Year of Gratitude
In 2014, FUMCR focused on expressing gratitude daily as inspired by the book, 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed my Life, by John Kralik.
Studies have shown that those who live with a sense of thanksgiving report that they are far happier than those who do not. As a family of faith, we know that we have been blessed and that it is important to give thanks to God. It is also essential to our well-being to express our gratitude to one another, and to those who have made a difference in our lives.
The Bible teaches us to “give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
From the Wall Street Journal: "A field of research on gratitude in kids is emerging, and early findings indicate parents' instincts to elevate the topic are spot-on. Concrete benefits come to kids who literally count their blessings. Gratitude works like a muscle. Take time to recognize good fortune, and feelings of appreciation can increase. Even more, those who are less grateful gain the most from a concerted effort."
Beyond just the simple phrase, try to express thanks in a meaningful way to someone every day - family & friends, individuals & groups, loved ones near, far & passed away and even strangers.
Following are the suggestions and insights that were offered to our members and guests each week during the year. To jump to a particular week, enter just the number in the search bar.
Week 27
Who to ThankSomeone who attended or hosted a family event |
ScriptureO give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. Psalm 105:1 |
QuoteSaying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality. - Alfred Painter |
Week 28
Who to ThankPolice officer, fire fighter or neighborhood patrol |
ScriptureThe Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalm 28:7 |
QuoteGratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all. - William Faulkner |
Week 29
Who to ThankSomeone who cooked, served or cleaned up after your meal |
ScriptureOffer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Psalm 50.14 |
QuoteGrace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live. - Attributed to Jacqueline Winspear |
Week 30
Who to ThankMail carrier, trash collector or newspaper deliverer |
ScriptureYes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 4:15 |
QuoteThe deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.
 - WIlliam James |
Week 31
Who to ThankWrite words of gratitude for a situation that taught you an unexpected lesson |
ScriptureYou have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever. Psalm 30: 11-12 |
QuoteGratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture. - Kak Sri |
Week 32
Who to ThankH.E.R.O.E.S. staff and volunteers (leave notes in Children's Ministry office on Sunday) |
ScriptureI will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. Zephaniah 3:19 |
QuoteTo witness miracles unfold in your experience, count your blessing and be thankful. Perceived small blessings accumulate to be the most powerful. - T.F. Hodge |
Week 33
Who to ThankA school board member |
ScriptureLet the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Colossians 3:16 |
QuoteWhat separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude. - Brene' Brown |
Week 35
Who to ThankSchool Teacher, Administrator or Support Staff |
ScriptureDevote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2 |
QuoteWe sometimes forget just how far we take our students every year. The first day of school is an exhausting reminder. - Kathy Griffin's Teaching Strategies |
Week 34
Who to ThankVolunteers who made preparations for the new school year |
ScriptureLike good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 1 Peter 4: 10 |
QuoteThe miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it. - Mother Teresa |
Week 36
Who to ThankSomeone of another generation |
ScriptureHow can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? 1 Thessalonians 3:9 |
QuoteWe should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. - Albert Schweitzer |
Week 37
Who to ThankSomeone who helped you dream big |
ScriptureTherefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe Hebrews 12:28 |
QuoteWhenever we are appreciative, we are filled with a sense of well-being and swept up by the feeling of joy. - M.J. Ryan |
Week 38
Who to ThankSomeone you served or someone who gave you an opportunity to serve |
ScriptureLittle children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 1 John 3:18 |
QuoteIf you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one. - Mother Teresa |
Week 39
Who to ThankMechanic/car wash employee/gas station attendant |
ScriptureHappy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise. Psalm 84:4 |
QuoteGratitude can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. - Unknown |
