Gratitude as a key to confidence in God's love...

I've mentioned before that for these going on seven years that I've kept a gratitude journal it has been  a life changing practice.  I've not been specific though in the ways that counting my blessings with paper and ink has changed my life.  I think having a mindset that's focused on noticing God's faithfulness and daily care of us has built my faith and encouraged me.  The way it has impacted me the most, however, is that it's made me so confident of God's love for me, confident that I'm His girl and He's got my back.  Sure there are lots of big things where I've seen His amazing faithfulness, like in the sale of our long time home and our move to our new to us house.  But, my confidence in His love for me personally has grown through seeing Him in the small things, in things I've not told another person that I desire, and yet my good, good Father sees and knows and surprises me with those things time after time.  I know that He is more than capable to handle the big needs in my life, the prayer requests I've been praying for years, because of His amazing faithfulness and surprising abundance in my life in thousands of little ways.  How can I not be grateful, and how can I not notice His great love?

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Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.

 I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my journal.

(and capturing some of my blessings via my camera or iPhone)

#8250-#8276

4-4-16-

-our son-in-law's 40th birthday!

-my friend coming to exercise class

-an encouraging email

4-5-16-

-our grandson cuddling in bed with us when he got dropped off at our house early in the morning 

and falling asleep

-my granddaughter so excited to see her cousin when she got dropped off here for her "Nana school" day

-a text with cute photos of my youngest grandson at the beach

-time with my granddaughter at the park after we got her schoolwork done

-Papa taking us out to Hula Boy for dinner

-the way she snuggles up on my lap when I read aloud to her

-jumping rope together

4-6-16-

-the Columbia River so calm it was like glass when I drove over the bridge

-youngest granddaughter so cute in her pink dress with sharks on it 

-going for a run by the river and seeing it crowded with fishing boats

-the blossom laden trees along the walkway

4-7-16-

-summer type weather

-getting a little goal I set for myself done

-home with a migraine, but hearing that prayer time at church went well

4-8-16-

-a little Friday date day getaway with my husband

-eating lunch at our favorite spot

-a nice evening walk

4-9-16-

-safe travels

-good soup and bread for lunch

-the lilacs in bloom along our back fence

4-10-16-

-quiet time and coffee early on Sunday morning

-the youth leading the service at church this morning with a great message by our Truelife Espanol pastor

-a fun and unexpected lunch out with the last stragglers to leave the church besides us

-my friend just moved closer to where I live

still following,