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The number one thing that has helped me notice the blessings and beauty in my life—no matter the circumstances—is the practice of gratitude.
This is one of the many simple yet powerful lessons I learned from my mom. One year, she encouraged me to start a gratitude journal alongside her. I remember looking back at the end of that year in awe, realizing how much more positive and joyful I had been. Nothing dramatic had changed in my life, but I had changed.
Gratitude doesn’t transform you overnight. What it does is gently train your eyes to notice what you already have. In a world where it’s so easy to get caught up in consumerism, comparison, and feeling “less than”—especially through social media—gratitude pulls us back to truth. It reminds us daily of the abundance God provides.
I’m not perfectly consistent with this habit, but I can immediately tell when I return to it. My eyes open to how much God gives us. I stop taking things for granted. I feel lighter, more content, more joyful. Suddenly, the smallest things feel like gifts: the ingredients to prepare a nourishing meal for my family, fresh sourdough bread with butter, raw cream with maple syrup that my daughter and I have been enjoying each morning, our family’s health, the birds outside my window, the sunshine, uplifting Scripture, a meaningful conversation with my grandma or a friend, or stumbling upon a book that speaks exactly to what I need. The list truly goes on and on.
Another powerful form of gratitude is expressing it out loud—especially within your home. Thanking your husband for taking out the garbage or shoveling the walk. Thanking your child for helping with dinner or cleaning up. These are things we can easily overlook, choosing instead to focus on what isn’t being done.
I know how much it lifts me when my husband thanks me for dinner or tells me how much he appreciates what I do. Those simple words make even mundane tasks more meaningful. I take greater joy and pride in them, knowing they’re seen and valued.
Cultivating a grateful heart—and eyes that see beauty—takes intention and practice. Life is busy. Distractions, stress, and constant messages telling us what we lack are everywhere. But once you begin to notice the everyday blessings, your life feels full. It feels abundant.
All Things Bright and Beautiful
by Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small;
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.
The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning
That brightens up the sky.
The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden—
He made them every one.
He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.
If God took the time to create beautiful flowers, breathtaking sunsets, delicious food, and laughter—things not strictly necessary for survival, yet clearly necessary in His eyes—then it would be a shame not to notice them. Not to enjoy them. Not to give thanks.
“This is the day which the LORD hath made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24
Your friend,
Brooke
