On behalf of the Spiritual Life Team, I invite you to pause for a moment to center on being thankful.
- What are you thankful for in this moment?
- How will you show your gratitude today?
Here are some inspirational thoughts to guide us in our practice of gratitude:
Thank you is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding. Alice Walker
Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts. Henri Frederic Amiel
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it. William Ward
Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. Melody Beattie
I believe deeply that gratitude is an essential component of positive living. Gratitude is healing and transforming. It cannot be imposed; gratitude can be nurtured and modeled. Gratitude makes us more fully who God created each of us to be. It brings us perspective.
Be intentional about living in gratitude. Let us look for ways to show our gratitude to God (Higher Power) and to one another.
Don’t forget to do something kind for yourself in gratitude for the gift of your life and the unique person you are.
On Wednesday of this week UMHC and BCC held a merger celebration. Some of you may know that for many years UMHC has used a heart as part of its logo. The picture above includes a heart and it reminded me of how grateful we are to be working together as one. We are grateful for the past years of dedicated service through our organizations; we give thanks for the promise of the future together and we express gratitude for the present partnership that will lead to impacting more children, more families, and more communities.
I conclude with one verse of scripture from the early Church: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (New Living Translation)