“Gratitude is the Key to Happiness”

Everyone wants to be happy, but what does gratitude have to do with it?  After some pondering, I realized that I am happy AND grateful but I had never connected the two. Most of the angry and unhappy people I have known were also very unappreciative of the people and the blessings around them.

Here is the whole quote from Dennis Prager, talk-show host and author.

Because gratitude is the key to happiness, anything that undermines gratitude must undermine happiness. And nothing undermines gratitude as much as expectations. There is an inverse relationship between expectations and gratitude: The more expectations you have, the less gratitude you will have.

Do you want to happier?  Be more grateful!  Start this Thanksgiving by showing your gratitude to your friends and family - and perhaps even the folks you run into throughout your day.

How good are you at expressing thanks?  Perhaps a revival of “please,” “thank you,” and “you’re welcome” would go a long way to restoring some civility in your home - and beyond!

“Thanks Mom for doing all the cooking - again!”
“Good job carving the turkey, Dad!”
“Uncle Roger, I’m so glad you came.”
“Thank you, sir.  Have a great Thanksgiving!” (To the man who held the door open for you at the mall!)
You can also show your gratitude with more than words, but with actions.  Doing the dishes perhaps?

You get the point.  Express your gratitude. Don’t assume that folks know you appreciate them.  Don’t let anyone you love feel taken for granted.  None of us likes that.

BTW, God doesn’t like being taken for granted either.  Do you only talk to God  (you know, that prayer thing) in times of crisis?  Along the lines of, “Dear Heavenly Father, don’t let the cop give me a ticket!”  Or perhaps on occasions like Thanksgiving when grace seems a bit obligatory?  “Thank you Gracious God for all this food, blah, blah, blah.”

Show your gratitude toward God through regular prayer and worship, and also by showing gratitude to those God loves....and that means everybody!

Just imagine how much happier you will be be when showing gratitude is your way of life.  Each of us will experience this to different degrees,  but I can tell you without any doubt that gratitude is the key to happiness in my life.  Happy Thanksgiving!

And here’s a little more from Mr. Prager:
Prager U: The Key to Unhappiness

Gratitude For.....

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?  I recently had an  “aha” moment about gratitude while researching my family history.

My maternal grandmother, Minnie Ketelhut, lived at a time when laundry was done with a washboard and wringer, when water came into the house through a hand pump and was heated on a wood-fired stove, and when the outhouse was OUT.  Without conveniences I take for granted, she took care of a husband, five boys and my Mom. She baked, canned, butchered, gardened, cleaned and regularly made homemade noodles for Mom, because Mom didn’t like potatoes!  Did I mentioned that she embroidered too - and enjoyed going to the opera, visiting her family and going to church?

She did what needed to be done despite all that life threw at her.  Grandma was born in Wisconsin in 1891. When she was 8, her father got sick and she had to quit school to help on the farm. Her fiancé died when she was 18, and her mother encouraged her to move to Detroit.  She married my grandfather who already had 4 young boys. She had three more children of her own, including one who was stillborn.  And then her husband got sick.

She and Grandpa moved to their hunting cabin in northern Michigan in the mid-1930s when the stress of the city overwhelmed him.  From the relative luxury of Detroit, she adapted to her new primitive home.  Her 13-year-old daughter, my Mom, stayed in the city and went to work for a family as a ‘mother’s helper.’  I can’t imagine how difficult is was for Grandma to leave her daughter!

As I tell her story, you might be wondering what about it makes me grateful. Is it that I have electricity and all sorts of modern appliances?  Is it that I haven’t experienced the tragedies my grandmother did?  No, it’s something more.....

I am grateful for the life lessons Grandma has passed down to me through my Mom.  You see, I never knew her.  She died when I was 6 months old.  Her legacy, however, lived on.

Hard work is good and necessary. Taking care of your family is important.

I can survive great adversity and thrive on the other side of it.

And the most important lesson of all - God is always with me.  Grandma’s trust in God was always a part of her life from attending a little Lutheran church in Wisconsin to a big one in Detroit.  She taught my Mom about the love of God, and my Mom taught me.

Love, perseverance and faith.  While I didn’t fully appreciate these lessons growing up, or even as a young adult, I now know they helped make me who I am. Thank you, Grandma, for sharing with me a few ounces of your quiet faithful strength.

This Thanksgiving, I am going to spend some time being grateful for those who came before me.  Whose life helped shape you?  Remember and be thankful.

Are Freedom and Liberty Important to You?

“Give me liberty, or give me death!” said Patrick Henry.

“Live Free or Die!” is the New Hampshire State Motto.

On Monday we humbly acknowledge Veteran’s Day and all those who have fought, bled and died to protect our freedoms. How passionate are you about liberty?  Is protecting it a consideration for you when you vote?

Politicians talk a good game about freedom and/or liberty, but listen carefully to what they are really saying.  It might not be what you think.  What do freedom and liberty mean to you?  Here are some thoughts.

Freedom applies to the individual. You are free to think, believe and say what you want. These are matters of conscience and reflect your deeply held convictions.  But people do not live in solitude; we are social beings.

Liberty is what freedom in community looks like; it is what determines how we interact with each other.  Think of liberty as “freedom plus morality.”  American morality has been historically grounded in our Judeo-Christian heritage, but today it seems more strongly influenced by contemporary culture.

I recently read an article about how the word “freedom” has been used more frequently over the past 100 years than “liberty,” especially in progressive circles.  “Liberty” was the more popular word up until the 20th century.  Why the shift?  Sadly, I think this is just another sign that  American culture is abandoning God and replacing Him with government.

Unless Americans, especially those under 40, turn their hearts and minds towards God, America will cease to exist. We might still be called the USA, but we will be unable to “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”   Why should this be the case?

The desire to be free resides in every human heart.  Our Creator put it there and for a very good reason.  It’s an essential part of God’s love for you.

Love, to be love, must be freely given.  Love cannot be commanded or coerced.  God freely gives His love to you. God has also given you the gift of freedom, so that you can decide whether or not to accept God’s love.  Because you can say “No,”  your “Yes” has meaning. Your response to God is the most important decision you will ever make.  In case you don’t know, freedom on the other side of saying “Yes” to God, is more powerful and more fulfilling than the shadow of it we experience when we don’t have faith.

There is a long history of the growth of liberty in Western Civilization, especially from the Middle Ages until the American Revolution.  The Declaration of Independence boldly affirms God-given rights, like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Constitution protects these rights through its controls on political power.   The Bill of Rights specifically prohibits the government from restricting Americans’ freedoms to practice our faith, to speak our minds, and to protect our lives and property, among many others.  Constitutional amendments expand the blessings of liberty to more and more citizens, including those of all races and colors, both sexes, and folks age 18 or older.

While the framers knew that the nation they were creating would have citizens of all faiths and of no faith, they trusted that the majority would remain believers in a loving, good and holy God.  They knew that the future of freedom and liberty would depend upon it, because America’s love of freedom is inextricably linked to America’s love of God.

Are you passionate about wanting to reverse the trends threatening American freedom and liberty?    Start by saying “Yes” to God.  

Into the Fray

One year from now, on November 3, 2020, Americans will elect the next president, the entire House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate, eleven state governors and thousands of state congressional leaders, county commissioners, city councilmen and school board members.   How will you decide who to vote for?

I would like to challenge you, my friends, to think long and hard about these choices.  Both Democrats and Republicans talk about values and the Constitution, but when they do they mean very different things.  What do they mean to you?

America is at a tipping point.  Two recent surveys reveal trends that greatly concern me, one about faith in God and another about our government.  About one-third of Americans, mostly those under 40, reject religion (primarily Christianity).  In the second survey, about the same number and age group, think socialism is a good political system.  Either of these trends weakens America.  In combination they are an existential threat to liberty - mine, yours and the generations that will follow us.

Do you want to continue to live in a free society?  Do you want less government interference in your life and the lives of your children?  If so, over this next year, before you vote, you have some homework to do.

Think long and hard about what values and principles guide your life.  Where do you draw them from? Culture? Family? Faith?  What is important to you?   Who decides what is right or wrong?  What are our responsibilities are to each other?  The moral foundations of our society have their roots in Christianity.  Explore the teachings of Jesus for yourself.  Pray about it.

Think long and hard about the form of government you want to live under.  Many countries are considered democracies, but don’t have the freedoms Americans do. Even China and Russia hold elections. Read and reflect on the US Constitution, its Amendments and its all important Bill of Rights. Does it matter that America is a constitutional republic rather than a democracy?   Where have we strayed from the Constitution?  Are there changes would you like to see?

Do your homework!  Then, next November you will be ready to vote for politicians who represent you.  Remember, these folks are elected to serve you, not the other way around!

Over the next year, this Preacher Girl will be at it again writing every week or so to help you think about the America you want to live in now and bequeath to future generations.  As the Preamble to the US Constitution says:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

How valuable are the blessings of liberty to you? What are you willing to do to protect them?

Preacher Girl Is Back

Starting this Sunday, Preacher Girl will begin posting her thoughts again!  Watch this space or find her on Facebook at Preacher Girl Diaries.