Thanksliving

Thanksliving...not a typo.  I know that Thanksgiving is the time of year that we all focus on being thankful.  And while that's a wonderful thing to do, I am challenging myself to be thankful as often as possible - to live a thankful life = thanksliving. 

So what is "Thanksliving"?  For me, it's taking time to be thankful for the little things and the big things.  It's choosing to focus on what is good and not what is bad (which is my habit).  I am being challenged by this verse:

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NAS) in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus

Giving thanks in "everything" is not for the faint of heart.  This is a challenge - to be thankful in good times and bad = everything. 

We recently had to get our mini van fixed (yes, I'm a mini-van-mom).  It was still under warranty, but we were required to pay $100.  My first reaction was to be irritated, upset, and negative.  Thoughts such as, "If this is under warranty, why am I paying for it?" and "That's ridiculous!  I'm not paying a dime!" ran through my head...until I stopped myself.  Couldn't I just be thankful that I'm only having to pay $100 vs. over $1,000 worth of work that needed to be done?  And couldn't I just be thankful that we had the $100 to pay it, even if we were scraping the bottom of the barrel?  It wasn't easy for me, but I chose thanksliving.  To live out thankfulness in my actions...to be thankful we even have a vehicle, to be thankful that we were able to get it fixed, to be thankful that we could pay the $100...

AND GUESS WHAT???   My husband and I received a $100 bill from someone in our church the same day we went to pick up the van. 

I truly believe that God blesses us when we live out our thanks!  Take the Thanksliving challenge with me and see what happens!