Category: Spiritual Life

Are you feeling grateful today?

For some of us, it might be difficult to say yes to that question.
As we approach Thanksgiving next week, The Morning Thing is spending time to focus on gratitude.
Crosswalk.com has a list of 5 scriptures to help guide our gratitude this Thanksgiving.

Click HERE to read the full article.

From Crosswalk Author, Whitney Hopler

Thanksgiving invites you to reflect on God’s goodness and give thanks for the blessings in your life. It’s more than just a holiday; it’s a spiritual discipline to give thanks. The Bible repeatedly encourages you to give thanks – not only when in good circumstances, but in all situations. Practicing gratitude is a powerful act of faith, reminding you that God is present, faithful, and good. Here are 5 scriptures from the Bible to guide your Thanksgiving gratitude. They can inspire you to give thanks not just on Thanksgiving, but on every day that God gives you to enjoy.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Colossians 3:17

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – Colossians 3:17

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

James 1:17

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17

Hebrews 12:28

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” – Hebrews 12:28

Click HERE to read Whitney’s valuable insight on each bible verse.

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Have you tried gratitude journaling?

Thanksgiving is coming soon and it is important to take time every day to be thankful for things in your life. Today on The Morning Thing, we talked about journaling to build a life of thankfulness. We shared some prompts from Crosswalk to start the conversation in person and on paper.

Click HERE to read the full article – 15 Journal Prompts to Build a Life of Thankfulness

Here are some of our favorites:

1. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Take a moment to sit quietly before the Lord, and then, through your journaling, explore what it means to serve a God who allows us to have a personal relationship with him. How does this stir up gratitude in your heart?

2. Reflect on Lamentations 3:22-23 and how God’s mercies are new every morning. Write about what this means for you in your life and why you’re thankful for this good news.

3. Think about the people who are closest to you. Write about why you’re thankful for each of them. Thank God for bringing them into your life.

4. If you’re able, get outside for a moment or look out a window. Journal about God’s creation. What about the outdoors reminds you most of God’s creativity? Thank him for allowing us to enjoy his handiwork.

5. Think of a time when someone did something unexpected for you that you deeply appreciated. Thank God for that person and the unexpected joy they brought to your life.

8. Reflect on a time when the Lord answered a specific prayer. Thank him for caring about your life’s details and hearing you when you cry out.

13. Reflect on a book you’ve recently read, a song you enjoy, or an artist you appreciate. Thank God for gifting us with creativity and for allowing the gifts of others to enrich our lives.

14. What is your favorite food? Write about how it looks, smells, and tastes. Thank God for the enjoyment of our food. For giving us variety and allowing our food to nourish our bodies.

15. Consider your life here on earth, the good and the bad. Write about your gratitude to God for preparing you a new home with him. Thank him for the promise of eternal life.

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How is your Monday? Here are some simple ways to spread happiness and kindness today!

“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.”
Amelia Earhart

Today, The Morning Thing shared some wonderful insight from The Positivity Blog.
Author Henrik Edberg put together a list of 15 simple ways to spread kindness and happiness to those around you.
Click HERE to read his full article.

A very simple way to spread more happiness in your own little world is through kindness. It’s often an easy and quick thing you can do as you move through your daily life.

Here are 15 simple ways to do it.
Pick one of them that resonates with you and start using it today.

1. Express your gratitude. 

2. Replace the judgments. 

3. Replace the unconstructive criticism. 

4. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. 

5. Recall how people’s kindness made you feel.

6. Express kindness for something you may often take for granted.

7. Hide a surprising and kind note.

8. Just be there.

9. Remember the small acts of kindness too.

10. Give someone an uplifting gift.

11. Help someone out practically.

12. Help the people in your life see how they make a difference in their lives.

13. Remember the 3 reasons for kindness at the start of this article.

14. Pay it forward.

15. Be kinder towards yourself.

For a more in-depth look for each practical tip, click HERE to see Henrik’s full article.

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Would you like to make better use of your time?

All the hosts on The Morning Thing yell – YES! If your schedule is like our schedules, you could use help finding balance for your daily schedule.

Marcy found this insightful article from Crosswalk. They share 6 ways to make better use of your time. These tips can become daily habits that will help us find the balance that so desperately needs.
Check out the FULL article HERE from author Vivian Bricker.
We are including some highlights below.

1. Take Time to Read the Bible. The Bible contains everything we need to know in order to live holy and godly lives (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). By taking time to read the Bible, we will automatically be making better use of our time. Even if we only spend 15-20 minutes in the Bible, we are practicing using our time wisely. 

2. Be Active in Prayer. Prayer is our direct line to God. Whenever we pray, we can rest in the sure knowledge that God hears our prayers. The Apostle John tells us, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14). With this promise in our hearts, we need to be going to Him everyday in prayer. 

3. Steer Clear of Distractions. There are many distractions in our lives, such as social media, endless text messages, or nonstop scrolling on the Internet. All of these things need to be put aside. They are a waste of time and impact our lives negatively.

4. Prioritize Your Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Health. By taking time to feed into our wellbeing each day, it will help our lives to become more happier and healthier. 

5. Practice Saying “No”. Practicing saying “no” will be difficult, yet it is something that must be done. We don’t need to overwhelm ourselves or stretch ourselves too thin. By saying “no” to things that we don’t need or can’t handle, it will help us make better use of our time.

6. Start a Routine. Starting a routine can help us organize our time better and use it more wisely. By having a routine and sticking with it, our days will become much more predictable and controlled. Rather than doing things on the spur of the moment, we will start outlining time in our day to do specific tasks. This will help us to have more control over our day and feel more organized. 

Author Vivian Bricker loves Jesus, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degree in Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, she is embarking on other adventures.

https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/ways-to-make-better-use-of-your-time.html

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Praisestock is coming this Sunday to Ariel Foundation Park

Dave Ewart, Vice Chairman of Praisestock joined The Morning Thing to talk about this year’s event.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation.

He shared details of the schedule including a special new grand finale at 5:45pm. All worship bands will join together for a special ending song.
Dave also shared how Praisestock will raise money for Food For The Hungry of Knox County.
Praisestock will also welcome over 20 local ministries and organizations to setup information tables at the event.
Find out more at www.praisestock.org

Here is Sunday’s schedule:
10:00am:   Welcome and Community Worship Service (led by First Church of the Nazarene Worship Team), Love Offering, Communion
11:30am:   Break
12:00pm:   First Church of the Nazarene (Mount Vernon) Worship Team
12:45pm:   Set Free Worship Team
1:45pm:   Salvation Army Worship Team
2:45pm:   Chestnut Ridge
3:45pm:   Covenant Christian Church Worship Team
4:45pm:   Trinity Church Worship Team
5:45pm:   Joint Song (All) to close event. “How Great Thou Art (Until That Day)”
6:00pm:   Closing Comments

Between performances, various Christian-based organizations in the community will be featured in an interview-style format.
Times are tentative and subject to change. Event will proceed rain or shine (but pray for “shine”)

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Forgiveness In The Morning

God’s mercies are new each and every morning, so for National Forgiveness Week we decided to talk all things forgiveness on The Morning Thing.

National Forgiveness Week, which begins June 16 and lasts until the 22nd, encourages people to seek forgiveness for both themselves and others. The significance of this week lies in its ability to improve both mental and physical health. Studies have shown that forgiving others can lead to lower stress levels, reduced anger, and even better heart health (daysoftheyear.com).

The week was first observed in Fiji in 2004, but has since expanded its reach to places like America.

Click HERE to read the full article from Days Of The Year.com and learn more about National Forgiveness Week’s history!

Plus, we found an amazing article detailing examples of forgiveness all throughout scripture! Forgiveness and its examples are found all throughout the Bible, including verses like these:

  1. If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:9)
  2. Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, You forgive them all. (Psalm 65:3)
  3. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. (Romans 4:5)
  4. Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. (Proverbs 17:9)
  5. Then Peter came to Him and asked, Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!” (Matthew 18:21-22)

Click HERE to read the full article!

Make sure to tune into The Morning Thing weekdays 6-9am on 90.9fm WNZR!

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Kicking Off Dad Week!

It’s Dad Week on The Morning Thing! We’ll be sharing all things dad related on the show to get you ready for Father’s Day Weekend, and we kicked things off today by looking at 5 Biblical Fathers Whose Actions Influence Dads Today. The article, from Crosswalk.com, details the stories of five biblical father’s and the impact they had and can have on fathers today!

Plus, in true Dad fashion, we shared some terrible dad jokes along the way. Here’s a few to give you a quick laugh and eye roll this morning:

  1. Why do Swedish warships have barcodes on them? So when they dock they can Scandinavian.
  2. The recipe said: “set the oven to 180 degrees.” But now I can’t open it because the door faces the wall.
  3. What happens if a frog parks illegally? It gets toad. (Get it?)

Tune in for more fun and laughs weekdays mornings 6-9am on 90.9fm, WNZR!

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How is your mental health today?

Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month? Today, the Morning Thing shared some insight from Crosswalk.com– 10 ways that we can improve our mental health.

Click HERE to read the full article

  1. Pray
  2. Journal
  3. Lean on your community
  4. Eat well
  5. Read your bible
  6. Practice gratitude
  7. Exercise reguarly
  8. Practice your spiritual gifts
  9. Rest
  10. See a Doctor

Wherever you are today, please remember that God loves you (John 3:16) and has a plan for your life.

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    The Morning Thing kicks off Mom’s Week!

    This will be a special week on The Morning Thing. Today, we kicked off Mom’s Week – a week to honor and encourage Moms at all stages of life.

    Today, we shared 5 ways to be a mentally strong Mom. Click HERE to see the full article from imom.com

    1. Empower yourself.
    To be a better mom and mentally strong in trying times, revise your default phrases. When you’re stressed or challenged, try these instead: I’ll rise above this. I won’t let this bother me. I’m human. I’m gonna do the best I can.

    2. Be content with who you are.
    Comparing ourselves to others in person or on Instagram steals our joy. Self-worth is built on contentment with who you are. If you want to be a better mom, start with identifying your own wonderful qualities instead of comparing yourself to others. Are you a good listener? Are you crafty and creative? Are you the best at making your kids laugh.

    3. Let your mind wander.
    Instead of scrolling your phone when you have downtime, try turning inward. Think about your experiences and look for solutions to your problems. Building mental strength takes effort. Sometimes that means facing the hard or challenging thoughts we’d rather choose to avoid. But the payoff comes with being a more thoughtful mom.

    4. Be on the lookout for progress.
    In this moment in your life, you may feel frustrated with your child. But instead of holding her to standards you’ve read about or seen in your friend’s child, shift your focus to small, measurable goals. You’ll not only be a better mom, but you’ll build mental strength because you’re feeling hopeful rather than defeated.

    5. Lay your head down more.
    Getting more sleep will help you be mentally strong on those days when your kid refuses to get dressed or your teenager blames you for not waking him up for school. When you’re sleep deprived, you’re much more likely to lose your cool. Stixrud and Johnson say, “[S]leep deprivation decreases your flexibility, weakens your ability to see things in context, and impairs your judgment.” Getting a good night’s sleep can help deliver the patience we need in a heated moment.

    imom.com also has 7 quick prayers of encouragement for moms. Print this one off! 🙂

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