As we approach the Thanksgiving Season, we are often reminded of the good things in our lives. Our families, friends, homes, and health are often at the top of that list. But what happens to those hard times that we go through? The loss of a friend or loved one, or perhaps a health scare of our own may not be viewed as something to be thankful for. I mean, honestly, how do you thank God for the death of someone you hold dear?

These times are difficult for us. We often want to blame God instead of thanking Him. However, God has told us that he works all things for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). Therefore, even though we may not see it now, there are praises to be sung in these times. Be thankful that that your loved one is no longer sick or in pain, be thankful that God brought you out of your own health scare or is seeing you through your current one. Financial hardships are much more bearable knowing that God is going to see you through.

We often pray our way through our circumstances with only one possible outcome in mind. Then, when God doesn't answer our prayers the way we want or expect Him to, we come to the conclusion that He didn't answer, or perhaps simply doesn't care enough to help us. The fact is, God always answers our prayers. He just doesn't always answer them the way we think He should. We pray for healing, yet our loved one dies. God answered our prayers because they are now healed for eternity - no more pain or sickness ever again - but it is very hard to see this from where we stand in our own pain. Perhaps you pray for a promotion at work because your family is living paycheck to paycheck, but you are passed over. Is God even aware of your struggles? Of course He is, but He could see the in bigger picture that that promotion would have taken you away from your family and Him, and He may have something much better in the works for you if you will only be patient and faithful.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus Concerning you."(KJV) In EVERYTHING give thanks! In good times, bad times, hard times, easy times, GIVE THANKS! Whether you're on the mountain top or in the valley, GIVE THANKS! Healthy or sick, GIVE THANKS!

God will never leave nor forsake you. He has and will never turn His back on you. Even when you can't feel the sun, the Son is there, holding your hand, and leading you through.

Trust Him, praise Him, and always GIVE THANKS!

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As a reminder to always give thanks to God for all He does for us, today we are making the "Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart" wall hanging!

I am going to be doing this on my 5.5w diode laser (because...Fun!!!), but it could also be done on vinyl using the awesome Cricut machine!

For this project, you will need the following supplies:

• Beaded Square Wood Wall Decor (found here or at your local Hobby Lobby Store)

• Ruler or other straight edge

• Pencil

• Laser engraver (I'm using this exact one)

• Laser software (I'm using LightBurn)

• Image to engrave (I'm using my 1Thess5-18-02 design which is available to download for free from my image library when you sign up for the Mandy Creates Newsletter!)

Step 1: Find the center of the Beaded Square Wood Wall Decor

To do this, take your straight edge first from the top right corner to the bottom left corner and make a small, light line with your pencil near the center. Do the same with the ruler going from the top left corner to the bottom right corner.

You should now have an X where the 2 lines intersected, showing the exact center of your board.

Step 2: Prepare your image in your laser engraving software

In LightBurn, you will first select "Import" from the file menu and upload your chosen design. Then, adjust the height and width of the design using the given adjustment boxes near the top left of the LightBurn window. Since the inside of the board measures about 13.25in square, I made my image 13in square to allow some space around the edges. Adjust the placement of the design within the workspace as needed.

Step 3: Place Decor on laser bed and focus/align laser

Put your wall hanging on your laser bed in the approximate position of your design placement. Focus your laser on the center part of the wall hanging (not the frame) according to your manufacturer's specifications. Since this varies from laser to laser, I can't really tell you how to do this.

Next, find the center of your design by notating the position of the grey square in the middle of it on both the x (horizontal) and y (vertical) axis (also found in the upper left corner of the window when the image is selected). On the left side of the window, click the "Move" tab, and enter those values into their respective boxes.

Click on the "Fire" button to check the exact location of your laser and adjust your wall hanging as needed. (If your "Fire" button is inactive, you can turn it on in the "Device Settings" menu. This is not recommended for CO2 laser users.)

Step 4: Engrave (This is where your oh-so-attractive protective glasses MUST be worn)

Adjust the speed and power of your laser as necessary (again, every laser is different so you will have to use the best settings for yours, however, I used a speed of 200 at 45% power). Click the "Start" button on the right-side panel and wait as patiently as possible for your laser to complete its job.

Step 5: Finish

At this point, your engraving is complete! If there are still visible pencil markings in the center, they can be eliminated with the eraser on your pencil. You may also choose to seal your design, or add some color around the edges, but that is all optional! I prefer to keep mine as is and let the passing of time color it for me.

You may notice some color variations in the engraving. This is due to the different colors and types of wood used to make up the plywood used for this prefabricated item.

I hope you enjoy crafting these as much as I did! I would love to see what you come up with! Please, leave me photos of your work in the comments below, as well as any questions or suggestions you may have.

Have a blessed crafting time!