Author: debo

Don’t you just love being blessed? I once read a sign that said, If you’re lucky enough to have a cabin at the lake, you’re lucky enough. I’ve changed it around to say If you’re blessed enough to know Jesus, you are blessed enough. We are very blessed people. We have received God’s divine, unmerited favor. Being blessed is just the beginning. We get to turn it around and be a blessing to someone else.
So how can you be a blessing to someone else? There are lots of ways. Praying for someone is a great way to be a blessing. Our prayers can be powerful and effective, and by praying, we can see circumstances change. Becoming a mentor is a great way to be a blessing. You can bless someone else with your presence, your time, your ability and your talents and instruct someone as you show the love of Christ to someone who desires a mentor. Looking for ways to show kindness is a way to bless others. It can be as simple as being courteous in a store, in traffic, or in your office. Kindness can also be shown through generosity. Determine to be a generous giver….all the time! Remember that old campfire song….It only takes a spark, to get a fire going….. Kindness and blessing act the same way. What you start can soon spread. So what you were created for, is what you get to share with your world.

Spread a little love, spread a little love around
You get more when you give, it s the only way to live, I’ve found
Spread a little love, spread a little love around
Go ahead say the words, let your love be heard, there’s no sweeter sound
Spread a little love, spread a little love around
Love is both a noun and verb, to be shown and heard, I”ve found

Introduction
Welcome to your dailyeword, this is Dorette Schaal. This is the day that the Lord has made, why not rejoice? Why not be thankful? Why not pass on the blessings you have received to someone else? Why not be a worshipper? Why not spread the love of Jesus wherever you go? I hope you are encouraged to be a vessel of blessing wherever you go! You are blessed to be a blessing! Here is your dailyeword.

Why not begin every day by writing down 5 things that you are thankful for, or even start your own Daily Gratitude Journal. Or, even before you jump out of bed, express your gratitude to God for a new day from your lips to God’s ears. If you decide to start a Daily Gratitude Journal, you can have different categories like family, personal, career, spiritual, and growth areas sections and you can choose something to be grateful for daily in each of these categories. When I think about all the ways I am blessed, I can’t help but say thank you to God, for all he has done in my life. I have seen him turn even the worst of circumstances around in my world, and can say with conviction that just like Joseph, what the enemy meant for evil, God has turned around for my good. (Gen 50:20)
Ponder for a few moments and think about those in your life who you are most grateful for. Does everyone on your list know that you appreciate them? Why not take today to send a text, email or note to at least one of them to appropriately thank them for being in your life. And then maybe include in your Gratitude Journal a note to God. Here is mine!
Thank You, I can’t help but thank you,
For all that You have done
Thank You, I can’t help but thank You
You’re the reason I can come
Boldy to your throne
My heart has found a home
What more can I say
But thank you Lord

In Christian marriages there are three things that God has given that give us a definite advantage when it comes to making relationships work. Along with the 7 characteristics of a loving person, there are some tools we have to use to make our relationships better. These 3 tools are: the love of God on the inside of us, the power of reconciliation and the power of forgiveness. Let me explain.
1. The Love of God is given to us. In Romans 5:5, we read that the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts. That means we have been liberally filled with the love of God on the inside of us. His supply never runs dry and neither should ours.
2. God has given us the ministry of reconciliation. As believers, that is powerful. We can help others come to Christ, reconciling the world to God. In relationships we can be reconcilers as well. We can be the ones who bring things together. We can become a catalyst of reconciliation.
3. God has demonstrated the power of forgiveness to us, and we get to do the same in our relationships. There will be times we hurt one another, intentionally or unintentionally. We do need to be forgivers. We don’t stay stuck in the rut of unforgiveness, we move toward godliness when we forgive.
None of these three tools happen automatically. They have to be developed and exercised! We want the best relationship in the world, we need to be the best lovers, reconcilers and forgivers in the world. I know that is something that we can do!

How is your enthusiasm level? Have you let your face know that you are filled up with the joy of the Lord? One thing about celebrations is that you can’t have a party without a smile and some joy. I think that it does come naturally for some people to live with enthusiasm. You probably can think of someone right now that is bubbly and lights up the room with their presence. Even if it doesn’t come naturally to you, it is no excuse if you are a Christian! We are supposed to be shining our light. Lights do attract attention. Just turn your porch light on in July on a hot summer night! Bring on the bugs! We use lights to bring attention during performances, and the Bible does tell us to let our light shine, so that others can see our good works and glorify God. So I’ll ask the question again….how is your enthusiasm level? If you are married, you get to determine if your marriage is a drag or dynamite? Is it boring, or beautiful? Is it average, or above and beyond all you could ever ask or think? I hope the life you are experiencing is wonderful! This Valentine weekend, show some love, to your mate! God sent Jesus to give us life abundantly… that is life overflowing… with all that He is in us, and He has for us. Let’s get excited about living! It really is a wonderful life, let’s celebrate, and if your are married, celebrate your mate today!

How can we move from being grateful in our heart, to expressing it with our mouth? I do believe many people have hearts that are full of thanksgiving for the people in their life, but they just have a hard time expressing it. I want to encourage you…..say the words. Love out loud! Let your spouse, your kids, your parents, your friends, know you are grateful for them. Say the words, I love you, I am grateful for you. If you are in a difficult relationship, Philippians encourages us to look for things to be grateful for….if there is anything praise worthy, if there is any virtue, think on these things, and be grateful for the little things!!!
One of the biggest ways to be grateful in our homes is to just quit complaining. If you don’t have anything nice to say, say nothing at all! Let’s create a peace filled environment with our words, through gratitude and love. Show and tell your love, appreciation and gratitude at home!

In the pursuit of knowing and experiencing the will of God for our life, this chapter addresses a key issue. As part of God’s family, we are created to be thankful. We should pray with thanksgiving, we should worship with thanksgiving, and we should live a life of thanksgiving. We have experienced the goodness of God, and with our heart, our mouth and our life, we should express our thanksgiving to God for all He has done for us. Thanksgiving should be a regular part of our life.
If we want a joy filled life, it is a result of being thankful for what we have. Gratitude results when we have learned to be content in life. So contentment is an enormous key to living a joy filled life. Even in the worst of circumstances we can find something to be grateful for. That doesn’t mean that we don’t believe God to change circumstances, but we can enjoy each day as things improve, and be grateful in the moment.

God created us for joy and laughter. We have joy in salvation, and the river of life that flows through us to bring life and joy to those we come in contact with. We can look joyfully toward our future, know that nothing is impossible with God on our side. Our life in Christ is fulfilling and full of joy, and we have heaven to joyfully look forward to. One of the most popular long term shows on TV is America’s Funniest Home Videos. People do some crazy things, and others love to see funny situations on video. There are some really silly movies, and lots of good ways to find ways to laugh. We need to learn to laugh at ourselves. Sarah in the Bible certainly did when she found out she would give birth with an “old man” as a husband. Most 90 year old women would have just died, not laughed! So do some laughing this week. Find a way to add some joy into your life today! Choose joy! You can choose to be in a good mood, or you can choose to be in a bad mood. Choose joy, choose life!

I love to laugh! Laughing feels good! We can get through anything, even serious sickness or very negative circumstances, with laughter. What an interesting patient Norman Cousins was. Not satisfied with a negative fatal diagnosis, he found a cure through laughter to his painful, crippling disease. He literally laughed his way to health. You might have seen his story in the movie Patch Adams. How amazing to see the physical results of laughter….lower blood pressure, increased vascular blood flow, oxygenation of the blood, and even a muscle workout. Laughter just makes us feel good. In our stress filled world, laughter helps ease tension and helps us “de-stress”. Even in the midst of serious situations, a little brevity can lighten the tension. Try it next time you’re in a stressful situation. Something I quote often is this, “if it is gonna be funny later, it may as well be funny now.” Take advantage of each moment, and bring laughter to your life. Often in the midst of doing something embarrassing, we can learn to laugh at ourselves right then. What might have been uncomfortable, becomes bearable because we applied laughter to the situation.

Proverbs 17:22 say that a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. A positive happy life can help you live longer. So that probably means that depression and sadness steal days from your life. Have you ever done a word search in the Bible on the word joy? There are so many joy “texts” in the Word. There are more joy scriptures than one for every day of the year. I love this Yiddish proverb, what soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul. Laughter is necessary to cleanout the dirt that tries to attach itself to our soul. Laughing through hard times is actually healthy. For most of us, that is the hardest time to laugh. But, we can laugh your way to a happier life. Remember and celebrate happy times. Create your own laughter journal. Especially if you have young kids, you will forget the funny things they say and do if you don’t write them down. Having a laughter journal is a great way to lift your spirit even as we reread about funny things that happened years before. Since we know laughter is good like medicine, and as a bonus, it helps tighten the abs at the same time!
When you count it all joy
Circumatnces change
our joy is renewed
In His joy we remain.

There is joy for the journey
Even joy through the pain
Our joy is renewed
When in joy we remain

So take heart and choose joy
Your Sadness erase
Dark days have to leave
Let His joy take its place

Reserve is a word that shows we have placed a priority on something. We make reservations at a restaurant, or a hotel, in advance. Why not reserve some time for you and God in advance, and keep your reservation. Whether you are an early bird like I am, or you thrive in the evening hours, make your appointment with God and keep it. In a few short weeks of doing it day after day, it will become a habit, and then you’ll create a lifestyle of reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of God. We know that each word in the Bible is God breathed and good for us. We appreciate the men wrote it, and appreciate that you gave us something we can hold on to and can read and study to know you more. We are created for your pleasure and purpose, and thank you for creating the Word for our pleasure and so we can know our purpose.
In the secret place
I reserve a room
A quiet time
Just me and You
Restored renewed
Hidden away
Reserved for You
I seek Your Face