G.W. Bill Elliott, Jr once noted;
Being 'the bigger person' initially benefits the littler ones by whom you are made bigger, which actually accentuates the difference. #GoBig
Week:
4
Gratitude and Joy
Cultivating thankfulness and joy as disciplines. Participants learn gratitude as a spiritual practice that reshapes perception and sustains resilience. The week offers rhythms and exercises for noticing God’s gifts, celebrating small mercies, and choosing joy even in difficulty. The goal is a habitual posture of thanksgiving that deepens worship and everyday contentment.
Objectives
Build daily gratitude rhythms.
Distinguish joy from circumstances.
Practice gratitude even in hard circumstances.
Reflections
What habit will help me keep joy daily?
How does gratitude change my view of God’s activity?
What is one hard thing I can thank God for today?
NowTo the HowTo
Accountability/Tracking
Post one gratitude entry to a group thread each day; celebrate when everyone posts at least three times.
Community Action
Organize a short “gratitude circle” where each person names one hard thing they can thank God for.
Creative Project
Create a collage or digital slide of small joys from the week and display it in the meeting space.
Leader Prompt
Encourage honest thanksgiving by acknowledging pain before inviting gratitude; model one example.
Personal Practice
Keep a one line daily gratitude log for seven days and read it aloud on day seven.
Devotionals
Tooty Fruity
The Bible tells me that I should not get weary from doing well, that I should not fret over seeing immediate results, the fruits of my labor, or even just the difference I may be making in this world. Our devotional today is an encouragement about this, and reminder that He does know our labors, He does see our dedication and commitment (not to mention our yearn to follow His will), and He does have a time for each of us. Many times, it feels like 'I am alone' on the journey with the Lord,...
...But Wait!
The deal keeps getting better and better... those infomercials selling gadgets, gizmos, and home-item trinkets all have that one recurring theme of " ...but wait " as they are working to impress you enough to make that sale. The longer you 'do' wait, the better and more unbelievable the deal does get... to the point you feel almost moronic NOT to place an order. Today, our devotional has somewhat the same premise, though you are not being convince to accept something you would otherwise do...
Not for Naught, Give a Shout
' Life ' means many things and is used in so many ways, but at it's core, it is defined as; 'any specified period of animate existence'. Plants have life, animals have life, as does the human race have life. Especially with humans, life also includes our spirit and soul, which is a much deeper version of the physical life other things on this planet experience. Even among the humans, there seems to be a wide variation in life; some are exuberant, excited, and energetically productive; while...
Cure the Common Chaos
I, for one, am a fan of predictably calm and peaceful days in my life. It may be a lofty quest, but when the timing is right, I thoroughly soak-up and savor the experience. All too often though, the day's path gets derailed, changes course, and once in a while can be found a crumpled mess on the side of the road... a horrifying crash, turmoil, sorrow, disappointment, and quite a bit of self-pity! OK, I'm being over-dramatic here, but wanted to spend today's devotional by giving time, thought,...