WHY THIS BOOK

Keeping a gratitude journal is certainly not new with me. I first started a gratitude journal after I read Nancy DeMoss’s book, Choosing Gratitude. At the end of her book, Nancy gives a 30-Day challenge which I’ve taken at least five separate times. And it has always lifted my spirits.

In fact, last October I found myself getting depressed again (a frequent thing for this emotional yo-yo), so I began writing down 5 things for which I am thankful everyday as suggested in that challenge. In about 7-10 days, I noticed I wasn’t waking up blue every morning. This works! I even wrote a blog as to why I believe it works (Read it here).

Since developing a grateful spirit brings glory to God and lifts my spirits, I decided to continue this discipline of writing down 5 things every day for an entire year.

An entire year? How do you come up with that many things to be grateful for? Won’t that get boring or become routine? Gratefully, God has endowed me with a very vivid imagination and He has shown me how. He gave me a method that will keep our gratitude flowing, fresh and prevent us from just going through the motions. You see, we need to use our brains to do this.

Did you know that the words think and thank have the same root word? I find this fascinating and it makes sense because we are not naturally grateful.

We must stop and think, so we can stop and thank God.

As we stop and think more about God, our eyes will open up with awe and wonder of our glorious magnificent Creator. Our response will automatically be one of worship and gratitude. We’ll be so enamored with our Maker that we won’t be able to stop thanking and praising Him!

As you actively think and thank God, you’ll also be fulfilling His commandment of loving Him with all your mind (Mat 22:37) and that certainly pleases Him!

Yes, it takes effort. It is a sacrifice to thank God during difficulties. But whether you feel grateful or not, choose gratitude simply as an act of love for God. It will be worth it! And in time, your emotions will catch up where you will feel contented more often. Take it from this emotional yoyo who continuously proves this to be true. This works because God’s Word is true!

HOW TO USE THIS JOURNAL

This 365-day journal is divided into 52 weeks. In general, you’ll be asked to focus on 1 category each week. I have given suggestions in ways to be grateful in each category. What I want is for you to consider the things and people in your life more deeply. I want you to ponder what it would be like not to have them, the benefits they bring, or the means by which they came to you.

For example, we often thank God for the meal we are about to eat, but have you ever thought about how that meal got to you—beyond the cook? Have you ever thanked God for the stove, refrigerator, grocers, truckers, farmers, soil, rain, or sun? Surely on occasion, you have thanked God that you have food to eat, but have you ever thanked Him for the money to buy that food, the job, the business that provides that job, how it keeps you healthy so you can function…?

I am not suggesting you do this every time you sit down at a meal, but to do so periodically. In that way, your appreciation of all that God has provided will increase. My purpose is to help you expand your thinking and therefore expand your thanking….

In the pages ahead, be prepared to use your imagination. With some of the categories you will have to really put on your thinking cap to come up with an answer….

You can trust the Holy Spirit to give you ideas. Let your imagination run wild with Him. I have found this exercise to be quite fun at times. Perhaps you could even brainstorm with your family around the dinner table or at bedtime….

I promise that if you use this journal on a daily or, at least, regular basis you will become a grateful person. You will not take people, things, or God for granted as much, and you will learn to be content in whatever circumstances you find yourself in!

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Eph 2:20 NLT)

Sample of Week Topics

Week 1 Our Salvation
Week 2 Loved Ones
Week 3 Residence
Week 4 Special Event/Experience
Week 5 Attributes of God: A to F
Week 6 Influencers
Week 7 Hodgepodge
Week 8 Your External Body
Week 11 Biblical Characters
Week 16 God’s Creation
Week 23 Promises of God

Sample Pages