Grateful?

Life isn't always easy, especially when the hard stuff of life comes at us without warning.  Yesterday was one of those days.  Until.  The guys I work with decided we needed a break from it all.  So.  We left work and spent a couple of hours together.  My perspective changed as we connected away from the stuff.  I saw the gift of friendship at work.  And, I'm grateful.

The thing is . . . the simple act of being grateful . . . changes how we manage life.   Gratefulness is important for our health--body, mind, and soul.   I've always been amazed how my perspective of life changes when I intentionally give thanks.  When I focus on the messiness of life, I can easily be irritated and feel a little crazy.  But.

Gratefulness, even for the most simple things, is powerful.   

One of my favorite and often repeated words of reminder to be grateful comes from Psalms 100--the Message has a great way of explaining the action of telling God thank you--which is really the best place to start with gratitude:
Psalm 100:
On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, 
sing yourselves into his presence. 


Know this: God is God, and God, God. 
He made us; we didn't make him. 
We're his people, his well-tended sheep. 


Enter with the password: "Thank you!" 
Make yourselves at home, talking praise. 
Thank him. Worship him. 


For God is sheer beauty, 
all-generous in love, 
loyal always and ever. 
(The Message)

When we're grateful, we're unable to be passive, we've got to get on our feet and applaud God in celebration for being in the presence of divine and complete generosity.  

Get on your feet.
Be grateful.
Use the password all day long: "Thank you!"
Thank God all day long--it will change the way you see and respond to life.

Learning to Kickstart the day with gratefulness.
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)