By Chaplain Joy Le Page Smith

Here is an idea: giving thanks is a form of praise.  When you thank a loved one or a friend for something they have said or done you are praising them.

As Thanksgiving Day draws closer, most everyone is making plans–especially around culinary preparations. We plan for who to invite—and if we cannot have dinner at home, the quandary is where and with whom our celebration can be enjoyed. The very thought of baked turkey with cranberry sauce can make one salivate. We feel it in our souls; our bodies get involved through feasting.  While around the table with loved ones or close friends our hearts are warmed, especially when we think it being a day set apart for giving thanks.

Many of us think of 1621 as being the year when Thanksgiving was first celebrated in America with Native Americans—for the harvest and other blessings of the year. Yet, the proclamation for setting aside an annual day of Thanksgiving Day was made by George Washington in 1789.

It reads. “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor–and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.” Every fourth Thursday of November has since been identified as Thanksgiving Day for our nation.”

Giving thanks is indeed an act of praise. In today’s world one might ask, “Why praise God?” Several reasons come to mind. For one, God has given us this great and exceedingly beautiful place to live here on Earth, along with the very breath we breathe. When we open our minds to it, we can grasp with amazement each morning when we open our eyes perceiving again how the laws of nature continue to work–preserving our lasting stay. Although many of us feel self-sufficient, it is for sure we are not the ones who perpetually make our lives here on Earth happen. It is our Creator who does that!

The second reason for often expressing thanks is because uplifting our souls in praise to God carries great returns. Living a life of thanksgiving changes us. We see this happening vividly through individuals whose lives are recorded in Scripture.  An excellent example can be seen in King David of ancient Israel. History shows this king praised God vocally and copiously as a way of living—and a way of winning battles. There was something wondrous going on between him and God. It was the validity of King David’s praise, his quest to ubiquitously be in thanksgiving, which increased the power that flowed within his life. No one can doubt God was with this king making sure his successes. And, although David was very human, he had joyous times with God.

King David, who started out as a shepherd boy—before becoming appointed and anointed as Israel’s king–seemed far ahead of most humans in understanding eternal truths. Speaking of God, he proclaimed, “His praise will continually be in my mouth.” Then, Paul, who was the most outstanding man of power and insight of the New Testament said, “Praise God in all things . . . be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,” (Ephesians 5:19). Praise—all the time be able to praise—was one of his amazing messages.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wrote, “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.” Without any doubt, we can know that offering praise with thankful hearts increases the joy we experience in life—and our successes.  

Science is bearing out the wisdom of God found in Scripture, which should not be surprising. My friend Eugene Wiesner, clinical psychologist and former professor at Montana State University, taught that compliance with the scriptures on offering praise and rejoicing brings a chemical change in our bodies. He taught this not only promotes cellular healing but alleviates both physical pain and mental distress. During his practice, Dr. Wiesner said 40 percent of the people he treated were suffering with psychological disorders. Others needed therapy for fears, grief and guilt. He addressed the latter problems with what he called “God’s psychology,” telling patients to “sing the Psalms and rejoice in everyday living—through the hard times as well as the easy.” This psychologist’s premise was simple: “When people believe what God’s Word says, and obey it, they get well!” It is certain that through offering praise and gratitude, we are strengthened, able to transcend the hardest of all disappointments and difficulties of life.

It is interesting how different God has made His people to be. Like light bulbs, some have greater capacity for wattage. Some receive a surge of power, cast a great beam, then blow out quickly. Others exude a bright, long-lasting inner light—while many gently burn like a soft flame with a low glow having no noticeable variance. God needs us all. And He does not have favorites. The secret is to seek, through our spiritual practices, to be filled with as much light as we can bear. For clearly, it is light that vanquishes darkness.

How do we get the utmost measure of light? It is through praise. The word “praise” appears 306 times throughout Scripture, 134 of which are direct requests to do it. Why? Because “God inhabits (dwells in) the praise of His people,” (Psalms 22:3). The light of Christ expands in us as we speak words of gratitude for God’s goodness in our lives.

Through praise and worship of God Almighty we enter into union with Him, connecting with the most powerful, loving presence of all in the universe. Imagine it! And live it.

Joy Le Page Smith is a Board-certified clinical chaplain with with degrees in psychology and theology. View her children’s book as a video at healingwithjoy.blogspot.com Also, find many articles addressing life’s difficulties at Healing-with-Joy.com

By Joy Le page Smith, MA, BCC

Some of us are going through what we are sure are the hardest times of our lives.

What to do when hopes for a loved one to be healed of cancer seem shattered? What to do when life seems to have bottomed out? What to do when the joy of living seems very hard to reach, if not absent.

Turn to “thanks giving!” Believe it or not our bodies have a resource at hand: positivity. For when we make a list of what is good, what is lasting and what has lifted our hearts at various points in our lives something very helpful can take place in our bodies.

Engaging in positive self-talk holds power to trigger the brain to release three chemicals, oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine. You could call these “God sends” as they work to provide you with a lift. When this inner trio is activated these chemicals have potential to carry messages between nerve cells in the brain and the body. Harmonious balance, both physically and mentally, may well make considerable difference in your day.

Research these “feel good” chemicals to make this truth your own. Some people need help “getting there.” Reaching where you want to go with this may necessitate the help of a counselor or medical doctor. But see what you can do on your own.

Or, see for yourself: take a blank sheet of paper and pen. Today is Thanksgiving Day. You may be thinking about the goodness in your life, planning to enjoy a satisfying meal–maybe even have intentions for taking a nap. Offered here is a little exercise that may well provide a reoccurring sense of “goodness” in life, or “Godness.”

First, be honest with God. Tell Him what is really hard for you . . . or write Him a letter describing your pain. Pain in life can be huge, or minimal. No matter, this still works. After being as honest with God as possible, start listing those times and things in your life that have brought joy and come to mind right now. For instance, what it felt like to ride a bike, feeling the wind blow through your hair as you freely whizzed down a hill or in other ways had real thrills. Stay with each entry as you revive the sweet moments that come to mind. Maybe recall holding a newborn in your arms. Play with these thoughts and enjoy the moments as you make your list. Noice what you are feeling.

There is power in praise. The Scriptures tell us over and over again to be thankful and to rejoice. (How often do we do that?) Many passages are about offering praise to God. Not because God needs this—rather, because you and I need a frequent, inner charge. This can help get us through the hard stuff in life.

When you offer praise to God for pleasant moments in life you can feel yourself arising within your being. Try it, look for the great sense of being “joined” by memories, yes, but also know God is really there for you. God is love and every time we feel loved—we can sense the goodness of God is present. Sink into it and savor it.

If resistance comes, explore it by writing about what is going on in your brain. Ask God to smooth out your “thinking-wrinkles” so you can move sweetly back into rejoicing over the positives in life–past, current and what you believe may well come for you in the future.

Psalm 103: 1-2, Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits.”

As often as possible, keep a heart full of praise to the Creator who has given life… and sustains it.

About the author: Joy Le Page Smith is a Board certified clinical chaplain. Her articles and blogs are read in up to-32 countries. Joy’s four books are available on her home page at Healing-with-Joy.com where readers can view FREE her children’s book titled, The Little Mountain Goat Who Was Afraid of High Places.

By Chaplain Joy Le Page Smith, MA, BCC

Here are the facts. You decide:

About the author: Joy Le Page Smith, MA, is a Board-certified Clinical Chaplain. Visit her home page for many more helpful articles addressing life’s difficulties and Quick Aids. Meanwhile, Joy’s blog  and her books are read in up to 32 countries. Her second site is at Healingwithjoy.blogspot.com

By Chaplain Joy Le Page Smith, MA, BCC

Scripture says it well, “God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Throughout scripture both men and women are spoken of as “man.”)

When God created this beautiful Planet Earth where we reside—the one and only place able to support human life within the galaxies—He had big plans! Making us in His own image meant we have the where-with-all to imagine and complete amazing things. Being created with full ability to make choices allows for unlimited growth coupled with enjoying how pleasureful it is to create and achieve. Seems true most of us can master whatever we set our minds to do.

Clearly, we are also given full freedom whether or not to choose to become one who loves God and desires to grow in trust of Him within this experience of life. If one’s response to that is, “Yes I choose God’s guidance and help” this creates a strong inclination to read “the instruction book,” known as the Bible.

Personally, through following the truth and the wisdom of the Bible, I have gained peace, hope, comfort and joy based on realizing God’s presence in my life. I believe this is the fast track for ultimately becoming the people He knows we can become while here on terra firma.

Ultimately, the most pertinent choice we make in life is deciding whether or not to believe that God continually extends to us an invitation to enter a relationship with Him. Once our consciousness becomes open to the Divine—and if we fully embrace this happenstance—our advancement as a person holds huge potential.

What if—while here on earth—each of our life experiences is preparing us for what is ahead in eternity . . . and can actually advance our “whys and wherefores” beyond what we could ever imagine?

Surely our strengths and abilities increase as we surpass the trials that we endure. Think of how these may hardwire us for what is ahead . . . for “doing stuff” in the heavens. “Made in His image” surely does mean we have great empowerment to get beyond our difficulties in life  through the strength perseverance and persistence He extends to us. Our overcoming efforts may well highly influence what we are able to do within the setting of eternity. Meanwhile, the more we are able to care about others . . . the more we love  . . . the more we are like our Creator.

1 John 4: 7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

God’s love is the ultimate—and above any other love we can experience among other humans. Why would His love not be a love that sees us expanding, developing and advancing within our personhood throughout life here on Planet Earth as well as within eternity?

About the author: Joy Le Page Smith is a Board certified clinical chaplain. Her articles and blogs are read in 32 countries. Joy’s four books are available on her home page at Healing-with-Joy.com where readers can view–FREE–her children’s book titled, The Little Mountain Goat Who Was Afraid of High Places.

By Joy Le Page Smith, MA, Board Certified Chaplain

Is it your political party? Your bank account? Your relationships?

Or, are you placing your trust in God?

If not, all else can fail you. 

Pray for the peace of God to settle your heart.

Pray for our country.

Pray for congress.

Pray for all who are leading this nation.

Pray for your family’s safety. Seek God’s will for your lives.

Seek God’s provision and protection.

Listen for His voice  . . . inside. God loves you; can forgive you. He can help you.

Pray for God’s leading in your life.

Listen and follow.                                     

 ^“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,” (Matthew 6:33).

“All things are possible with God.” 

A rich man was wanting to get into heaven. It seemed impossible for him.

He wondered, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus told him that for sure it is hard for a rich man to be saved. Yet, assured him, “All things are possible with God.” (Matthew 19:25-26).

Here’s the first step — toward “seeking truth — and reaching for the kingdom of God –being “saved.”

Open your Bible to John 1: 1-13.  Get one if you don’t have one, Or google John 1:1-13.

The Bible has all the answers you will ever need in life. Yet, find a spiritual mentor, a minister, priest, or a rabbi . . . seek a sacred place to be in worship. God will be with you – you will find help.

Ask God specifically to become your Lord, the One you worship – above any other treasures or pleasures.

Listen. Read His Word and He will bring you onto the path where true joy, peace and comfort can flow into your life.

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Healing-with-Joy.com — VIEW FREE– – Joy’s children’s book titled: The Little Mountain Goat Who Was Afraid of High Places. Please know there are over a hundred helpful articles at Healing-with-Joy.com–FREE–for people who are struggling with varied difficulties. Copy articles if you wish, while crediting this website.

While taking a trip with our sons, Gary and I used the cabin of generous friends overlooking Payette Lakes in Mc Call, Idaho.  Each day found us enjoying this superbly beautiful lake that is surrounded with timber. Our friends left a boat for us, so we made play on the lake our major venture. One late afternoon, I opted for a hot bath in the kind of quiet only being in forested mountains can provide. Reaching for a window overhead, I found it unscreened. Perfect! All the smells and sounds of nature could come in. Ah. “This could be the next best thing to bathing in the wilderness.”

Then, after stretching to the max, opening the window—a disappointment. One large, foremost branch was dry and dead with black moss hanging from it. That ugly stuff encompassed three-fifths of the view. Ugh!

It surely was a rarely used window. But, what a loss! Soaking in the warmth of water, I fantasized. If only I had a chainsaw. Then, I realize that getting stuck in this negative attitude means all the present and beautiful amenities are lost. By focusing on only one part of the view I miss out. Yes, the branch was “in my face,” but beyond it was a glorious, clear blue sky. Sunlight was glancing off tree tops and the gentle songs of birds along with the lingering breeze are present to be appreciated.

Isn’t this true of daily life? We have tendencies to miss what is beautiful by becoming preoccupied with things that are hard to take. Right now, our goals and our sense of normality are being “grabbed by the throat and thrust to the ground” by the pandemic! Well, maybe that is an overkill. But, it is the first time for many of us to have our lives turned upside down.

Yet, with a little mental shifting it is possible to look beyond the “uglies” at hand so we can get to the larger part of the scene . . .  the multiple, life permeated things still left to savor.

Very early today, as the sun was rising, I was working at my computer when suddenly two coyotes came sniffing the ground just a few feet from my office window. I looked up from my page to watch these wild animals enjoy our place. Then, I saw a very small bird lite on a long, skinny branch of a Mexican Bird of Paradise bush to take a joyous ride. The branch became an opportunity for this tiny bird to swing multiple times as her weight induced the flexing of the branch. I imagined the scene as being something this bird looks forward to once in a while when his tummy is full and there is nothing else to do.

I let my mind cogitate on what these critters of nature were experiencing. My concerns about two loved ones who are sick are lifted. Long moments with nature took over. Thoughts of how the whole world is struggling, and of wondering what the stock market is apt to do . . . wondering about work and what would be the future of it . . . well, all that was gone. How natural it felt to lift my heart in praise to a God who made all things well. And, to remember the song, “He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands! . . . He’s got the little tiny baby in His hands. He’s got you and me brother in His hands. He’s got the whole wide world in His hands.”

It is natural to have some fisticuffs with negativity right now. But, we had best win out for the sake of our good mental health. Throughout God’s Book of promises to us we are told many, many times, to stay on the side of thanks giving and doing the best we can, given our givens, in order to win the battle over worry, fear, anger, resentment and downright bitterness. It is His incomparable gift of illuminating love that guides our path, as the Lord knows we can do ourselves in with the weight of “dry, dead hanging black moss.”

Going “back to the Book,” we read,  “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes,” (Romans 8:28). St. Paul, who wrote those words, was one who could look beyond the dead branches of life during imprisonment, beatings and persecutions. How? He kept his heart in a state of rejoicing and praise! Even while locked within stocks, he knew how to open the window within and catch the breeze of the Spirit, savoring the essence of the promises he carried in his heart. He was a mighty trailblazer. He knew God as “no respecter of persons;” and he spent all his strength passing on to others—even us—the phenomenal power of God’s truths. 

For those who open the “window,” inviting the Lord’s presence this intention is granted for any soul, no matter the darkness that soul has seen. God’s healing touch is there for us in the places where we hurt—and within the moments when we feel stuck in negativity. Yes, the choice is ours. For, assuredly we can grasp what will ever be God’s truth: There is a plan—and all is well with the world.

Author info. Chaplain Joy Le Page Smith is a Board certified clinical chaplain. She is reaching readers with her books and websites in up to 32 countries. View her children’s book as a FREE video at healingwithjoy.blogspot.com as well as they many helpful articles on this site addressing life’s difficulties.

By Chaplain Joy Le Page Smith, MA

Years ago my friend Marge’s teenage son was killed while skiing with friends and classmates at Bogus Basin Ski Resort. He ran into a tree and was killed instantly.

That night after my friend received the news in her home I witnessed astounding faith.

“Tommy is with God,” she said through her tears. “He is now praying for us.”

She was suffering all the feelings of shock and unbelief that Tom could be taken from their home so suddenly, but the overriding theme flowing from Marge that night was one of trust and assurance that God would bring meaning to Tom’s death.

A Mass was scheduled the following morning at Bishop Kelly High School for a grieving student body, along with the family. Marge said, “Jim and I cannot go. But it would make me happy if you would go.”

The gymnasium was filled with students, friends and faculty. Tom had been designated “Outstanding Sophomore of the year.” He was a treasured person. That fact of his distinctive acumen was born out by more than words.

People gathered. Words were said. And, comfort came as compassion was felt. No doubt each came away with some nugget of truth. For me it was Father William Dodgson’s words: “This is a time when Tom would want you to make your faith work.”

We all grapple with the meaning of life and death–and come away like Jacob of the Old Testament, injured but blessed. We have a new appreciation for life’s essence. We find ourselves blessed in the realization that each one of us is mortal, reminded not to take people for granted.

Grief is torture. It strikes us cruelly, ripping away the peripherals, giving us a long look at our nakedness. It is human life that is at stake. Time seems to stand still while we grieve. It is a time for “verbal thinking” and “notional beliefs” to make that long journey from head to heart. Often faith is weighed in the balance and found wanting as we cry out, “Lord I believe . . . help my unbelief!”

While caught in the throes of grief sometimes we cling to God for our strength and solace and other times we throw our anger like into His face, attempting to empty ourselves of the burden. But if we refrain from turning our backs on Go—if we wait, watch and listen instead of running – we will encounter His response, the long loving gaze of a Father who also has suffered. A Father who understands.

John 14:1-2, tells us, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. ”

How wonderful are the truths of Scripture.

About the author: Joy Le page Smith, MA is a Board Certified Clinical Chaplain. Visit Healing-with-Joy.com for Joy’s blog along with many helpful articles addressing life’s difficulties. Her books and blogs are read in up to 32 countries. Her second site is at Healingwithjoy.blogspot.com

By Chaplain Joy Le Page Smith, MA

Feelings are a funny thing. And, for writers we have a lot of them. Chaplains, even more. My heart wants to live heavenward, but my feelings often seem more earth-bound.

Many in “home town USA,” know me as a chaplain at our local hospital. Mostly, a great feeling comes through seeing, first hand, that people respond well to knowing they are cared about. Sometimes I hear confessions, although I am totally surprised when this happens. Maybe it is the name tag a chaplain wears . . . which one man called “The God Tag.” Hardly. Just being a loving, listening presence is the best I can do.

The caricature, here, was done by an artist after someone at a party shared a few words about my work as a chaplain. He approached me and asked only a mere question or two, then put his pen to paper. Upon seeing his caricature, truth hit: I knew that as much as I wanted to be classy and polished, this stranger truly “got the picture.” I’m just a little person, needing training wheels, but also loved–thank God–accepted by many and tolerated by some.

After twenty years of doing chaplaincy at hospitals, hospice and Mohave County Jail, my heart is full of memories. I’ve grown to know myself better, and to comprehend more about life. The primary battle here on this turf seems to be: 1) not to judge others, 2) let go of prejudice, 3) forgive what hurts, and 4) grow in the ability to love . . . while hanging out with harmonious people, especially those with a sense of humor.

As much as I wish to be finished, I can see much in my very own human nature that is fallible and unfinished. Surely, this is common for us humans–and lies beneath much of the anxiety in daily life.

For sure, it is an ongoing pain to see people hurt one another, innocent or not. This is rugged mountainous territory emotionally–hard places to traverse.

The link extended below will open my children’s book. My hopes are for helping children meet obstacles on their early paths and grow courageous. The book actually holds potential to open a window of reality for adults, as well as for children. It portrays how to overcome what hurts and scares the “bejeebers” out of us.

https://healingwithjoy.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-little-mountain-goat-who-was-afraid.html

At www.healing-with-Joy extends many helps for people who know they, too, are not finished. Every entry is extended for use with family and friends, with only a request to please credit the site. Also, visit Healingwithjoy.blogspot.com–view her children’s book FREE titled the Little Mountain Goat Who Was Afraid of High Places.