Colossians 3:15: And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

The United States is a land of opportunity. Some of us are born here and some of us come from another country. The United States has a reputation of being a nation of opportunity for people to immigrate here, get an education, get married and start a family. The United States is a land of testimony after testimony of how people have bettered their lives. This nation, our constitution, and the laws of the land give and protect our opportunities. We have all of these opportunities and that is what makes America great. There is no other country like the United States. We have many things that we can be thankful today.

Look at other countries and see the turmoil that they face everyday. Women are killed just for being alive. Children are left orphans because of the crisis of the nation they live in. Their parents assassinated for no reason other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Communist countries don’t protect their citizens. They exploit their citizens making them slaves and using their talents to benefit their nations and then leave them to die.

Maybe you know someone who has experienced a terrible situation where death was near them every day and their lives were at stake every day. We don’t always think about those things unless we ourselves are placed in those situations. Many missionaries have given their lives serving the Lord in other countries. There are so many testimonies that have been written and so many martyrs that have given their life to serve others and to serve God.

All this comes down to the Father’s heart towards us. He loves us. You don’t have to do anything good or bad for God to love you. Only the choices you make will effect you for either good or bad. The Bible stands tall, can be depended on, and will tell the truth of how can we live our lives for a better tomorrow.

Today just take a minute and think about what God has done for you. Maybe He brought you out of an illness. Maybe He helped a close relative. Maybe He protected you from a tragedy like a accidents or from a random strangers who had evil intents. We don’t think to have gratitude until we face health issues or situations that we aren’t happy with.

Take a moment and just be grateful for what you have. You have a place to live, a job, a family and loved ones that make your life better. We have too many things to be thankful for. I believe being thankful increases your faith and increase your awareness of who God is and who you are.

God has been giving to you since the day you were born and will until your last breath on the earth. Without Him, it’s hard to work or think or live your life.  Look around you. If you have a roof over your head, electricity, food on the table, plumbing in your house, then it’s a good day. I don’t believe in bad days and you shouldn’t either.

Remember that God loves you. He’s always there for you. Take yourself to a higher level of gratitude today. Just tell Father God thank you for being my Father. Thank you for my life and those around me. Tell God you love Him for who He is.

If you are like me, write the reasons you should be thankful for down if you need to. It will help to remind yourself how blessed you truly are. Pass on the gratitude to your friends by sharing this message with the ones you love.