The very quality of your life, whether you love it or hate it, is based upon how thankful you are toward God. It is one's attitude that determines whether life unfolds into a place of blessedness or wretchedness. Indeed, looking at the same rose bush, some people complain that the roses have thorns; while others rejoice that some thorns come with roses. It all depends on your perspective. - Francis Frangipane

There is a term that Gen-Z uses "YOLO", it means You Only Live Once! If you want your life to have joy, you must first have thankfulness.

It seems that multitudes have become specialists in the science of misery as more and more people suffer from depression. Do you know what Depression really is? It is Automatic Negative Thinking.......Too many people have set themselves up as expert moral accountants, who can, in a moment, tally all the wrongs society has ever done to them. They hold on to unforgiveness like its a great treasure and what is doing for them? Most people who do this, eventually become angry, bitter and waste their lives blaming others for their pain, instead of taking the steps they need to heal. They are never happy, blessed or content about anything. They expect an imperfect world to treat them perfectly.

Bad things happen to Good people in this world, God does his best to bring good out of bad situations for his children's sake but He warned us we would have trouble and be persecuted, and He warned us we have an enemy. Truly there are people in this wounded world of ours who need special attention. However many of us just need to repent of ingratitude, for ingratitude helps to keep spiritual and emotional wounds alive. We need to forgive the wrongs of the past and be thankful for what we have in the present. This is one of the reasons that on our Matins (Midnight Prayer) page, we remind you to thank God for 3 things every night, go to your rest with an attitude of gratitude. I tell you the truth, if you want contentment and joy in your life, you must first find thankfulness. The unappreciative soul is always miserable, always complaining. The one who is thankful for even a little, enjoys much.

Believe me I know the Battle and struggle of fighting Automatic Negative Thinking, training your mind to turn off that tape that constantly repeats negative thoughts about yourself and your life. But you need to not just rebuke the negative thoughts but replace them with a new tape from Jesus. Jesus loves you, focus on his goodness and his loving kindness in your life, search out God's promises to you in the scripture and repeat them over and over to yourself, and thank Him. Feeling down - don't wallow in it, for too long, sing a praise song because as you do your feelings, your attitudes and your circumstances will all begin to change.