Questions to ponder

• Why does God, the Creator of all, need us to express our gratitude? What does that do for God? What does it do for us? What does it do for others?
• Do you think others would describe you as a grateful or thankful person? Why or why not? What ways do you find to express gratitude to God and to those around you?
• Would you say you have an “abundance mentality” or a “scarcity mentality”? How might that affect gratitude?

Practices to explore

• There is much to be anxious about in our turbulent world. God invites us to bring our anxieties to him. But there is also much to be grateful for! This week, take a break from news media, from political discussions on social media, and from anything else that you’re able to let go of. Focus on gratitude. At the end of the week, check in with yourself and see how your gratitude focus has affected your spirit.
• The Psalms are bursting with gratitude (and with many other emotions as well!). Here are 10 Encouraging Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving to read—either all at once, or one at a time.
• Ann Voskamp writes, "Slapping a sloppy brush of thanksgiving over everything in my life leaves me deeply thankful for very few things in my life. A lifetime of sermons on ‘thanks in all things’ and the shelves sagging with books on these things and I testify: life-changing gratitude does not fasten to a life unless nailed through with one very specific nail at a time."
• Try this gratitude exercise: Ripples: An Exploration of Gratitude