Why "Praise"?

Many people ask me why I call myself "Praise", when, as most of you know, my given name is Claire. So I figured, well, I might as well write it here for the record.
In 2004, when I was living in Hungary, I realized I needed a big change in my life. I was happy, but for some reason my thoughts and words always seemed to be very negative. Most people notice this about themselves at some point or another in their lives, but it was becoming a heavy problem for me.
I'd like to sincerely thank my coworkers and counsellors who were there for me during that difficult time, who helped me get to the core of my issues and gave me so much love, time and attention. The conclusion I reached was that I was lacking gratitude in my heart. In our line of work as missionaries, humanitarian workers, volunteers and counsellors, the most important thing to possess is a strong faith in and personal relationship with God. If you know He loves you, will always be with you, and will take care of you throughout every moment of your life, what is there to complain about?
I decided that the solution was to become a woman of praise and thankfulness, with a healthy heart of faith. But... well, resolutions are hard to hang on to without something solid to anchor you to it, so after a frustrating week or so, I decided I would change my name to PRAISE, so every time someone called my name, it would be a heady reminder to PRAISE THE LORD for whatever was happening right then.
It worked, too.
Okay, I still think negatively sometimes, and I'm not always bouncing with delight, but I've changed significantly, and I'm so thankful for that time in my life, because it resulted in my discovering for myself the key to true happiness: gratitude for EVERYTHING the Lord sends my way. Love you all!

"Rejoice evermore! In everything give thanks."
(1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18, KVJ)