Thanksgiving

Count Your (Spiritual) Blessings

Count Your (Spiritual) Blessings // by Leslie Ann Jones

Well, it's that time of year again. In just a couple of weeks, our social media feeds are going to blow up with people naming blessings—one for each day leading up to Thanksgiving. On one hand, I always enjoy these posts. I love seeing the people of God giving thanks for his good gifts. I also enjoy participating in the #Grateful movement. And yet, at the same time, I wonder if maybe we're missing the forest for the trees. 

I'm thankful for financial stability, food on the table, a loving husband, and my two sweet girls. I'll be the first to admit that I'm grateful for mocha lattes, crisp fall mornings, a few hours of quiet, and the roof over my head. When I count my blessings, these are some of the first things I name.

But I'm afraid that when we count our blessings, we sometimes stop too soon. We only name the things that are right in front of our faces, and we neglect to mention the things that matter most.

When we went through the Limitless study on Ephesians this summer, one of the first things that I noticed was the type of blessings that Paul named. I'm sure he was thankful for his friends and family, the people who supported his ministry, and for his good health. But those aren't the things that he names.

He names the spiritual blessings that each and every believer has in Christ. In his list, Paul says we have been blessed because we are chosen, adopted, redeemed, and forgiven. Through Christ, he goes on to say, we have received limitless grace, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and an inheritance that is incorruptible, unfading, and imperishable.

Here's the thing. Each and every one of the physical things that we're thankful for can be stripped away. You can lose your job. You can lose your livelihood. Your savings accounts can be emptied. You can find yourself not knowing where your next meal is coming from. You can be in a horrible car accident. You can get cancer. You can lose someone you love. 

When we count our blessings, the incorruptible, unfading, and imperishable gifts of God ought to be at the center of our thanksgiving. From "Count Your (Spiritual) Blessings" by Leslie Ann Jones.

It's good and right to be thankful for all kinds of blessings, but if the foundation of our thanksgiving lies only in earthly blessings, then our faith will be shaken by the first strong wind that blows our way. The incorruptible, unfading, and imperishable gifts of God ought to be at the center of our thanksgiving. These are the blessings that are the same now and in the future regardless of circumstances.

If we lose our jobs, we still have Christ. We still have salvation through him. We still have the peace that comes from him. We still have redemption and the forgiveness of our sins. We still have grace in limitless abundance. And these are the things that Paul says we should cling to and hold onto because these are the things that never change. These are the things that never go away. These are the things that are true regardless of what's happening in the world around us.

God is good all the time. His goodness isn't dependent on the circumstances that surround us. Even when the future seems bleak, we maintain hope for something better. And the hope we have in Christ is guaranteed. We can depend on it because the God who has promised is faithful. He is who he says he is and he is able to do what he says he will do. When he says that he has blessed us, it means that we are blessed because we are his.

So this season, will you join me in changing things up? When we count our blessings, let's start with the spiritual ones. Let's count them out for all the world to see. Let's name them one by one and see what God has done. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Now and forever. Amen.

Until next time, grace and peace.

The Sale Starts Now! Save 30% All Weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I hope you're having a great time with the ones you love most. In between all that turkey and dressing, stop by the LAJ store and get your shopping on! Save 30 percent all weekend long with code BLACKFRIDAY15. The sale starts now and goes through Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, AND Cyber Monday. Offer expires Monday, November 30 at 11:59 p.m. 

Happy shopping! Until next time, grace and peace.

Free Printable Give Thanks Banner + Shop Updates

Hello friends! I'm happy to announce that fall has finally arrived in the South. I mean, sure, it may still get up to 80 degrees before the day is over, but we're at a nice, crisp 50-something degrees when the days start.

OK, OK, so that was just a couple of days. But still. One can hope.

I've got a fun little freebie for you today: a give thanks printable banner. If you're anything like me, you could use a reminder to pause and practice gratitude throughout your day. I made this banner to hang on our own mantle, and then I thought that I should share the love (and thankfulness) with you as well. Click here to download your free Thanksgiving banner. I hope it inspires an attitude of gratitude in your household :)

I also wanted to give you a tiny little shop update. As of this very moment, I have Dwell mugs in stock, as well as two different sets of verse cards. I'm still waiting on the Dwell Journals. I got word from the printer that my final round of test journals will be ready at the beginning of next week. Once I get those in my hands, I'll be able to get some photos taken and get the shop open by the middle of the month. At least, that's what I'm hoping and praying will happen. 

This whole process has been a bit more of an ordeal than I imagined it would be, but now that the launch is (nearly) in sight, I'm finally exhaling a little bit. I'm thankful (see what I did there?) that all the waiting is finally drawing to a close. It's been a mad push to get all the products ready this fall, and I simply can't wait to share them with you. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be revealing more details about the individual products and I'll also be posting exclusive deals (and maybe even a giveaway or two) for the shop launch. Stay tuned for updates!

Until next time, grace and peace.