What are you grateful for this year?

So much has happened over the last couple of years that has simply worn us down. As I have navigated my own faith, one thing I’ve found to be helpful is speaking gratitude.

Gratitude is a word thrown around a lot in our culture, but it’s important to not let it lose its meaning. When I talk about speaking gratitude, I’m not talking about posting on social media about how great life is. Rather, I am talking about expressing our gratitude to those who have supported and walked with us through the thick of life.

Lately, I have found that journaling is even a way to speak gratitude to God for the good things that often lie unacknowledged. As I write about life, good things naturally become illumined in a spirit of gratitude.

Philippians 4:4-7 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

As we celebrate this Thanksgiving, I challenge all of us to speak gratitude to both God and to the people around us. Express how much people mean to you and how grateful you are for the ways in which God has been present in our lives. Take some time and soak in the goodness of God amidst the hustle and bustle.

Let us rejoice in life itself and invite God’s peace to abide in our midst.

We hope you will join us for worship this Sunday at 11am in person or online as we celebrate the first week of Advent with our Chrismon service! It will be a beautiful time of worship and we hope you can be there.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pastor Kipp