Gratitude Newsletter
Your free weekly dose of gratefulness 💫

Hey grateful people! Happy to see you again 🤗

Hope that you’re all doing very well and living life gratefully.

Here’s your gratitude newsletter:

Affirmations
111 Self-Care Affirmations for Inner Child, Peace, and Gratitude
I talk about self-care in my 21-day Self-love Course and how important it is to have a healthy lifestyle.

Self-care is extremely important. And, we must know that it’s good not only for us but for the people in our lives.

Self-care is not about ignoring the people that need you or considering them as less important than you.

It is about doing what is best for you and them in the long run.

If you keep giving without taking care of yourself first, you won’t be able to do that for much time.

Filling your cup first doesn’t mean taking away from what you give to others.

It just means increasing your stock so you can wholeheartedly support and love them while supporting and loving yourself too.

It is essential that you remember to care for yourself as you care for others.

So, today let’s dive into self-care affirmations to begin this journey.

111 Self-Care Affirmations for Inner Child, Peace, and Gratitude

Wisdom & Self-help Tips
The 4 Journaling Ideas You Must Try
Let me tell you something from the get-go – journaling is fundamental in my life. It has supported me through my teenage years and now in my early 20s. I have always found it to be the friend I most need when I underestimate it.

In this post about journaling ideas, I want to share with you why you should journal and how it can help you the same way that it helps me.

I will also help clear the fears or misconceptions related to journaling so that it becomes an activity that you look forward to without hesitations.

Right before I started to write this post, I was in a state of trying. I was trying to get started but I couldn’t. I was roaming around YouTube and trying to make my thoughts cohesive by pouring more information in but it wasn’t working.

I am sure that many times in your week or month, you would have this feeling of being aimless or unmotivated. Even when you know what to do, you’re just unable to do it. It’s like the door’s jammed and you just can’t slide through. You keep pushing and pushing and nothing changes.

So, I thought, I am going to write about journaling and talk about how it helps unload the mind and organize our thoughts. Why not journal right now to see if anything helps at all?

Read the full post below:

The 4 Journaling Ideas You Must Try

Inspirational Stories of Gratitude
Aschlea’s Story – Grateful since childhood
“I was young when I learned how to be grateful for what I have in life, not just things, but people as well. I got this app only a few months ago, and I love it – from the affirmations to the daily gratitude and journal entries, I fell in love with the app.

For me, I like going back to memories and things that happened in my life and reflect on them as time goes by. But back to my story – I’ll start at the beginning, where it all started for me.

I was only 8 years old when the hard journey of my life started…”

Read Aschlea’s full story:

Aschlea’s Story – Grateful since childhood
I’ll see you next Monday!

With Gratitude,
Aarushi

I hope you find beautiful moments in life every day 🙂

We are all probably familiar with the stereotypical “doom and gloom” or “hellfire and brimstone” preachers. They often deliver a very one-sided view of God’s judgment, one that emphasizes God’s wrath, anger, and holiness and not his grace, mercy, and salvation. When properly understood though, God’s judgment and salvation go hand-in-hand. Some would even say God’s judgment is the very means by which he saves. Let’s learn more about God’s purpose in judgment in Zephaniah with these notes from the Amplified Study Bible.

God’s Messenger of Judgment and Salvation

Zephaniah was a contemporary of Jeremiah and prophesied during the reign of the godly King Josiah. In the first verse of the book that bears his name, we learn that he was also a descendant of the godly King Hezekiah.

“The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.” -Zephaniah 1:1

Interesting note: Zephaniah means “hidden in the Lord,” a name that relates to the principal message the prophet presented (2:3). The names of the prophets were often significantly associated with the message that God gave them to present to the people.

God’s Message of Judgment

Zephaniah’s message began with an announcement of an imminent and universal judgment, one that finds a more specific application to Judah and the surrounding nations.

“‘I will completely consume and sweep away all things from the face of the earth [in judgment],’ says the LORD.” -Zephaniah 1:2

“I will also stretch out My hand [in judgment] against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”-Zephaniah 1:4

“For [this is the fate of the Philistines:] Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon a desolation; [The people of] Ashdod will be driven out at noon [in broad daylight] and Ekron will be uprooted and destroyed. Woe (judgment is coming) to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites [in Philistia]! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; I will destroy you so that no inhabitant will be left.” -Zephaniah 2:4-5

Interesting note: Gaza…Ashkelon…Ashdon…Ekron. The focus of the book moves from the description of divine judgment on Judah and Jerusalem to a description of divine judgment on the surrounding nations. The judgment begins with the nation to the west, Philistia, and its major cities.

“The great [judgment] day of the LORD is near, near and coming very quickly. Listen! The [voice of the] day of the LORD! The warrior cries out bitterly [unable to fight or to flee]. That day is a day of [the outpouring of the] wrath [of God], a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and the battle cry [of invaders] against the fortified cities and against the high corner towers (battlements).” – Zephaniah 1:14-16

God’s Purpose in Judgment

What we don’t properly understand is that judgment should lead us to a restoration or improvement in a relationship. The announcement of judgment never occurs without grace being far behind. We live with the tension of knowing God’s judgment hangs over us while at the same time knowing that forgiveness is readily available to us too. Such is the message of Zephaniah.

Judgment implies a necessary purification process. You can’t get the impurities out without first identifying their presence. We want to think of ourselves as pure without going through any process of purification. We want grace without judgment, but it doesn’t work that way. Judgment reflects the true state of our being, namely that we are sinful and in need of grace. Often the only way to understand our reality is to go through a judgment process.

Once the judgment is accepted and the proper response is made, we fully experience God’s grace. The Lord deals with our enemies (3:15). He quiets us with His love (3:17). He removes our burdens (3:18). God stands ready to gather us back to Himself (3:19). He restores our fortunes (3:20).

The commonly held thought that the writings of the Old Testament prophets are all gloom and doom is actually myth and misnomer. There’s always hope and renewal in the prophetic message. There are always opportunities for repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. God’s judgment is in fact good for us because the sin in our lives needs to be brought to light in order for us to be restored to full fellowship with God.

God’s Words of Hope, Promise, and Salvation

“The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, even the LORD [Himself], is in your midst; You will no longer fear disaster. In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: ‘Do not be afraid, O Zion; do not let your hands fall limp. ‘The LORD your God is in your midst, a Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. I will gather those [Israelites in captivity] who grieve about the appointed feasts—They came from you, [O Zion]; on whom the reproach [of exile] is a burden. ‘Behold, at that time I am going to deal with all your oppressors; I will save the lame and gather the scattered, and I will turn their shame into praise and renown in every land [where they have suffered]. ‘At that time I will bring you in, yes, at the time I gather you together; For I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes [and freedom] before your eyes,’ says the LORD.” – Zephaniah 3:15–20

Interesting note: I will make you a name and a praise. Ordinarily, Scripture speaks of the praise that should be brought to God. Here we find the praise that God will bring to His people. Says the LORD. This is a solemn vow of God to do what He has promised. Zephaniah begins and ends with the strong assertion that the Lord is speaking. The implication is clear: “Listen and live!” The warning of judgment is a call to salvation.

More In-Depth Studying!

The Amplified Study Bible includes the Amplified Bible and thousands of notes to help you grasp the meaning of God’s Word. Amplification within the English text is indicated by parentheses, brackets, and italicized conjunctions. These features define names, places, or words; expand upon the depth of meaning in the original languages; clarify words or concepts; expand on teachings or principles; or supply information for the reader to grasp the context of the passage.

Amplified Study Bible

Are you looking for a way to re-energize your Bible study? One way to do that is to find a unique new title! Below are commentaries to help inspire your time in the Word.

Key Word Commentary

This unique commentary takes an enhanced outline approach to every chapter of the Bible. The 929 Old Testament and 260 New Testament chapters are taken individually, then analyzed and summarized in ten “key” categories. Key Word Commentary is an excellent resource to grasp a firm understanding and gain “key” insights of a chapter or book of the Bible without wading through dense versified material.

Each chapter of the Bible has these keys:

Before and After
Analysis of Chapter
Key Verse
Key Word
Key Person/Event
Key Thought
Key Thing(s) to Look For
Key Bible Cross-Reference
Key “By Way of Explanation”
Key “Quotable Quote”
Jewish New Testament Commentary

This companion volume to the Jewish New Testament enhances Bible study. Passages and expressions are explained in their original cultural context, the way 1st-century Jewish writers meant for them to be understood. Over fifteen years of research and study went into the Jewish New Testament Commentary to make the New Testament more meaningful.

Parallel Commentary on the New Testament

The Parallel Commentary on the New Testament comes from three of the greatest Bible commentators. Study the New Testament with the assistance of Matthew Henry, John Wesley, and Charles Spurgeon. The New Testament reveals the divine plan of redemption and the secrets and principles of Christian living, and these three giants of the faith bring out the most crucial elements, principles and applications of the New Testament. Parallel Commentary on the New Testament, edited by Mark Water, is an invaluable resource for your Biblical study.

MacArthur Bible Handbook

The MacArthur Bible Handbook is the ultimate book-by-book survey of the Bible, including charts, graphs, and illustrations from today’s leading expository teacher.

A unique reference tool that is committed to quality and biblical teaching—will help you easily understand each book of the Bible, its historical context, and its place in Scripture.

What’s Included:

The meaning of each Bible book’s name
Who wrote it
The date and setting
The theme and purpose
Its key words, verses, and chapters
How Christ is presented (even in the Old Testament)
Its contribution to the Bible as a whole
A broad summary of the events and highlights it records
A detailed outline of the book
Add One To Your Library!

Key Word Commentary
Jewish New Testament Commentary
Parallel Commentary on the New Testament
MacArthur Bible Handbook