Walk in Gratitude

Welcome to Choose Joy Now!
The time has come for us to move from a place of struggle into the realm of living in joy. We must make it a conscious choice to do so, and is there a better time than right now? Of course not!

Please join me on the journey, will you? I'll share my thoughts, insights, resources and my heart. I hope you will, too, for our journeys somehow intersect. Thank goodness we're not journeying alone. It is my intention that all who come along will be edified.

Today I went walking in the foothills of Mapleton, Utah. My dog, Riley, and I were enjoying the crisp fall air, and as I looked around I felt such gratitude for the majestic mountains. I thought to myself, "God really loves me to bless me with such beauty!" It was that thought that started my gratitude walk, for that is exactly what it became. I decided I wanted to spend this time thinking only of what I was truly grateful for, and I made a conscious choice to focus only on that, not allowing myself to ask for or wish for anything during this time.

I began thanking God for some pretty general things, i.e., the beautiful mountains, the fresh air, a safe neighborhood, etc. I had a lot of walking left to do, so I started getting specific. I'm grateful for my husband because he is good to the core, he is genuine and loving, he provides for my needs, and he's my best friend. I'm thankful for my daughter Melissa. She works so hard to be a good mother, wife, and daughter, and she is my good friend whom I have much in common with. I'm thankful for my son in law, Joey, for his devotion to my daughter and his willingness to adapt to the needs of our family. I'm thankful for my sweet grandson, Callan. He is innocent and pure, and he lights up my life. I'm thankful for Amy and her enthusiasm and dedication to serving the Lord on a mission. I'm so grateful that she is being watched over every minute of every day. And for Aubrey. She is fun and talented and she keeps me grounded and young.

There was more than that for each person, but you get the idea. The more thankful I felt, the faster the reasons flashed through my mind and heart. I went from thoughts of my family to folks at my church, to each girl in my class and what it was about her that I felt grateful for. From there it went to each member of my extended family, then to my friends and clients, and how much I've felt honored that they've shared themselves with me.

This was a walk that could have gone on for days. I looked into the sky with deliberate purpose to let God know I was truly grateful, and I continued to thank Him all the way home, even for things that I could not yet see with my physical eyes. For things that I know are coming my way because I'm now choosing to live in joy rather than struggle.

Take a gratitude walk. It does your heart and mind good. It is rejuvenating and revitalizing. You will feel closer to your Maker, and it will change you. I highly recommend it!

Let me know you've stopped by (click on comments), and we'll "travel" together.

And together we'll create joy in our journey.

InJoy,
Cristi