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November 1, 2015

30 Days of Gratitude – Day 1:
Express gratitude to a friend who listens to you and/or encourages you.

An elderly business leader taught me the importance of the expression: “All of us are better than one of us.” But teamwork applies to more than just business projects and sports teams. It applies to friendships as well. Your friends are some of your most supportive teammates in life. They listen, care, cry with you, laugh with you, tell you the truth, and in the center of it all, they encourage you. They encourage you to try harder. They encourage you to keep moving forward. And they encourage you in your faith.

They’re the ones you want on your team. And in turn, you want to be on their team!

Take time today to call, e-mail, send a card to, or buy a gift for your listening, encouraging teammate/friend and say, “Thank you!”

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: if one falls down, his friend can help him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10, NIV).
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Do you still need to download your 30 Days of Gratitude Chart? Click on the “Day 1” photo above!
Do you still need to subscribe to Petals from the Basket? Click here.

By Petals from the Basket | November 1, 2015 | Friends, Thirty Days of Gratitude |

Are You Ready for Some…Gratitude?

For some reason, I think that this year’s 30 Days of Gratitude celebration is going to be my favorite one so far!

  • Perhaps it’s because more people are participating than ever before.
  • Perhaps it’s because I’ve prepared the brief devotionals for each of the thirty days, and I’m excited about those. (And I kept my promise: they’re brief!)
  • Perhaps it’s because this year’s celebration is set up in a way that allows people to join in at any time or to not fret if they miss a day here or there.
  • Perhaps it’s because November starts on a Sunday this year, and it just seems like the perfect day on which to begin a month-long emphasis on gratitude.
  • Perhaps…perhaps it’s because I’m eager to focus on the necessity and privilege of gratitude in my own life!

In reality, it’s probably the wonderful blending of each of those reasons!

Please join me November 1–30 for a daily emphasis on gratitude. There are only three simple steps you need to take:

1. Download and print the 30 Days of Gratitude chart by clicking here. If your schedule permits, take time each night to determine who will be the recipient of your gratitude the following day. There are also recommended methods for expressing your gratitude to those individuals. It can be 100 percent free, and it can take mere minutes a day to let your mind dwell on thanking those who have impacted your life in some way.

2. Subscribe to the Petals from the Basket blog by clicking here. In addition to receiving a brief (I promise) devotional/inspirational thought that corresponds with the gratitude focus for the day, subscribers will be eligible for several surprise giveaways and prizes throughout the 30 Days of Gratitude. (Yes, only subscribers will be entered—Facebook “likes” don’t count this time, though we love to see you there as well!)

3. Check out the new page of “Coloring Pages” on this site by clicking here. There will be new coloring pages added weekly. In fact, this week I posted a new one that goes perfectly with our emphasis on gratitude! Enjoy the relaxing practice of “grown-up coloring!”

Be intentional about expressing gratitude throughout the month of November! The chart and daily devotionals/inspirational thoughts will be great tools to encourage you through the process. Gratitude is a choice. And that choice is yours!

I for one am grateful that we get an extra hour of sleep/work/fun (again, your choice!) on Saturday night. And I’m extra grateful for you! You make this month one of my favorites!

 

By Petals from the Basket | October 31, 2015 | Events, Ideas, Thirty Days of Gratitude, Uncategorized |

I Come to the Garden…Alone.

Today I have a heart filled with words that are multiplying into paragraphs with every beat of my pulse—so many, many words coming from so many, many thoughts. I’ve been sitting here, trying to put a tourniquet of emotion-stifling stoicism around them, but the thoughts are powerful, and my resistance is weak. Maybe I’m no longer supposed to resist. Maybe it’s time to let the thoughts form the words that form the blog post that forms a bridge for others to cross.

Stick with me on this statement: I am not single by choice. I am single because God chose it for me. And because I choose to let Him make the choices, essentially I have chosen to be single. There’s nothing noble or extremely spiritual about that thought process. In fact, when I finally realized it was not some big, larger-than-life thing to remove every element behind the words “I’m single” except for the actual facts, it became much easier to truly understand and be grateful for God’s choosing on this day.

If I say I believe that God created me, has a plan for me, and is the all-wise, all-knowing, loving, caring, and amazing God that the Bible tells me He is, then the facts are quite simple:

1. Today I am single.

2. Therefore, today I am supposed to be single.

It removes the, “What’s wrong with me?” questions. It removes the hurt when people say, “Oh, you’re so independent. No wonder, you’re not married.” It takes away the ache when people imply that you’re “not the marrying kind.” It soothes the sadness that comes when your own heart turns against you and tells you that you’re not pretty enough, smart enough, good enough, rich enough, worthy enough. The answer to all of those questions is simply, “Today God wants me single.”

It’s not a curse, a punishment, or a second-class label. It’s acceptance, yieldedness, and a recognition of God’s sovereignty—all encased in those two simple sentences.

Whew! That’s settled then, right? Oh how I wish it were that easy. Instead, I’d like to share three truths to remember when the evil ick tries to change those two statements into questions (i.e., when “Today I am single.” becomes “Why am I still single today?”).

*God did not forget you.

*He hung the stars in place. He knows them by name.

*He sees when a bird falls from a tree. He cares about His creation.

So you can be 100 percent assured that He is not in heaven, boppin’ Himself in the head, and saying, “I can’t believe I forgot all about _______.” You are loved…with an unconditional, everlasting love! You are NOT alone!

By Petals from the Basket | October 28, 2015 | Life Changes |

Free Coloring Page

There’s an old country-western song in which Barbara Mandrell sings, “I was country when country wasn’t cool.”

Well, it’s time for me to confess: I was coloring (as a grownup) before coloring as a grownup was cool!

Coloring pages for adults are all the rage, and I’ll tell you right here, right now that you really should join in on this trend! There are some great coloring books available with intricate, ornate designs, and if you’re like me (and bless your little heart if you are), you’ll find them therapeutic and relaxing.

I’m not going to go on and on about the benefits of coloring, though there are many! But I will tell you that I’ve been eagerly searching for a way to make some coloring pages related to Petals from the Basket. And I found it.

HUGE, HUGE DISCLAIMER: This first one is…well…a bit cheesy in its lack of intricate design. It is my first, after all! But we are studying the book of Daniel in our “Coffee Break” Bible study at my church, so I created a coloring page related to our topic. The ladies in my small group will each get one tomorrow! I’m sharing it here because you are my faith-friends and I want to whet your appetite for what is coming just around the corner at Petals from the Basket! I can hardly wait to share some amazing pages with you!

Okay, I have to say it one more time: this is not awesome, and I’m fully aware of that. But I’m sharing it anyhow, because that’s how I roll! So click on the photo, download the PDF that appears, print your free coloring page, and color, color, color (with colored pencils, markers, crayons, or whatever you so desire), using the page to remind you to praise our amazing God for ALL that He is and does! 

If you’re so inclined, I’d LOVE to see your finished masterpiece. Feel free to attach a photo of your colored page to a comment on the Petals from the Basket Facebook page! Who knows, it just might turn into a giveaway! [Yes, that’s a not-so-subtle hint!]

Click the photo to download your free coloring page!

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While your printer’s on, be sure to download your 30 Days of Gratitude chart and join us for a month of deliberate gratitude in the month of November!

Click here to download and print your 30 Days of Gratitude Chart.

(Click here to subscribe to Petals from the Basket if you’d like to receive a BRIEF daily devotional that corresponds to the daily gratitude focus.)

By Petals from the Basket | October 26, 2015 | Bible Reading, Ideas |

30 Days of Gratitude – 2015

Yes, we should be and must be thankful every single day of the year! However, sometimes it’s nice to set aside a certain amount of time to help us continue the practice of gratitude or to get us back into the habit of expressing that gratitude.

My first posting for 30 Days of Gratitude on this site was back in 2012. It was such a reader favorite that I did it again in 2013. However, last year, life happened, and with caring for my father in his last months with Parkinsons disease, I didn’t take the time to continue the annual tradition. But it’s back this year, and I would love for you to join in!

It’s simple. Click on the 30 Days of Gratitude banner at the top of this post, download and print the chart that appears, and choose the person or people you wish to express gratitude to on each of the thirty days in November. I added a new element this year: listing recommended methods for expressing your gratitude. It doesn’t have to cost you a penny, and you can use whatever method best suits your recipient. However, please note that the recommended methods were carefully selected, keeping in mind the potential for awkwardness in e-mailing a coworker during work hours, calling someone you haven’t spoken with in years, or being perceived as inappropriate for e-mailing a note to a child or teenager (best to cc: the parents or guardians if you choose that method).

There are literally hundreds of 30 Days of Gratitude options available, so I recognize that there are plenty of idea starters to choose from. But I’m thankful for you and wanted to reinstate this month-long emphasis on Petals from the Basket! Prepare, share, and…be thankful out there!

Click on the 30 Days of Gratitude banner at the top of this post to download and print your copy of the chart.

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Please note: There will be a BRIEF devotional on this site that will coincide with the focus for that day.
Please subscribe to Petals from the Basket here if you would like to receive these daily e-mails in November.
(Then stick around or unsubscribe. We’ll still be friends either way!)

By Petals from the Basket | October 22, 2015 | Events, Family, Friends, Thirty Days of Gratitude |