Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Kara Benson, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Alabama

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

We have been richly blessed as daughters of God! Whether it is good health, family, or financial stability, there is always something for which we can be thankful. Furthermore, God’s provision extends beyond physical blessings; He showers us with spiritual blessings in Christ: forgiveness of sins, eternal life with our Lord in heaven, inexpressible and glorious joy, hope that cannot be shaken, a relationship with our loving Father, confidence to approach the throne of the grace, the inspired Word of God to guide our lives, the gift of the Holy Spirit, family through the blood of Christ… in short, everything we need for life and godliness.

Even if our physical blessings were taken away, we would still have so much for which to be thankful. The goodness of God far outweighs our trials and hardships. Paul writes, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” through strength found in Christ (Php 4:11b-13 NIV). We can always be thankful, despite our situation: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1Th 5:16-18).

Daily thankfulness is important because it…

• Dispels anxiety. The antidote to anxiety is thanksgiving. When I choose to dwell on my many blessings, fears fade from the forefront of my mind; these two thought patterns are incompatible. While worries may not disappear entirely, their power is significantly diminished in the presence of thankful thoughts. This truth is taught in Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
• Reminds us of our reliance upon God, not ourselves. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9). We are dependent upon God, not only for our spiritual blessings such as salvation, but also for our physical needs (Mt 6:25-34).
• Teaches us to see the silver lining. We are instructed to train ourselves in godliness (1Ti 4:7), and gratitude is a godly characteristic. When we practice daily thankfulness, we train our minds to look for the positive and focus on the good.

A tangible way to count our blessings is to write them down in a daily thankfulness journal. If you are like me, you may have been unable to consistently keep a diary. Recording every detail of the day simply seems like too much time and effort after living it. When I began a daily thankfulness journal in January of 2022, there was some skepticism – primarily from myself! It turned out not to be a burden, however, but rather a fantastic blessing. I save my thankfulness for each day as a text message, then catch up on my journal entries when convenient. How wonderful it is to look back and see how God has blessed me through the past almost three years!

Let us overflow with thankfulness! “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col 2:6-7). It is important that we connect our thankfulness for our blessings to their source: our Creator.

From James, we learn that “every good and perfect gift is from above” (1:17a). We should be grateful to God and attribute every good thing in our life to him. Let us approach God with a grateful heart and an attitude of thankfulness for His bountiful blessings, eagerly expressing our great appreciation in prayer and song: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Ps 100:4).

We should also praise the name of the Lord to others. Overflowing with gratitude is glorifying to God (2Co 4:15b)! Thanksgiving is essential to letting our light shine in the darkness of complaints and criticisms. Cultivate a heart of thankfulness and share your blessings with others. When shared, sorrow is mitigated, and joy is multiplied!

Challenges for 2025

• Start a daily thankfulness small group text. Ask everyone to commit to sending one, “I am thankful for…” text each day. It can be as simple as sunshine or chocolate or related to an event of the day. This is an excellent way to encourage and be encouraged!
• Start a daily thankfulness journal and record how God blesses you every day. This is a great way to be continually amazed by the abundant mercies and faithfulness of God in your life!
• Speak more about your blessings from God rather than your complaints. People are drawn to positivity and may want to learn more about your hope!

Count your many blessings, name them one by one… indeed, our blessings are many! Let us count them, appreciate them, and overflow with thankfulness for them— to God and to others. Will you count your blessings today and every day?

Written by Karla Cass, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colorado

As a therapist I see clients riddled with anxiety walk in and out of my office daily. Anxiety among our nation’s children and youth is at an all-time high. The current generation is one of the most anxious generations in history, but Christ calls us to something different. Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) tells us,

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

As I ponder this verse, I am taken back to a time when I felt the most anxiety in my own life and when I felt I had very little to be thankful for. In a world full of things that can make us anxious, how can we be obedient to scripture and allow “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” to enter our lives?

The Trial
Dear sisters, I will confess that I often struggle with God’s timeline, which has been a main source of my anxiety in the past. I had a particularly difficult time with God’s timing in the spring of 2018. My husband and I were blessed with a beautiful baby girl the day before Christmas in 2014. We discussed expanding our family and I had a definite vision for what our family should look like. After two years of trying to have additional children, we turned to medical professionals for guidance. Right before Easter I received an infertility diagnosis and was told my eggs were of “poor quality.” The irony was not lost on me that while the world was decorated with brightly colored eggs, I was told mine were old and dusty! In a moment, the vision of my family was demolished along with my faith. The enemy used this news to separate me from God and increase my anxiety and depression. I found it very hard to be thankful for any of the numerous gifts God had previously blessed us with. My anxiety about our future and what our family would look like increased daily, and I lost faith in what I had always believed in: that God was always working for our good. Yet despite my attitude and lack of faith, He was still working on my behalf. God continued to work things out for our good and for the good of others because He can see vastly more for our lives than we ever can.

God Never Fails
During 2020, I was blessed with the opportunity to start a support group along with some church friends for women also going through infertility. We were able to lift one another up, support each other, and point one another to Christ. God used my difficult circumstances to bring myself and others closer to Him. In January of 2021, God exceeded every expectation and we found out we were pregnant with our son. He was the perfect addition to our family at just the right time. Through this trial, God worked things out for our greater good and gave me the privilege to serve others walking a similar path.

When we face great trials, how can we increase our gratitude and decrease anxiety about the future?

Relying on the Spiritual Disciplines
I found three spiritual disciplines helpful in drawing me closer to Him and increasing my faith in a time of difficulties.

1 - Keeping a daily gratitude journal helped me focus on the things God had given me and see that He has a perfect plan for my life and gives me exceedingly more than I could hope or pray for.

2 - The spiritual discipline of silence and solitude helped me to drown out the thoughts and opinions of this world and keep my eyes on Christ and what He wanted for my life. It made me carve out time for prayer and supplication. Through this practice, I was able to meditate on scripture and decrease comparison, jealousy, and anxiety which were robbing me of the joy God wanted for me.

3 - Lastly, I increased my time in the Word and was devoted to the memorization of scripture to combat anxious thoughts used by the enemy to make me doubt God and His will for my life.

Though my struggle with infertility was difficult, God used this time to increase my faith and draw me closer to Him. What spiritual disciplines can you incorporate in your daily life to stop the cycle of anxiety and start living the full life God wants for you?