Being Grateful

We stopped at the library before our holidays last week, and one of the books I picked up was on living a thankful life.  It's written from a very open spiritual perspective, so I'm reading 'lightly' but there are some true principles and some good ideas in it to build practices of gratitude into your life.  I can't separate that in my mind from the one we must be thankful to, so these become spiritual practices more than simply being thankful.

• When you're feeling down, you will feel better if you decide to dwell on what is good in your life and give thanks for those things. 
• Develop 'triggers' in your life - decide that your first thought when your feet hit the floor will be "I am thankful for this day and all that it will bring," or decide that every time you close the house door behind you, you will think, "I am thankful for this home and for my family, and am glad I get to return here to them every day."
• When someone helps us, like the server or cashier, say a genuine thank you - they will have a better day, and you can let that remind you that God made and cares for that person.  You can in that small way be a part of God's caring for them.
• Start a gratitude journal and write in it every day what you are thankful for.  I started one and today will be day four that I write in it.  You can ask me how that's going in a couple of weeks!

What practices do you have that remind you to be thankful?

Challenges from Sunday

We had a fun wrap up to our adult classes yesterday, and Pastor Darren left us with a bit of a challenge.  One part of it was to identify how we grow spiritually, and to look at the ways we want to focus on over the summer.  One of the ways it got broken down was in the areas of Loving God, Loving Others, and Serving, which together are our church's theme this year.  We also looked at how the ways we grow spiritually are broken down into experiences, routines and serving.  It provided a good chance to look at these open months ahead of us where a lot of our routines are put on hold, and to think about how we will be purposeful in growing spiritually over the summer.

Then in the service, the challenge that came from Pastor David's sermon as he wrapped up the series in Ecclesiastes was to enjoy the moments of our lives.  I don't find that happiness is always my default emotion; there is frustration, anxiety, anger sometimes, weariness... and the challenge I took out of that was to really face those other emotions when they rise up and do what I can to address the issues behind them and move to a more constant reality of enjoying each moment.  I think that addressing this will be the answer to the first challenge, too, and will be a way to strengthen my spiritual health.

What are you planning this summer to stay spiritually healthy and to grow?
What are the ways you help yourself remember to live in the moment and enjoy life? 

I would love to know your answers to those.