Thursday SHINE....

Today's Reading : Acts 7

Happy Serve-Day Thursday, SHINE girls!

It's Thursday, so you know what that means! Serve someone today in some way. Even the smallest gesture of service and kindness goes a very long way. Think about how you feel when someone goes out of their way to serve you. It feels good, doesn't it?

My love tank is overflowing with thankfulness today. There are too many reasons to list why, but I will just name a few:

• God's Word
• SHINE girls
• My church, Eastridge Community Church
• Summit Church in Madison, Ga 
• My unconditional loving family
• My incredible friends--the old friends, the new friends and friends to come. 
• Another day to worship Jesus

Shall I go on? I think I will spare you the list. You have your own list of thanksgiving, so I will not bore you with the details of mine. 

Do you know how I have learned to overcome many obstacles in my life? Obstacles such as sadness, anxiety, worry, bitterness, jealousy, anger etc.?

Thankfulness. 

It's true. 

If we are thankful, our perspective changes. Our hearts are shifted back into the right place. 

Those obstacles that I listed above shift our hearts out of place. Then we scratch our heads wondering why we have no peace. 

What gives us peace? Thankfulness.

If we are thankful in all things, we will have peace in our hearts.

The Lord desires our hearts to be in tune with his. Thankfulness is just the tool for the tuning.

Sometimes it's hard to be thankful when things around us seem so bleak. Oh, but girls, when we can get to that thankful place, everything starts changing. 

If you were sitting across from me, I would take both of your hands and squeeze them with excitement! If you only knew how much your Heavenly Father loves you! It would completely overwhelm you. You probably could not even handle just the thought of it!

Perhaps that's why we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. If we were to actually see His Spirit and His Love, we just may faint from the awesome sight. Our flesh could not handle the intensity of His burning Love and Desire for us. 

Oh, don't we love to be loved and desired? Is there a woman reading this that doesn't long to be desired?

I don't think so.

Think about that, girls. Focus on His love for you and let thankfulness set in. You will not believe the change. You will see things differently. You will see things from His perspective. Can you even fathom?

Serve someone today out of the overflow of your thankfulness. 

I love you girls, and I am so thankful for each of YOU!

heart overflowing,

jill