayer, and then, put His Word into practice.

Photo credit: Google

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

- Psalm 51:7

Scripture Reading:

1 John 1:9

Isaiah 1:18

Ezekiel 36:25

Autumn Leaves

Don't you just love the color of the leaves changing in the fall?

As I sat outside one morning, praying, enjoying the cool breeze, admiring the paints God had chosen for the leaves, He brought my mind back to a quote I read the night before. It read, "It's funny how beautiful autumn is when everything is dying".

Allow the green leaves represent the unsaved and the autumn leaves represent the saved. 

As Christians, we are to die to ourselves and live for Him. Just as the leaves are most beautiful as they are dying, we are the most beautiful to God when we die to ourselves.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

- Galatians 2:20 NIV

What's one way you can die to yourself today?

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To read more Bible Verses on dying to self, living for Him, hover over the below Scripture references:

Ephesians 4:22-24

Luke 9:23

John 3:10

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