Shirlee Abbott

Missed Gratitude for Good Discipline

Posted on November 25, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

Proverbs 3:11 (MSG)
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this.

Discipline isn’t punishment. It’s correction, and sometimes it is uncomfortable. Like it or not, It’s good for me. It’s worthy of gratitude.

Good morning, Lord. Thank You for teaching me how to live. Sometimes Your discipline is hard to take, sometimes it is just a gentle nudge. Either way, it makes me a better person. And just when I think I’ve learned one lesson, You bring on the next one. You’ve never given up on me, and for that I am grateful.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged discipline, gratitude, Proverbs 3:11 | Comments Off

Missed Gratitude for Closed Doors

Posted on November 24, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

I’ve bumped up against a few closed doors in my adult life: the great job I didn’t get, the cute house we couldn’t buy, the friendship that didn’t work out. Yes, I was disappointed.

Psalm 23:3 (NIV)
… He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

For me, disappointment and gratitude tend not to mix. Thus, I rarely thank God for closed doors. But God knows what’s best for me … and for that, I’m grateful.

Good morning, Lord. Thank You for the closed doors that have kept me on the path You laid out for me from the beginning. From my earthly perspective those doors looked to be good opportunities, but You knew they wouldn’t serve me well. Thank You for opening the right doors at the right time.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged closed doors, gratitude, Psalm 23:3, right path | 2 Comments

Missed Gratitude for Good Health

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

I’m quick to complain when my stomach is upset or my joints ache or my head throbs or my sinuses drip. Am I equally quick to give thanks when I feel good?

I don’t think so.

3 John 2 (TLB)
Dear friend, I am praying that all is well with you and that your body is as healthy as I know your soul is.

The healthier my soul, the less I whine, the more I give thanks. And the better I feel.

Good morning, Lord. I tend to forget about the inner workings of my body until some part is out of synch– forgive me. Thank You for the days when I have no complaints. I am wonderfully made, I know that full well (Psalm 139:14). Thank You for restoring me, body and soul, more times than I know.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged 3 John 2, healthy body, healthy soul, Psalm 139:14 | Comments Off

Missed Gratitude for Safe Travel

Posted on November 20, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

Late for a meeting, I muttered in frustration as I stopped for the yellow light. The dump truck ahead of me sped through the intersection and hit a bump. A rock bounced out and landed right where I would have been if I hadn’t stopped.

Psalm 18:2 (GNT)
The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe.

I’m thankful for God’s protection … when I see it. Surely He has protected me more times than I know. Thanks be to God!

Good morning, Lord. Most of the time, I assume I will arrive at my destination, no problem. I attribute a safe trip to my good planning and driving skills. How many times have You intervened to save me from disaster? I’ll never know this side of heaven. But here I am, safe and sound. Thank You for watching and protecting me.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged God's protection, gratitude, Psalm 18:2, safe travels | 2 Comments

Missed Gratitude for Temptations Avoided

Posted on November 19, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

Matthew 6:13 (NIV)
… lead us not into temptation …

Over the years, I’ve prayed those words hundreds of times. I picture God stringing caution tape across my path, setting up a detour or closing a gate. And yet I’ve never said Thank You for that caution tape, those detours and the closed gates.

I can only image the trouble I’d be in without God’s restraining hand.

Good morning, Lord. Thank You for the many times You’ve led me away from temptation. Forgive me for the many times I crashed through Your closed gate and chased after my own foolish desires. Teach me to listen to Your words of warning, follow Your instructions and move between the good guardrails of Your protection.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged gratitude, lead us not into temptation, Matthew 6:13 | 2 Comments

Missed Gratitude for Beans

Posted on November 18, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

I don’t know that I’ve ever thanked God for the lowly bean. Fiber, protein and vitamins packed into every bite. Low-cost, big impact. Available almost everywhere. Sounds like good planning on the part of the Creator. And overlooked by me.

On the other hand, I’m consistently grateful for the coffee bean and the cocoa bean.

Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
Taste and see that the Lord is good …

Tastes good, good for me — all deserving of gratitude.

Good morning, Lord. I tend to be grateful for what I like and overlook the good things that are less appealing. I could be eating the exact same manna every day, the same flavor and texture meeting my nutritional needs from childhood to old age. I thank You for the wide variety of food on my table — some I find delightful, some not so much — but all good.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged beans, good for us, Psalm 34:8, tastes good | 6 Comments

Two Weeks of Missed Gratitude

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

With Thanksgiving Day a couple weeks away, I want to focus on blessings I’ve never given a second thought.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
Give thanks in all circumstances …

All circumstances? I’ve missed more than a few.

How about you?

Good morning, Lord. I don’t mean to be ungrateful, but I have been. I’ve taken credit for blessings that came straight from You, good made possible by Your grace and not my deliberate action. Your hand was behind events I counted as luck or coincidence. Add routine provision and care I take for granted … O God, I owe You a great debt of thanks.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged 1 Thessalonians 5:18, gratitude | Comments Off

Count Again

Posted on November 14, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

I’ve been counting all wrong.

James 1:2-4 (NKJV)
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

My trials are positives, not negatives. Assets, not liabilities. Pros, not cons.

My trials count as joy, not misery.

Good morning, Lord. Frankly, when it comes to trials and troubles … I’m not feeling the joy. But without hard times, I’d be self-absorbed, stubborn, hard-hearted. Open my eyes to the benefits of lessons learned the hard way. Walk with me through the trials. Work Your perfect will in me. Fill me with the joy of the Lord.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged assets and liabilities, count as joy, James 1:2-4, keeping count, positives and negatives, trials | 2 Comments

Let’s Not Count

Posted on November 13, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV)
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Is Jesus suggesting we keep a detailed tally? I think not. If we keep count, it’s probably not true forgiveness.

Forgive, and let it go — the way Christ forgives us.

Good morning, Lord. You taught us to pray “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Are there folks I haven’t forgiven, acts for which I still carry a grudge? I need to stop keeping count of offenses, to let go of my desire to get even. Teach me to forgive as I have been forgiven. Teach me to love others the way You love me.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged forgiveness, keeping count, Matthew 18:21-22, Matthew 6:12 | Comments Off

Let’s Keep Count

Posted on November 12, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

Psalm 103:2 (NLT)
Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

It’s easy to focus on what we lack, to keep a list of things we wish we had. The psalmist focused on the good things he already had.

Let’s be like the psalmist. Let’s count our blessings.

Good morning, Lord. I grab my shopping list, with nary a thought about the good things in my cupboards and closets. My neighbor gets something new, and I want one too — not remembering what I already have. I focus on what I want, not what I have. Teach me to count my blessings, Lord, fill my heart with gratitude.

Posted in Constructive Thought, Morning Prayer | Tagged Count Your Blessings, Psalm 103:2 | 2 Comments