Weekly Impressions - The Upward Spiral

Psalm 19:14

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

I’m noticing a trend. A great trend. The more I try to focus on things I’m thankful for, the more thankful I am. (Imagine that!) The more thankful I am, the more I think about things I’m thankful for. I shouldn’t be amazed to find there’s an upward spiral, but it did take me by surprise... and I am very thankful for it.

When my focus is on myself, I rely on my circumstances for my joy, since I am thinking about how things affect me. If I begin to get depressed as a result of my circumstances, my depressing thoughts feed on themselves and spiral downward. When my focus is on God, circumstances don’t matter, because God Himself is unchanging. I am fickle, but God is the I AM. With Him "...there is no variation or shifting shadow." (James 1:17) Just as my focus on myself brings the downward spiral of depression, meditation upon God brings the upward spiral of joy through thankfulness and humility.
I don’t claim to have it all down. I simply claim I AM is my strength, my worth, and my joy. Through His divine power, I have enduring hope.

What thankful things would you add to a small list to help start your upward spiral?