11.15.2010

Learning Gratitude: 1000 Gifts

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." 1 Chr. 16:34


It seems like a good time of year to learn gratitude. And I can't seem to get this Gratitude Community out of my head. And God is so good, how can I not give thanks?

So here I go. In no particular order, naming 1000 of the gifts God's given to me; undeserving me. I'll try to post at least 25 each Monday, which should get me to 1000 in ten months. Feel free to join me!

1. A weekend at home with my family

2. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies

3. An unprompted “please” and “thank you” from my son

4. Moments to teach my son “God is always with you” when scary monsters come to his active imagination

5. My son remembering “God wit me” when he started to get scared about monsters before naptime

6. A safe drive to the store in the midst of a snowstorm

7. Getting a stress-relieving check in the mail as I drop off the mortgage payment

8. Dear sisters falling in love with godly men

9. A generous giver providing gifts to stuff in Operation Christmas Child boxes

10. An obedient, cuddly son “helping” stuff the boxes

11. Time to talk and hold hands with my husband

12. Putting up a beautiful Christmas tree with my sweet family

13. Holding my husband close; remembering our Christmas Eve engagement as we put up the “Our First Christmas Together” ornament

14. Watching my husband and son play and tickle and wrestle

15. Chai tea and hot cocoa to soothe my throat

16. Chocolate chip pancakes on Sunday morning

17. A low-key day at work … alone time to recover from my cold and my cranky attitude

18. A full night’s sleep, despite sickness and my son’s potty-training

19. Helpful and kind co-workers

20. Work schedules that allow for fewer daycare days and more family days

21. A daycare my son enjoys (that’s also affordable and close to home!)

22. Not falling on the ice this morning

23. Loving on an old friend whose brokenness is being healed as she learns to love Jesus

24. A mind that can memorize Proverbs 15:1 … “a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”

25. My son who hears my memorizing and decides “anger” is really “angel”, who won’t stop talking about angels fighting the “bad guys”

26. Remembering I’m His Beloved, and He is mine


holy experience

4 comments:

  1. i love number 8 :) makes me grateful too!

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  2. I have been thinking and writing about these things lately as well. It is good to take the step back and see what He has given us. :)

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  3. There is nothing better to cure hopelessness and sadness than reminding yourself of the many things God has blessed us with! Especially those blessings you become so used to, you forget about. Really changes your perspective for the rest of the day!

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  4. @theravenquoth... don't they just make you smile? :) hopefully we'll get to meet one of these days!
    @Kaitlyn I completely agree. It helps me to remember who God is and how He cares for me in the smallest things.
    @Lauren You've inspired me in this area. I love reading your "Thankful" statuses. :)

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