Gratitude

New Year. New You.

Happy New Year :)

As I've entered into this new year, God has been showing me a little more about thankfulness...not just the kind of thanks that i half-heartedly pray to God on a daily basis...but actual THANKFULNESS! I have felt convicted because I feel like when one is thankful for something, he or she should express it. Luke 6:45 says, "out of the overfow of the mouth, the heart speaks." Gratitude shouldn't be invisible or silent. I heard a quote on a podcast the other night from elevation church: "Gratitude is never invisible or silent. You can't be grateful to God who you can't see, and not express it to the people, (who were made in His image) that you can see. When I am grateful to others, I am in effect, grateful to God, and when I'm grateful to God, I am grateful to others. If you're truly grateful for what God has done in your life, you will find a way to express it."

Psalm 69:30-34 says, "I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves. The poor will see and be glad— you who seek God, may your hearts live! The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people. Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them."

Psalm 100:4 says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says,"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

I've been learning that God wants to see and hear my gratitude...not because it makes Him feel better, or because He needs it, but because He likes to see me at a place in which I know that without Him in my life, I am nothing. So, I figured I would make a list of all God did to bless me in 2010...

**I'm thankful that God has put me in situations in 2010 that have challenged my salvation, because he has used every single opportunity to show me that He is sovereign and I need Him.

**I'm thankful that I am healthy and alive, and that it is only by the grace of God that I am able to wake up everyday, especially since over 50,000 people die each day of poverty related causes. Not sure what I did to deserve this food, clothing, and shelter that I have, but the least I can do is give thanks.

**I'm thankful that in 2010, I made the decision to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. The year has flown by, and it seems like not that long ago, last January, that we finally admitted that there was something deeper between us than just good friends who laughed and made fun of each other, flirted, spent a lot of time together, hung out at the pool, and watched football together. God has used Daniel so much to show me what it means to be selfless. He has shown me that being a true servant of God usually means getting no recognition for what you're doing because you have to come to a place in which you could care less about any recognition at all. My attitude has gone from me wanting glory and recognition to wanting God to get the glory and recognition. On May 7th, rain or shine, I will get to marry Daniel at a cute plantation house in a simple setting because that is everything we are together. I can only dream of what we will be doing in even 5 years from now. He is helping me to not let mydreams be just merely dreams, and he is showing me what it truly means to love someone through the eyes of Christ. I struggle at this everyday, but it has given me the opportunity to learn what it means to be a good wife, and helper. I have a lot to learn.

**I'm thankful that I actually get to have some sort of wedding ceremony when probably close to 80% of girls like me will never get to have a celebration for one of the most important days of their lives. I am thankful for all of the wonderful amazing people who have committed to playing a part in it. It would take a long time to name everyone, but know that I asked you to play some sort of role because you have changed my life.

**I'm thankful that in the midst of crap going on in my family, my parents have drawn atleast a little closer to God in the past year, and I have grown closer to them. I have probably called my dad more, and made more of an effort, in the past 3 months than i have in the rest of my life. (Romans 8:28)

**I'm thankful that in 2010 i was able to spend a total of 4 weeks in Peru on 2 seperate trips, and one week in Mexico, in which my eyes were opened, I learned more about myself, and I was able to do what I could to make His name great. I have met so many beautiful people over the past year in Peru. They have taught me so much, and I love them like family.

**I'm thankful for the ways God has used my friends this past year to help me learn more about myself. I'm thankful for the CrAzY times, as well as the serious times. They bring so much life into my what would be dull life. I don't thank God enough for them, and I don't let them know enough how crazy I am about all of them.

**I'm thankful for my roommates, Colleen, Natalie, and Emily, even though they think Im weird.

**I'm thankful for Statesboro, GA, and for all of the good times I have had here over the past almost 5 years. God used so many people here to help make me, a once 18-year old, broken, immature, selfish, person who had just gotten saved, to who I am now. I still have a long way to go, but I am so thankful for the city, the adults and families here, the churches and campus ministries, GSU, and last but not least, my best friends that I have met over the past 5 or so years. Specifically, in 2010, for how my church, Connection Church, has created a setting for me to draw close to God, learn about His plan for my life, serve Him, and meet some cool people, too. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

**Oh yeah I graduated college!

**I'm thankful for all of the children and families that we built relationships with at Little Lotts in 2010. Even though some things could have been done different, and the program is almost non-existent now, I'm thankful that I got to play a very small part for a season in putting a smile on some kid's faces.

**I'm thankful for the bible study that I have been in since a long time ago, and specifically for 2010 being able to read The Forgotten God and Radical, and for Tammy Gann for always listening to all of us.

**I'm thankful that I have a job. Although everyone wants to graduate and get a "grown up job" in their field of study, God has used my job at 180 Fitness to not only provide me with some food and rent money, but God has used that place for me to meet some incredible people that I get to see everyday. 180 fitness definitely "turned my life around," and i love the people that i see everyday there.

**I'm thankful for the beautiful family that I get to babysit and hang out with (and it also helps pay the bills). Thanks to my wonderful best friend, Colleen Cowart, who let's me share them with her.

**I'm thankful for ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA, and I think it is the most wonderful place on the earth, and I about cry everytime I drive up to it when I visit and I see all of the beautiful people that I can't wait to hopefully meet when i move there. And I'm thankful that Daniel and I have already found a church that we cannot wait to join when we move there and serve God with all we have. I'm thankful Daniel got a grown-up job at the hospital there, and he loves it. I have grown up visiting family in Anderson since I was little, and I would have never thought I would have the opportunity to live there. So I am thankful for that. And it's a plus that everyone runs so much there, and there are like 3 different health food stores.

**I'm thankful that I was able to witness and take part in 4 of my beautiful friends getting married this past year.---> Meghan, Rachael, Theresa Anne, and Teresa, I am so honored that I got to stand by your side and witness you marry the love of your life.

**I'm thankful for God's forgiveness and how His grace is made new every morning. I'm thankful for all of the encouragement that comes my way everyday, which helps me to be a more encouraging person as well. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

**I'm thankful for all of the life lessons I have learned in 2010, which include:

1) Be faithful in the small things, and you will be trusted with the greater things. (Luke 16:10)

2)People are imperfect, which makes churches imperfect. It's easy to point out all the things you don't like about a church, but that would only be to hide the hardness and messed up stuff in your own heart. The real issue is what am I doing personally in order to make His name great? And what can I do in order to play a part in helping my church draw others to him?

3)Just accept God's blessing in my life, and know that He has given me certain gifts in order to give back to Him and use them for HIS glory. (Mark 12:30-31)

4)Accept love. (John 15:13)

5)He must become greater. I must become less. (John 3:30)

I've found that starting a new year is the perfect time to look back on the previous 12 months and see how far I have come---to see how I've grown and leaned from mistakes and how God has used different experiences to shape me into who I am right now. I've seen miracles happen. I've had some big changes in my own life and future. I've learned that circumstances that sucked at the time have turned around to work out for good. As we grow as Christians, we are supposed to become more and more like Christ, not just stay the same. There have been times this past year in which I felt set back from where I was supposed to be, and there have been many more times in which I found myself understanding more and more what it means to actually "give up my life and everything I cling to and hold tightly too in order to serve and please my God. I hate selfishness, and I hate slander. Not that I have mastered these things, because I can tell you that the words that come out of my mouth and the condition of my heart are sometimes not very pleasing to God.

Make a list of everything you have to be thankful for :)

LOVE-Alison