Gratitude Today

Today my boys will both be dedicated to the Lord~ my husband will be praying for them in front of our church family. Talk about feeling BLESSED and having a grateful heart! How awesome that God has brought me to this place in life where my children are growing up knowing God, having a personal relationship with the Father, and have such an amazing earthly father who will nurture and grow their relationship with God <3

Weather

This morning I was thinking about how blessed I am with weather... Even though sometimes it is hotter than I would like or colder than I want or wetter than I think we need... it is amazing how weather really is just awesome. Today I am remembering that no matter the weather cycle where I am, that I am grateful for it. And for those places facing the most extreme weather, prayers for the people to be safe during it and for God to use the extreme weather in a way that Glorifies Him!

Gratitude "little things"

Some of the "little things" in my life I am grateful for:

1. Baked potatoes loaded with butter, sourcream, and bacon bits
2. A Venti White Chocolate Mocha
3. A diaper changed by someone else
4. Dinner cooked by someone else
5. My Crockpot (lets us have nice hot meal without heating up the house in the summer!)
6. A shower without interruption
7. Watching birds make a nest
8. A 3 Muskateer bar without any little ones asking for a bite
9. Picnics in the Park
10. Puddle Jumping!

Beyond the obvious

Being grateful for family, friends, a home... those are the obvious things we tend to be grateful for. What about the less obvious things in life? I was sitting drinking my tea this morning and looked at my counters in the kitchen, alo the dishes were put away and no dirty dishes had accumulated yet. I am grateful to have clean kitchen counters :) it brings a smile to my face and makes my day better.

What other things, those little barely noticed things, are you grateful for? I will be back later today with my list!

Fear

So this morning I woke up with feelings of "lack"... one of my children is in some trouble, my husband is still unemployed, when my husband got to moving around he made the comment we need money, there is no coffee and no juice in the house right now... just this feeling of need instead of abundance this morning.

Yet I know, God provides all my needs. I may go without wants, but needs... it is always taken care of.

Last Sunday, our Youth Pastor delivered the sermon for the congregation. It was awesome. He talked about how fear interfered with faith. That fear is actually evidence of the absence of faith. Remember when Peter walked on water? As long as his focus was on Jesus, he was fine. As soon as he lost focus, splash...



I realized this morning, fairly quickly, that I was allowing fear to interfer with my trust and faith in God. I know that God will provide. He has never failed me yet. All I have to do is have faith, keep my focus on Him, and not allow something like fear to creep in and mess with me.

Today I am grateful for messages like BJ's last Sunday that let me keep my focus on God and off of things of this world or Satan.

Love it!

20 Things

1. My children
2. Robert
3. Eugene
4. Joshua
5. Katie
6. Elizabeth
7. Allen
8. Blaine
9. My husband
10. My Mom~ although she is gone she has blessed my life in so many ways even today!
11. My church family!
12. My friends
13. My camera (I can record so many memories)
14. My computer
15. The internet (lets me keep in touch with long distant friends and family)
16. My cell phone
17. Life lessons that have brought me here today
18. My home (it isn't exactly what I want but it keeps us warm in winter & protected in summer)
19. My mini-van (I can transport all my at home kids at once)
20. My LIFE! It is amazing and blessed!

And my God

will meet all your needs

according to his glorious riches

in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Home

Food

Friends and Family

Thank you, Lord, for the sounds and sights of summer. For the lush forests, the still ponds, and the meandering creeks. For full sun and cooling shade. Thank you for gardens, butterflies, and scampering chipmunks. For the laughter of children, ice cold water, and a refreshing breeze. Amen.


― Patsy Clairmont
 
I couldn't agree more!!!!!

3/18/2011

Oh my! It has been a while hasn't it! I assure you, it hasn't been a lack of gratitude that has kept me from posting~ just been busy and not taken the time to do it. Since I last posted, my husband and I celebrated our first anniversary~ YAY!

We have bought a new to us minivan, had parent teacher conference for one of the girls, and all around just really GOOD stuff happening.

My gratitude list is really long right now. From the snow, rain and sunshine we have had the last few days to the many other amazing things that have been going on.

Life is Good!

It is in these really good times like right now that I forget to blog everyday.

I live the gratitude and forget to write it all down.

March 2, 2011

I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing,

windows that need cleaning

and gutters that need fixing

because it means I have a home....

I am thankful for the piles of laundry

 and ironing

because it means my loved ones are nearby.

~Nancie J. Carmody



February 28, 2011

Psalm 36:8

They feast on the abundance of your house;

you give them drink from your river of delights.

When you sit and really think about it~ what is there in life NOT to be grateful for? Especially for those of us in the United States and other countries where we have the luxeries that many people are not afforded. Electricity, indoor plumbing, hot water at will, cell phones and computers.

How about freedom of religion? Education for all? Transportation (aside from our feet or an animal)?

The list just goes on and on and on and on

God really pours out his blessings~

all we have to do is open our eyes to the things we take for granted.

The birds, the sun, the snow, the trees, flowers... all of it something to be grateful for.

This morning I am looking at icicles hanging off the eves of my house

what a blessings.

They are truly beautiful.

And without the recent moisture and cold, I would have missed having them there to enjoy.

Today I challenge you, look around you and find just ONE thing out of the ordinary

family/friends/home  type gratitude thing to be thankful for.

Something you just take for granted and forget it blesses your life.

Fresh fruits/veggies in the middle of winter? My camera (I love taking pictures)?

Hot cup of coffee? Heated steering wheel cover? Email message from a friend?

Come on, look in your life... find something!

Today my out of the ordinary gratitude thing is

My husband driving our daughter to school in the mornings.

I appreciate him for it and really am blessed by it.

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February 21, 2011

Delicious Monday Morning Dear Readers!

Today's Gratitude List

1. Food~ my family has plenty to eat
2. My husband who cooks <3
3. Coffee and Pancakes for breakfast!
4. Chilibeans for dinner
5. Warm snugglie bed to sleep in

Ahhhh the comforts of living in a place where things like electricity and running water are are not just available but the expected in every home. To live in a place where I have freedom to be who I want to be in the way I want to be

February 20, 2011

Today's Gratitude List

1. SNOW!!! I love the snow & we needed the snow
2. A husband who shovels snow (*giggle*) but I am grateful for him always
3. My husband insisting on buying GOOD snow tires ~ the snow didn't slow us down
4. Rainbows~ a reminder of God's Promise to mankind
   Genesis 9:15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.
5. Provisions from God from the most unlikely places!
6. Feeling my baby kick~ knowing God is busy knitting this little one together in my womb
7. Spending my day with my family
8. Watching the chickadees play outside my windows
9. Watching my 2 year old learn all his parts (sooo cute!)
10. Knowing I get to spend part of my day with my church family!

Oh my life is so amazingly blessed and I have so very much to be grateful for... today it is the storm that is brewing. While there are complaints about the wind that is bringing this storm in from Alaska, and complaints that the spring like days we have been experiencing are fading as snow comes once again to our little mountain town... I am grateful. If we didn't get this storm bringing a bit more snowpack, we would be experiencing low water levels in our lakes, rivers and streams. We need the snow pack up here in the moutains to sustain the valley's over the summer. So it is with gratitude I look to this storm and get excited about getting to play in the snow tomorrow!

February 12, 2011

Amazing and Beautiful Saturday morning to all my Dear Readers! Life is so AWESOME! Everyday, if we just take time to look, right smack dab in the middle of our ordinary life, God sends us immeasurable blessings~ Think about it...

There is the sunrise ~ so beautiful with all the awesome colors it can bring us each day. It is never the same, always a little different, with different shades and hues in the sky. Some days it just comes to us in all it's blazing glory... other days it sort of sneaks in behind the shadows of the night. Not matter what, each sunrise brings the promise of a new day ahead of us.

This morning as I sat here watching the sunrise, there was the sound of singing birds... a musical production put on by God and the birds outside my window. How blessed was I to sit and listen quietly to their singing. Today isn't unique with the performance of the birds. It happens all the time when we just slow down and listen. God gives us their music to help sooth our day if we just take advantage of the opportunity.

Coffee! *laugh* ok so I really enjoy my morning coffee... Although I "can" go without it, I really really don't like to. I am most definately grateful for having my morning coffee...

Have you ever noticed how you get a phone call, a word of encouragement, read just the right passage, run across the perfect devotional for whatever you might be facing at the time? God's miracles at work... I am so grateful for being able to recognize them and appreciate them.
Right now, as my family is dealing with what feels like financial lack I am just amazed because we have not had to go without anything during this period... how is that? God's miracles at work. His amazing provision in ways that are out of the ordinary.

God is so amazing~ I cannot even begin to express my gratitude for all He has done, continues to do in my life... 

February 7, 2011

Gratitude List for Today

1. My AWESOME and AMAZING husband~
2. My Annoying Children :)
3. Morning Coffee with awesome friends/family
4. Time with Family
5. Time with Friends
6. Time with Church Family
7. The Power of the Lord that is transforming my life!
8. My internet connection :)
9. Washer and Dryer so I can wash laundry at home
10. My daughter who washes dishes with little complaint :p

Honestly I have so many relationship blessings in my life~ God has surrounded me with good people who build me up and what an amazing blessing it is!