Gratitude: a Step Toward Living Positively

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Today I am going to focus on gratitude since it is Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for today and always. Gratitude is defined as "the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness" (web). It is well known that gratitude is strongly associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people sleep better, feel more positive, reduces stress, improves overall health, helps build strong relationships, and helps express more compassion and kindness. It makes people appreciate what they have rather than focus on what they don't have. "Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for."

I choose to express my gratitude every day when I awake and every evening before I close my eyes. In the morning I journal about what I am thankful for. Every night I thank God for my blessings and together Mark and I talk about what we are grateful for. Most days, the tears flow as I journal or pray about my blessings. This routine has greatly helped to alleviate my anxiety and depression. Obviously, I still have my moments, but expressing what I am thankful and grateful for truly has helped.

First, I am so thankful and grateful for my faith. Without my faith in Jesus, these past 7 1/2 months would not have been possible. My faith saved me from utter self-destruction, and it saved our marriage. Mark and I chose to make God a priority in our lives and miracles have occurred that cannot be ignored. He works miracles in the middle of painful places. When you allow God into your life and you express gratitude to him, miracles happen.

I am going to do a shoutout to a few people I am grateful for. I am so thankful and grateful for Mark. Mark chose to make a commitment to sobriety. He did this for himself, me, and our family. I am so grateful that he chose to make a positive change in his life. This positive change made me re-evaluate myself and in turn, made me make some positive changes. These changes were also made in our marriage and essentially saved it. I am forever grateful for the struggles we have gone through because it makes me appreciate where we are now in our marriage. Our marriage will not be defined by the size of our struggles, but by the size of our commitment to overcome the struggles together.

I am so thankful and grateful for our three beautiful daughters. Justine, you are an amazing mommy to Paislee. I see the way her eyes light up when she hears your voice. You have your own struggles, but you choose to face them head on and you will not let them define you or what you can accomplish in your life. Bailee, you have a beautiful soul and big heart, and you light up a room. Your love of travel and life in general is nothing short of amazing. You know how to live life to the fullest and with no regrets (just like Grandpa John). You dare to dream big, and no one is going to stand in your way of those dreams. Kalli, you are an amazing young lady who has had to endure so much in your short life, but you take it in stride. You never let anyone tell you that you can't do something because you will prove them wrong. You are a great auntie and Ms. Paislee loves to watch sports on your phone with you. Justine, Bailee, and Kalli; both your dad and I are so proud of all of you. All of you have had to overcome various adversities and not one of you have ever asked, "Why?" You all three are miracles and we thank God for you every day when we express our gratitude.

I am so thankful and grateful for all my siblings, Mark's siblings, and their spouses. Life is busy and none of us get together enough, especially when we all have families of our own. I, WE want you to know that we love you all and are proud of each one of you. All of you are blessings in our lives and we pray every day that God keeps you safe and that he bestows blessings upon each one of you.

Justin, Chuck, me, Marci, Sheila

Mark, Kathy , Jackie, Patty, Cleone, Elmer

I am so thankful and grateful for my mother and late father. They taught me the true importance of faith. They taught me the importance of independence and strength and that if I have faith in God and practice that faith, he will never disappoint. They always told me that I can do whatever I set my mind to. They let me know that failure is never an option, because as long as I try, it is a success. I got my love of adventure and travel from my dad and will do my best to carry on his legacy.

I am so thankful and grateful for our good friends Beve and Aaron. I know I have said this before, but they have seen both Mark and I at our absolute worse and they never faltered and never judged. When we needed them in our darkest time, they came to us without question. They embraced us both during our season of change and they continue to do so without batting an eye. They are friends that essentially became our family, and we can never express our gratitude enough.

My hope for all of you is that today and always, you choose gratitude. If you choose to be grateful and express your gratitude daily, I promise your life will have more meaning. Even on my darkest days, I chose to be grateful for even one thing. I encourage you to start doing this today, on Thanksgiving, and continue to do it daily. Gratitude naturally leads to positivity and the two and can change your entire attitude about life. I promise it can change you and the way you perceive everything around you. It has worked for Mark and me and it can work for you.