The Bible says that whatever we sow, we reap.
It seems to me that when I sow gratitude and thanks giving, blessings abound,
and when I sow murmuring, griping and complaining, troubles abound.
Maybe giving thanks doesn't produce more blessings,
maybe it just causes me to see the blessings already around me.
Maybe murmuring, griping and complaining just makes me too blind to see my blessings.
All I know is, gratitude certainly makes life better, makes it sweeter,
whereas a life of grumbling and complaining is a miserable existence.
I choose gratitude.
****************
In 2012 I followed the prompts in Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare in counting my thanks.
In 2013 I'm going back to the way I did it in the beginning,
just noticing and recording the many extraordinary blessings in my ordinary life.
And so I continue to count my thanks
piling up gratitude day by day
in my little black journal.
(and capturing some of them via my camera or iPhone)
#3964- #3984
11-4-13-
-a healthy heartbeat
-God's provision
-dinner for the two of us at home on a quiet evening
11-5-13-
-two sacks full of fruit and veggies for under $8 at the produce market
-our youngest coming over for dinner during her break at work
11-6-13-
-the Hubs and I taking the two oldest grands to try out a new pizza place
-The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp arriving in my mail
-the blessing that our (in)courager group (in)life after fifty has been
-a sweet facebook message from an old friend
11-7-13-
-babysitting the two youngest grands this morning
-lunch with a friend from church who's recuperating from a recent surgery
-a special blog post written by my daughter, (that will be posted on my blog this week)
11-8-13-
-lunch with oldest daughter, our son-in-law and our two youngest grands
-the Hubs and I watching a favorite movie together
-a new 2014 planner/calendar
11-9-13-
-roses from the Hubs
-creative ideas as the holidays draw near
-a safe trip for the Hubs and youngest daughter to Seattle and back for the game
11-10-13-
-God's Word
-praying with people at the altar
-lunch with "our age" group, (I don't like to call us the seniors group!), after church
gratefully yours,
Just wonderful. :)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, that pizza looks yummy.
The pizza was yummy! Thanks, Stacey!
DeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comment, Farrah!
DeleteLots of wonderful things to post about, huh? God is good....all the time.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a blessed week ahead.
Debbi
God is so good! Thanks for being an encouragement to me, Debbi!
DeleteDear Elizabeth. Thank you for this beautiful blog. You are a blessing in my life. I thank God we crossed paths. Have a wonderful blessed week❤~
ReplyDeleteAnd you are a blessing to me as well!
DeleteElizabeth,
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you. I'm hopping over from Ann's link up to count gifts too. Yes, I too just started re-reading the One Thousand Gifts book, and committed to another time of more organized gift-counting in my notebook again. My gifts had started being written down anywhere and not really counting up. It's too easy to slip into a "default of discontent instead of doxology" huh?
Smiling at your gifts of pizza outings, time with your man, and special friends,
Blessings to you, Elizabeth,
Jennifer Dougan
www.jenniferdougan.com
It's always a blessing to meet other gratitude gathers from Ann's!
DeleteI enjoyed taking the time to come read your thanksgiving this week, and I loved what you said about reaping what attitudes we sow. Excellent.
ReplyDeleteI've missed you, friend! How are you?
DeleteThanks, Meghan! Happy to "meet" you here!
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI am a very tardy Multitudes on Monday link up-ee! I am nodding along right with you about how when the gratitude listing stops the grumbling, complaining, anger, and selfishness continues, in continuing and every growing circles. I stopped and started so many times in the last 2 and 1/2 years, which is why it took me nearly 2 years to get to 1000. The Lord made the connection so obvious to me that I have made the commitment to never stop. I have found that it has become a natural recorder of our family memories as well, since so much we list, as you wrote, are the simple experiences of home and the people in your life. Having this running family record is such a wonderful bonus. I like 2 for 1 deals.
Cheers,
Leah