“give thanks in all circumstances ...” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV).
Years ago, I hid 1,000 pennies around our home.
Pennies were in our pantry, cupboards, and underwear drawers; on our bookshelves, bureaus, and countertops. I hadn’t lost my mind, but I had lost my joy. And I wanted to find it again.
Back then, my hours were a monotonous blur of diapers and dishes, noises and needs. I knew Jesus’ joy was mine for the taking, but I couldn’t figure out how to grasp it amid the drudgery of my day. So I figured I’d reclaim my joy when my circumstances changed. When the baby sleeps through the night ... when my husband gets a raise ... when we can finally take a vacation ... when I can take a nap, then I’ll have reason for rejoicing.
Then one day, a friend shared that her life had felt weary until she began the daily practice of thanksgiving. Could gratitude really change a life? It sounded too cliché to be true, but I grabbed a notebook and decided to jot down some thanks of my own.
I sat poised with pen in hand and let my mind tarry backward across the hours. I didn’t discover mounds of miracles to tally, but I did remember little gifts of grace tucked into the corners of my day.
For each gift, I scribbled a note of thanks to God. Thanks for the smell of baking bread and the feel of my husband’s hand in mine. Thanks for the singsong of our children’s laughter and the sight of golden dandelions in my daughter’s outstretched hands.
Night after night, I recorded God’s gifts in my notebook. Eventually, I found myself greeting the day with expectant hope rather than silent dread. I no longer needed to muster up makeshift optimism or cover up my grumbles with try-hard cheer.
Gratitude was prying open the eyes of my heart, and I was beginning to see my daily drudgery in a new light. For the first time ever, I recognized God’s presence in my pandemonium.
Perhaps that’s why He urges us to “give thanks in all circumstances ...” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thanksgiving may not change our situation, but it will always change our soul. And when gratitude shifts our gaze from our circumstances to our Savior, we find the joy we desire.
Eventually, I decided I didn’t want thanksgiving to be just an end-of-the-day ritual or merely a chorus in my bedtime prayers. I wanted gratitude to become a way of life for me and for my family. That’s why I devised “Project Penny Praise.”
The idea was simple: Each time we found a penny, we’d pause and give God thanks for something. It was like a treasure hunt for joy-seekers.
Of course, our house was still steeped in ordinary life — but with every gleam of copper, our eyes shifted toward heaven. And right there, in the middle of our daily grind, we found extraordinary joy.
Dear Jesus, open the eyes of my heart today to see Your gifts of grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.
For many women, anxiety gets the first word in the morning. Before their feet even hit the floor, their minds are already racing through what could go wrong, what needs to be done, or what still feels uncertain. Marsha knows that feeling. She shared, “I wake up every morning, and First 5 is the first thing I pick up. It has impacted me that I start my day with Jesus. I was starting it with anxiety and fear, and I had been struggling with trusting God. If I start with First 5 in the mornings, then my day is headed in the right direction.” Your gift today helps more women begin their days with the Truth of God’s Word instead of fear. And as our thanks for your generosity, we’ll send you Lift Your Eyes: A Biblical Study of the Psalms of Ascents, our new four-week First 5 study for the Advent season.
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Psalm 86:12, “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever” (ESV).
Philippians 4:4, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (NLT).
Take time this week to give God thanks. Write down 10 of His gifts to you. Add to your list each day until you reach 100 gifts.
Hide some pennies (or a similar small item) in your home as a reminder to pause and praise. And share your thoughts about today’s devotion with us in the comments!
© 2026 by Alicia Bruxvoort. All rights reserved.
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