November is coming and naturally, our minds go to thanks. An attitude of gratitude isn’t only for the month of Thanksgiving. How can we establish a heart of thanks and gratitude all year? Let’s learn how to make a habit of the attitude of gratitude all year long.
As I write this, I realize this is something I need to work on more. I need to improve my attitude of gratitude so I am assuming you need to improve this too.
What is Gratitude?
Gratitude begins in your heart. Gratitude is being thankful for the things/ beauty and people around you. The things that God has given you. It’s a spiritual thing. Gratitude is showing appreciation or returning kindness.
When you breathe out thanksgiving it breaths into you- life and hope. You are giving thanks to God for all that he has given you.
When your emotions are all over the place, you feel depressed, have negative thoughts, you are in worry, envy, or irritated- Give and Express Thanks. When you have an attitude of gratitude it changes your thinking and your focus. Gratitude changes your outlook on life. See Blog on Praise God, change your thinking
“We give thanks to God not because of how we feel, but because of who He is.”
1000 Gifts Book- by Ann Voskamp
When you are Thankful and have an Attitude of Gratitude…
- It makes you happier- fills you with Joy.
- Helps you think of what you have and not desire more materialistic things.
- Builds relationships with family and friends.
- Improves your health and thinking.
- Grows your faith as you thank God for his blessings.
- Makes you smile.
Gratitude Journal-
After I read Ann Voskamp’s book “1000 Gifts”, I started a gratitude journal. Every day I wrote down three things I was thankful for. It improved my focus each day and my attitude. I would look for the positive in the day or things that made me smile, like wool socks, a hug, a hot cup of tea on a cool day.
I had my kids try this too, and they noticed things in their day. The part I liked the best is we would share a few of our “three a day”. I loved that I got to see into my kid’s day by what they wrote down and shared. I was thankful for our sharing time each week.
Ann Voskamp says it this way,” Gratitude isn’t only a celebration when good things happen. Gratitude is a declaration that God is good no matter what happens.”
The more you give thanks the easier it gets. It’s habit-forming and changes your heart and infiltrates your heart and life with peace and joy.
Take time this Month to have an Attitude of Gratitude.
- Every day put a leaf on tree branches of thankfulness with a word of thanks. Or…
- Each day write a word of thanks on a pumpkin.
- Start a gratitude journal with three notes of thanks/gratitude each day until your journal is filled or you reach 1000.
- Read a thanksgiving verse each day.
- Give someone a phone call, encourage them and be thankful for them.
- Once a week send a note of thanks to someone by mail, email, or text.
- Tell your kids something you are thankful for about them each day.
- Begin and end your day with gratitude/ thanks to God.
When things seem hopeless, we can be Thankful and know our hope and faith is in the Lord. Start an attitude of gratitude all year long.
Rise to whatever comes to you, go to where you’re sent, give however your soul knows how, and give thanks whenever you breathe.
-Ann Voskamp
Thanksgiving Verses- to get you started
- Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalms 100:4
- Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests. Philippians 4:6
- And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father. Colossians 3:17
- Praise the Lord. Give Thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalms 106:1
- Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. Psalms 95:2
- For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4:4
- But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
