A cheerful giver!

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
—Colossians 3:17

It won’t cost you a penny but it is priceless!

Your credit cards are useless, because no store on earth trades in this commodity!

It is more precious than gold, oil or diamonds and cannot be mined, drilled or manufactured.

You can’t buy it, yet the world is hungering for it. Your family is desperate to receive their daily portion.

It has the power to transform the present into a future of possibilities, to turn a frown upside down, to bring strength to tired limbs.

It can’t be found at CVS or Walgreens.

What is it? Giving thanks to one another and God!
 Nothing is equal to the spirit of thankfulness, the attitude of gratitude that is expressed with sincerity to another by a fellow traveler in this journey called life.

The supplier of this gift stares back at you every morning in the bathroom mirror … you are the source!

But you ask:

1. How can I be thankful in a world that has so many things that aren’t right?
2. How do I live a thankful life in a negative world, where criticism can be the norm?

The thankful spirit is not an easy thing to develop, particularly when we find the opposite coming so naturally, so easily. Yes the attitude of gratitude is a rare commodity. So rare that it is a gift when we receive it! It interrupts your world and says "Hey, someone is watching and appreciates you!"

You see, being a cheerful giver is a lifestyle not an act. You are called by God to live your thanks every day. More than an act, being thankful is an attitude that grows out of a heart and life that is lived and grounded in a belief that says there is a God who cares about me. There is a God who loves me and who is on my side…a God who will not abandon me but encourages me to see myself maybe not as I feel, but as He sees me! As you have received, you are to freely give!

This coming Sunday evening, the Florida Hospital Tampa Bay Division will be hosting a service of thanksgiving, 7 pm at the Tampa First SDA Church, featuring the FH Zephyrhills Chorale.

Join us and bring friend won’t you?