Faith

I don't think faith is about our having a greater power watching over us that will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.  For me, faith is the belief that we have, at our finger tips, all that we need to accomplish all things - to overcome all odds.
When we believe that some greater power will do it for us, we will fail.  Truth - faith - is in recognizing all that we have been provided and we have been provided all that we need - if we walk in truth and faith.
Our job is to reach out and recognize all that we have been provided.  Gratitude and thankfulness take us to that place.  We count what we have.  We begin to be thankful for what will become.  We see beyond what our eyes see.  We go where that faithful vision takes us.

Thankful!

I am thankful for the sight and sound of a fresh snow.
I am thankful for the warmth of a fire.
I am thankful for the smile of a true friend.
I am thankful for the spirit of singing songs together.
I am thankful for the sweet taste of a home made pie.
I am thankful for the kindness of a stranger.
I am thankful for fond memories.
I am thankful for present times in the company of joyful people.
I am thankful for simplicity.
I am thankful for feeling thankful.

Grabbing the Gratitude Attitude

I have so very much to be thankful about. I love walking in that knowledge. Hindsight is always 20/20. I can think of dark times in my life and now know there was much more to be thankful about than to be discouraged about.
We do all get dealt some very difficult blows sometimes. But it is how we choose to think and feel that makes the difference. We do have a choice what WE think and feel about anything. Maybe we cannot control a situation but WE CAN control our own thoughts and feelings.
It takes great effort and discipline sometimes. But we can get to the sunny side of the street if we keep walking and keep seeking gratitude in our own spirit.

The garden of the Thankful

Each day stop a moment and count 10 people or things you are thankful to have in your life. If you mostly count material things, try again.

With every passing day I grow more convinced that true joy - joyful people - are most grateful for relationships. They treasure them - nurture them - seek them out - welcome them. Joyful people tend relationships in the same way gardeners tend their gardens. They prune, they fertilize, they water and they weed. And they celebrate every bud, every stage of growth with cultivation as rewarding as the anticipated harvest.

They expect the best but know it doesn't just drop from the sky. Relationships can be tender things. They need care. And the greater the care, the greater the joy.

If you are grateful for things, let them be things that build relationships. Count them and be thankful every day!