Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

What are 5 things you’re grateful for today? This is one of the daily prompts that have been received as part of the #bloganuarychallenge. I started the challenge late, but better late than never. What are 5 things I am grateful for today? How can I limit the list of things I am grateful for to only 5 things? There are many things in which we should all be grateful for and there are several benefits to being grateful.

A few of the benefits of having a grateful heart, practicing gratitude are: (1) it helps improve quality of sleep, (2) improves physical, psychological, and mental health, (3) increases feelings of happiness and positivity. There are many more benefits of being grateful, however, I’ll leave those for another day.

Why should I be grateful? One of the reasons that I should be grateful is that the Bible instructs me to be grateful. We, I, should be grateful not only to God but also to my family, my friends, or others who may cross my path. In Psalm 9:1 it says, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Thank God for what he has done for me, I do not believe I do this enough. I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 states, “Rejoice always, pray continuously, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” NO matter whether my circumstances are good or bad, in my opinion, I should still give thanks to God, be grateful for what I have. One more verse I’ll leave with you and that is in James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” The good, the perfect things in my life are from God above. They do not just magically happen or appear.

To remind us of things we are grateful, it helps to write them down, perhaps, in a journal. Try to think of at 1 thing you are grateful for each day. Write it down. Thank God for it. Thank a person for it. Write a thank you card. Let someone know that you are grateful for their friendship. You can express being grateful in many different forms. It does not matter what manner of expression you use. It only matters that you are grateful, and you share your gratitude with others.

There are over a hundred things to be grateful for like having food delivery service, entertainment streaming services, and toilet paper. Seriously though my top 5 things in my life which I am grateful for are: (1) Jesus Christ, (2) my family, (3) my friends (both old and new), (4) my health, and last, but not least, (5) my freedom. I am thankful for my freedom to worship God. I am thankful for my family, especially me daughter who is there for me. I am thankful to Jesus Christ for giving me life everlasting. I am thankful for my friends who have stuck with me throughout the years. I am thankful for my new friends, both near and far. I am grateful for your love and your prayers. I am grateful for having relatively good health.

What are you grateful for? Gratitude takes practice. Practice gratitude today. Let me know what’s on the top of your gratitude list.

This is my grandson; I am thankful I get to spend quality time with him every day. Sometimes he drives me crazy, but I love him with all my heart. I thank God for his presence in my life.

Have a blessed day. Be thankful. Share your gratitude with others. Maintain a grateful heart.