March 2025 - A Bloom of Thankfulness

"True happiness blooms in the garden of gratitude, where each cherished moment becomes a petal of contentment." (Shree Shambav)

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1Thesselonians 5:18)

No one likes a pessimist. They're grumpy and unpleasant to be around. Everyone however, enjoys people who see the bright side. As Henry Ward Beecher says, "Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul." 

What makes being grateful worth it? Why would that be something God would wish for us? Gratitude removes stress. Improves your heart health. Improves sleep. Makes you look healthier and as a result more beautiful. It makes you happy. It makes you fun. It makes you liked. Gratitude makes everything about your view of life, better. It also improves others' view of you.

So how can we become a more grateful person. A simple method is to use the 4 A's of gratitude taught by Quint: Attention, Acknowledgement, Appreciation, and Action. 1. Pay attention: Look for everyday things for which you can be grateful. 2. Acknowledgement: Understand that your blessings come, not because of what you do, but because of who God is. 3. Appreciation: Be thankful for how you have been blessed and helped. 4. Action: Show your thankfulness. Tell others what has been done for you: in your daily conversation, through the songs you sing, in the way you live. 

A thankful person is a joyful person, and a joyful person is a beautiful person. Everyone enjoys the beautiful blooms of spring, so as we continue this long, cold winter, be a bright, beautiful bloom of thankfulness.