and be ye thankful

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15.

As it turns out, being grateful is good for you.

A review of social science research in the Wall Street Journal finds that being thankful is related to psychological, emotional and even physical health.

Grateful people, in fact, have more energy, more optimism and more friends. They also make more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and fight off viruses more successfully.

And that’s just the adults. Grateful kids make better grades and set higher goals. They are also less materialistic.

These associations could be like the chicken and the egg. Maybe these people have better lives already, and more to be thankful. But some studies of counting your blessings have tested people before and after times when they were intentional about it.

For example…