I used to keep a "gratitude journal." Every night before bed I would write 5 things I was grateful for...it could be something that happened during the day at work or at home, maybe one of my children called and told me of something mundane or wonderful that happened in their lives that day, week or month. Perhaps when I awoke in the morning the sun was shining through the curtains to let me know it was going to be a gorgeous day or it was a blessing to hear the rain falling if we were in a summer drought. There are so many things to be grateful for every day if we would only take a few minutes to look around us and truly see them.
To keep a "gratitude journal" get a notebook, it does not have to be expensive or fancy, one of the school composition books would work very well (you know the kind, black and white and speckled with lined pages!)
A friend had given me a spiral bound book with blank pages and those blank pages looked daunting at first, but it only took awhile to get into the swing of it.
I wrote "Things I am grateful for today" at the top along with the date as I think it is important to go back and read what you have written several days, weeks or even months later.
Some of my entries might look like this:
1) I am grateful for good neighbors who are there for you when your car doesn't start.
2) I am grateful for the part time work that I love to do.
3) I am grateful for children who grew up and became good upstanding citizens.
4) I am grateful for grandchildren who are growing up and being taught Bible stories.
5) I am grateful for hot water that provides a refreshing shower each day.
That's all there is to it - write 5 things each morning or evening (whenever it is comfortable for you). You will be surprised how easy and natural this will become after a few weeks of getting into the habit. Your perspective will definitely change on how you view each day and what it brings your way. I hope you will try this exercise and then let me know how it works out for you!
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