An Attitude of Gratitude

I've been thinking a lot about gratitude again lately and how much I have to be thankful for. I realized recently that sometimes when I share my gratitude to God in public it sounds kind of lame and I wish I had better words to express the thoughts and feelings within me.
Today I sat down with my devotional journal and listed a few of the things that I am grateful to God for. It pretty much covers my life.
There are the basics, salvation and all of the work that God did in my life to that point and from that point. Of course, since I "got saved" at an early age, you could say that a lot of that was just maturing, but I see it much more as God's work in my life. I have such a strong will (the bane of my mother when I was a child :D ) and God has used that for much good and He has also mellowed it in many areas so that I don't (always) override people in pursuit of my goals.
But beyond that sphere of things which could probably go on for pages, I am also grateful to be in the family that I am in. I love all of my family, from the ones who were born in, married into, or "adopted". I feel blessed that we are all of us following Jesus. Not only that but as a part of a missionary family I have had unusual opportunities to travel and had seen so many places while I was still a child. My parents are still traveling, they are in Russia right now, America earlier this year, and I've heard rumors of Canada later this year. It exhausts me just to think about it, yet I am grateful that they have the health and strength and calling to do that.
And of course, there are my friends. I live by myself and as I read recently, when you live by yourself you expect to be lonely sometimes, and it is perfectly true! Those feelings of loneliness make me value my times with friends and family even more. But even here, where I don't have a lot of close friends, I still have access through the internet and phone to my friends in other places in the world (mostly internet).
Another area that I have a lot to be grateful for is my health. I am sick a lot. And it is discouraging. At the same time, I can see how God has used that to work in me and to help me learn to depend on Him so much more and recognize His greatness in my life. And the bad days make me cherish the good and value them and use my time more wisely. It also makes me appreciate the suffering of others and have more compassion for them and patience with them. And it strengthens me spiritually as I learn to fend of the enemies attacks on my spirit.
Finances and general provision are another area. God has been so gracious! I have a beautiful apartment, nice furniture and in general live in comfort. But even when I didn't live in this kind of luxury God was always providing for me. He has always provided for my food and my bills and my general needs. Right now I am just basking in the abundance of His provision. And yes, I am aware that it will not last forever and for that I am grateful too because it helps me to value it more now and not take it for granted.

I feel like I have meandered through a general expression of a very few of the things that I am grateful for. And this one little post does not do justice to the feelings in my heart. Gratitude is something you practice, not something you have. I hope and pray that I will practice it through eternity (to infinity and beyond! :) ).