In pursuing our passions, following our hearts, and believing that life, and the people in the world, are mostly good, choosing gratitude and joy becomes second nature to us.

Whether it means producing a piece of art, writing a short story, or simply bringing beauty into our home or into the lives of others, consider for a moment that we each have the capacity to be creative. The masterpiece, then, is not something we create to hang on our wall but something in ourselves as we fulfill our God-given potential, utilizing the talents He gave us.

Whether it means producing a piece of art, writing a short story, or simply bringing beauty into our home or into the lives of others, consider for a moment that we each have the capacity to be creative.The masterpiece, then, is not something we create to hang on our wall but something in ourselves as we fulfill our God-given potential, utilizing the talents He gave us.

Continual prayer was the one form of meditation that came naturally as grief propelled me into a running conversation with God. As I carefully considered, reflected, pondered, and meditated on those things that were true, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, or praiseworthy (from Philippians4:8), I couldn’t help but feel a semblance of gratitude.

I begin free mornings with nothing more than a mug of coffee, legal pad, and pen, refilling my cup several times, blissfully unaware of the passage of time as I write. Then I’ll glance at the clock and realize it’s the afternoon and I’m still in my pajamas.