Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander,

along with every form of malice.

Be kind and compassionate to one another,

forgiving each other,

just as in Christ God forgave you

This evening, I have some things I want to share...

I sat here in prayer and realized just how blessed I am and just how much praise I need to be giving to GOD for all that I have in my life yesterday, today and tomorrow. I really need to be singing Him praise, glorifying His name to all the earth, being a reflection of His love for me to my fellow man.

I fall short...

I had to ask the Lord tonight for forgiveness for a rather rude interaction I had with a fellow driver today. We were stopped at a red light, the light changed, and the car behind me was feeling some impatience and honked his horn at me. That should have been that. However, I was feeling irritable and so instead of driving in a normal fashion I crept ever so slowly away from the light not going faster than 5 miles an hour until I had gone through the intersection.

This was so not a God thing to do. I know that it tore at God's heart that i was so rude to someone else He loves. The action of the other driver required no action on my part except to proceed forward in a normal fashion. Perhaps a wave and smile if the other driver passed me. Instead I showed rudeness.

I went to God, confessed, and now I need to guard against repeating the offense and replace the bad behavior I exhibited with behavior pleasing to my Lord.

How lucky am I? To have a loving Father in Heaven who allows me to come to Him and confess my wrongs and be able to physically feel His forgiveness. And because He has shared this forgiveness with me, I am able to transfer it to my own relationships with people and forgive them the same way the Lord has forgiven me.

What an amazing and wonderful and just precious gift from God. I am so grateful that He sent His Son, as a sacrafice for my sins, so that I can come before God and even ask for forgiveness.

TONIGHTS GRATITUDE LIST

1. Jesus Christ and the HIS Sacrafice on the cross for me

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ

2. God's Love for me

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

3. God's Forgiveness

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, who sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord doesn't count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit

4. God's Care for my every need

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

5. My relationship with my Father in Heaven made possible by the blood of Jesus!

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Today's Gratitude List

1. Summer Sunrises
2. Baby Kisses
3. Hair that turns out perfect
4. Summer Afternons in the park
5. Friends to spend time with
6. StarBucks :)
7. Telepone conversations tha last for hours with good fiends
8. Answers to prayes
9. Love in my life
10. LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    

Magnificent Monday Morning! Today's Gratitude List

1. I have a bed to sleep in
2. I have soft pillows to lay my head on
3. My husband is home in bed with me every night
4. I have a home
5. My children rise up and bless me;
6. Her husband also, and he praises me
7. My husband is the head of our household
8. We have an abundance of love in our home
9. My Camera!
10. Photo Editing Programs that are bringing joy back into my photography!
    

1. Knowing that all my needs are taken care of
2. Knowing that I will never want for things I need in life
3. Knowing that my GOD will always be there for me
4. Knowing I am saved by the Grace of God
5. Knowing all I have to do is shut up and listen to know God's will in my life
6. Knowing that there is power in my prayers
7. Knowing that I am blessed by God
8. Knowing God puts the people in my life who will help me become the person God wants me to me
9. Knowing that I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me
10. Knowing the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge

Yes Lord

That this may someday be me~ That I will sit withmy bible, the edges tattered from all the years of reading, knowing in my heart that I have lived my life by the words it contains...

Saturday June 26

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

—Psalm 92:1

1. The smile on my daughters face
2. Giggles from my son
3. My husbands hugs
4. Sitting with good friends~ being together and enjoying each others company
5. Swinging on a swing
6. Running on the beach
7. Walking on a forrest path
8. Watching the River flow by
9. The little birds in the tree outside my kitchen window
10. Chasing Dreams

Friday Morning

Good Friday Morning!!!

Today's Gratitude list

1. Breakfast with my family
2. My prayer time that brings so much peace to my life
3. Seeing Fields of Poppy's
4. Spending time with my friend who so blesses my life
5. Fresh crisp clean sheets on my bed

I have dropped the daily list to 5~ because when I start thinking about all that I am grateful for~ the list sort of goes out the window as I think of things that are intangible that I am grateful for So when I say "Breakfast with my family"

I am thinking about the conversation we have during breakfast and how awesome it is that we sit and talk in the mornings and I think about how grateful I am that we have food and on and on it goes

The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:
"He is good;
his love endures forever."

Today I am feeling incredibly blessed and grateful in a way that is not really summed up in a few words~ however, I discovered that as I have been praying daily to GOD to open the eyes of my heart, empty me of all that is of this world and fill me with HIM~ well things have been changing.

Number One on my list today~

1. God filling me with things that are of HIM and not of me!
2. Incredible Friends who bring JOY to my life!
3. Learning to hold my temper and not sin in my anger
4. God's promise in Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
5. My beautiful family!

1 Chronicles 29:10-13
10 So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. 12 “Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. 13 “Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.

Happy Father's Day

1. Breakfast with people I love
2. My Faith
3. Being able to read
4. Being able to write
5. Being able to share what I learn with other people
6. Afternoons at the park
7. Watching my little girl make friends with everyone she meets
8. Playing catch with Allen
9. Hugs from my husband while I cook dinner
10. Worshipping God in song!

Saturday June 19, 2010

Todays Gratitude List!

1. My little duck alarm clock~ it is sweet to wake up to QUACK QUACK QUACK in the morning instead of an annoying buzzer
2. The early morning chats with my husband
3. Hearing the same message given by different people in different situations telling me GOD is working on my stubborness in listening to HIM
4. Moments that have changed my life
5. The opportunity to be a friend to an amazing lady who touches my heart in a way she will never really know
6. Living in this community where it is so amazing to be
7. Having been blessed to nurse my son through his infancy
8. Hot cup of coffee brought to me by my husband at 6am
9. That I have a comfortable home
10. My Salvation

Gratitude for David

So today I was thinking about my husband~ I actually think about him a lot but today was a litte something different...

This week I spent some time with friends who are having issues with their partners. Expectations of being waited on, lack of empathy during some emotional turmoil, no assistance with household things, just not being phyically or emotionally available.

I realized just how blessed I am with the husband I have. He is an amazing man~

One friend was telling me how she knew that if she became injured or sick that she would have to go outside her marriage to get assistance withthe basic needs she might have and needs of the house. She knows her husband will not cook, clean, or take care of her. She says she knows she would be expected to take care of it either by doing it herself or getting someone to do it.

I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt if something happened to me, my husband would take care of me and that he would take care of the kids and the house. We would want for nothing in his care.

Another friend shared with me how her husband is gone so often from the home that she wonders why they are even still married. out of a 24 hour day, it is her estimate that he is out of the home about 14 hours. He does not eat with the family, he doesn't do anything with the family or her, when he is home he is either sleeping or complaining about something someone in the house has done or not done.

I watched as yet another friend tried to talk to her partner, I hurt for her as she was brushed off and told to shut up about her "problem".

Yet here I am with a husband who listens to what I need to talk about, offers his advice or perspective when I need it, does not try to negate my feelings, a husband who lifts me up and lets me know that I am important in his life. We do family activities together and make time alone together.

I am so blessed~

God has indeed been good to me! I have a husband who is Christian, who is all I ever wanted and then some in a husband. I cannot imagine what I did to deserve someone so awesome and amazing~ but it is with a grateful heart to GOD for my amazing husband!

Gratitude List for 6/18/2010

Todays Gratitude List

1. Having Friends who are experiencing the LOVE of GOD
2. My Amazing Husband
3. My delightful children
4. My home
5. All the "luxuries" I get to enjoy~ Like electricity, running water, the internet
6. Being able to take long walks with people I enjoy being with
7. Coffee at StarBucks with my besties
8. Having new people join an "old" group
9. Sitting at my window and being able to enjoy all that GOD has put out there for me
10. Knowledge that GOD loves and accepts me just the way I am and that HE will change my heart to follow HIS will

Gratitude for 6/17/2010

Today my Gratitude isn't so much a list~ you see I wanted to make sure that I put some focus on GOD~

Every good and perfect thing comes from GOD (James 1:17)

I know that all the most wonderful things in my life do come from GOD~ I know that I do not have to worry about where my next meal is coming from or how we are going to have clothes we need. Because I know that Matthew 6:25-34 was written FOR me. GOD will dress us as beautifully as the Lilies, food will be made available to us, we will have all of our needs met by the GRACE of GOD. I will not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

And so today, my gratitude is all about GOD and ALL that HE does provide in my life~ from thesweet chocolate treats I get to enjoy, to my friends and family who love and support me, to the grace GOD has given me through his son so that I can have this amazing relationship with HIM.

June 16, 2010

Today's Gratitude List

1. California Poppy's in bloom
2. The fragrance of the lilac bushes
3. Walking with my family
4. Country roads
5. Woodland Paths
6. An amazing husband
7. Baked potatoes loaded with butter and sour cream
8. Awesome friends
9. The return of a friend
10. Prayers answered

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
~William Wordsworth, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," 1804

1. Besties who will talk to you until the wee hours of the morning
2. A husband who is absolutely the most amazing man in the world
3. Calls to say I Love You from my daughter
4. Chocolate Milk
5. Ice Cream Sundaes
6. Bible verses that seem to be written just for me
7. Listening to my baby girl read the bible
8. The sun shining through the window early in the morning
9. Sparrows playing at my kitchen window
10. Tinkerbell!

Today's Gratitude List

1. Power of Prayer
2. My relationship with GOD
3. My Bible
4. Companionship of believers
5. Sunday Mornings!

The light of God

Super Saturday List

Today's Gratitude List

1. I am grateful my husband is a handy man and repairs to my kitchen sink are in progress
2. I am grateful my husband said "Don't worry about the dishes, I'll do them"
3. Reading a book on Tithes and Offerings, touching my heart
4. A bright sunshiny day
5. My monthly coming FINALLY (it was a bit scary as it was late)
6. My son, Joshua, who brightens my day without even knowing it
7. My LizzieBear with her capricious smile first thing in the morning
8. My KatieBug calling to say goodnight from her Daddy's house
9. AllenJohn waking me up by wanting to play BALL (his joy in life is playing ball)
10. Long Hot Showers

Elizabeth's Gratitude List

1. My Mom
2. Good Grades at school
3. I get to go to 3rd grade
4. I have people who love me
5. My baby brother
6. God watching over me
7. My friends
8. Television
9. My great step-dad
10. My Real Daddy

30 Day No Mumblin, No Grumblin Challenge!

30 Day No Mumblin, No Grumblin Challenge!

This 30 day challenge came from K-Love (www.klove.com)

I think it works with the daily gratitude list too~ so I figured I would add it on here... read Sterlings page at K-Love and join in!

Thursday June 10, 2010

So today, first thing I have to do is tell my baby brother HAPPY BIRTHDAY~

41 years ago today my Mother gave birth to this trouble maker :) Boy am I ever glad she did! He has certainly been a blessing in my life!

Gratitude today is being offset with some frustration over things in which I have no control~ I am really working on creating an attitude change as I struggle with this. I feel really on edge and ready to just scream...

Why am I mentioning this on the gratitude list? Well because somedays, even with a grateful heart it is hard to keep yourself in that happy place. I am looking at this right now and wondering... is there anything in this place I am in right now to create a grateful heart?

Well certainly there is!

This feeling of frustration teaches me to appreciate the times of gratification
The tension I am feeling teaches me the importance of relaxing and slowing down

Today also on my gratitude list is sunbeams and rainbows and wind blowing through leaves and the sound of windchimes in a gentle afternoon breeze and the relaxing atmospher at the river on a summer evening and watching the birds flit from here to there being busy in their busy bird way and listing to them sing a bird tune...

The smell of steaks on the bbq, the taste of fresh watermelon, an ice cold glass of lemonaid on a hot summer day, picking blackberries off the brambles along the river, spending time outdoors in GOD's garden...

1. 

Living life in gratitude isn't always easy~ but if you STOP and look around you there is so many truly amazing things in life that is easy to start listing things in life to be grateful for. Seriously, like have you thought about being grateful for your refrigerator? Thats what I am talking about~ so many things in our lives we just take for granted~ yet someone else realizes what a gift from God that person, place or thing is...

Yesterday I rearrainged my livingroom~ not a major big deal except as I went through things I realized just how blessed I am. My children have books~ LOTS of books. My 7 year old is reading at a 3rd/4th grade level in the 2nd grade. My 17 month old is facinated with books and will bring me one to read to him. My children live in a time and place where they can grow up on the word of GOD being read to them everyday. Truly how amazing is that! A 2005 study showed that About one in 20 adults in the U.S. is not literate in English. How blessed I am that I can read and so can my children?

Take time to stop today and look at somethings you take for granted and be grateful that you are blessed in a way that many people are not. Here is my list:

1. I have electricity in my home (about one quarter of the worlds population,have no access to electricity today)
2. I can read (11 million people in the US are illiterate)
3. I have running water (884 million people, lack access to safe water supplies, approximately one in eight people) (

O taste and see
That the Lord is good
O taste and see
That the Lord is good
He is good to me

You've turned my mourning
Into dancing
Put off my rags and clothed me with gladness
And I will arise and I will praise you
I'll sing and not be silent

O Lord, My God
I will give thanks to you forever
O Lord, My God
I will give thanks to you

And I'll live only for you
And I'll lift these hands up to you
And I'll dance before you
I will shout it, I will shout it to you

Monday May 7, 2010

I sat here making my gratitude list in my head this morning and got to thinking~ what about some of those negative things that happen in our lives?


1 Thessalonians 5:18 says Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

All circumstances?

So today I decided to make my 10 things in the circumstances that I find uncomfortable~ I know that the LORD has a plan for me and even though a situation may feel miserable or unfair, I know that it is all part of GOD's plan. All I have to do is think of Joseph, when he revealed himself to his brothers, he told them not to worry because the bad thing they did was for a greater good thing that happened.

Todays List

1. abuse as a child
2. losing custody of my babies
3. being without a car
4. being homeless
5. not knowing how I was going to feed my family
6. relationships that failed
7. death of those I love
8. my sons birth defect
9. not having family here with me
10. my mental illness

Each of these things, smack in the middle of it, I could not see any purpose of good coming from it. Yet today, I can look back and see that each experience molded me, molded people around me, and brought us to this place we are today and will continue to take us into the whatever the future holds.

Each of these "negative" experiences, although hard at the time, really did bring forth good things. It all layed the ground work for greater things to happen.

Today I also want to give thanks for some good things going on~ just because I really believe it is important to focus on any positives in our lives even when we are in the dudgeon locked up in the dark~

1. Waking up with the sun shining through my window, birds singing in the tree just outside my window, and my 2 little ones and husband all snuggled up with me in the bed. Although I miss Katie, this was a pretty awesome way to wake up!
2. The aroma of fresh brewed coffee that my wonderful husband made for me
3. Skunking my husband fishing (ok so it is bad to get satisfation from someone elses loss but he usually skunks me...)
4. Plans to go to the gym~my delightful husband got me a membership! YAY!!!!
5. Quiet time like this in the morning, the kids asleep, my husband at work, so that I can praise and worship God for ALL things HE has done in my life!

Have you thought about being thankful for weather? Seriously~ I have been listening to mumblings and grumblings from folks about the weather for so long and it seems to me that people fail to see the greatness in all the weather. There is this quote:

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~John Ruskin

This quote to me really is the truth~

No matter what the weather condition~ remember take time to be thankful because it is all part of this amazing world we live in!

Happy Wednesday Dear Readers!

Today's Gratitude List:

1. Music~ fast or slow music was made for the soul



2. Starbucks white chocolate mocha and good friends to share it with

3. Being able to sit outside for morning coffee

4. My husband staying home late to watch the baby so I could go to coffee with the girls

5. Knowing that although he is mad at me, my son is in a safe place

6. The gift Mary gave me this morning!

The measuring spoons with their little sayings are AWESOME!

7. Watching Allen's facination with baseball on t.v.

8. Having the most amazing family in the world!

9. Internet~ because it connects me to some really great people!

10. The lessons I have learned about forgiveness and it's power