Thing #52.  Be grateful.

Science has studied the power of gratitude. One report showed that gratitude is the character trait most closely linked with mental well-being. They say if you want to be happy, be thankful. Gratitude gives us more energy, makes us less anxious, makes us more forgiving, lessens depression, gives us better sleep, and fewer headaches.

Oprah is a proponent of gratefulness. She says we should be grateful because it makes us feel better, makes us nicer to be around, and it “generates more goodness for yourself.”

But there’s more to it than that. Those of us who worship God, can direct our thankfulness heavenward. We're not merely thankful for something, we're thankful to Someone. Gratefulness gets our eyes off of ourselves and onto God. Gratefulness puts an end to our pity parties, and gives us new reason to celebrate.

I don't believe it is overstating things to say we can always find something to be thankful for. If nothing else we can be thankful that God is still on His throne, even when life is hard.

So go ahead. Be grateful. You'll thank me later.

" . . . in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."                                                                        1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NASB)

P.S. Thanks, friends, for sticking with me through my "52 Things." I hope you enjoyed them all!

Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net by David Castillo Dominici

    Thing #49. Look for ways to simplify your life.

      A friend of mine dressed her young boys in primary colors. Any shirt would go with any pair of pants. Another mom I know bought one style of socks for her boys. Any sock matches any other sock. 

   Thing #50.  Make healthy--and tasty--ice pops.

      Frozen treat molds can be filled with applesauce, yogurt, bananas and orange juice . . . I did this regularly when my children were growing up to give them a cool, tasty treat that wasn’t simply sugar water. Hmm, why did I ever stop doing that?

Thing #51. Help kids fall asleep by telling them to hold their arms in the air.

When I was a little girl, unable--or unwilling--to go to sleep, Dad would come into my room and tell me to lie on my back. Then he'd take my hands and prop them up in mid-air, so my arms were sticking straight up, perpendicular to my body. "Hold them up as long as you can," he'd say. Soon I was asleep. I used it with my kids, too. I think the trick is it forces you to lie still, and gives your mind something to think about, even if it is the simple act of keeping your arms in the air.

What I do now when I’m having trouble sleeping is envision myself doing the backstroke in a large body of water. The repetitious action keeps my mind from dwelling on whatever it is that is keeping me awake. I tried counting sheep, by my sheep started doing back flips, ballet leaps, the Fosbury Flop, . . . it’s hard to sleep with all that going on.

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net,by imagerymajestic