4 Ways to Cultivate Gratitude in Your Marriage
The people we live with have a tendency to be the people we most take for granted, don’t they? We get so accustomed to each other. We have routines that can turn into ruts without our realizing it. We sometimes…
How to Fight Entitlement with Gratitude
My kids, who are now young adults, have occasionally given me a hard time about not allowing them to watch certain movies or TV shows when they were growing up. Too much violence? Too much bad language? Nope. Too much…
Gratitude for Creativity
One of the gifts I have such appreciation for in others is the gift of creativity. I love seeing what people have imagined in their minds and then created with their hands. I love seeing old and broken things repurposed…
Gratitude for Nature
Leaves, flowers, grass, trees, streams, dirt, mountains, sand, rocks… God made it. All of it. And He said that it was good. We live in this big, beautiful world that He created for us, yet we often neglect to even…
Gratitude for Meaningful Possessions
My grandmother’s chair, my grandfather’s glasses, my Bible, my wedding ring, artwork by my children, old family letters and photographs… These are just a few of the possessions that are really meaningful to me. We all have material things that…
Gratitude for Books and Reading
You are either reading this post, or someone else is reading it to you. Have you considered what a gift and tremendous help it is to be able to read?? Through written words, people can express thoughts, tell stories, pass…
Gratitude When Others Are “Winning”…and We Aren’t
As adults, we know how bad it can feel when it seems like everyone else is winning or thriving, and we just…aren’t. This is hard for our kids, too. They might see other kids get awards and recognition, when they…
Gratitude for Food
During this week, in particular, we find ourselves grateful for all kinds of delicious foods. We feast on the bounty, and it is a wonderful time to celebrate and express our thankfulness! I’m wondering, though, how grateful we are for…
Gratitude for Modern Appliances
In the last 24 hours, I’ve used a stove, refrigerator, freezer, microwave, washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher–some of them multiple times! Most of us can’t imagine our daily lives without the use of these appliances, yet we take them for…
Gratitude for Beauty
No matter where we live, beauty can be found. Trees, grass, flowers, hills, mountains, water, sky… Natural, God-made beauty is all around us. Beauty can also be found in paintings, drawings, sculptures, writings, music, film, photography, handwork, design… SO much…