Category: Thankful

The Power of Gratitude

Posted on by Evangeline

Expressing gratitude is a powerful way to start your day every morning. Today I decided to share excerpts from posts as far back as 2012 that I hope will encourage you to always be on the lookout for something good and be thankful for it.

If you’re struggling with infertility, it’s so easy to get caught up in all that’s going wrong, the disappointment that comes month after month, the emotional drain of it all, the possible health scares, the financial toll, and the marital problems that tend to stealthily creep in. But today, make a DECISION to look for the things in life you’ll be thankful for.

Start by remembering that God is with you. If you’ve asked Jesus into your heart, He has promised to never leave you and to always bless you with his unfailing grace. Continue to rest in knowing that God is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31). Be thankful that He has given so many examples of women who overcame infertility along with promises in the Bible that relate to your fertility. Thank Him that you can count on Him to make good on those promises (Isaiah 55:11).  Even during the moments when you doubt His ability, willingness, and timing, stand firm in being thankful that He still loves you. Believe that He loves you no-matter-what, just as much as He loves Jesus (John 17:23).

Be thankful that there is nothing too hard for God, not even infertility (Genesis 18:14)!

WHY should I be grateful?

  • What I have, I don’t deserve because of my goodness, rather, it’s all because of Jesus’ goodness.
  • Gratitude and Peace are interconnected; the more gratitude I express to God, the more of His peace I experience.
  • It’s a way to express my indebtedness to others and to God, thereby helping me to become a better servant-leader.
  • Gratitude is a choice; I can just as easily choose to complain about life instead of being grateful.

I choose to celebrate that God loves me and blesses me, even when circumstances around me are teeming with reasons to not be grateful!

KEEP AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!

Choose to be grateful. Expect an abundance of good things to come your way that will reinforce and grow this attitude so you can constantly be grateful, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.

 

What thing(s) do you do to remind yourself that, in spite of your circumstances, you have much to be grateful for?

Gratitude by Ziglar

HAPPY NEW YEAR- Expect to be Blessed in 2017

Posted on by Evangeline

Happy new year

As you celebrate the beginning of a new year, take a few moments to reflect and celebrate the good things you experienced in 2016. It’s important to make a decision to see the good, especially if 2016 was filled with disappointments.

If infertility was a factor in your 2016, what good came out of it? Are you closer to God? Closer to your spouse? Did you get better results by changing/removing some old habits?

If the death of a loved one infiltrated your life last year, what good came out of it? Did you learn that you are stronger than you thought as a result of that loss? Did love and support come from unexpected people?

No matter what your challenge may have been, there’s something good that came out of it…you just have to look for it.

Once you determine what those good things were, express gratitude for them. God always finds a way to show us His love in the midst of challenges and it’s a good practice to say, “Thanks” to Him.

A New Year of New Beginnings

And now as we begin a new year, let this year be the launching point of more good things experienced in your life–on an even higher level. Embrace what lies ahead and let go of 2016’s setbacks. Let your hope be reignited! Let what you say in 2017 reflect unwavering hope. Raise your expectancy for good things to come your way. Expect God to do wonderful, miraculous things in your life.

Prayer for 2017

What are some of the things you’re praying will happen in 2017? Please share them below.

My prayer for you in 2017 is that you will:

  • Gain a new and fresh revelation of God’s no-matter-what kind of love for you.
  • Ask boldly for what He has promised in His Word.
  • Expect to receive more than ever before.
  • Experience new-found freedom in Him, not settling for less than what He promised.
  • Look ahead with confidence, letting your words reflect what God has said about you.
  • Walk by faith and not by sight, knowing that it’s what you trust in but don’t yet see that keeps you moving ahead.
  • Be greatly blessed as you stand with daily gratitude.

May your 2017 be filled with abundance in every way!

Need help with clearing out old mindsets so that 2017 is filled with better results and more breakthroughs? I am here to help! Check out the scripture-based coaching services that I offer at iHope Coaching.

You crown the year with Your good blessings, and You leave abundance in Your wake.
~ Psalm 65:11 NET

The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:5 MSG

His favor lasts a lifetime! ~ Psalm 30:5 NIV

Thanksgiving – Thankful for What?

Posted on by Evangeline

   Thanksgiving

It’s Thanksgiving Day here in America. It’s a time when we celebrate how God began to form a nation with very humble beginnings. It’s a time to be thankful for many blessings, especially the freedoms we enjoy here in America.

But, when you’re facing the difficult struggle of infertility, what is there to be thankful for?

It’s so easy to get caught up in all that’s going wrong, the disappointment that comes month after month, the emotional drain of it all, the possible health scares, the financial toll and the marital problems that tend to stealthily creep in. But this Thanksgiving Day, no matter where in the world you are, make a DECISION to look for the things in life you can be thankful for.

Start by remembering that God is with you. If you’ve asked Jesus into your heart, He has promised to never leave you and to always bless you with His unfailing grace. Continue to rest in knowing that God is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31). Be thankful that He has given so many examples of women who overcame infertility,   who stand as reminders of what His loving power can do in seemingly impossible situations. Be thankful that He’s also given you  promises in the Bible that relate to your fertility. Thank Him that you can count on Him to make good on those promises (Isaiah 55:11).

Even during the moments when you doubt  His ability, willingness, and timing, stand firm in being thankful that  He still loves you. Believe that He loves you unconditionally, just as much as He loves Jesus (John 17:23).

Be thankful that there is nothing too hard for God, especially infertility (Genesis 18:14)!

Thank You Veterans!

Posted on by Evangeline

Veterans Day

 Thank you to the more than 48 million veterans who have served and sacrificed for our country’s freedom and peace! You are a blessing to us!

 

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. Psalm 33:12

Focus Friday-Gratitude Again!

Posted on by Evangeline

Here’s a quick note about gratitude.

Yes, I know I’ve had quite a few posts about gratitude lately but this theme just keeps whooshing through my mind like waves at the seashore.

I hope this repeated focus on gratitude is something that will encourage you to interrupt the stress of  your day by being grateful for some simple things. I like thanking out loud God for parking spaces close to the building I need to walk to (especially when it’s 113 degrees outside), the 7 consecutive  green lights I drove through so I could be on time, the opportunity to do a random act of kindness for someone, favor that I received from someone, etc.

Gratitude helps to lighten the emotional and mental load you carry and it gives you something to smile about.

What’s something that you can be thankful for today?

Gratitude - EV turquoise 2

My Gratitude Challenge

Posted on by Evangeline

Gratitude is the kick-starter for experiencing joy in life.

When I am purposely thankful, I tend to find that joy is just around the corner. It seems like being thankful gets the joy juices flowing!

gratitude - be thankful

I decided last week that I wanted to express my gratitude with more consistency. This past Monday, on 6/1/15, I started a fun and easy gratitude challenge for myself, for 7 days. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to share my challenge with others. To see if anyone else wanted to join me, I posted the challenge on my Facebook Page. The response was definitely more than I thought it would be!

I’m sharing the challenge here in case you’d like to join me.

Are you open to a fun and easy, but REALLY powerful 7-day challenge so that you can activate and experience more positivity and joy in your life?

When you wake up in the morning, 
find 3 NEW things to be grateful for and celebrate them. Do this for 7 mornings in a row.

Let me know if you’re in by commenting “Yes” below. Be sure to come back here to share the impact of your gratitude moments.

It’s not too late! Just start your 7-day challenge tomorrow when you wake up. I told you it’s easy! 🙂

I’m posting something on my Facebook Page each day to give my fellow challenge-takers an inspirational boost. Check out those gratitude notes here. Please LIKE my Page while you’re there!

No matter what you’re facing today, gratitude is key in initiating a breakthrough. It enables you to take your eyes off the immediate problem of whatever you’re lacking so that you can focus more on Who your Source is and what He has already provided.

I’m thankful that you stopped by today!

What are you thankful for?

How to Incorporate Gratitude into Your Daily Life

Posted on by Evangeline

Gratitude by Ziglar“Gratitude is a marvelous place to start.” ~Zig Ziglar

I’m choosing to be grateful for what I have, do, and experience. When a friend was recently talking about gratitude, it reminded me of  something that I starting doing years ago. I developed the habit of writing what I was grateful for at the end of each day. Every night before getting in the bed, I made a quick not about what I was grateful for that day. I made it easy on myself: I wrote 4 simple things that I possessed, did, or experienced that day. Of course, once I got going, I would think of more than 4 things but I limited it to 4 so I wouldn’t feel overwhelmed the next day to come up with a lot of things to be grateful for.

Living with an attitude of gratitude is a choice. And if, as Zig Ziglar stated, gratitude brings more to be grateful for, then I’m all in! I choose to be grateful. I expect an abundance of  good things to come my way that will reinforce and grow this attitude so I can constantly be grateful, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.

What thing(s) do you do to remind yourself that, in spite of your circumstances, you have much to be grateful for?

5 Ways to Survive the Holidays in the Midst of Infertility

Posted on by Evangeline

Holidays can be difficult to navigate when you’ve been declared infertile. I remember how easy it was to get caught up in all that was going wrong (infertility). It would have been easy to paint myself into a corner and neglect enjoying what’s meant to be a festive and fun time.  With the disappointment that comes month after month, it can become difficult to maneuver through the emotional drain of infertility, the possible health scares, the financial toll, and the marital problems that tend to stealthily creep in.

But during this week leading up to America’s celebration of Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season, I encourage you to make a DECISION to look for the things in life you can be thankful for during the holidays and beyond. A thankful heart looks beyond its present negative circumstances to the positive possibilities that lie ahead.

You may be asking yourself, “What do I have to be thankful for when all I want is to get pregnant and it isn’t happening?”

Be Thankful

 

 Be thankful that God is with you. 

If you’ve asked Jesus into your heart, He has promised to never leave you and to always bless you with his unfailing grace. Be thankful that you can rest in knowing that God is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31).

 

Be thankful that there is nothing too hard for God, not even infertility!

Some people believe that we’re to thank God for putting us in tough situations because that’s how He teaches us something. I believe God is a better teacher than that. He can get his point across to us without putting us in tough situations. I believe that tough situations are brought to our lives by the devil but God can and will bring us out of them. Trust in God’s ability and willingness to make good come out of bad.

 

Be thankful for role models.

Be thankful that He has given so many examples of women who overcame infertility and that He has made promises in the Bible that relate to your fertility. Thank Him that you can count on Him to make good on those promises.

 

Be thankful that God hears you as you pray His promises.

“So is my Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me [through your confession of it] without producing results. As you believe and speak it, My Word will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” ~Isaiah 55:11 [paraphrased]

When you’re in the throes of difficult circumstances, life can become overwhelmingly sad and anxiety-laden. But remember, the One who has the power to change your circumstances is always right there with you in the midst of them, ready to display His power as you trust His love and His promises. God the Father wants to bring you out of the grip of tough times into His gentle caress of peace and rest. That’s what He planned for your destiny.

Giving thanks to God is the means of focusing on the solution rather than the problems we have. When we give thanks in the midst of our problems, we keep victory’s door open. Thanking God when we’re dealing with infertility or any other trying circumstance  is the best way to express that we expect Him to show Himself strong on our behalf and to make good things happen.

 

Be thankful that He loves you unconditionally.

God the Father loves you just as much as He loves Jesus (John 17:23)! To have someone who always loves you no matter how much you doubt His ability, willingness, and timing…that’s something to be thankful for!

 

What will you choose to thank God for today?