Happy Thanksgiving: Living a Sober Life Full of Gratitude

Hi and welcome to the Recovered Christian. This is Suzanne and today is Thanksgiving. I hope you are surrounded today by family you love, friends you cherish and lots and lots of good food. Before the hustle and hubbub of today starts, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to each one of you. I started this podcast just a little over a week ago and it's been such a joy. Already the Father has been speaking to me each day and highlighting the verses and topics he wants me to bring to you, and that has been really fun. The podcast has brought me closer to him, and for that I am so grateful. And today I'm reminded of two powerful verses from the Bible that beautifully encapsulate the spirit of Thanksgiving. The first, from Colossians 3.15, says and let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts, for as members of one body, you are called to live in peace and always be thankful. The peace that Jesus gives us can fill every empty space in your heart, can fill the holes left there by substances and people. The Father calls us to live in peace and, of course, to be thankful. I pray today is one of peace for each of you. Holidays can be hard in recovery, especially the early days. Families, drama, alcohol, emotions, special occasions can be full of goodness, but they can also be full of a lot of tension. Have a plan ahead of time. Plan what you will drink. If alcohol is your thing and you know it will be where you are going, take some non-alcoholic beverages with you, or just plan to drink water. I have found that having a plan in place makes things so much easier when I am confronted with whatever is happening. Have a getaway excuse ready if it all becomes too much. A pre-planned exit is always good to have in your back pocket. Nurturing your sobriety is more important than sitting through an event that might knock you off course. It's okay to leave early. It's even okay not to go. Sometimes we have to make hard decisions to protect our recovery, and I love the second verse from Psalm 107, verse 1. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever. Each day I wake up becomes a testament to God's goodness and enduring love. I want to honor him in all I do and say and I want to make the most of the second chance he's given me. I'm profoundly grateful for the life I now lead, a life surrounded by a loving family, abundant blessings and the ever-deepening relationship with Jesus. My cup truly does run us over, and thankfully it's running over with blessings and not wine. Thanksgiving isn't just a day on the calendar, it's a lifestyle, a continual practice of acknowledging the goodness around us. If we will make every day a day of Thanksgiving, our lives will be so full and always be blessed. When you live from a place of Thanksgiving and gratitude, instead of complaining and wanting your entire outlook changes, it's really amazing to experience. So, on this Thanksgiving, let's cultivate hearts overflowing with gratitude. Let's cherish the moments of peace, the joys of sobriety and the beauty of the world God created for us. From the depths of my heart to yours, thank you for being part of this journey. May your Thanksgiving be filled with love, joy and an abundance of reasons to give thanks. I'll see you next time.