December 15, 2025
Before a new school year starts, MSI leaders in Indonesia pause from their busy schedules to gather, pray, and listen for God’s leading. During this moment, the guiding theme for all 74 educational sites is discerned. This year, the Lord has impressed the word “eucharisteo” on their hearts.
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By Paul Richardson
Not long ago, I made a simple commitment: every day, to write down at least three personal expressions of gratitude in my journal. I didn’t anticipate how deeply this practice would reshape the way I see the world. Gratitude has moved from being an occasional feeling to becoming the lens through which I notice life.
Just the other day, I was riding my bicycle through the mountain trails near my city. As I pedaled, I began to notice the smallest details. An elderly couple sitting quietly in front of their home, sipping tea. The songs of birds echoing through the rainforest. The sky, brilliantly blue, with clouds full and rich in texture. Children laughing as they played near the roadside. These weren’t extraordinary events—but my heart came alive as I saw them. What changed was not the world around me, but the posture of my own heart.
The Bible tells a story in Luke 17:11–18 that captures this truth. Ten lepers were healed by Jesus, yet only one turned back, fell at His feet, and said “thank you.” Ten people experienced the same miracle. Only one of them discovered life-changing gratitude. Two people can go through the exact same situation and yet experience it completely differently. The difference is gratitude.
Most of us assume we are grateful, but transformative, powerful, life-changing gratitude is actually rare. It requires intention. It requires slowing down. It requires choosing to see blessings where others see only routine. Gratitude lifts our eyes from what we lack and fixes them on the abundance we have already been given.
This is why, at Mustard Seed Schools, we are committing ourselves to the daily practice of writing and sharing at least three expressions of gratitude. The Greek word for “thank you” is eucharisteo, and this is our theme for the year. This is not only for our students, but also for our teachers and parents. Imagine a community where hundreds of voices, young and old, rise each day with thanksgiving. Gratitude begins to multiply. It changes conversations. It reshapes attitudes. It creates an atmosphere of joy and hope.
When we practice gratitude, we begin to notice what was always there: the kindness and grace of God woven into the details of our lives. And like the one leper who returned to Jesus, we find ourselves kneeling at His feet, overwhelmed by the goodness we almost overlooked.
So today, in the midst of these busy days as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, I invite you to take up this same practice. Pause for a moment. Open your eyes. Look around you. Notice the blessings already present in your life—the people, the beauty, the provision, the breath in your lungs. Write them down. Speak them out. Share them with others.
Gratitude is not only a response to good things; it is a way of seeing. And when we choose this way of seeing, our hearts come alive.
