November is National Gratitude Month
National Gratitude Month encourages us to embrace the power of gratitude.
Gratitude is more than simply saying “thank you”, but it’s being thankful. Everything in our lives has the ability to improve when we are grateful.
Gratitude’s amazing powers have the ability to shift us from focusing on the negative to appreciating what is positive in our lives. Practicing daily gratitude gives us a deeper connection to ourselves, the world around us, and to our lives.
Research, using clinical trails, has shown that practicing gratitude can drastically improve our overall level of health and wellbeing.
It can improve immune function.
Grateful people have better dietary behaviors, are less likely to smoke and abuse alcohol and have higher rates of medication adherence.
On average, grateful people tend to have lower blood pressure, fewer stress-related illnesses and experience less depression, they are more physically fit, they are happier, have a higher income, more satisfying personal and professional relationships, and will be better liked.
If everyone practiced daily gratitude, we could change ourselves and the land for the better. Love would grow and hate would decrease. And the world would know true peace.
God most definitely wants us to have joy. You may ask, “How can we have joy in times like these?”
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. (Psalm 126:2).
Scripture encourages us to rejoice in the blessings of our life and give glory to God in all things.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:2-3).
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13).
Happy Thanksgiving!