I’m not much of a journaler. I wish I was. I always admire people who can say things like, “I’ve been keeping a spiritual journal for the last 25 years and I’m just starting my 37th notebook.” Of course, if I could say that, I’d probably be spiritually proud about it, so maybe it’s just as well.

My devotional life has always been a little more… unstructured.

I’m not saying that’s ideal. I’m just describing reality.

Over the years, I’ve definitely benefited from a variety of rhythms and disciplines. Listening through the Bible has been especially meaningful, and I’m grateful that so many of us are doing that together this year as a church family. I’ve benefited from devotional books like Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening and various lectionaries and devotionals that show up in my inbox from Max Lucado and Paul David Tripp. I often work my way through the Psalms. There have been seasons when keeping a prayer list has been especially helpful. But honestly, one of my favorite things is simply sitting with an open Bible, a cup of coffee, and a pen, underlining phrases that seem to jump off the page. It’s always amazing how God’s Word connects with the daily details of my life.

Overall, my devotional life is probably best described as… eclectic.

But there’s one thing I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, and I’m finally committing to it this summer: a Thankfulness Journal.

Pam did this several years ago after reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. The basic idea was simple: intentionally keep a daily record of things you’re thankful for as they arise out of ordinary life. The goal in the book was eventually to list one thousand gifts. Yes, that’s a one with three zeros after it.

When Pam first told me about it, I was a little skeptical.

How do you keep that going? Wouldn’t it get repetitive after a while?

“I’m thankful for my salvation… my family… my church… the Bible… my kids… wait… I already said family…”

But Pam discovered something surprising after she started: gratitude really wasn’t hard to find at all. She would simply pause for a few moments at the end of the day, reflect, and naturally begin noticing all kinds of things to be thankful for.

Repetition was perfectly fine. And it also didn’t have to be overly spiritualized. There was no contradiction in being thankful for the Holy Spirit and chocolate ice cream in the same journal entry.

In fact, I think that may be part of the beauty of it — simply allowing gratitude to rise naturally for the almost innumerable undeserved blessings God pours into our lives every single day.

The Bible teaches us that gratitude is far more than positive thinking or merely “always looking on the bright side of life.” Thankfulness actually reshapes the heart. It reorients us toward God.

Because a thankful heart notices grace more easily, it becomes more attentive to what God is doing in our lives. If every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father above (James 1:17), then recognizing and acknowledging those gifts in real time gives us a front-row seat to God’s daily care and provision.

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” — Psalm 107:1

It’s hard to live entitled, cynical, or constantly dissatisfied when we are intentionally remembering all that we’ve received.

Gratitude also has a way of calming an anxious heart. Paul writes in Philippians 4 that we are to bring our requests to God “with thanksgiving,” and that “the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). There’s something spiritually grounding about remembering God’s faithfulness while we’re carrying our burdens.

Thankfulness helps keep disappointment or frustration from becoming the only lens through which we see life. We may be waiting on God in one area, grieving in another, and struggling with unanswered questions, but gratitude reminds us that His grace is still showing up all around us. Even while one prayer remains unanswered, we are still receiving countless evidence of His kindness every single day.

Thankfulness also deepens joy and contentment. It nurtures humility and dependence as we remind ourselves of the true source of every good thing. We have less time to compare ourselves with others when we’re occupied with acknowledging the blessings we already have.

“What do you have that you did not receive?” — 1 Corinthians 4:7

Gratitude also provides a stabilizing anchor through the ups and downs of life. I’m sure over the next couple of months there will be hard days… days of struggle, disappointment, maybe even loss. Yet Scripture says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). That verse doesn’t mean every circumstance is good. It means that even in difficult circumstances, God’s goodness and grace have not disappeared.

When I was a kid I loved it when we frequently sang the old gospel song Count Your Blessings on Sunday nights.

“Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your blessings, see what God has done…”

So, here I sit on June 3 with a bunch of blank pages in front of me, pen poised, ready to begin my own little journey of thankfulness. One thousand thankful things begins with number 1.

My encouragement to you is not necessarily to join me — although you certainly can if you’d like — but simply to cultivate gratitude more intentionally this summer. Slow down enough to notice grace. Take a few moments to acknowledge God’s kindness in ordinary life.

I think you’ll discover that gratitude does far more than improve your mood — it gradually reshapes your soul.

And sometime near the end of September, I’ll check back in and let you know how it’s going.