Weekly Gratitude Journal

Sometimes I have to look back through my gratitude journal to figure out where the time went. How is it already the ninth of May? I continually have good intentions to post more regularly and then this happens. Time has zoomed by and I can't figure out where it went. It's curious that I look in my gratitude journal rather than at my calendar. On the calendar are weekly and monthly meetings, and growth groups and leadership meetings and gatherings and dinners and birthdays and holidays. But in my journal are recorded sweet moments spent in the early mornings with my hot cup of coffee and my open Bible and journal, phone calls with siblings, FaceTime calls with grandkids, walks in the unpredictable spring weather of the Pacific Northwest, a Saturday afternoon spent with a friend, a pot of tea on a weekday afternoon and deep conversation and prayer with another friend, date days with my husband. In other words, recorded in my gratitude journal are both the ways I'm spending this one precious life God has given me and the ways God has met me and blessed me in the middle of it all. With that said, join me as I share some of those ways here with you. Today it's the past three weeks...

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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)

#16,882-#16,948

4-17-2023-

-waking up to sunshine

-God's faithful provision and care for us

-good reports of what God is doing in our growth groups

4-18-2023-

-God is hearing and answering our prayers for a loved one

-our youngest grandson went from not talking to talking up a storm, 

seemingly overnight!

-getting a walk in the one hour it didn't rain today!

4-19-2023-

-a good report from my physical-thank You, Lord for a healthy body!

-phone chats with all three of my girls today

-a sunny evening after a rainy day

4-20-2023-

-a nice hot Venti Americano

-such good weekly prayer points and scriptures prepared by one of the women in our church

-tonight's Bible study was so good!

4-21-2023-

-Friday Date Day with my guy

-finding some new walking shoes that I needed, at a discount price!

-my hub's giving our pup a bath

4-22-2023-

-a sweet time of prayer and the Word

-a clean house

-tea and catching up with J.

-a phone call with my oldest sister

-our favorite muffins (with eggs-breakfast for dinner)

4-23-2023-

-a baby dedication

-a good morning in God's house

-Sunday afternoon rest

4-24-2023-

-a FaceTime call with my youngest granddaughter

-a successful gluten free cheddar garlic biscuit made for my friend who has celiac

-a delicious dinner, fellowship, communion, prayer and time of sharing at growth group

4-25-2023-

-lunch with our oldest daughter and her husband

-a beautiful, sunny spring day

-God working out what could have been a difficult situation in a beautiful way

4-26-2023-

God's abundant care for us

-a walk by the sea

-a phone chat and prayer with a friend

4-27-2023-

-a warm and sunny day

-sharing a pot of tea with a friend

-an encouraging and helpful call with a leader

4-28-2023-

-a slow, lazy Friday date day morning

-summer like weather

-dinner outside by the river

4-29-2023-

-a fun Saturday afternoon with a friend

-finding the perfect gift for someone

-this beautiful day

4-30-2023-

-Sunday morning Sbux in bed before church

-trusting God with life's unknowns

-walking our dog with my friend and her dog

5-1-2023-

-It's May!

-roast beef, potatoes, carrots and homemade sourdough bread shared with friends

-God's provision

-a bouquet of lilacs from our backyard

5-2-2023-

-my husband filling up my car for me

-buying and making some fun things in anticipation of decorating my grandson's birthday cake

-going to our eleven year old granddaughter's school concert

5-3-2023-

-a new journal

-lunch with a friend I've not seen in a long time

-God's comfort when I feel alone

5-4-2023-

-waking up to a thunder and lightening storm

-God speaking to me from Judges 2 and 3

-a kind and gentle phlebotomist 

5-5-2023-

-Facetime call with my middle girl and her two youngest boys

-sweet text from my oldest grandson

a lazy Friday date day with my guy

5-6-2023-

-good results of my bloodwork

-an especially sweet time in the word and prayer this morning

-a young man from church mowing our grass for us

-my guy bringing home dinner so I didn't have to cook tonight

5-7-2023-

-a great Sunday worship time, message and discussion

-a nice Sunday afternoon nap after waking up at 4:30 this morning for some unknown reason

-a Sunday evening walk

still following,