You make beautiful things out of dust

I watched this YouTube video a while ago about "falling with style". I wanted to learn that, how to fall with style... Where is the line between holding yourself to unattainable standards and not putting forth any effort? How?

  Well. Last Wednesday, I had one of those moments and was ready to quit trying. In short, that dang straw probably hopped on the camels back again and I was done.

And then I went to youth group and God gave me what I needed in the lesson.
First: we listened to the song "Beautiful Things".
"You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of dust. You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of us." "You make me new, you are making me new."
It's a process. I am dust and God is making me new... not, God made me new for the one and only time and I blew my chance, so good luck to me. His grace is enough.
And, a question from Wednesday: am I being made new?
Second: words have power. James 3 says that a man who can control his tongue is able to keep his whole body in check.
Wow.
Have I mentioned I'm not very good at that, either?
Third: give thanks. I read a quote today that said: "If anyone would tell you the shortest, surest way to all happiness—
he must tell you to make it a rule to yourself to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you.
For it is certain that whatever seeming calamity happens to you, if you thank and praise God for it, you turn it into a blessing."

Seems easy enough, right? I'll name five right now: Abby's free laugh, hot coffee, community, showers, and getting to spend tomorrow with people I love. But then you realize... *everything* that happens to you--That includes when siblings decide it's necessary to fight again, when my back still hurts and the dishes wait and I burned the cookies, and I have a lot to do... And not only thanks, but also praise? When someone was rude earlier, I told them "thanks for your opinion", but to thank God and praise him?

Yes. A process from dust to something beautiful, learning the discipline of giving thanks for all things, pretty with unicorns and glitter or not.