A friend I met in my recovery group told me to keep a gratitude journal. She said that writing down the things that she was grateful for had changed her life. I was skeptical, but I wanted the joy that I saw in her journey of recovery. So I bought a pretty journal and dutifully wrote my first list—she had suggested that I start with five simple things that I was grateful for. At first, I struggled to find even five. I remember listing my husband, my three cats, and my home many times in those first days just to make the list long enough. But slowly, gradually, I found myself looking for things during the day that I could write in my gratitude journal at night. And that list of five items grew—to ten, to twenty, to several pages.
These days, I live in a state of constant, grateful wonder. Having known darkness in its most awful depths, I’m able to truly appreciate the light. And light—from people I love, from beauty I see, from words I read—floods my days. Noticing that light and my blessings has turned into a kind of scavenger hunt for me. Every place I go, every person I spend time with—I try to find beauty there that I can be grateful for. It’s not always easy. But it’s possible. Because there is always, always something beautiful to thank God for—and when I spend my days fighting for the beautiful and being grateful for it instead of focusing on problems and negativity, my life transforms from ordinary prose to a poem of praise.
“I’m going to make everything around me beautiful—that will be my life.”Elsie de Wolfe
“Get ready–cause here it comes;
it’s a light, a beautiful light
Over the horizon in to your eyes.”Jason Mraz
“The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.”Frank Lloyd Wright
“What greater gift than the love of a cat?”Charles Dickens
“There’s no place like home for the holidays,
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam,
If you wanna be happy in a million ways,
For the holidays you can’t beat home sweet home.”Al Stillman
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” Laura Ingalls Wilder
Comments 24
My precious niece what a blessing you are! Always love reading your messages . Have a blessed Christmas you and Monty! Jesus is the reason for Christmas and so many other things !
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Thank you so much, Aunt Joyce! Merry Christmas to you and that wonderful family of yours.
Beauty is “Everywhere”. We need to watch, look and just observe God’s Wonderful Beauty, he has provided for us. Thank you, Renee.
Thank you, Hal. Yes, it’s every where. And I love finding it!
Beautiful.
Thank you!
Beautiful writings.
Thank you so much, Harold!
Well done…beautiful and inspirational !
Thank you so much, Carole!
Love this!
Thank you!
Great pictures and quotes! Love them!
Thank you, my Monty. I love putting them together.
Beautiful positive vibrations! Keep up the good blessed work!!
Thank you so much, Steve! You’ve made me think of the Beach Boys and “Good Vibrations”–thank you! And thank you for YOUR positivity.
Awesome reminders of who is in charge!
Thank you, Grover. I love thinking of it that way!
Thank YOU, Klara, for your kind words. And thank you for sharing my journey.
Thanks for sharing both pictures and words and in how you see the world.
Thanks for the glimpses of beauty. Jewels for the soul.
Ooh, that’s lovely–jewels for the soul! Thank you!
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loves us. Romans 8:37
Amen and amen!