Finding the Beauty

"Gratitude to God makes even a temporal blessing a taste of heaven." William Romaine

There is so much beauty in the things around us that we almost always look past. Many times there are several things, right in front of us, that we can stop and praise Jesus for but instead go on with our busy lives and forget to.

There are the more obvious things we should be thankful for, like our homes, our families, food, etc. These are all things that we probably are all thankful for but still don't praise God for them. Then there are the less obvious things, like the people who put thought and effort into making the house we are living in, the food we are eating, the clothes we are wearing. The fact that we can drive to work on roads that actually run well and the stop lights that turn red and green when they're supposed to. These are the things that we should always be praising God for. These are the things that make life easy - simple.

The bible says to "pray continuously". Some of us have never really contemplated this order before. I've often wondered how someone can pray continuously. I thought that this would be a lot of work and effort and I wasn't quite sure how one would even attempt this. Then I began to realize that there is so much to talk to God about. There is so much to praise Him for. Praying throughout the day is a must, and praying continuously is easy when you have so much to praise Him for!

Will Do

1. Cultivate a childlike heart
2. Be aware of small blessings
3. See material things as small miracles from the hand of God
4. Be grateful for the blessings of daily life
5. Enjoy ordinary life more
6. Appreciate the work of all the people who contribute to the functioning of daily life
7. Look for signs of the kingdom of heaven in the mundane things of earth

To Do

1. Make a list of 100 ordinary things and praise God for each one 
2. Take a walk around your neighborhood
3. Go to a coffee shop and learn about all the different varieties and countries they came from
4. Pray for your plumber, sanitation worker, mail carrier, mechanic, grocery checkout clerk, and servers
5. Leave and extra tip for your server as an unseen thanks offering to God
6. Be barefoot and feel the earth between your toes

Bible Verses to Remember

1. Psalm 107:43
2. Psalm 111:4
3. Psalm 50:14
4. Ecclesiastes 7:25
5. Psalm 113:3
6. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
7. 2 Corinthians 9:15
8. Proverbs 13:7
9. Proverbs 13:25
10. Ecclesiastes 11:7
11. Psalm 16:9
12. James 5:13
13. Colossians 3:15
14. 1 Timothy 4:4

"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."

            Dietrich Bonhoeffer