Today’s passage from Philippians perfectly summarizes everything we’ve been learning the past few weeks. It’s through gratitude that we rejoice in the Lord and keep our minds focused on what is good.

How awesome is it when we finally accomplish something we’ve been working so hard to achieve or overcome something we thought was impossible?

When you experience major trauma or a loss in your life, it’s hard to find any reason to be thankful. Whether you lost someone or something that was very important to you, it’s completely okay to just curl up in a ball and cry.

I’m the kind of person who always tries to find the good in people. And to be honest, that’s not always easy. But I’d rather believe that every person is inherently good because God created them than believe in some kind of “us versus them” mentality.

One of my favorite books is CS Lewis’s The Four Loves. CS Lewis has been my favorite author ever since my fourth grade teacher introduced me to the Chronicles of Narnia.

I love volunteering for Vacation Bible School at my local church. Two of the themes from Vacation Bible School centered on God’s providence. One theme was “Wilderness Escape” in which I taught the kids about the adventures of Moses and the Israelites in the desert.

This is not gonna be an easy reflection, sisters in Christ. Gratitude is something that can be found in happy times, in the lessons that we learn from the trials we face, through other people and the things we do for others.

Today’s passages reflect on being thankful for the trials and temptations we endure.

I live in an area that is vulnerable to hurricanes in the summer and fall. A major thunderstorm that occurred in May, however, was almost as bad, if not worse, than any hurricane that struck my city. I used to be scared of thunderstorms.

Some of us have great lives, but some of us are struggling with hardships. I’m here to tell you that no matter how bad our lives are right now, God loves us as we are.

Actions speak louder than words. It’s one thing to say that we are grateful and to keep a gratitude journal.

Remember how I’ve been saying how gratitude starts from within and works its way outside of ourselves? This is where we start looking outside of ourselves for gratitude.

You ever heard of the song “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers? Most of us have heard this part of the song: “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away/know when to run.”

How thankful are we about ourselves and the gifts that we have? How do you see yourself? There’s a huge difference between totally hating yourself and acting like you’re queen of the universe and seeing yourself the way that God sees you. I think it’s safe to say that we all struggle with self-esteem issues.

If you’re looking through your Bible and wondering “Where the heck is Sirach?” chances are you have a Protestant Bible. Some Catholic Bibles refer to Sirach as “The Wisdom of Ben Sira” or “Ecclesiasticus.”

I’ve been keeping a journal since I was in first grade. I didn’t always write every day and I still have problems with keeping a daily journal because there are days that I don’t want to remember or feel like writing

I’ve struggled with being happy with what I have for a long time. There are days that I don’t feel grateful for anything at all in spite of the fact that I have a lot of blessings in my life. If you’re anything like me, you tend to take the things in your life for granted and don’t see the things in your life as anything special.

How often do we give thanks for the things that we already have? Do we give thanks to God every day? Or do we only do it during Thanksgiving and the holidays? What are we grateful for, anyway?