The Upside-Down Gratitude List: What It Is And Why You Should Have One

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The Upside-Down Gratitude List: What It Is And Why You Should Have One

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a rule-follower…mostly.

Honestly, my preference has always been to be a rule-follower with a twist. While I wouldn’t call myself an upstreamer, necessarily, I don’t like jumping whole-hog onto a popular bandwagon, either. Instead, I prefer to think over an activity or opportunity first, and then if I feel that it’s a good fit, I usually do my own version of it.

It was no different with my gratitude list this year. A close friend of mine asked me if I’d like to join her in filling out a 2-week list of things I was thankful for. I loved the idea and was excited to start.

But the day I printed out the fill-in-the-blank sheet to start my gratitude list, Baby D got sick…again.

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The FASTEST Way To Uproot Discontentment

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The FASTEST Way To Uproot Discontentment

While there’s nothing wrong with dreaming by itself, inevitably, I get carried away with my wishful thinking, and I begin to covet that which I don’t have. When I start to develop discontentment with my current situation, that’s when sin sets in.

Truthfully, there are moments when I’d rather wallow in my pity instead of chasing discontentment to the curb. It almost feels nice to fuss about my lack of space! And that’s exactly why I need to root out the seeds of dissatisfaction immediately: so that they don’t take deeper root and grow into resentment or bitterness.

I’ve found the absolute FASTEST way to uproot discontentment:

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4 Reasons to Have Hope When You're Hurting This Holiday Season

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4 Reasons to Have Hope When You're Hurting This Holiday Season

I love the holidays with all those picture-perfect moments and photo-worthy family gatherings. I love thinking about and planning for the fun activities and festive meals we’ll participate in. Most of all, I love savoring the birth of the Savior - Christmas is such a wonderful time to reflect and think about all that Jesus did on my behalf.

But maybe you’re not eager for the holidays this year because you’re hurting. Maybe a recent loss - or a loss associated with either Thanksgiving or Christmas - has dampened your joy, and you’re not really sure how to feel happy when, inside, you’re still suffering deeply.

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