Go Small

Have you ever watched little kids play soccer? It’s hilarious. It’s like watching bee’s swarm honey, men swarm BBQ’s, and women swarm chocolate.

I witnessed something beautiful last summer as I watched a group of little kids play soccer.

12 five-year-olds were sporadically chasing after one tiny soccer ball as if it were a giant bag of candies, but there, parked in the middle of the field, was one little girl looking down at the grass.

Her mom yelled, “Lacey, what are you doing? Follow the group! Chase the ball! Score a goal!”

But Lacey replied, “No thanks, mommy. I found a ladybug.”

Profound.

It’s something I will never forget because how on earth did Lacey’s sweet little eyes manage to see a ladybug hiding in the grass while running alongside the chaos?

Gratitude.

It’s the ability to see brilliance in the little things when everyone else around you is choosing to run at a rapid pace.

Gratitude.

It’s the freedom to break free from the crowd to pursue and define what you deem and value as most important.

Gratitude.

It’s a quiet confidence in your soul as you bask in the joy of life’s little moments amidst the chaos of everything else going on around you.

Gratitude is a readiness to speak and show appreciation for the life you’ve been given and a humble acceptance for all that God has blessed you with and entrusted you to care for. We may be in this world, but does it mean we have to play the game the same way as everybody else?

I’d rather be like Lacey.

How To Use This Ejournal

Like any good habit in life: sleeping, working out, clean eating, reading your Bible, praying, etc., gratitude becomes a habit when you purpose to put it into practice each and every day. It requires daily discipline and focused determination to train your mind to acknowledge the wonderful things going on around you. When you do this, a reshaping takes place and all the hard things in life start to
pale in comparison.

Note: this is an interactive book. Meaning, it’s not just something to read and follow along with, it’s an opportunity to participate and engage with your life.

Imagine what the world could be like if we all saw our lives as amazing? Gratitude could shape the world.

How This Ejournal Works

The 20 chapters are broken into 20 days of “little moments.”

• Today’s Practice
• Today’s Quote
• Today’s Scripture
• Today’s Theme
• Today’s Wonder
• Today’s Thought

For example:

• In a culture that is always rushing to get to the next activity and accomplish the next task, what are you grateful for about this current season of life?
• What can you smell right now by taking a few minutes to inhale and ponder?
• Think about this: “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” —Alphonse Karr
• Did you know? Studies show that humor appreciation activates the dopamine-rich nucleus accumbens, as well as the brain stem region that produces dopamine, which explains the enjoyable aspect of humor.
• Ponder: “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” —Psalm 118:24

For 20 days, this ejournal will draw your attention towards a variety of little things you can be grateful for and help you implement gratitude practices into your day-to-day life.

By taking a few moments everyday to acknowledge the things you appreciate about your life, you cause your heart to grow, your thankfulness to deepen, and your perspective to shift.

So, Go Small.
Because the little moments in life aren’t little.