Thank You Notes

I have always appreciated a well-written Thank You Note. You know the ones I'm talking about. Not the "Thanks for the gift. You're great." variety, which, to me, really say "I'm only writing this because I'm supposed to, and my heart isn't really in it."

Now, I say this sincerely, however, I'm totally guilty of writing the obligatory Thank You Note from time to time. I tend to procrastinate (A LOT) when I have a bunch of Thank Yous to write (ie WEDDING! BABY!) because in my heart of hearts, I'd like each note to be personal, genuine and sincere. And then sometimes, I end up taking the short cut with a "thanks for the gift" note in an effort to just get them DONE. My apologies if you've ever received one of those. I wanted to say more, I promise.

Anyway, I've been thinking about thankfulness lately... Mulling over all the things that I have to be thankful for. I've been studying Colossians, and these verses have been on my mind:

⁶So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2: 6-7

Particularly, the "overflowing with thankfulness" part.
What exactly does that look like?
I wrote notes in my bible from a sermon a year ago that say "a lifestyle of thankfulness is a mark of spiritual maturity. " When you can truly be thankful in all circumstances, then you truly understand God's grace and mercy.
The way I see it, a lifestyle of thankfulness can't help but be joyful. I dare you to be thankful for something without also feeling a sense of joy. (Also reminds me of my favorite verse Philippians 4:8, which says: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." You can't help but be a positive person, full of the joy of the Lord if you think on these things.)

So, yesterday while driving, I started to think about the kind of Thank You Notes I'd write to God. Would they be the "thanks for the gift" variety? Or would I MAKE time to write the personal, genuine kind that express my deep gratitude for his unbelievable blessings?

I want to believe that I'd opt for the latter.

Which led to my next thought...

Why am I NOT writing God Thank You Notes? I mean, I'm not much of a journaler, but what a great way to become one! And since the Thank You Note format is so familiar... why not start writing down my Thank Yous to Him? (And as an added bonus, what a great reminder of His FAITHFULNESS it will be to look back over them in the future!)

So that's my new plan.
Feel free to join me in my journey to a lifestyle overflowing with thankfulness.