RESOLUTION 2018

Christmas is over, relatives have backpedaled home, decorations are slowing falling off, the presents are not any more under the tree, the festival has arrived at an end and here I am reflecting how the year has passed by. Goodness, what a year 2017 has been!

All I can say is "Thank you God that I survived one of the hardest year!" 

Well, it’s already the first week of a spic and span year. I have been asking God for the past few weeks to give me something to dwell on this year or rather focus on a word or a phase like I have been doing in the past.

If I remember right, as far back as Thanksgiving, I have been reminded time and time again to BE THANKFUL. Indeed, even for our family thanksgiving we named the theme as “GIVE THANKS”. So we had everyone share what they are thankful for the current year. It was really a time of refreshing and venting away emotions.

Each time I sing the song “Thank you Lord” it’s like a confirmation that I need to be thankful for blessings that I cannot see. I pulled out a list from my life for 100 things that I am thankful for and I was amazed how thankfulness can actually make you really happy. It can wipe away discouragement. Occasionally I scribble down things that I am thankful for in my “Thankfulness journal” and my "Thankfulness page". It just lifts my soul up.

On Sunday the 31st of December, guess what the sermon was about, “THANKFULNESS”. I nearly cried. It was only the confirmation I needed that God needs me to be thankful this year. I have made up my mind to be thankful in every circumstance - good or bad. Somebody stated, “Gratitude prompts Miracles and Miracles originates from Obedience”. Regardless of whether receive my miracle or not, I choose to be thankful because God has a purpose behind every plan. Steven Furtick says “The thing that hurt you most might be the thing that produces the greatest power in your life” I say AMEN to that.

Besides making a resolution to be more thankful, I have few more of them that I pursue to resolve:

What I pursue to resolve in 2018

Save more & spend less

Eat enough & waste less

Trust more & doubt less

Pray more & worry less

Write more & postpone less

Give more & expect less

Smile more & frown less

Thank more & complain less

Love more & hurt less

- My version inspired by Angie

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100 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more.

If you concentrate on what you don't have,

you will never, ever have enough."

Oprah Winfrey

This week, I've been writing a great deal about gratitude and it's no surprise that this has inspired me to think about all of the things I am thankful for. Every once and awhile I pull out my thankfulness list (click the link to read more about it) and I add things to it. Yesterday, as I was thinking about gratitude, I realized that this list is somewhat like a gratitude journal. I'm really both happy and thankful for all of these things in my life. All of the things that make me so happy are things that I'm also grateful for! As tempting as it is to share all of those with you, I'll sum it up with my top 100...

1. God. Everything I do is to Him and everything I have is from Him.
2. Life. How cool is that I'm actually here, in this world, living?
3. Family. There is no way I could survive without them. Love you guys!
4. Friends. Even if we don’t see them every day. They add colors to my life.
5. Love. It's completely magical and amazing, isn't it?
6. Words. They are literally my life line. I would not be me without them.
7. Choice. I love that every day I can choose to be happy. Fabulous!
8. Music. It's one of those things that literally lifts my spirit up.
9. Color. As you can probably tell from my site, I'm obsessed with it!
10. Miracles. Every day we experience it. I believe in miracles!
11. Art. To quote Ani Difranco, "Art is why I get up in the morning."
12. Health. I have my ups and downs but I'm so, so, so happy that I can breathe.
13. Seasons. Spring, summer, rainy, winter, fall -- love 'em all!
14. Stars. It says God placed the stars in the sky and he named them all. How cool is that!
15. Acceptance. I'm so thankful to those who accept me for who I am.
16. Rainbows. It reminds me of the Gods convent to man. It’s like God painting on the sky!
17. Blogs. I love writing mine and I love all the blogs I read on a regular basis.
18. Laughter. The biggest medicine of all. I love to laugh till I get tears in my eyes.
19. Holidays. There's something incredibly exciting about them (especially Christmas!!!).
20. Sunshine. On a cold winter day there’s nothing like a warm sunshine.
21. Books. There's never a time when I'm not thankful for the words of another.
22. Organization. It might seem boring to some, but I'm really glad I'm organized.
23. Generosity. One of those things that's just as great to give as it is to get.
24. Encouragement. So many people have supported me in my life and I'm so blessed to have them.
25. Accountability. I'm so glad I've finally realized that I'm accountable for myself and my life.
26. Smiles. I love giving them and getting them. As Buddy the Elf says, "Smiling's my favorite!"
27. Change. It scares the shit out of me sometimes, but it can be a wonderful thing.
28. Fun. Who doesn't love a little bit (or a lot!) of fun in their lives?
29. Home. This is something I usually take for granted, but I love my beautiful house!
30. Comfort. Comfort food, comfy jumpsuit, a comfortable relationship...comfort rocks!
31. Hope. Sometimes it's hard to find, but it's always there, waiting to lift me up.
32. Handwriting. It's so cool how we're all have our very own font style.
33. Glitter. C'mon now, you know glitter is just about the awesomest thing ever.
34. Patience. I don't have very much of it yet, but I'm getting better at it every day! 
35. Photographs. There is nothing quite like a brilliant image to capture a moment.
36. Travel. I love to travel particularly to cold regions. A winter trip is my favorite of all.
37. Honesty. It really is the best policy.
38. Surprises. As long as they're good, I lovvvvvve them.
39. October. Best month ever, hands down.
40. Anchor. I can't help but get exited every time I see them.
41. Passion. One of the best things: seeing someone passionate about what they do or who they love.
42. Mangoes. If only they were non-seasonal. I would eat them every day.
43. Dreams. Both the daytime or nighttime variety are pretty cool.
44. Films. A movie that leaves you feeling moved or happy-- priceless!
45. Positivity. Look for the good in everything and you will find it.
46. Knowledge. Gaining and possessing knowledge is one of the best things in life.
47. Quality Time. When you get to spend really quality time with someone, it's sooo fantastic.
48. Fishes. How different and colorful they are! Fascinating!
49. Kindness. Even the smallest act or word can change a day around. Seriously.
50. Sleep. There's nothing like a soft pillow and a warm blanket after a long, hard day.
51. Dancing. I can't say I'm good at it, but I love to do it especially a Zumba class!
52. Safe Landings. Gotta love those after a turbulence-filled international flights! Scary!
53. Food. It's a major part of life, but I often forget to be thankful for it.
54. Challenges. They may suck at the time, but they always make me a better person. 
55. Imagination. I don't know where (or who!) I would be without it...
56. Compliments. Yeah, you know you're thankful for 'em too.
57. Facebook. It's awesome connecting with people on there and a great resource for new info.
58. Education. So happy to be able to read and write and gain knowledge.
59. Freedom. Another thing I often take for granted, but am so blessed to have.
60. Plans. I love knowing that fun things are coming up. Putting plans in place is great!
61. Church. Seriously, it has changed my life in so many amazing ways.
62. Riding. My bike, the road, the people, the traffic... no comments! 
63. Inspiration. There's nothing quite like coming across something that inspires you.
64. Peace. I'm not always at peace with myself and the world, but I'm working on it.
65. Productivity. It feels so great to strike off something from your “to-do” list.
66. Emotions. Sometimes it's scary to feel things deeply, but it's also very wonderful.
67. Creativity. It's such a great feeling to make something and know it came from your heart.
68. Good News. We all know there's a lot of bad news out there, so it's great to hear the good stuff.
69. Clothes. Even though I'm a grown-up, I still loveeeeeeeeee playing dress up.
70. Apologies. It feels great to hear them and even better to say them.
71. Forgiveness. This is also pretty great if you're in the wrong...
72. Weekends. Ahh, to be work-free for a few days. Love it!
73. Speakers: Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, John Gray, Steven Furtick... I heart you.
74. Now. It's awesome to live in the moment. The only time we have is NOW!
75. Respect. One of the best things we can do is respect others -- and ourselves.
76. Shoes. Considering I have about 15 of them, I'd say I'm pretty grateful for 'em.
77. Joy. It's something that is all around us -- we just have to look for it.
78. New Places. They can be scary sometimes, but the excitement is part of the fun!
79. Kisses. There are all sorts of kisses, but all of them are so awesome.
80. Memories. I don't like to dwell too much on the past, but it's awesome to look back sometimes.
81. Excitement. I've had a fair amount of it in my life lately and I love it!
82. Coziness. It feels so good to cuddle up and be cozy with a person you love.
83. Thoughts. I have a lot of them (a lot, a lot!) and I'm thankful for every single one.
84. Internet. Oh, what in the world would I do without you, World Wide Web??
85. Compassion. It feels wonderful to be compassionate to others.
86. Journals. All of those blank, beautiful pages!! I cannot get enough of them!
87. Christmas. Hands down! The most wonderful time of the year! Always!
88. Water. Another one of those things I tend to take for granted, but it's super important.
89. Energy. Sometimes I lack this but when I have them I’m super happy! Yippee!
90. Questions. When I question things and when others question me, I learn. Love that! 
91. Time. I've already spent a pretty good amount of time being me, and I'm thankful for that.
92. Hugs. Hugs are one of the reasons God gave us arms. A good hug can brighten any day.
93. Earth. This place is pretty cool, if you ask me. Thanks for letting me live here, Earth!
94. Safety. More often than not, I feel very safe to have that privilege.
95. Strength. I'm not that physically strong, but I have a lot of internal strength that I need to be thankful for.
96. Independence. It's great to be free, but it's also important to be independent.
97. Gifts. I adore buying gifts for others (and don't mind receiving them myself! ha!).
98. Enthusiasm. Life's too short to sit around being bored so get into it! 
99. Gratitude. Without it, I don't think I would be nearly as happy as I am right now.
100. YOU. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and support this blog. You. Are. Awesome.

Please feel free to share with me in the comments section one of the things that you're grateful for today. I'd love to hear about the things that inspire you to have an attitude of gratitude!

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3 REASONS TO BE GRATEFUL

Did you notice the sunshine? The beautiful clouds? The mountains in the background? The many flowers that weren’t discolored? The cup of coffee? The baby that smiled at the traffic signal? Oh there are so many beautiful things to be grateful for, and as we practice being grateful we will notice them more and more.  Today my blog is about why should we choose to be grateful?

3 REASONS TO BE GRATEFUL:

Reason #1: Being Grateful makes you Happier and Healthier

You must have sung the hymn “Count Your Blessings” many times. But did you know that literally counting your blessings increases your emotional health? Researchers had one group of students write for 20 minutes each day about things they were grateful for, a second about things they were angry about, and a third about random topics like the color of their shoes. Guess which group was happiest at the end of the experiment? The ones who wrote about things they were grateful for of course!

Reason #2: Being Grateful is God’s Will

It is God’s will that we give thanks in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It pleases God when we are thankful. He deserves the credit. Gratitude shouldn’t just happen one day a year around a thanksgiving dinner, but every day. Instead of being sour that your car’s side mirror got knocked off, rejoice in the fact that you have a car to get you around? Instead of dragging your feet with an ungrateful attitude into work, be thankful that you have a job and some income coming in? Whatever it is for you, I encourage you to release your faith by thanking God for what you do have!

Reason #3: There Are Sad Consequences of Ingratitude

When people are not grateful they tend to complain, and that isn’t good for anyone. For example, even though God had delivered the Israelites from slavery and given them manna to eat, they were not grateful. Notice what happens: “And when the people complained, it displeased God and He heard it” (Numbers 11:1). So the Lord hears when we complain, and He does not like it.

I’D BE HAPPY IF . . .

Some people have a hard time being grateful for what they have. They say, “I’d be happy if only I had [fill in the blank—a new car, an iPod, good hair, etc.].” Like the girl who says, “If I were 16, then I’d be happy.” Then she turns 16 and says, “If guys start asking me out, then I’ll be happy.” And then guys start asking her out, and when she’s older she says, “If I get a boyfriend, then I’ll be happy.” Then she gets a boyfriend and says, “If I can break up with my boyfriend, then I’ll be happy.” And so it goes. If we say, “I’ll be happy if . . . ,” the happiness may never come. But when we are grateful, we invite happiness to come immediately.

 "All happy people are grateful.
Ungrateful people cannot be happy.
 We think being unhappy leads people to complain,
 but complaining leads to people becoming unhappy."  

TAKE A GRATITUDE CHALLENGE

We always talk about counting our blessings—let’s do it! This morning I did it and it was awesome. Write a list of 100 things you are thankful for.  Some might think that is too many. If that is the case, try this:

Write 10 closest people (family/friends/relatives) you are grateful for.
Write 10 physical abilities you are grateful for.
Write 10 material possessions you are grateful for.
Write 10 things about nature you are grateful for.
Write 10 things about today you are grateful for.
Write 10 places on earth you are grateful for.
Write 10 modern-day inventions you are grateful for.
Write 10 mentors (colleagues/ classmates/preachers/leaders) you are grateful for.
Write 10 foods you are grateful for.
Write 10 things about the gospel you are grateful for.

When we make a list like this, we discover that a list of 100 doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of all the things God has given us.

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10 CREATIVE WAYS TO SAY 'THANK YOU'

How often do we take time to reflect on the things we’re thankful for? Once a month? Once a week, at church, perhaps? We say thank you for gifts, special favors or for assistance in times of need. But it's not only the big things where thank you matters. We also say thank you as we're handed our change in the store, thank you to someone who holds the door for us, and thank you to the person who passes us the salt at dinner. It's a phrase that is pretty much ubiquitous. But it's never unwelcome, and it can mean so much. Thank yous are often expressed by rote. As we approach towards the end of the year it's time to express thankfulness from the bottom of our hearts.

Here are 10 Creative Ways To Say 'Thank You'!

1. Make them a 'thank you' video.

2. Say it with a small handmade gift.

3. Say it with a phone call

4. Or give a little tasty treat.

5. Summon your talent and write a poem.

6. Say it with a 'thank you' note.

7. Say it in another language.

8. Say it with a list.

9. Spend quality time together.

10. Just say it. It doesn't cost anything.

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