Feeling Heavy This Holiday? Here’s the Hope You Need.

Subscribe to get each episode delivered to your Inbox daily: https://bttb.org/subscribe2sft Are you feeling stressed by the holidays? Ignite hope and discover how gratitude can transform your outlook and bring healing! In this episode of Spiritually Fit Today, host Arnie Cole welcomes Dr. Rob Rhoades—physician, author, and speaker—to share powerful insights on how gratitude rewires your brain for unbreakable joy, even in tough times. Drawing from personal stories of growing up on a farm, Dr. Rhoades explains how a thankful heart can shift your perspective, reduce stress, and foster resilience during the holiday season. Together, Arnie and Dr. Rhoades discuss practical ways to cultivate gratitude, the science behind how kindness and positivity affect your brain chemistry, and how faith can help you navigate difficult emotions. Whether you’re facing loneliness, family challenges, or just the holiday blues, this episode offers encouragement and actionable steps to find hope and healing. Take action with the 4 R’s: Read: Today’s verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:18—“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Read this passage and let it sink in. Reflect: Think about a time when gratitude changed your perspective or helped you through a difficult moment. How can you reframe your current challenges with thankfulness? Respond: Pray—“Lord, thank you for every good gift. Teach me to see your blessings even in the messiness of life. Help me to cultivate a heart of gratitude, no matter my circumstances.” Reveal: Share your gratitude! Write down three small blessings each day this week and tell someone about them. Encourage a friend or family member to do the same, or share your answer to today’s quiz question in the comments: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Can you name the book of the Bible this comes from? Leave your answer below or email [e-mail].) Remember, spiritual fitness isn’t about perfection—it’s about showing up daily. Celebrate the step you took today, and if this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who needs hope and strength. New episodes of Spiritually Fit Today release every weekday—take your step today, and tomorrow you’ll be glad you did. Keywords: gratitude, holiday stress, Christian podcast, Arnie Cole, Dr. Rob Rhoades, spiritual fitness, Bible encouragement, healing, joy, Thanksgiving, faith, kindness, positivity, mental health, neuroscience, hope, prayer, Bible verse, Christian encouragement, Back to the Bible, Spiritually Fit Today