In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Karen Ellis Richardson has gratitude for some new things now that she has completed paddling 1750 miles in her kayak from her Florida home to her high school reunion. Karen who is 48-years-old, received along the way five marriage proposals, and seven nights of free lodging from many new friends. But perhaps, what she has the most gratitude for is as Richardson says, “It feels good to stand up!”

A character trait, which psychologists now recognize as being helpful in the development and maintenance of happiness is gratitude or thanksgiving. Of course, those of faith have long known that gratitude is an essential to living the successful life. Counting your blessings, and naming them one by one, has sustained many of God's saints through the storms of life. Psychologists finally have come to the realization, that talking and writing about what you are grateful for increases your happiness, and they have done the studies to prove it.

The Psalmist in Psalm 18 gives the Christian some things for which to have gratitude. Here are just a few:

God wants to have a personal relationship with you.
God is your Strength.
God is your Rock.
God is your Fortress.
God is your Deliverer.

Do you want to be happy? If you do, then you will need gratitude, and to develop that gratitude you must grow in the awareness of those things in your life that are blessings. Every day, find something new to be grateful about, and throughout the day thank your God for it. Each day, find something new to praise Him, and thank Him for. In just a few weeks, you’ll find that you have developed an attitude of gratitude, and along the way increased your level of happiness. What are you most thankful about today?