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Quick Quote: All our discontents about what we want appeared to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have. ~Daniel Defoe

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Question to Ponder: What are you thankful for?

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From the Word: ” He went on: ‘It's what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution’ ”  Mark 7:20-23 (The Message).

Counting My Own Blessings (Eschewing Misery)

Along the way I’ve discovered that if I follow God’s Ten Love Laws they will assist me in cultivating eternal relationships and guide me on my quest for a more joyful life.

For me, one of the best ways to live a joy-filled life is to live a life of gratitude, recognizing the small blessings in life and celebrating them daily.

One of the surest routes to misery is lusting after things—things I wish I had, things I’ll never have, things I can’t afford; empty, meaningless, useless things. God wanted to save me from this misery, so He gave me the last commandment. He recognized that looking at the lives of others to determine my path to happiness is a destructive road that leads to sorrow, pain, and disappointment. He knew that lusting after the possessions of others cannot bring me fulfillment; it can’t bring me happiness.

Instead of focusing on what others have, I should thank God for the many blessings in my life, especially the small things that make life so joyful—things like clean clothes, garden-fresh vegetables, sunshine, and rain.

I’ve discovered that focusing on the positive things in life is my happy path. So join me as I take time every day to rediscover the beauty in my life.

Final Thought: When I stop looking at what others have, when I stop wishing I had their life, when I choose instead to count my blessings, when I decided to appreciate the things I have, then, and only then, can I truly live a happier more content life.

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Personal Epiphany: An vital component of joy-filled living is forming and cultivating deep, eternal relationships with our neighbors—and with our God.

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Personal Challenge: Some days I feel unexplained fingers of dread touching the very corners of my otherwise amazing life. There is no logical explanation for these feelings, but still they come. Sometimes I quickly push these unwanted feelings away and sometimes I explore them, trying to figure out what they could possibly mean. Allowing these feelings to become embedded in my life is unacceptable. That’s why I’m challenging myself to turn it all over to God. That’s why I’m letting go of all my fears, my doubts, my worries, and all those unexplainable feelings of dread. That’s why I’m letting go and letting God’s perfect peace inundate my sometimes-troubled soul.

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Quick Quote: “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.” Mother Teresa