Category: Attitude

21 Prayers of Thanksgiving

Last month, I finished Rachel Larkin’s 21 Prayers of Thanksgiving: Transform Your Prayer Life by Giving Thanks.  In the book, Larkin offers 10 ways that thankfulness transforms our prayers.

Giving Thanks:   

  1. Opens our eyes to the unseen
  2. Opens our eyes to see behind the scenes of life, to see the story that God is weaving through our daily moments – the untold story. “So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18
  3. Shifts our focus onto Jesus. One prayer of thanksgiving today can move your focus from earthly things to heavenly things.
  4. Reminds us of His Goodness and Love. “Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 106:1. Remembering all the wonderful blessings in our life on a regular basis brings us into a spacious, open place of freedom.
  5. Draws us into His Presence. “Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence.” Psalm 140:13 As we praise and give thanks to our Father, we are drawn into His very presence. His presence is the place to listen and talk to God. Thanksgiving is the key that unlocks our conversations with God
  6. Pleases God “In everything give thanks. For this is God’s will (desire) for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
  7. Brings clarity in decisions
  8. Keeps us hopeful “But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.” Psalm 71:14 ESV
  9. Banishes Fear and Doubt…
  10. …and Miracles follow Thanksgiving

Click here to for my application of Larkin’s 21 Prayers of Thanksgiving.

The Power of a Positive Team

Being positive won’t guarantee you’ll succeed. But being negative will guarantee you won’t. - Jon Gordon

One day after a fun birthday celebration, I find myself reflecting on the past year.  I started the year with Jon Gordon’s approach, using One Word to focus your energy for the year.  My one word was “Optimism.”

That was an important focus for both work and home.  As Cody, our 10th grade son, recently put it, “We miss Katy’s positive vibe around the house.”  Katy is doing extremely well adjusting to her first year in college at Dallas Baptist University.  She surprised us all with a visit home this weekend.  What a great birthday gift!

On the work front, I encouraged our executive leadership team for NASA’s Human Resources organization to read Jon Gordon’s The Power of Positive Leadership.  We all appreciate the importance of positive leadership, as we continue to push for significant changes in the way we deliver HR services for NASA; and the book offered us a common, positive language as we focus on the future!

Last summer, when Jennifer and I took Katy to Nantucket for her high school graduation trip, I picked up a copy of Gordon’s latest work, The Power of a Positive Team:  Proven Principles and Practices that Make Teams Great. 

Click here for my summary of Gordon’s The Power of a Positive Team.