Seven Day Challenge

     Psalms 119:164 "Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments." 

     Yesterday at church, Pastor Bish gave us a seven day challenge that I decided to do this week. He quoted the verse above and said something like this:  "If more people were to praise the Lord during the day instead of complain about things, this would change our entire attitude." 
     I felt like this would be a good thing to do this week, seeing that it is Thanksgiving week and so I said I would do the challenge. Though it is later than I planned to post this, I have still been stopping today to thank the Lord for the many things that He has blessed me with in my life.
     This is going to be a different type of post because I will be adding to it each day, but my hope is that my focus will get off of the negative things around me and boost my spirit with thankfulness and praise for the goodness of the Lord. 
     Won't you join me in stopping seven times each day this week and thank the Lord for something good He has done in your life? (Note it is hard to find just one thing to be thankful for each time so excuse me if there are multiple praises and thanksgiving.) 

Day One (Monday, Nov 20th, 2023)
7:00AM  - I am thankful for a new day where His mercies are new, and for hot water for my shower. 
9:30AM - I am thankful for the ability for me to go shopping and get provisions for my family. He supplies all our needs!
10:30 AM - I am thankful for a little extra $ to buy things for friends that will bless them and put a smile on their face. It really is fun to give!
2:00 PM -  I am thankful for the beautiful birds that come to my bird feeders and fill the air with color and song. God really is such an amazing artist with the earth as His canvas. 
4:45 PM - I am thankful for fun lights and lanterns to make my house cozy when the sun sets at 4:30 these days. 
7:00 PM - I am thankful for the health that my family has had. We never had a broken bone, even though we thought that Caleb would surely be the one to do that with all his crazy antics. We never had any serious diseases, for which I am very grateful. 
9:45 PM - I am thankful for my husband who I can talk to, who gives me helpful advice about tough decisions we have to make in life. 
10:30 PM - I am thankful for my soft, warm bed to sleep in. 

Day Two (Tuesday, Nov 21, 2023)
6:30 AM - I am thankful for warm little kitty bodies who sleep against me during the night. 
8:00 AM - I am thankful for the smile (if you can call it a smile that early in the morning) on my son's face as he heads off to school with a good and positive attitude toward his school day. 
9:30 AM - I am thankful for a reliable car that gets me around to do all the errands I need to do everyday. 
11:30AM - I am thankful for my salvation and being raised in a Christian home. 
2:30 PM - I am thankful for a cute little office where I can do my work for our business. 
6:00 PM - I am thankful that none of our children had any horrible diseases, nor have we had any broken bones and our visits to the doctor were minimal. 
9:30 PM - I am thankful for times when we can gather in our living room with our children and hang out and chat about different things about life, work, and just have fun. 

Day Three (Wednesday, Nov 22, 2023)
​7:00 AM - I am thankful for the rain to water the earth. 
9:00 AM - I am thankful for days like today (before a holiday) when everything in my kitchen smells good. 
12:30 PM - I am thankful for my kitties who make life very interesting with their antics. 
2:30 PM - I am thankful that Grammy Gwen is doing much better after being so sick last week. 
5:30 PM - I am thankful I had the energy to get everything done that I did today. 
10:00 PM - I am thankful for the time I can rest because after 17,000 plus steps, I am exhausted and hurt all over. 

Day Four (Thursday, Nov 23, 2023
Thanksgiving Day!
7:00 AM - I am thankful I did not have to get up to an alarm today, though my mind woke up early and wouldn't stop thinking about the day. 
I was very busy today as I prepped for our Thanksgiving meal with our guests, so I did not have specific times I stopped to thank the Lord for things. But here are a few things I am thankful for about this day: 
I am thankful it was such a beautiful day outside and the sun was shining. 
I am thankful my huge turkey came out nice and moist. 
I am thankful that we could be a blessing to our youth pastor and his family and enjoy a meal together. 
I am thankful for children who can step in and help me peel potatoes, set the table, and do other things that I just couldn't fit in. 
I am thankful we had enough food for all and plenty of dessert to go around. 
I am thankful that my mother-in-law did not end up in the hospital this Thanksgiving time. 

Day Five (Friday, Nov 24, 2023)
7:00AM - I am thankful for a day to work with my mother-in-law and catch up with her this morning. 
8:30 AM - I am thankful that I can sing and write songs
10:00AM - I am thankful for electricity and lights to see by
1:30 PM  - I am thankful for the news that some hostages were released in Israel and that the temporary cease fire has given my friend some time of peace for her and her family. 
3:30 PM - I am thankful for the snow that I got to see on my travels through Vermont. 
4:00 PM - I am thankful for the little nap I took in the car to help me feel revived. 
6:30 PM - I am thankful we reached my family's house safe and sound

Day Six (Saturday, Nov 25th, 2023)
8:00 AM - I am thankful for a new day to spend with my mom and siblings
10:30 AM - I am thankful for the crisp, clear air of the mountains
11:30 AM - I am thankful for the amazing beauty of the mountains around me
1:30 PM - I am thankful I had enough ingredients to make plenty of dessert for the party
3:30 PM - I am thankful that my sister-in-law was feeling well enough to come to our Pinkham Thanksgivng 
5:00 PM - I am thankful for the kitties that surround me and make me laugh at times. 
9:00 PM - I am thankful for bedtime after a long day

Day Seven (Sunday, Nov 26th, 2023)
8:00 AM - I am thankful that it is Sunday
11:00 AM - I am thankful I got to join my brother, sister, and mother at church today. 
2:00 PM - I am thankful for lunch time to help stop my growling stomach
3:30 PM - I am thankful for my husband helping pack the car so we can get on the road before any bad weather
5:30 PM - I am thankful for rest stops to take a bathroom break on the road
8:00 PM - I am thankful that our travel was smooth and we got home safely. 
9:15 PM - I am thankful to be back in my own bed to sleep, with my kids and kitties close by. 

This is the end of seven days of gratitude, but in no way does my gratitude and thankfulness stop here. I hope this is just the beginning of telling my Lord just how grateful I am for all He has done for me. 

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