Planning thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving Day is ten days away.  I've got our menu written down in my bullet journal.  The texts have been flying back and forth between myself and our three daughters to see who wants to bring what to contribute to our meal.  I've been planning the table settings and what I want to do for a centerpiece. Obviously, our family Thanksgiving gathering for fourteen people doesn't just happen without some forethought.  Similarly, neither does living a thanksgiving lifestyle.  First, you must make a decision, a choice, to develop an attitude of gratitude. Then you have to plan for how you are going to make that happen.  I've written two posts, here and here, on practical tools that have helped me.  Yes, there are times when thanksgiving wells up within us and through us spontaneously when something wonderful happens in our life.  But in the mundane of our ordinary days, or in the trenches of seasons of testing and trial, thanksgiving and gratitude must be chosen, planned for, and cultivated.  That's why, this month, I celebrate the eighth anniversary of my daily gratitude journaling and weekly gratitude posts here online.  

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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)

#10,420-#10,446

11-6-17-

-God's provision-all I have needed Your hand has provided!

-my husband's love

-homemade guacamole on top of taco salad

11-7-17-

-cold weather outside, warm and cozy inside

-being in my happy place-in my kitchen cooking and baking for our small group gathering

-God's help getting everything on today's to-do list done

-seeing God working all things out for good regarding a situation we were praying about

-God's provision for a specific financial need 

11-8-17-

-heat that comes on at the turn of a dial

-tea, conversation, and prayer with a friend

-a rainy day walk

-a long overdue hair appointment

-falling asleep early

11-9-17-

-early to bed, early to rise!

-birthday lunch for a friend

-Thursday night after our church's prayer and worship service is over-

(which is like most people's Friday night, since Friday is my hub's day off)

11-10-17-

-a slow lazy morning

-spending a little time with our two youngest grandsons 

-a good movie that made me cry

-some favorite Christmas magazines to read

11-11-17-

-a beautiful autumn colored tree outside my kitchen window

-the smell of a pot roast cooking for dinner

-a great worship playlist

-my hub's telling me, "I love our home"

11-12-17-

-healing

-the hub's getting me a box of my new favorite tea

-Sunday afternoon resting

still following,