More Punch 8/28

This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Ps.118: 24

We are learning to use the practice of active gratitude, which is simply taking a few moments and asking the Holy Spirit as you close your eyes to bring back a memory that activates gratitude in your heart and mind. As we recall this memory and let its emotions of gratefulness, peace, calmness and hope linger for twenty seconds or more, it allows the benefit of attached emotions to cascade over our soul. This practice of Re-Joy renews our mind and brings about the gladness that is spoken of in this scripture. First Re-Joy and then the gladness follows.
What’s amazing about your brain is that once it relives these experiences of joy, it will search to find a similar encounter. Your brain seeks and is fueled by these joy-based experiences. So the more you practice active gratitude, the more positive and beneficial memories and their emotions set in, and your brain will choose them and replace negative and problematic tracks of the brain. You have experienced this brain process before. It’s called the Baader Meinhof phenomenon. It’s when a cognitive bias takes place, where people tend to see a particular thing everywhere after noticing it for the first time. Like when you set your heart and mind on a getting a new car and after learning the make, style and model, you all of a sudden see the same vehicle everyplace, where before you never noticed it. This is how God has designed your brain. It will be sensitized to seek and attach to these grateful refreshed memories.
So start this day that God has given you with the healthy and wonderful renewing practice of active gratitude and see the gladness of His grace replace the junk and negative emotions of your past experiences.

Q: How do you think active gratitude brings greater understanding to the scripture, “The joy of the Lord is my strength”?
Q: Practice active gratitude now. What one memory does the Holy Spirit bring to your mind?