In the letter to the people at Philippi, Paul wanted us to think on things that are beautiful, pure, and excellent. He wanted to teach us asset-based thinking. He wanted to teach us the art of appreciative inquiry. He wanted to limit criticism and the culture of complaint. Paul wanted us to be thankful.

Oddly, being thankful does not come naturally to us.

We stayed at our best friend's house while taking our daughter on a college visit. We forgot to send a thank-you note. We had a wonderful time — good food, clean sheets, great talk. But still we forgot to send a thank-you note. How we forgot that this particular friend stands on formality I’ll never know! We had spent dozens of thanksgivings together when our group of six maintained a regular practice with each other. Her note always sh…