First United Methodist Church of San Diego, California In Real Life "An Attitude of Gratitude" by Jan Newton for Friday, 28 November 2014

First United Methodist Church of San Diego, California In Real Life
"An Attitude of Gratitude" by Jan Newton for Friday, 28 November 2014
Expressing gratitude is something that can and should happen year round, although there is a specific day every year dedicated to officially giving thanks.  I’ve noticed in the past years that thanks to the social media infiltration of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., people start acknowledging this season of being thankful earlier than just the last Thursday of November, it is typically November 1st when the posts of #grateful begin to appear.
I love seeing and sharing all that makes us grateful; the only exception I take to this is the simple fact that we have SO much to be thankful for ALL the time, it seems a shame to limit ourselves to just the month of November in naming and claiming all that we have and all that we love. 
My Mom has always done a nice job of nurturing what is popularly referred to as “an attitude of gratitude”. For as long as I can remember, we end every outing, event, time together or trip with a round-robin of, “What was your favorite thing about today?” or “What are you most grateful for?” While I have to admit that we have long openly teased my Mom for her incessant cataloging of the things we love, it has instilled and nurtured in my family the importance of taking stock, of acknowledging all that is good, of giving thanks.
As we share in the joy of Thanksgiving and move into the season of Advent – a season of hope and expectation – I encourage each of you to join me in spending time each day thinking about and acknowledging what gives us each an attitude of gratitude.  There are the big things, of course – loved ones, friends, church family, experiences and opportunities – but look at and acknowledge the things that often don’t get as much exposure.  A quiet morning, an unexpected phone call or text, a parking space under a shady tree, a feeling that you know God is with you…all things that can get missed or overlooked in a busy day.
We have to sometimes cultivate this attitude of gratitude, but thankfully it is in all of us, because God is in all of us and is something that tops my list of things to give great thanks for![Jan Newton]
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