To read and see inspirational stories about breast cancer survivors, check out my other blog, Recession Resurrection.
You can learn more about early breast cancer detection, treatment options, and how you can get involved, at the American Cancer Society site:
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/news/Features/what-you-can-do-about-breast-cancer
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/news/Features/what-you-can-do-about-breast-cancer
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CLICK HERE for a printer-friendly PDF file of this devotional. You can find links to each devotional on our Web site.
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DAY 27: THANKFULNESS
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE FOR REFLECTION: Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 106:1 (King James Version)
OPENING PRAYER: In your opening prayer, in addition to anything else you want to pray about, thank God for the gift of life He has given you.
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Thankfulness
This morning when I woke up, I sat up in bed, and leaned over to look at the clock. In that brief instant, a sharp pain in my lower back, which I’ve had off and on for months, really woke me up.
I had planned to stay in bed a bit longer, to rest up from a busy day yesterday, but my back had other plans.
At first I wanted to have a negative thought about my back, such as, “Here we go again,” but instead, I felt thankful. The feeling of thankfulness continued throughout the morning. Although my body was aching from doing too much around the house yesterday, I was thankful not only to be alive, but to be blessed to experience the pain.
Pain is our body’s way of telling us something is wrong; that we need to stop and pay attention to a specific part of the body. God gave us wonderful bodies that provide both pain and pleasure. Most of us prefer pleasure over pain any day.
Just like our bodies, sometimes pain comes into our lives and we have to stop and pay attention to the source of the pain.
Sometimes the pain in our lives may be God’s way of getting our attention when we ignore all other forms of communication He offers.
I don’t know about you, but since I stated these daily devotionals, my so-called problems that I had listed 27 days ago don’t seem to be a big deal anymore.
I’m feeling more thankful every day, not only for the pleasures in life that God provides, but the pain in my life, both from my body and that from the world. As long as I am aware of the pain, I can ask God for His help in dealing with it.
I reason that each day that I wake up, even if I’m in pain, it is another day that the Lord has given me to go about His business.
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ACTION ITEM: Continue the Action Item spelled out at the beginning of this week, “Each day this week, make an attempt to live each day like it’s your last.”
In addition, every morning you wake up this week, thank God for your life before getting out of bed.
Until tomorrow, have a blessed day!
-------------------------------------------CLOSING PRAYER: For the remainder of our devotions, please pray about whatever the Lord places in your heart and mind. I also ask that you pray for me as well. I pray daily for everyone who comes in contact with these devotions and feel blessed as a result.
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STAY IN TOUCH: You are cordially invited to share how things are going with you and our devotions thus far. I welcome comments and suggestions as well. You can reach me via Facebook or my personal email address: Steve@BibleStudyCafe.com
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FREE STUFF FOR YOU!
Stop by sometime soon to visit my ministry Web site, Bible Study Café, and download free stuff including a prayer journal. Join Bible Study Café on Facebook and follow my twitches and tweets on Twitter.
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A TRUE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:
If you would like a relationship with God, the only way to do it is through His son, Jesus Christ. This is supported in the Bible: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. --John 14:6 (King James Version)
We begin this relationship by first accepting Jesus. Click Here for a link to more info.
