​Did you know research has proven there are psychological benefits to being grateful? That being grateful impacts us in a way that helps to lower our stress and anxieties and can help to ward off depression? Having a grateful disposition makes us happier. We have the power to positively impact our health by simply taking the time to be grateful each day. 

Being grateful also means being thankful to God. It is important in our prayer time to express our thankfulness to Him. Being grateful helps us to live in the present and take stock of all the blessings in our lives rather than focusing on the future or on what we don’t have. This is a great reminder for me. As a person who naturally focuses on all of the tasks that need to get done, I sometimes struggle to be present to those in front of me. When I’m conscious of this, I make an effort to be grateful for the person in front of me and try to experience God’s presence in those relationships.

​In addition to being thankful, Psalm 92 also tells us to sing praises to God. In a day in age when we are influenced to be more focused on ourselves, our faith can be transformed when we learn to praise God. Praising God releases the Holy Spirit within us as it places us in right relationship with God, acknowledging that He is our King. When we do this, we are the ones who grow in peace and joy. We are the ones who begin to see and bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

15 They still bring forth fruit in old age, they are ever full of sap and green, 
16 to show that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

When I read this line, it brings to mind a priest I recently met, who at the age of 79 is so passionate about bringing others to faith that he wants to inspire his church towards renewal. When he could easily retire and spend more time on himself, he is instead beginning a journey of renewal for his church. How inspiring is that?

This psalm comes at an important time for me. This time of year I tend to get pretty tired of the cold and want to stay locked up in my house, snuggled up in something warm and cozy. As I take this reminder to heart, I am grateful and thank God for (in completely random order):

• Shelter from the cold
• Supportive and healthy relationships
• My faith community
• A job in ministry that exposes me to amazing people
• The amazing way the Holy Spirit stirs through people
• A husband who cooks yummy food
• Three healthy kids
• Chocolate
• My parents

 
Perhaps this would be a good time to take stock of all the blessings in your life and give thanks to God. 

Tammy LeBlanc

​This reading is a great reminder to me to be slow to speak, as words reveal much about our inner wounds. I’m reminded of how quick I am at times to be upset with someone whose words are harsh, unkind, or hurtful. Then I become aware that angry, self-absorbed people are just people who are stuck in their pain. 

As the potter moulds in the furnace, so we are moulded in the furnace of life. We are born innocent and then our life experiences shape how we see and act in the world. Thank God for God! Left on our own to make sense of the messiness of life we could easily become confused and despondent but God is our Potter and as such He can and does mould the clay of our life experiences into incredible pieces of art. I love seeing myself as God’s best work of art—a Rembrandt of sorts. My beauty may not be visible to the eye of the beholder but it is visible to the eye of the artist.