Your Third Place Matters
This November, we’re slowing down to reflect on what it really means to cultivate gratitude. Scripture tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances,” but that kind of gratitude isn’t a one-time event–it’s a rhythm. A way of seeing God’s hand in the everyday.
Throughout this week, we’re sharing personal reflections from members of the ACO family–board members, pastors, and ministry partners who have seen God’s goodness in unexpected ways. From quiet moments of worship in Kenya to the curveballs of everyday life, their stories remind us that gratitude isn’t based on what we have, but on who God is.
Join us as we walk through these stories and rediscover the daily rhythm of giving thanks.
Your Third Place Matters
First place: home.
Second place: work or school.
Third place: the place that makes your soul breathe.
For some people, it’s a coffee shop.
For others, the gym, the choir room, a park bench, or a friend’s back porch.
And for many of us, it’s wherever we experience an unhurried sense of connection.
When we intentionally create rhythms of gratitude, those “third places” become more than just spaces, they become anchors. They become environments where our brains and our hearts learn that joy is possible even in a world that feels heavy.
Gratitude Really Does Reshape Us
Research shows what Scripture has told us all along:
What we repeatedly focus on becomes the lens through which we see the world.
When we:
• Look for three specific things to be grateful for each day,
• Replay a meaningful moment from the past 24 hours,
• Choose kindness,
• Breathe deeply,
• And engage in small acts of connection,
we’re not just “being positive.”
We’re retraining our brains toward hope.
We’re building neural pathways that support peace.
We’re strengthening the mental, emotional, and spiritual muscles that carry us during hard seasons.
Gratitude is not accidental.
It is cultivated.
What Gratitude Looked Like for Me This Week
Happy Thanksgiving & Happy Gratitude Week.
This is really excellent! Such God given wisdom! Beautiful words from a beautiful woman of God! I love you, Cari!