Praising God in the Storm: Being Thankful Series

I don't know about you, but 2012 has been a very difficult year for me.  The economy has taken a toll on my customers and my income from Art of Eloquence is a shaddow of its former self.  My husband's bonuses (or lack thereof) have dropped his income by 12% in the past four years.  The aging process has had a rather negative affect on my many chronic health issues.  I think I've aged more in the last year than I have in all of my previous adult years combined.  Additionally, we said goodbye to our daughter, once again, in August and have had to adjust to the fact that she will no longer be able to come home as often (or for as long) as she did when she was away at college.  Grad school means she is working two jobs and an occasional 3rd and can't take off for summers, long Christmas vacations or even get home for Thanksgiving. I'm a goofball by nature so, when stressed or overwhelemed, I usually make a joke.  You may have noticed.  While this is better than sobbing into my soup, I got to thinking about Thanksgiving and came back to a thought I've struggled with for years.  Christians always say that we are to praise God in the storm, but I never could figure out just how to do that.  How do you thank God when you are going through such difficult situations.  I always felt like poor Jonah, trying to hide from God because he didn't want to preach in Nineveh.  God knows everything including where Jonah was hiding.  So how can I praise God during the storms of my life when He knows I'm angry or sad or frustrated or overwhelmed? Frustration, depression, anger and stress doesn't just affect your own thoughts; it often affects how you communicate with God as well as with your family and friends.  So it's not only important for us to find a way to praise God in the storm, but it's important for those around us that we do as well. I poured over so many devotionals and Christain books and articles I was practically dripping with Christian cliches, but what they never told me was exactly how to praise God in the storm.  Just how are we to be thankful when so much negative emotion fills our mind and we know we can't hide it from the Lord? Well, I think I figured it out. In fact, I'm working on a book called How to Praise God in the Storm.  I'll write it when I've gotten a bit better at it.  ;D So until then, and because this is Thanksgiving month, I'm going to share some of those ideas and some other things that will help us praise God.  I pray that both you and I can journey together in order to communicate thankfulness to the Lord and those around us.  So stay tuned to this blog as I share them with you this month.  Won't you join me?  And please leave me a comment with your thoughts. "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ If you liked this post, read…Seven Reasons Why YOU Should Sign Up for the Art of Eloquence Newsletter!