Welcome to the first week of November! This weekend in the Northeast, we set the clocks back. Although it always takes me a week to adjust to the time change, I like “gaining” an hour to my day. However, I’ll miss the longer days of light.
November is known as the gratitude month, and in the United States, it’s the month we celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s a month to consciously and collectively give thanks. Gratitude is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”
I believe we can express appreciation and kindness every day, not just one month of the year. I love the quote: “Today is a good day for a good day,” and I think a good day begins and ends with gratitude. It’s easy to be negative or to complain about our lives and circumstances or the state of the world, but if we take the time to look at our surroundings through a lens of gratitude, we can see and experience things differently. For instance, in our area this week, the sunrises have been absolutely beautiful! Vibrant colors lighting up the sky then fading into blue. It’s been amazing to watch!
Like everyone, I’ve experienced difficult times in my life. Yet I’m thankful for the strengthening of my faith and trust when I reflect on how God brought me through those difficulties and the lessons I learned. None of us will avoid the potholes, hurts, disappointments or heartaches of life. A smile, a note or a call from someone on the not-so-good days is something to be grateful for.
Each day we have a choice on how we want to spend our time. Gratitude can bring joy and laughter to us and to those around us. It can give us peace within when there’s chaos without.
Do you have a gratitude jar or box? Eva Marie Workshops hosted a Coffee Connect the last Tuesday in October, and we made Gratitude Jars–a decorated jar to hold notes of gratitude. Writing out our gratitudes for each day and putting them in the jar can help us on our difficult days. At any point, we can read what we’re grateful for, and it can give us a new perspective on our day and our thoughts or mood.
Gratitude is one of the most beautiful ways to express what’s in our heart. The more gratitude and kindness we share, the more we can change our world.
My challenge to you for the remainder of the month is to write down each day three to five things that you’re grateful for. Share your gratitudes in the comment section.
I’ll start! I’m grateful for:
- My relationship with God
- The joy of being a wife, mother and Mimi
- Learning new things each day
- The opportunity to serve others
- Friendships
Grateful for feeling well to enjoy as well as share bountiful beauties in seasonal farm produce, radiant warm sunshine, a variety of cozy home/colorful clothes opportunity to study nutritional wellness and fun frolicking community friends.
So happy for you. You have many things to share with others. I love your heart.
1) grateful for my amazing family and friends
2) grateful for my job and waking up everyday
I’m grateful to be your Aunt Marie
I am grateful for my husband who is very forgiving of my faults.
I am eternally grateful for the God who loved me unconditionally.
I am grateful For His mercies that are new every morning.
I am grateful For the wonderful kids God help me & Pete nurture and grow into self sustaining loving individuals & I hold onto the hope that they will all come to know the Lord as their savior. Praise & thanks to Him above.
God has given you many wonderful gifts.
I’m grateful for your encouragement.
1. I’m grateful for having the husband I have
2. I’m grateful for family
3. I’m grateful for knowing God and having him in my life
4. I’m grateful for being able to get out of bed
5. I’m grateful for the Friend’s I have
Beautiful gifts.
I’m grateful that I know you.