I believe in always practicing gratitude, but with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought it would be a perfect time to reflect and write a blog post about gratitude!
I believe there is always so much to be thankful for. Whenever someone asks me, “How’s freshman year going?” I usually tell them that there have definitely been ups and downs—blissful and tough moments—but throughout it all, I am grateful. I can’t help but think: wow, college is such a dream. When again will we be in a situation where one of our main focuses is to simply grow as people and learn? When will we be able to constantly meet new people and form lasting friendships and live right next to each other like this? I feel so blessed everyday by the crazy amount of opportunities in college and by the incredible people I keep meeting everyday.
So today, I want to take a few moments and really practice gratitude by sharing some of the things I am grateful for:
• I am so grateful for the Church communities that I have found on Penn’s campus. I feel so much love and compassion from everyone in these communities as we grow in Faith together. I truly feel like I have found my people on campus and oftentimes find myself so giddy and warm with love as I look around and realize that these people care about me and I care about them (so so much!).
• I feel so so blessed to be able to attend college and to be at Penn. If you asked me a year ago today, I definitely would not have told you that I thought I’d be in a medium-large city school studying business (none of those characteristics of Penn were where I thought I’d end up!). But I am so, so grateful to be here today. I truly believe God has a plan, and I am so blessed by Him. I am so grateful everyday for all of the opportunities I have here and just to be here. I realized I love the vibrant feel of Penn’s campus, the size of the school, the distance from home, and so much more. Granted, I think I would take a positive outlook wherever I ended up, but this is my positive outlook on Penn. I’m so darn grateful.
• I am so grateful for my body. I truly grapple a lot with body image and struggle with self-confidence in this area. However, I think I forget too easily that God gave me this body and that it is such a gift and I feel so grateful that I am able to even walk and run and exercise. I am also really grateful for the ability to work on my body in a healthy way as well.
• I am grateful for music and that I can bop to it while walking to class and jam out with friends and sometimes, yes, sulk to some sad music.
• I am grateful for Worship and how God can use music and singing to bring us closer to Him!
• I am grateful for where I am today and who I am today. A year ago, I would have dreamt to be where I am today, and I am sure a year from now, I will miss so many aspects of this part of my life. So, although I am still growing and struggling with various issues, I am so darn grateful. I also am really thankful for the person I have grown to be and am still becoming.
• I am really grateful for all of the wonderful people in my life, from my incredible family to my friends from my hometown who I grew up with, to all of the people I have met in college so far. If you are reading this, it is likely that we have had some sort of interaction before, and I hope you know that I am grateful for you. Even if we’ve never met, I am grateful for you and your presence and hope you know that you have so much beautiful potential to make a positive impact on this world and others. Grateful for you!
• Grace! Hello! If you are reading this note I just added while proofreading this piece hehe, I wanted to take a quick moment to shout out you and our friendship. So blessed by you and grateful for you and that we can blog and grow together!
These are some of the many things I am grateful for. I encourage you to take some time to reflect on the blessings in your life and maybe to write down three things you are grateful for each day. I personally try to journal and write down moments I am grateful for so I can look back and read through these moments and remember times when I felt really happy, grateful, and/or loved. I also encourage you to reach out to people and tell them you are grateful for them. (I am going to do this right now!) Let’s practice and cultivate an attitude of gratitude, today, and always!
Thank you so much for reading, and coming on this journey with me.
All glory to God!
Saved by grace, through faith.
With love,
Joyce
Bible Verse Connection: “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1
P.S. This photo was from when I was in Barcelona, Spain with my Mom, Dad, and one of my best friends! I remember really appreciating this moment as I walked by the beach and held sand in my hands (in the shape of a heart!). I'm really grateful for the opportunity to travel too and appreciate this world more!
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