There is a good reason why in his second letter to Timothy, Paul listed ingratitude (ungratefulness) right in the middle of such evil companions as abusiveness, heartlessness, brutishness, and treachery (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Because that's where it belongs. Ingratitude is no less heinous a sin than these other evil traits. In fact, so powerful is the influence exerted by ingratitude, that when we displace it with gratitude, we will likely find a multitude of other sins dislodged from our lives. Notice how Paul instructed the Ephesians: "Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving" (Ephesians 5:4).
~Nancy Leigh DeMoss, "Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy"
One of my favorite things about coming back to America is indulging in the many ways the seasons delight my senses.
It's easy to have a grateful heart when the world is this beautiful and everything tastes of cloves and cinnamon and nutmeg and the mornings are crisp and cool.
I'm soaking it all up in the storehouse of my memory for the next time we are living in the Solomon Islands and time seems to stand still.
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