PART ONE

Lately I've been using a journal called the "5-minute journal" and it's a daily discipline of beginning my day with writing down 3 things that I am grateful for and then closing my day by writing down 3 amazing things that happened.

Brene Brown teaches that gratitude is the pre-requisite for joy and I've discovered that this small practice is cultivating and sparking joy in me. It's become a highlight of my day...I can't wait to reach for my journal as I wake up and look forward to writing in it right before I fall asleep. 

I live my life differently when I live from a place of gratitude and I begin to look for ways to be grateful. I'm noticing that the things I'm grateful for are simple and usually not the kind of things that money can buy - a sunset, kindness from a stranger, a hot cup of coffee, a visit with a friend, a scent, or a flower, a greeting from my puppy, the laugh of a baby and so on... 

You probably have a bunch of things like that in your life as well, but we don’t often pause to think about them. So we’re going to right now! Let’s practice. Take a minute to think back over your morning so far, your weekend, maybe last week. What are a few things that you are sparking joy for you these days? What little things are you grateful for? 

For me so far today, it’s been ______. 

Whatever your things are, let’s take a minute to thank God for them, before we dive into worship. 

PART TWO 

Ok so way back at the beginning we began this morning with that simple gratitude practice… now let’s do the other half. Looking back over the past hour or so that we’ve spent together, what are some good things that have happened in these moments? What can you hold onto, and be grateful for, as you walk away from this experience? As you head on our into the rest of your day I pray you’ll be able to hold onto those things, and that they continue to spark joy and gratitude in you. 

God thank you for the things that have taken place in these past few minutes. And for the seeds they represent for the week and our lives ahead. Would you sink those sparks of joy deep down in our hearts, so we can truly become people filled with your joy and light. Amen