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By Daneen James
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3 QUESTIONS to Spark Gratitude...
Ask yourself these questions, to help you see the people, circumstances and experiences in your life differently. 1) What do I have that I didn't before? 2) What do I know that I didn't before? 3) What am I doing that I couldn't before? Apply these questions to the "whatever" of life. The irritating and unexpected as well as the surprising and wonderful. Gratitude creates consciousness. Consciousness connects us to our creator and helps us recognize how He works. The more aware we become about how God works in our lives, the easier gratitude becomes. The life we want is within our reach, when we connect to the God within us. Reflect
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Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media.
Want more? Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Watch a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFNfg-fuOM You might also enjoy: https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/daily-dose-gratitude-more-than-words
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By Daneen James  “Love is not jealous”, another translation reads, “Love does not want what it doesn’t have.” You’ve probably seen this before, part of the infamous bible passage on love, it's found in I Corinthians 13:4-7. Although, I’ve read this verse more times than I can count, I never saw it the way I see now. When we want to be something other than who we are, want someone else’s relationship and experiences more than our own, we are not living in love. We fail to love ourselves and God by dishonoring who He made us and discounting what He gave us.
Being grateful means making a point to recognize the worth and value of people, things and experiences in life, without condition. We don't always get it right, but the more we do, the better life becomes. Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. Subscribe and enjoy previous DAILY DOSE episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCihR688-4gEdyIThvEtIJ1g Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Sign up for the newsletter, receive ongoing inspiratation and updates: https://www.daneenjames.com Shop the SPARKSAFLAME Store: https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html By Daneen James  "When we were utterly helpless, God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. We have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ. Our friendship with God was restored by the Son." Romans 5:6-11 (NLT) I read that scripture and I am overwhelmed. God, what made you do it? How can you love me like you do? What am I that you consider me? Despite my best efforts, I’m not always good or righteous. I disobey and disappoint God. I know better but don’t always do better. I mess up and miss the mark. Yet every day God shows me new mercy and extends His grace and gives me another chance. God sees us and knows our inner thoughts, nothing is hidden from Him. He sees the ugly, the selfish and the dark. Yet it’s in our darkest places that He shines His light. His Spirit won’t let us be. It works with His grace to refine us. Even when you walk away, God never does. He wants you. He decided long ago that you are worth it and won’t throw you away. He offers you life, the chance to change and grow. Oh, the possibilities when you listen for and obey His voice. Each time we choose Him, every move we make toward Him, we stand more in His power. This was God's plan all along. There's a song I remember singing as a Kid in church, “I Just Want To Thank You Lord.” Though I haven’t thought about that song in years, this morning I woke up with its words on my lips. “Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. You’ve been so good. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. You brought me out. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. You saved my soul. I Just want to thank you Lord.” I even watched a performance of the song on YouTube. As I listened to the lyrics, my eyes began to water. On Good Friday, the day we commemorate the death and crucifixion of Christ. I am overcome with awe and appreciation. Father, I just want to say, THANK YOU. For more inspiring messages: Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Connect and receive updates about Daneen's upcoming book: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Shop the Sparksaflame Store: https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. You might also enjoy: https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/in-his-absence By Daneen James  In the wake of the COVID 19 global crisis, we're more aware than ever, life can change in an instant. Suddenly, the life we knew has been suspended, indefinitely. What we planned, wanted and hoped to do must be deferred or at least altered. Yet, inherent in every crisis is opportunity. This crisis is no different.
Inevitably, during this time, most of us will likely take some time to reflect, assess and examine our lives. When you look closely, you'll see a crossroads. An opportunity to make decisions that can be a turning point in your life and our world. What will you do? How will you choose? After reading the stories below, you may think differently(https://www.marcandangel.com/2015/08/19/30-quick-stories-that-will-make-you-think-differently/). Life Lesson On his 27th birthday a young man wrote a suicide letter. He was ready to go through with it, when his girlfriend showed up at his apartment and told him she was pregnant. She saved his life. Suddenly he felt like he had something to live for. Today, that young man's pregnant girlfriend is his wife. They have been happily married for 19 years. And the baby, his daughter, now a 21-year-old college student, has two younger brothers. Every year on his birthday, the man re-reads his suicide letter as a reminder to be thankful – thankful he got a second chance at life. The Heart Goes On Nearly five years after her husband’s death, a woman receives an unexpected knock at her front door. It was a beautiful couple and their three kids. The man smiled and said, “Your husband was my heart donor. He saved my life. Not a single day has gone by that I don’t pray for him and think of you. Thank you! " From Where I Sit There was a group incoming freshman on a tour of their "soon to be" college campus. Amongst the group was a young man in a wheelchair. He was exceptionally friendly and never stopped smiling. His positive energy was absolutely contagious. The group learned after the tour that he had a scholarship to play basketball before a car accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. When asked about the accident, he responded, “It didn’t ruin my life, it just changed my circumstances. I’m happy to be here with you right now, with so many opportunities in front of me.” What matters most A woman rushed to the hospital after getting a call from her twin sister. After being in a coma for almost a year, her sister was still weak but surprisingly coherent. The siblings spent the entire night together, talking and laughing. The woman was elated to share the holiday season and enter the New Year with her sister back at her side. You'd never know a month before the accident, the twins got in a ridiculous argument and didn’t speak to each other for that entire month. Today, neither one of them can even remember what made them so angry. Joy from Pain During a conversation with his daughter, a 71-year-old dad talked about living and growing through adversity. He said, “It’s been my experience that most people aren’t truly happy until they’ve had many reasons to be sad. I believe it's because it takes all of those bad days and hardships to teach us how to truly appreciate what we have. It builds our resilience.” The Best You A woman recalls the relationship advise her grandfather gave her more than two decades ago, “Honestly, the moment I stopped trying to find the right woman, and started trying to become the right man, your grandmother walked up to me and said, ‘Hello.’” The Truth of Life While interviewing a terminally ill woman for a school project, a high student tentatively asked “What is it like to wake up every morning and know that you are dying?” “Well,” the woman replied, “What is it like to wake up every morning and pretend that you are not?” This life is not forever, every moment we get is a gift. God willing, though unprecedented and uncharted, this time will pass and fade into memory. In the meantime, there are lessons to be learned. Lessons of how to live and love differently, better. Reminders to pursue lives that reflect our purpose more fully. Lessons of how compassion feeds and elevates our spirit in such extraordinary ways. Here are a few ways to make space for the lessons of this time:
Get more on this and other topics: Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Sign up for her newsletter, get notified when Daneen’s latest book is available for purchase: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Brighten someone's life with a card: https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. You might also enjoy: https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/in-the-light-of-hope By Daneen James  What makes gratitude such a big deal? Take a minute, think about what happened today or this week that made you smile. Nothing is too small. Someone held the door for you, you found a great parking space, finished a project right on time or got an encouraging text/email when needed most. Now, be honest, don't you feel better? That's the benefit of gratitude. Appreciation generates joy and renews your perspective. Regularly recognizing the good in your life, big and small, improves your health, increases productivity and creates better relationships. Gratitude creates an energy people can't resist. Think about the people you most enjoy spending time with. What attracts you to them? They're probably encouraging and raise your energy level instead of depleting it. When you look for the best in others, they feel it and can’t help but want to be around you! Praising team members, encouraging colleagues and affirming clients foster thriving professional relationships. Genuinely celebrating the contributions of others promotes creativity and empowers people to make better decisions and feel better about who they are. Our personal and intimate relationships thrive when those closest to us feel valued. Write a letter or leave a note to share with your spouse, family or friends, why they're special to you, notice their response. From the inside out You'll be hard pressed to find an area of life that isn't improved by gratitude. Our physical body is no exception. Lower blood pressure, better quality sleep, decreased incidence of depression and addiction are but a few of the health benefits linked to grateful living. As I was driving the other day, I noticed a sign that read "gratitude turns what you have into enough." Gratitude prevents you from being so focused on the next, that you neglect the now. Being grateful doesn't mean you want less. It just means that you don't allow what you want, to blind you to what you have. Appreciating what you have instead of fixating on what you believe is missing, increases spiritual awareness. You feel better about yourself and your life, so you're less inclined toward jealousy and envy. The net result is an overall sense of contentment and well being that helps you better enjoy life. What do you have to lose? The next time you find yourself being critical or feeling irritable, find a reason to be grateful. Take a few minutes each day to highlight the good in your life; phrases like: I'm grateful for, I appreciate, so glad that, can help get you started. Notice how it changes the way you feel. Make a practice of grateful living and see how it changes your life! Get more on this and other topics: Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Sign up for my newslettter and get updates: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Express your gratitude with a card: https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html  |
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