Gratitude

For a while now I have wanted to start writing gratitude postings on my blog.  I was reading an article in Reader's Digest about how being grateful and expressing it at least once a week makes a person happier.  So at first I decided, oh, I will post everyday then but I went back and reread the article or the rest of the story as they say and here is the gist of it.  People who started out this experiment gungho and wrote in a gratitude journal everyday soon became burned out and went back to the old way.  The feelings of thankfulness and a sense of well being disappeared.  The study showed that those who expressed their gratitude once a week kept up the practice and over time showed increased levels of happiness and contentment with their lives.

I have been going through a battle with anger and resentment.  My mom has constantly been on my case about not being thankful for what I have and not being grateful.  So when I read this article I decided I really needed to try it.  I am becoming more bitter daily and I hate that about myself.  I have so much to be thankful for.  A lot of the anger is really disappointment in people and the resentment is rooted in feelings of self-pity about being ill.  I can't change the circumstances I am in, only God has been able to move for me and He has on numerous occasions.  I just get frustrated and depressed about how long it is taking for things to change.  So having said all this I believe I need to express my gratitude and I am going to try to do so once a week.  This is Palm Sunday and what better day to start this than on the day we celebrate Jesus' coming to Jerusalem and the week that led up to His crucifixion.  So here goes my list for this week:

1.  I am thankful that I am a child of God.

2.  I am grateful for Jesus and His sacrifice for me on Calvary.
3.  I am thankful I was raised to know and love God.
4.  I am thankful for the Holy Ghost and His comforting presence in my life.

Now for more personal everyday gratitide.

1.  I am thankful for bread, even though I am not supposed to eat a lot of it and I didn't while trying to eat lower carb.  I don't want to put it before God but I am thankful for getting to eat bread again.
2.  I am thankful for my home, God provided me a home 6 years ago after years of being tossed about from place to place and I am so thankful to be settled and have a peaceful place to live.
3.  I am thankful for a means of support for myself and that God provides for my every need and most of my wants.  I feel quite spoiled most of the time.  I feel like all I have to do is think I would like to have this and I get it.  Example: My sister brought groceries in and I hadn't asked her to get bologna but somehow my mother realized I wanted it and when I looked in the bag there was bologna.  Little things mean a lot.

Being grateful is a state of mind you can choose to have.  I hope this is a step to me overcoming my battle, becoming more thankful, and bringing joy and happiness into my life.