My New Year's Challenge to You: A Gratitude Journal

This article appeared in the January issue of the Nebraska Family Times. Even though the "official" day for resolutions--Jan. 1st--has passed, I challenge you to begin a Gratitude Journal. "Counting my blessings" every day helps me realize how truly blessed I am--and it will do the same for you. 

Here is my list from yesterday, Jan. 8th, 2012. 

1. Went to church with Morgan, heard a great sermon, and strengthened my faith with the Lord's Supper.

2. A nice afternoon nap. :-) 

3. Tim and Cody arrived in Denver safely (for the National Western Stock Show). 

4. Time with Morgan, just talking and being together. 

5. A walk outside--short, but great to get some fresh air. 

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2012—A Year of Gratitude

by Shelly Burke, Editor

We are in the time of year in which gratitude and thankfulness are easy, with the focus on Thanksgiving and our Savior’s birth at Christmas. But what about the rest of the year? Are you as thankful every day throughout the year as you are during this season?

The Bible commands us to be thankful. Psalm 106:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 repeats the command, as does Psalm 136:1.  And God truly is good. He gives us the greatest blessings in life—eternal life through the death of His son. He also gives us our faith, family, friends, homes, and on and on.

The Bible also tells us we should be “always giving thanks…for everything” (Eph. 5:20) and we should “give thanks in all circumstances“(1 Thess. 5:18). Always” and “in all circumstances”—not just when we’re having a good day.

Obviously the biggest benefit of giving thanks is obeying and honoring our Lord. But there are other benefits as well.

• Research has shown that people who made a list of three to five things they were grateful for every day were more optimistic about the future and felt better about their lives overall than people who recorded daily hassles or negative happenings. Listing things daily resulted in a greater increase in gratitude than only doing so weekly.
•  Some research shows that feelings of thankfulness can help reduce stress; stress is linked with many illnesses, including heart disease.
• Grateful people are usually more optimistic than others, and some researchers say that being optimistic helps boost the immune system. This means that people who are thankful may become ill less often. A thankful attitude has also been linked to quicker recovery after surgery or when sick
• An “attitude of gratitude” has been linked to better sleep, a decrease in anxiety and depression, kinder behavior toward others, higher satisfaction with life in general, and overall better health.
• When we focus on gratitude, even for small things, our thinking shifts to being more positive in general.

 One of my goals for 2012 is to list 5 things I’m thankful for, every day. Will you join me in starting a “Gratitude Journal”?  Choose a notebook or journal, big or small, fancy or plain, and take a few minutes every day to jot down 3-5 things you’re thankful for. You could also make your list on your calendar. Your list can be in phrases, complete sentences, or even paragraphs. But keep it simple so you’ll find it easy to do every day.

If you would like, share part of your journal with me. Every month in 2012 I’ll be listing some of the things I am thankful for, and/or contributions from readers. Just e-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net with what you are grateful for—it can be one thing or several.

I started my Gratitude Journal on Thanksgiving. Here is my list for today (December 13, 2011):

1. I got a good nights’ sleep so I could get up early to pray and read my Bible.

2. Work that I love--publishing the Nebraska Family Times!

3. My hard-working husband who works outside on cold, snowy days while I’m in the warm house.

3.  My “assistant editor,” our dog Jenny, who sleeps in my office when I’m working and calms all of us when we’re stressed.  

5. A hug from Morgan (she’s almost 18 and not as generous with hugs as she used to be) and a text from Cody telling me his biology final went well.

I hope to hear from you in 2012!