I made this: Grateful frame

As Thanksgiving approaches, I know we all think about things we are thankful for a little more... I've been thinking about it a lot as the day draws near.  I read an article in the newspaper that said people who are grateful are more happy, well rested, emotionally stable and live longer than their ungrateful counterparts.  I want to be like that.  So many times, I get upset and forget about the many things God has done for me and the many millions of things I have to be thankful for.  It was just a little more than a week ago that I was in Africa seeing tremendous poverty first hand and yet I can still feel like I need more stuff in order to be happy.  I don't want to live the rest of my life like that.  I want to grow in gratitude.  Our pastor talked about gratitude this week at church, too and the scripture that keeps ringing in my head is this:
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines, even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty yet will I rejoice in the Lord!  I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.
Isn't this what gratitude is about?  Not dwelling on all that is wrong, but being joyful in the "God of our salvation".  It doesn't mean I have to celebrate every awful circumstance, it just means that when circumstances are awful I can remember my God and the many millions of things I have to be thankful for.

We're headed to spend Thanksgiving with some of our best friends and I thought it would be a good chance to practice gratitude together, so I whipped up this little craft I found in Better Homes and Gardens. I'm excited to share with our friends and excited to remember all we have to be thankful for.

I used an old frame we bought for the fundraiser, tea stained some white cloth and wrapped it around some foam board. 

Using old cardboard I cut to size and glued a map scrap to it and then made this little sign

I downloaded some leaf templates and cut them out on scrap paper for us to write what we are grateful for on

Throughout the week, we'll write what we're thankful for and secure it to the frame

At the end of the week, this frame will be bursting with gratitude

What can you do to remind yourself of all you have to be thankful for?