Thankful Thursday
Recently, I have been reminded how much I value gratitude. There have been several instances in the past couple of weeks that have brought this to the forefront of my mind. A sweet teen that we know and love was sharing her heart with me. I told her that in certain hard seasons of my own life I have really benefited from keeping a gratitude journal where I write down five things that I am grateful for each day. Believe me, there were times when those entries were pitiful: "Thank you for a working toilet." But they directed my mind back towards the positive side of life. Most of the time I could come up with something better than that. And, it seems gratitude breeds gratitude. Don't believe me? Go out of your way to show the significant people in your life that you appreciate them and watch what transpires. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday!
For Christmas, I got a book called "Calm My Anxious Heart" by Linda Dillow. I have actually enjoyed the book before. Somewhere along the way, I lent it out and forgot who I lent it to. All that to say that it made the Christmas wish list and I am so glad it did! It is a great reminder that being anxious (nice way of saying "worrying") does so many damaging things. It talks about ways to really release my grip on life. I am moving, sometimes slowly, from a position of trying to "hold it all together" to a place where I actively trust God to be my "Blessed Controller" of the circumstances in my life. It is not a passive place to live. I still take action. But it is a place of peace where I release my desire for control of the outcomes.
I was talking with some dear friends that meet once a week in my home to share life and study the Bible together. One dear one suggested...ok, challenged, me to do the gratitude journal again. I negotiated for her to do it as well, and we compromised on one list a week.
Just thinking of the good things in life is...well...good. Even people who do not believe in God know that positive thinking is effective in the general well-being of a person. But the thing that I absolutely love most about a gratitude list is that it leads my heart back to remembering my God who is so active in my life...even in the smallest of things. It leads me to a place of communicating with Him and telling Him all that he means to me. It leads me to worship.
This is a little background to the newest addition to my blog. Each Thursday, I plan to post the past week's gratitude list. Sometimes with photos, sometimes not. Probably all that will depend on how much time I have for the entry and whether or not I have any cute photos I am wanting to share. The intention is to remind me of how very much I have to be grateful for and hopefully encourage the faithful handful of you who read this to think through your week and look for God's faithfulness in your own journey. So without any further ado, happy reading!
This week, I am especially thankful for:
1. gentle giraffes because they are my favorite animal and family time at the zoo
2. an amazing husband who loves being a daddy- and is so good at it!
3. funny moments that bring laughter to our days
4. my precious group of little munchkins
5. my time each day that I can read and refuel and spend time with God
Now it's your turn!
For Christmas, I got a book called "Calm My Anxious Heart" by Linda Dillow. I have actually enjoyed the book before. Somewhere along the way, I lent it out and forgot who I lent it to. All that to say that it made the Christmas wish list and I am so glad it did! It is a great reminder that being anxious (nice way of saying "worrying") does so many damaging things. It talks about ways to really release my grip on life. I am moving, sometimes slowly, from a position of trying to "hold it all together" to a place where I actively trust God to be my "Blessed Controller" of the circumstances in my life. It is not a passive place to live. I still take action. But it is a place of peace where I release my desire for control of the outcomes.
I was talking with some dear friends that meet once a week in my home to share life and study the Bible together. One dear one suggested...ok, challenged, me to do the gratitude journal again. I negotiated for her to do it as well, and we compromised on one list a week.
Just thinking of the good things in life is...well...good. Even people who do not believe in God know that positive thinking is effective in the general well-being of a person. But the thing that I absolutely love most about a gratitude list is that it leads my heart back to remembering my God who is so active in my life...even in the smallest of things. It leads me to a place of communicating with Him and telling Him all that he means to me. It leads me to worship.
This is a little background to the newest addition to my blog. Each Thursday, I plan to post the past week's gratitude list. Sometimes with photos, sometimes not. Probably all that will depend on how much time I have for the entry and whether or not I have any cute photos I am wanting to share. The intention is to remind me of how very much I have to be grateful for and hopefully encourage the faithful handful of you who read this to think through your week and look for God's faithfulness in your own journey. So without any further ado, happy reading!
This week, I am especially thankful for:
1. gentle giraffes because they are my favorite animal and family time at the zoo
2. an amazing husband who loves being a daddy- and is so good at it!
3. funny moments that bring laughter to our days
4. my precious group of little munchkins
5. my time each day that I can read and refuel and spend time with God
Now it's your turn!
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