Becoming Grateful Day 30: Doing Chores for Others

Thinking back on all the things we have done this month to increase our gratitude, we hope you've become more grateful in some way.  Today is the last day of November, and the last day for our little series, but becoming grateful doesn't stop here.  When we become something, it is a part of us and something we are always in the process of.  You don't arrive at a finish line for gratitude and say "Well, I made it. I'm grateful now."  Each of us will spend all our lives becoming grateful.  Hopefully each day we remember to give thanks and love a little more.  I hope that this month has prepared you for today's idea:

Chores!

How is doing a CHORE going to help you feel gratitude?  At my house chores are never really done and sometimes there's an uneven balance of who does them.  We all enjoy having a clean home, organized closets, crumb free cars, and so forth, but sometimes the doing just doesn't get done all the way all the time; life happens.  Do you feel like the one on the Right or the Left?  Haha, I freely admit I have felt like both ladies sometimes.

                                    

or

But do you see the little boy on the left?  How happy is that kid?  He's not complaining.  He's helping.  Maybe he helps all the time, or maybe this is just a one time thing.  Okay, he's just a cartoon, but imagine all the possibilities here.

 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Matthew 25:40

When we serve others, we show love for them and we feel love for them.  When we feel this love, we also feel gratitude for them.  In my house there are some chores that are done by certain family members by default:  I usually (not always) wash laundry, my husband usually takes out the trash and our kids are learning how to do their share of picking up their toys and so on.

Someone I know stayed up late ironing her son's shirts the night before he left to go on a mission.  At first when I heard this, I thought "psh, that boy needs to learn to iron his own clothes!"  Later I thought, "I think that mom loves her son and wanted to serve him every moment she could while she could."  What a difference in gratitude our attitude makes.  

When I think about serving someone in this way, I think what a blessing it could be to them.  We can feel sympathy and love by helping our family members with things that might be normal mundane chores.  We will feel grateful to them that they do it all the time.  We will feel grateful for the hard work and dedication it takes to keep things organized and clean.  We will feel good that we gave them a break because they might be just a little tired from all the other things in life.  

We can feel grateful by saying "thanks Dad for taking out the garbage," but it is by doing that we grow the most.  So instead of saying thanks, give thanks.  Show you love someone and are are grateful to them by doing something for them.  We really do feel gratitude when we serve others.  I know that when we choose the simple, regular ol' chores to serve by, that we'll find we are more grateful than we thought we were at the beginning.  Happy cleaning Saturday!  

Happy day of Gratitude!  We hope you Become Grateful every day!!!

Becoming Grateful Day 29: Give a Donation

GIVE A DONATION

This is the first year in a long time that I haven't gone out in the wee hours of the morning to hit the big sales with all the other sale-crazed Black Friday shoppers. Its true that I'm experience some symptoms of withdrawal, but when a baby keeps you up most nights, getting up at 3 or 4 am to save a few bucks doesn't seem  as appealing as it usually does.

But if you headed out as soon as the Thanksgiving meal was done to get your spot at Walmart and were out there trying to use a Grande Caramel Apple Cider as your only heating source, chances are you've come away with a big score. Good for you! (I'd like a mini Ipad too, but like I said, sleep is a far more precious commodity around here.) And chances are, you now have to find a place to temporarily store all the "stuff" for the next 26 days, and then find a permanent spot for it. It makes for a perfect time to de-clutter and go through what you have and don't need and donate it!
I always wanted clothes for Christmas when I was a teenager but it usually meant I had to give up some "oldies" but "goodies" that were in the back of my closet. In between setting up the tree, stringing the cranberries and popcorn, and hanging the wreath, take some time to go through some of your clothes or your children's toys and pass them onto someone else who could use them. It's always humbling to recognize the abundance you have compared to someone else who doesn't have as much. Take your children with you to drop off your donations. It's good for them to see where their toys are going and who they are helping. They will appreciate the experience and not just see it as having toys they sorta still like being taken away.

“Y

ou simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.  

                                                              -Sarah Ban Breathnach

Here is a list of a few places you can donate in the Salt Lake City area. This is the smallest list compared to so many places! As you go through your things, think about how much you are blessed with that you even have an opportunity to give to others. And the gratitude others will feel by receiving your gift is a wonderful expression to see.

Salvation Army - Salt Lake City
The Road Home
Deseret Industries
Junior League of SLC - Women Helping Women

Becoming Grateful Day 28: Pray for Gratitude

PRAY FOR GRATITUDE

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice. - Meister Eckhart

"The First Thanksgiving" by Jennie Augusta Brownscombe

“…doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving…”

Doctrine & Covenants 46:7

Happy Thanksgiving! I bet those William Bradford's little band of those original pilgrims and Native Americans would be amazed at what their harvest celebration has turned into these days. After getting over the shock of what an automobile is, I think they'd be impressed with how many hundreds of miles family members will drive to be with loved ones, even when a blizzard is raging. And I think all the women would love having an oven to cook that big bird in, especially since they didn't have to pluck and clean it themselves but just pick up a nice plump Butterball at the local grocery store. But they may also be disappointed in the commercialism that comes along with Thanksgiving and pretty much every major holiday these days. For some, Thanksgiving is just a day to prep for the Black Friday sales. As soon as the meal is cleaned up and the men are settled with a plate of pumpkin pie in front of the 72"er watching whichever football team is winning against whatever other football team, the ads come out and the planning begins. Especially now that the sales start on the holiday, you've got to shop nearly through the night to hit the big deals. 

With so much going on today, from getting the food mixed and cooked and baked (or in my case, crock-potted), to laughing and playing with nieces and nephews, a round or two of Dominion, catching the latest flick at the IMAX theater, it's actually possible to get through the entire day of Thanksgiving without giving thanks. I'm not only talking about being socially polite and thanking mom or grandma for the wonderful meal she made. Although you better be sure to do that. And its more than going around the table and letting each person take a turn to acknowledge something nice in their life they appreciate, while this can be a good start and darling when little children are included.

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every

 man has many--not on your past misfortunes, 

of which all men have some - Charles Dickens

Amidst all the action and family time, take a moment to thank God for the day and all the blessing you have been given. Have you ever said a prayer and never asked for anything? Only gave thanks for the blessings you have recieved? The first time I made an attempt to do this following a youth leaders encouragement, it turned out to be harder than I thought. I really had to focus on the words I was saying in my prayer. While it is great to ask for blessings for our family and loved ones or for what our needs may be, it is also good to try saying a prayer where you only give thanks and not ask for anything. Try it. You'll find the list of things you are grateful for will grow as you concentrate on thanking your Father in Heaven for them. You'll find the words you say will be more meaningful, like Christie Skrinak did. She shared her story of offering a prayer of only gratitude :

As the week progressed, my prayers changed from “I thank Thee for food, clothing, and shelter” to “I thank Thee for the family that Thou hast preserved and kept well, for the protection Thou dost continue to afford us. I thank Thee for the provisions Thou wilt continue to bless us with.” I also remember praying, “I thank Thee for our dependence upon Thee, for Thy mindfulness of us, and for the pathway Thou art preparing for us to escape this bondage, whatever it may be.” Somewhere along the line, my prayers became prayers of not just gratitude, not just humility, but of faith also. Without asking for blessings, I was expressing faith that the Lord would provide for us, and my faith was growing exponentially. (Excerpt from My Prayers of Gratitude by Christie Skrinak)

If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dance, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

Doctrine & Covenants 136:28

Thanksgiving 2012 - We smoked a 20 lb. turkey just for the two of us! (Rachael)

“Think to thank. In these 

three words is the finest capsule 

course for a happy marriage, 

a formula for enduring friendship, 

and a pattern for personal happiness.”

-Thomas S. Monson

Take time to meditate and think about what you want to pray about.  This will help you to avoid rushing or rambling in your prayer.  Prayer is two way communication, not just a drive through order for Heaven's help.  I think it helps to make sure you won't have interruptions, even if that means you tell the family--I'm busy for a little while.  I also think actually kneeling down makes prayer just that much more reverent.    

Thank you to our small little group of readers.  Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Rachael and Sarah

Becoming Grateful Day 27: Read About Jesus Christ to Increase Gratitude for Him

Read About Jesus Christ to Increase Gratitude for Him

And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with.

Doctrine & Covenants 46:32

—See True to the Faith (2004), 78-79

     

During this whole month of Becoming Grateful I can't help but feel an immense sense of gratitude, and indebtedness really, to God, the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ for all the goodness in my life. I have been granted life long blessings as well as daily mercies to be grateful for. Most importantly I'm grateful for the life of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and His Atonement. When we cultivate gratitude, we will also increase in our love for God and His Son. Christ is also the supreme example of how to live in gratitude, and as we read about His life we can learn how to live with gratitude in our hearts. When we do this, we will also grow more happy and spiritually strong. 

One story I love about Jesus Christ is found in the New Testament where we learn about Jesus healing the ten lepers. When I think of this story I ask myself, "Would I have been the one who returned to thank Jesus? Or would I have been one of the nine?"

In the New Testament we read in Luke 17:

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save the stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go they way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

by James Christensen

Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that they name is near thy wondrous works declare.

Psalms 75:1

This time of year is a great time to read about Jesus Christ, especially as we approach the Christmas season. As I've been working on another project, I've been reading several short holiday stories. I came across a beautiful story about a couple who lost both their daughters while crossing the plains to Salt Lake City. A young boy from another family lost his mother, and soon after reaching the Salt Lake Valley, his father. The couple took the young boy in, but the mother had a very hard time as Christmas approached to celebrate, even for the young boy's sake. In fact, she found it hard to love the boy at all while still mourning the loss of her own children. The little boy told the woman his own mother used to sing a song at Christmas about Jesus, but he couldn't remember it. On Christmas Eve, she went out to the barn to find the little boy playing in the hay with a makeshift cradle he'd fashioned from some sticks. The woman was suddenly overcome with emotion at the sight and began singing Silent Night. The little boy turned and said it was song his own mother used to sing to him. The story goes on to tell how they prepared a small Christmas celebration and that the woman loved the young boy as her own from then on. 

I hope as we continue to cultivate our own grateful heart we can especially thank God for the wonderful gift of His Son during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

-Rachael

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57

Rachael has written some beautiful thoughts and I just want to add a few of mine to this one.  As you can see, Rachael has used a lot of scriptures about Jesus Christ.  That is the best place I know of to read about Jesus Christ.  Alma 34 is one of my favorite chapters of scripture because it teaches me the meaning of mercy and more particularly the mercy provided by Jesus Christ.  Alma and Amulek taught that we need to "live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which He doth bestow upon you." (Alma 34:38).  And isn't that so true?  When we LIVE in thanksgiving we see His mercy and grace.  We see that He has done all things for us and provided us a way back to the presence of God.  We see and understand that He blesses us every chance He can because, simply because He loves us.

Here's my some of my favorite scriptures to study that help me understand Jesus Christ better:  reading the miracles Jesus performed in the 4 Gospels in the Bible.  Abinadi's story (study it specifically with the purpose to understand Christ) in Mosiah 11-16, King Benjamin's sermon in Mosiah 2-5, Isaiah's beautiful prophecies in Isaiah 52-54, and 3 Nephi 11-27.  I am grateful for a loving, merciful, forgiving Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  I am grateful to learn of Him and strive to become like He is.  I know as you read and study about Him, your gratitude for him will increase too.  - Sarah

Becoming Grateful Day 26: Look at the Stars & Moon

When I was a kid, I was in love with the night sky.  I have always been fascinated by the vastness the sky has to offer.  You can look in one spot and see so much.  Even the darkest spot of the night sky is filled with millions of stars and galaxies.  So, today's idea is actually for tonight (or any night).  Go look at the stars and moon and ponder your gratitude for these things.  Pull out your Gratitude Journal and write about it.

Here's a great little video that gives ideas on how to help children enjoy star gazing.

If you want to have a great look at stars, try to get away from city lights as much as possible.  It's a benefit that the sun sets fairly early (in the Northern Hemisphere right now at least) which means you don't have to stay up extra late to see the stars.  Also, looking at stars is best if it's not the night of a full moon.  The light of the moon acts much like city lights.  Here's a website that can tell you what the phase of the moon for your location: http://www.almanac.com/moon

But then again, you might want to look at the moon.  The link above will tell you the best time to look at the moon is.  One of my favorite movies is Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks.  At the beginning of the show everyone is gathered around the TV to witness Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon.  Later Jim Lovell (played by Hanks) goes outside and stares up at the moon.  I love the part where he raises his thumb up and tries to cover up the Sea of Tranquility,right where Apollo 11 landed.  I think I love it so much because it's a peaceful moment of pondering amazing things--the universe, the moon, the fact that man stood on it, and as you can imagine for Jim Lovell who was a part of the Apollo program, his own potential.  I don't know if Jim Lovell ever actually did the something like that scene, but I think it's well done in the movie.  Especially because he does it later while on Apollo 13 as he accepts he's not going to moon afterall.  (Seriously, I love this movie).

But I find so much to be grateful for when I look at the night sky.  It's beautiful and reminds  me of my potential.

Enjoy and be grateful as you do!

Sarah

Becoming Grateful Day 25: Share 5 Things You're Thankful For

SHARE 5 THINGS YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR

I made a pretty mean lasagna tonight, and some awesome rolls to go with it from a recipe I found on Pinterest. In fact, it was so good that I went back for seconds. My husband on the other hand ate a healthy portion and called it quits. I asked him if he wanted more, (it means I did a really good job of dinner when he goes back for more), but he said he was full. It wasn't soon after that I realized I had eaten too much. Much too much in fact, and I felt sick. I regretted that second helping and the extra roll and wished I had stopped with the first plate because it really was enough. 

I think in life we're like that. We are given something wonderful, and all we want is more rather than recognizing that what we have is already enough. We get a bad case of the "gimmes" and don't pause to feel "full." If we don't work on being grateful on a daily basis, we end up feeling like we're lacking in some way. We often wind up trying to fill our plate with more "stuff" that we don't need and focus on the getting instead of the thanking. We live in a time now where entitlement pervades our society. Not only is everyone looking for more, but they think they deserve it just because. It's easy to get caught up in this way of thinking. Before you start wanting more, wait a minute. Think about what you have already been given and let that emotional satiety kick it. It's interesting to me that one definition of satiety is the condition of being gratified beyond the point of satisfaction. Fill your soul with gratitude, which will translate into happiness and joy. 

Design by Sisters Becoming

To help recognize all the things we have that already "fill" us up, try to say 5 things you are thankful for to each person you talk with today. Try not to just say "Thanks for all you do!" While that's nice, be heartfelt and specific. If you're going to be with someone a lot today you can weave your thanks into your conversations, rather than all at once. But other people, like someone you run into at the grocery store, will end up getting bombarded with your grateful praises. It might get uncomfortable. In fact, it will probably get weird and awkward if you're not used to expressing your gratitude. Especially when you don't stop after the 2nd thing you're thanking them for. That's OK! They will probably end up thanking you for thanking them! And soon you'll see all the many blessings you have, people and things, that can "fill" you up. You'll end up not only recognizing that you have enough, but that you have more than enough. 

Here's something to ponder next time you get hit with the "gimmes"...

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead

and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish

someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more

blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of

imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... you are

ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a religious meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,

torture, or death ... you are more blessed than three billion people in the

world.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful ...

you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the

shoulder ... you are blessed because you can offer healing touch.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion

people in the world that cannot read at all.

Count your blessings!

~ Author unknown ~

Becoming Grateful Day 24: Spend Time With Someone You're Grateful For

Wait, didn't we just do this one yesterday?  Nope!  This one is almost the same, but also completely different.  Yesterday we talked about spending time with a grateful person. Instead, today's suggestion is to spend time with someone you are grateful FOR.

Who are people you are grateful for?  Your spouse? Your dad or mom?  Your children?  Your best friend?  A sister or brother?  What about a cousin or a college roommate?

Hopefully you get to be with the people you are grateful for more often than not, but if you're like me, many of your family and friends don't live near by.  In this case, go skype, hangout, or facetime with them!

Right now our Auntie is visiting our Mom for Thanksgiving.  Even though we won't be there, I did get to video with them earlier this week, and we'll probably do some more this week.  As I was thinking about writing this post and how grateful I am for my family, I was reminded of another visit by my Auntie.

It's been about 20 years, but when we were little kiddies my Auntie came to visit during the summer.  She is so creative and has a funny sense of humor.  She was also an elementary school teacher so she knows how to interact with children and for us, she could make us laugh.

Well, in the summertime we liked to eat hot dogs.  (Who am I kidding?  We eat hot dogs all year round...including today.)  So while Auntie was visiting she made up a funny song while we ate hot dogs.  It goes something like this.

Thank you for my hot dog, my hot dog, my hot dog,

Thank you for my hot dog, my hot dog, my hot dog.

Thank you for my bun, my bun, my bun,

Thank you for my bun, my bun, my bun.

Thank you for the ketchup, the ketchup, the ketchup.

Thank you for the ketchup, the ketchup, the ketchup.

Thank you for the relish, the relish, the relish.

Thank you for the relish, the relish, the relish.

Thank you for the mustard, the mustard, the mustard.

Thank you for the mustard, the mustard, the mustard.

Thank you for my Auntie, my Auntie, my Auntie.

Thank you for my Auntie, who wrote this song!

I don't like ketchup and actually eat my hot dogs plain for the most part, but I'm definitely thankful for my Auntie!!!  I"m so glad she can visit with our family and that they'll get to the Thanksgiving holiday together.

Today I am spending time with my husband and three kids--on purpose.  I'm not just spending time with them because that's what I normally do.  I'm spending time with them today because I'm thankful for them.  And I'll make sure to tell them that throughout the day.

I'm thankful my son says to me "It's okay, Mom.  Don't worry, I will take care of it." when I ask him to clean up his toys.  I'm thankful my husband accepts that I'm not an amazing cook, but that we come up dinner somehow most days.  I'm thankful my baby laughs his head off when we tickle his collar bone.  His laughter is completely infectious!  I'm thankful for my daughter who gives me adorable scowling faces when I ask her if she wants her hair done, and then is so excited that I do it.  I'm thankful to a loving Heavenly Father who loves me enough to let me have such a beautiful family, and for all the family and friends in my life who bless me just because.

Think of someone you are grateful for, and make a plan to spend time with them.  Tell them about your plan and tell them why you are grateful for them.  It will uplift you and you'll love it!

Becoming Grateful Day 23: Spend Time with a Grateful Person

SPEND TIME WITH A GRATEFUL PERSON

Remember back in junior high when you'd be considered cool if you hung out with the popular kids? Cool by association? Well how about grateful by association? Attitude is contagious, and being around someone with a positive or gratitude is bound to influence you.

“A

 pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

-Winston Churchill

Think of someone you know who has an attitude of gratitude. This is probably someone you like to spend time with because we naturally gravitate to people who are happy and upbeat rather than Debbie-downers. Make an extra effort to spend time with this person. It may be someone in your family that you see everyday. It could be someone at the office who is always upbeat, thanking others for their input on a project, and being grateful for the job they have. Maybe take time to sit by this person in the break room at lunch. They're positive attitude will influence you and raise your level of gratitude also. 

A group in Lebanon visiting with elderly people who are described as "so joyful and grateful."

Take some time to listen to the words of this song, Thankful, sung by Josh Groban. It will feel your heart with thankfulness, and maybe you can Become the  person others will want to be around because you'll be the grateful one.  -Rachael 

Becoming Grateful Day 22: Sing About Gratitude

SING ABOUT GRATITUDE

I remember one particular Thanksgiving when I was young, couldn't have been more than ten, when I had learned a song in school. I came home and sang it for my parents. They must have been pretty impressed with my vocals because they made me sing it in front of all my relatives at Thanksgiving dinner that year. Luckily two of my siblings had to join in. Here's how it goes...

Oh gobble, gobble, gobble. 

Fat turkeys, fat turkeys. 

Oh gobble, gobble, gobble. 

Fat turkeys are we.

We're not made for Thanksgiving,

We're made just for living.

Oh gobble, gobble, gobble. 

Fat turkeys are we.

Not only did we have to sing it, but we had to do the actions. What actions go with this song you're asking? Picture this: put your hand to your neck a little under the chin, grab onto some skin, and shake it back and forth every time you sing "gobble, gobble." Just like a turkey. That's right, our parents made us act like turkeys. I'm glad YouTube wasn't invented back then, or we'd have ended up like this little guy did for all to see.

The truth is, I still sing that song each time Thanksgiving comes around, but just to myself. It's not really about gratitude, but I'll always remember that Thanksgiving dinner, standing on the step between my grandparents' kitchen and music room, shaking my neck like a turkey. Music has a way of doing that, helping us remember. Connect a song to something and you'll connect a memory or emotion to it. Try to find a song about gratitude or Thanksgiving and learn it. Involve your kids! Or go through your iTunes playlist and listen for songs with lyrics about being thankful. "Blessed" by Martina McBride is a good one to try. 

Prayer of Thanksgiving is a song I learned in 5th grade. I still remember rotating to the other classroom for music time and Mrs. Hogue trying to teach a bunch of uninterested kids this old hymn. I love it now. The LDS Children's song book also has a lot of great songs for kids to learn. Click on the songs below to hear the melodies. Chances are your kids will be teaching you a song or two.

Becoming Grateful Day 21: Fasting

FASTING FOR GRATITUDE

This post is by both of us:  Fasting to be grateful.  I've actually pondered this one off and on all month.  What is fasting?  One definition (from Google) is:

Another definition, from True to the Faith (an LDS Gospel Reference) says:

I like both of these definitions. We'll be talking about gratitude and prayer on another day, but prayer and fasting go hand in hand (otherwise it's easy to turn fasting into starvation).  Ever heard "fast with a purpose"?
When we fast and pray, we invoke God's help.  We also show we can give up something for something better.

In the Book of Mormon, Alma 45:1 Describes the Nephite people and how fasting affected their lives, particularly after the hardship of war.

"Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy."

They wanted to show they were grateful so they fasted.  Fasting doesn't have to be so you can have gratitude, but it's also so you can show gratitude.

You might be wondering why we didn't choose to do this on the first Sunday of the month (typical fasting day for Mormons).  Here's why:  Sometimes we need to show increased faith by fasting at times that aren't the 'expected' times.  I think additional fasting in a given month shows we have a sure desire to learn and do what we need to fulfill our desires.  In this case, we desire to be more grateful.

A big part of our whole Becoming Grateful series has been to focus on the many wonderful things we have in our lives to be thankful for. By fasting we can focus on these blessings and as Sarah said, show our gratitude for them. When you take time to fast, just for a day or a couple of meals, you are no longer focusing on your immediate need to eat. We set that aside and allow ourselves to focus on something else. If you believe the body is made up of a physical and spiritual side, fasting can be thought of as helping the spiritual side become stronger than the physical side. It can allow us to set aside material things and instead think about the more important things in life. We can then become more grateful for these things. 

 If you've never been part of an organized fast for a religious group or had to have surgery, you may not have much experience with fasting. Many groups and religions practice fasting, like celebrating Ramadan in the Muslim culture. They fast from many things for a whole month during the day. If you want to read more about the spiritual and physical benefits from fasting, here's a great article in the Deseret News. 

So if you haven't ever fasted, why would you just skip a few meals? Now we're not talking about fasting in the way of the new trending mini-fast diet. And it doesn't mean when you have a busy day and realize you haven't had breakfast or lunch yet that you can count that as your fast. 

Fasting doesn't always need to be about skipping food. Maybe you're in a situation where your health doesn't permit you to fast, or you're nursing a baby like we both are. In these cases, you can fast from something else, like from sweets or junk foods. Pick something that will work with your health situation. 

The best way to make your Gratitude Fast successful is to prepare for it. Pick a day and set time aside. Don't bake cookies the night before so they are staring you in the face all day while you're trying to fast and focus on gratitude. And maybe don't choose a day like you're birthday or anniversary when you'll be going out for a nice dinner or will be wanting cake. 

The point is to focus your mind on increasing gratitude, and the truth is that fasting will create the conditions where you can do this. You can show your gratitude to God for your blessings and be prepared to receive more. 

Becoming Grateful Day 20: Make a Gratitude Chain

Doing this will make you feel like a kid again.  I'm definitely doing this today with my kids.  I'll probably do most of the work (the kids are really little), but they LOVE it when we make chains of anything.

Think of all the awesome ideas we've already covered this month.  This is a great way to take some of those lists or notes or journal entries or pictures and put them into simple words and phrases and string them around the house.

In my search to find an awesome paper chain picture, I found this little blog post: http://adiaryof
amom.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/the-journal-and-the-paper-chain.  Here's my cool picture:

But in addition to my awesome picture, I found this part of the post worth repeating (even though it has to do with autism rather than building a gratitude chain).

"Sometimes it’s the simplest things that can make our children’s lives easier and the smallest gifts that can make them immeasurably richer."

That's what we're going to focus on when we make our paper chain of gratitude.  The simple things my kids say they are thankful for.  They'll say things like "dad" and "my buzz lightyear costume" and "curious george shows."  And as easy and silly as they might sound, they really are the things they are most grateful for.  I'll make sure we get a few serious ones and they'll love it all the same.

Maybe you're kids are old enough to challenge them to see who can make the longest chain.  Maybe they'll be so excited to hang it up that you only get about 15 links done.  And yes, you have to hang it up.  Why else would you make a paper chain?  I'm going to drape ours along the windows or something.  Maybe even down the banister.

I'll be grateful to for the moment and time spent just doing something together.  I already feel more gratitude and more happiness just thinking about it.

Becoming Grateful Day 19: Make a Gratitude Board

MAKE A GRATITUDE BOARD

Vision boards, or affirmation boards, have been used for a long time to help people reach a goal. The basic idea is to create something visually to help remind you of your dreams of goals and work towards reaching them. I've done this before with New Years' Resolutions, and have found it can be a powerful tool to help me see what I want to achieve. The purpose of doing a vision board is to help you feel now how you want to feel when you reach your goal. Today we'll be using this idea to increase gratitude by making a gratitude board: a collage of images that make us feel grateful and help us continue to be thankful for the many blessings in our lives.

When I began my board, I thought it'd be a quick little craft and I'd be done in a jiffy. I was already late in getting today's post up so I was trying to take any shortcut I could, but I ended up having a really great experience and feeling more gratitude than I expected. Here's what happened...

I started out with my supplies: scissors, adhesive, some pictures of my daughter and husband, a few magazines, and a file folder. I used a file folder because I wanted something larger to paste everything on but didn't want to waste any cute scrapbook paper that would be covered up. Feel free to use whatever you want! You may want to make yours more stylish or cutesie. Do what works for you!

I started cutting out pictures and words of things I'm grateful for or that represented things I appreciate. While I was doing this, I came across a story in the Ensign from August about a man named Rhette Wintch who was diagnosed with cancer. He shared that as he went though treatments and this difficult time in his life, it taught him gratitude, courage, and an appreciation for the Savior, Jesus Christ. The word gratitude was what caught my eye in the first place and led me to read the story. As I read what he said about feeling an increase of gratitude, I began to feel more emotional and an overwhelming feeling of gratitude myself. He said:

 “People, no matter who they are, now have immense worth to me.”

That phrase seemed so significant to me. Because of gratitude, he saw people differently, no matter who they were. I thought it would be a great feeling to look at people and value them regardless of how they look, their money or where they work, but to see their great worth. Through his experiences, the man also wrote:

“I have more desire to be an influence for good to all my family, friends, and work associates.” 

More gratitude led him to have a desire to change his behavior and want to do more good in his life. So there I was trying to find images of things I was grateful for, thinking it would be like a nice warm fuzzy, and I found myself being overwhelmed with thankfulness. (Remember the post from Day 11: Read about people who are grateful?) The story, although short and simple, seemed so profound to me. The gratitude he felt led him to have appreciation for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I looked at some of the pictures I had cut out already, including an image of the Savior. I too began to feel an increasing appreciation for the Savior's Atonement and found myself crying, surrounded by tape backing and paper scraps, my daughter next to me on the bed probably wondering what my deal was. 

As I finished up my own gratitude board, I realized that each time I look at it, along with the gratitude I feel for each thing I put in the collage, I'll remember the experience I had while making it and be even more grateful. I'm thankful I read the story and was able to have the experience I did.

(Read the story "Grateful for Life" yourself here.)

Here's my gratitude board. In the center I put pictures of my beautiful daughter Liberty, a wedding photo with my husband who I love dearly, and an image of Jesus Christ. I've surrounded it with other images that represent something I'm thankful for:

Star cluster: I'm grateful for God's creations and the world we live in.
Pioneers: Gratitude for my pioneer ancestors, their faith and sacrifice.
Pasta & Oranges: Food! And that my family doesn't ever go hungry.
Piggy Bank & Stack of Money: No, not just for money! But for the ability we have to afford the things we need and provide for our needs.
Bed: I'm thankful for a warm bed and a safe home.
Canned food: I'm thankful for my mom who makes the best canned salsa! I remember cutting up peaches with her for canning too, so this represents all the things I'm grateful to my mom for teaching me.
Angel Moroni: I love this image of a steeple on an LDS Temple in the sunset. I'm thankful for the blessing of the temple, especially my marriage sealing and the promise of eternal families.
Woman at the Well: I love this painting and the one-on-one teaching the Savior is giving. This story in the scriptures is one of my favorite as Jesus tells the woman who He is.

I've hung my gratitude board on the back of my front door. This way I'll see it every time I go out, and I hope when friends or family visit, they'll ask about it and I can share with them what I'm grateful for.

So take a little time today to make your own gratitude board. If you printed any pictures you took from Day 14, you've already got a head start. One way to involve your family is to turn your refrigerator door into your family's gratitude board. This is great for children of all ages since your teenagers can reach the space at the top, and smaller hands can stick their pictures lower on the door. Every time you're reaching in for a dinner ingredient, glass of milk, or putting away left-overs, each person will see the collage and feel thankful. If you have very young children, have them draw pictures of things they are thankful for or what makes them happy. I hope you'll find yourself, like me, feeling overwhelmed with gratitude for all the amazing blessing you have!