According to research people who are intentionally grateful for what they have report better sleep fewer symptoms of illness and more happiness Those are impressive benefits Psychologists even suggest keeping a ldquo gratitude journal rdquo to improve our well-being writing down five things we rsquo re grateful for each week Scripture has long promoted the practice of gratitude From meals and marriage Timothy - to the beauties of creation Psalm the Bible has called us to see such things as gifts and to thank the Giver for them Psalm lists five things Israel could be especially grateful for their rescue [... more]

The United Kingdom brims with history Everywhere you go you see plaques honoring historic figures or commemorating sites where important events occurred But one such sign exemplifies the droll British sense of humor On a weathered plaque outside a bed and breakfast in Sandwich England a message reads ldquo On this site Sept nothing happened rdquo nbsp nbsp Sometimes it seems to us that nothing is happening regarding our prayers We pray and pray bringing our petitions to our Father with expectation that He will respond mdash right now The psalmist David expressed such frustration when he prayed ldquo How [... more]

Oceanographer Sylvia Earle has seen the deterioration of coral reefs firsthand She founded Mission Blue an organization devoted to the development of global Hope Spots These special places around the world are ldquo critical to the health of the ocean rdquo which impacts our lives on earth Through the intentional care for these areas scientists have seen the relationships of underwater communities restored and lives of endangered species saved nbsp In Psalm the psalmist acknowledges that God spoke everything into existence and ensured that all He made would stand firm vv ndash As God reigns over generations and nations vv [... more]

Phil and Sandy moved by stories of refugee children opened their hearts and home to two of them After they picked them up at the airport they nervously drove home in silence Were they ready for this They didn rsquo t share the same culture language or religion but they rsquo d become people of refuge for these precious children Boaz was moved by the story of Ruth He rsquo d heard how she left her people to support Naomi and when Ruth came to glean in his field Boaz prayed this blessing over her ldquo May the Lord nbsp [... more]

In French researchers had a computer problem a data error when processing the age of Jeanne Calment She was years old an age outside the parameters of the software program The programmers had assumed no one could possibly live that long In fact Jeanne lived until the age of The psalmist writes ldquo our days may come to seventy years or eighty if our strength endures rdquo Psalm a figurative way of saying whatever age we live to even to the age of Jeanne Calment our lives on earth are indeed limited Our lifetimes are in the sovereign hands of [... more]

A study by Robert Emmons divided volunteers into three groups that each made weekly entries in journals One group wrote five things they were grateful for One described five daily hassles And a control group listed five events that had impacted them in a small way The results of the study reveal that those in the gratitude group felt better about their lives overall were more optimistic about the future and reported fewer health problems Giving thanks has a way of changing the way we look at life Thanks-giving can even make us happier The Bible has long extolled the [... more]

The verse in the book of Philippians that explains God will supply our ever need has assured countless believers of God rsquo s unfailing love But what does that verse really mean On today's MoneyWise Live host Rob West will explain what the phrase ldquo God provides rdquo really means and how it can be easily misunderstood Then he rsquo ll answer your calls and questions on various financial topics nbsp nbsp See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

The impala a member of the antelope family is able to jump up to ten feet high and thirty feet in length It rsquo s an incredible feat and no doubt essential to its survival in the African wild Yet at many impala enclosures found in zoos you rsquo ll find that the animals are kept in place by a wall that rsquo s merely three feet tall How can such a low wall contain these athletic animals It works because impalas will never jump unless they can see where they rsquo ll land The wall keeps the impalas inside [... more]

Rhonda Stoppe is challenging you to remember the spouse you dreamed of being on your wedding day to literally write down your love story and lean on Jesus as your ultimate unfailing love so you can fully embrace the unique love story God has written in your life Receive Rhonda Stoppe's book Real-Life Romance for your donation of any amount https donate focusonthefamily com don-daily-broadcast-product- - - refcd Get more episode resources https www focusonthefamily com episodes broadcast embracing-your-unique-love-story featured-resource-cta If you've listened to any of our podcasts please give us your feedback https focusonthefamily com podcastsurvey [... more]

Feel so familiar with Easter--that it's hard to deeply appreciate Author David Mathis helps us marvel at wounds of unfailing love amp decisive victory Show Notes and Resources Find resources from this podcast at shop familylife com Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app Help others find Familylife Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify Check out all the Familylife's on the FamilyLife Podcast Network [... more]

Our bus finally arrived at our much-anticipated destination mdash an archaeological dig in Israel where we would actually do some excavation work of our own The site rsquo s director explained that anything we might unearth had been untouched for thousands of years Digging up broken shards of pottery we felt as though we were touching history After an extended time we were led to a workstation where those broken pieces mdash from huge vases shattered long long ago mdash were being put back together nbsp nbsp nbsp The picture was crystal clear Those artisans reconstructing centuries-old broken pottery were [... more]

This Thanksgiving we must be thankful for the things that we have but also for the things that God has in store for us In this Sunday message Pastor Greg Laurie shares a powerful example of praising God in all circumstances Listen in to a special message from Acts Notes Thanksgiving is not about eating but rather giving thanks In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus Thessalonians Praise the Lord Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good For His mercy endures forever It's easy to want to give thanks when [... more]

In Cap Dashwood and his sweet black lab companion Chaela ldquo la rdquo Dashwood rsquo s abbreviation for ldquo Labrador angel rdquo accomplished something remarkable reaching a mountain summit each day for consecutive days Dashwood has a moving story to tell He left home at sixteen explaining simply ldquo Bad family life rdquo But these past wounds led him to find healing elsewhere He explains ldquo Sometimes when you rsquo re disappointed by people you turn to something else You know rdquo For Dashwood mountain climbing and the unconditional love of his black lab companion has been a big part [... more]

During Scottish missionary Alexander Duff rsquo s first voyage to India in he was shipwrecked in a storm off the coast of South Africa He and his fellow passengers made it to a small desolate island and a short time later one of the crew found a copy of a Bible belonging to Duff washed ashore on the beach When the book dried Duff read Psalm to his fellow survivors and they took courage Finally after a rescue and yet another shipwreck Duff arrived in India Psalm lists some of the ways God delivered the Israelites Duff and his shipmates [... more]

She was perhaps the greatest ldquo scapecow rdquo in history We don rsquo t know if her name was Daisy Madeline or Gwendolyn each name has been suggested but Mrs O rsquo Leary rsquo s cow was blamed for the Great Chicago Fire that left every third resident of the city homeless Carried by strong winds through wooden structures the fire burned for three days and took the lives of nearly people For years many believed the fire began when the cow knocked over a lantern left burning in a shed After further investigation mdash years later mdash the city [... more]

As a full-of-energy preschooler my son Xavier avoided afternoon quiet time Being still often resulted in an unwanted though much needed nap So he rsquo d wiggle in his seat slide off the sofa scoot across the hardwood floor and even roll across the room to evade the quiet ldquo Mom I rsquo m hungry I rsquo m thirsty I have to go to the bathroom I want a hug rdquo Understanding the benefits of stillness I rsquo d help Xavier settle down by inviting him to snuggle Leaning into my side he rsquo d give in to sleep Early [... more]

For some months now I rsquo ve been corresponding with a young man who is thinking deeply about faith On one occasion he wrote ldquo We rsquo re no more than teeny tiny infinitesimal blips on the timeline of history Do we matter rdquo nbsp Moses Israel rsquo s prophet would agree ldquo Our days quickly pass and we fly away rdquo Psalm The brevity of life can worry us and cause us to wonder if we matter nbsp We do We matter because we are deeply eternally loved by the God who made us In this poem Moses prays [... more]

After a recent move Mabel rsquo s seven-year-old son Ryan fussed as he prepared to attend a summer camp at his new school Mabel encouraged him assuring him that she understood change was hard But one morning Ryan rsquo s out-of-character grumpiness seemed excessive With compassion Mabel asked ldquo What rsquo s bothering you Son rdquo Staring out of the window Ryan shrugged ldquo I don rsquo t know Mom I just have too many feelings rdquo Mabel rsquo s heart ached as she comforted him Desperate for a way to help him she shared that the move was hard [... more]

If you're feeling stressed out when it comes to money a great place to start is by being thankful for all that you do have Psalm - says to give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and wonderful deeds Thankfulness goes a long way [... more]

Excerpt from HOPE FOR THE CAREGIVER on American Family Radio It's starting to dawn on a lot of us some of who are newer to this not so much but a lot of us have that realization Man this thing is not going to have the happy ending it's not going to have the happy ending that we want it's not going to get pretty In fact it's going to probably get worse And what do you do with that information What does hope look like in that And as I've struggled through these things and I've worked through these [... more]

Dr John H Munro January Romans - There is no doubt that God is a God of love But He is also just and righteous So how can we as sinful people be declared righteous by God God Himself provides a way of salvation through the cross of Christ where the uncompromising holiness of God meets His unfailing love [... more]