Hi! My name is Ivy and I am a brand ambassador for Behold & Flourish.
It is 2020, what a strange year! Yeah, I feel you, we all have so much to complain about. Our heart has been weighed down the entire year due to COVID-19, racial tension, the election and more. Now, Thanksgiving is here and 2020 is almost over, we need as much positivity as we can get!!
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Paul instructed us in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
I grew up in a broken home with domestic violence, divorce, and poverty. I had so much self-pity because my parents were unable to provide for me, and I had to earn everything on my own. I knew I needed to escape where I was from and work my way up. I moved to the United States when I was 17, I worked hard because I wanted to achieve greatly and become wealthy. However, I never learned to be content because I was always so obsessed with the things I did not have and felt how unfair my life was. Therefore, I never was happy even if I achieved my goals. My life was still full of anxiety and worry because I could only see the empty vases that have not been filled up.
Once I met Jesus, there was one night I started to think what my Heavenly Father has done for me: regardless of the brokenness of my home, my parents loved me deeply; God moved things around and brought me to the USA. Even though it felt like I had to grow up fast because my parents were never around I found my heart overflowing with blessings and gratitude. I cried like no tomorrow because I realized how lucky I am and how much I have received from my Heavenly Father who has always taken care of me. I had never felt like this before, the joy that comes from contentment and gratitude.
Ever since then, the first thing I do in the morning is my daily gratitude prayer. It allows me to reflect upon the goodness in my life and be grateful for the people around me. This habit brings me so much positivity and joy -- thanks to the Lord for changing my heart and now I can work diligently to glorify him. I said bye-bye to self-pitying and complaining, and I started to see the beauty of the world and people within it.
----------------- My Tips -----------------
Daily Gratitude Prayer - Tell God how grateful you are and thank Him for what he has done.
Gratitude Journal - If you are a journaling person, write what you are grateful for so you can reflect back to them when you are having a hard day!
Encouraging Text - Send your family and friends a text about how much you appreciate them. (Trust me, it will bring delight to their day!)
Say it Out Loud - Shout out to yourself that I am grateful for _____!!!
Practicing it with your Loved One - Look at your loved ones in the eyes and tell them I am grateful for you!
----------------- Final thoughts -----------------
In the book of Job in the Bible, after Job lost his fortunes and children, and above all else had horrible skin sores, he said “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”
When you stand on barren land, with one little bud swelling, how you choose to see it is so different – You can feel grieved for the empty land, or you can feel hopeful by looking at the thriving bud.
The same thing applies in our life when we are facing trials…we get to choose how to process them. We can get drawn into bitterness and pain of the struggles or we can fix our gaze on things we have and gives thanks to the Lord.
Ladies, I am so grateful for you reading this blog and giving your support to Behold & Flourish. Finally, it is close to the end of 2020. Isn't it amazing that we made it this far? Let us practice gratitude as we get ready for the coming of 2021!
I hope y’all have a blessed holiday season!
Xoxo,
Ivy