This has been a very difficult week for me, but yesterday, as I was packing the things on my desk for our move to New York, I found my Gratitude Journal which I began last year when I taught a class based on the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It reminded me that I need to be looking for things for which I am grateful, for things that bring joy to my heart. A few weeks ago I made a list of things I learned in October. Here is my list of things for which I am thankful.
1. I am thankful that we have so many wonderful friends. We have heard from people all over the world this week who encouraged us, hugged us, and prayed for us.
2. I am thankful for sturdy boxes. We have so many books and other heavy things that right now boxes that will not fall apart under a heavy load are fantastic.
3. When I broke half of my molar off one night this week, Dr. Benjamin Driver was able to get me in the next morning and pull it without causing me pain. He’s great! (If it had happened a day later they would not have been able to get me in so quickly or if it had happened at the end of January while driving across the country I wouldn’t have been able to get to a dentist I knew.)
4. Even with the newly empty spot on my gum, the bridge in the back of my mouth still works, so I don’t need to get another partial.
5. My friend Jen sends me an encouraging card every other week. I have never been much of a card or note sender, but I have found her thoughtfulness gives such a boost to my day that I may have to become a card sender as well.
6. Our Shih-Tzu is so adorable. He keeps us laughing.
7. The red-pepper tomato soup from Costco, added to their Italian meat balls makes a great soup, especially if you add a bit of garlic, a chopped red pepper and left over green beans. It also comes together really fast so if mealtime sneaks up on you, you can still pull it off and people will think you’re a gourmet cook.
8. I am thankful for the many wonderful praise songs that are out there to lift our spirits and focus our hearts on what is really important. Pulling up praise music on Youtube and having not only the songs, but the beautiful images fill our television screen puts so much into perspective.
9. Facebook can be a pain, but more often it is a blessing. This week I watched my cousin’s great-granddaughters—eight month old twin girls—giggle as they took turns touching each others faces. It was so darling that I couldn’t help giggling too.
10. My nephew Ian was able to help me set up a blog at https://breathingbygraceblog.wordpress.com which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. (And here you are!)
11. Our fireplace has been such a blessing during this cold, rainy weather. I love the cheer it brings as the flames dance across the logs.
12. The patio that World Changers put in our back yard has been wonderful during this rainy weather as well. When I take the dog out to do his business I no longer have to wade through mud or wet grass. Only Winston does. (We named our dog Winston so when we move to New York we can take Winston with us!) And he is small enough that I can pick him up and dry him off when he’s ready to come inside.
13. We went to the Winston Middle School on Tuesday to watch our neighbor play basketball. He’s on the seventh grade team. The JoLane White team beat them, but he and several others on our team show great potential. I think they will be terrific players as they get older.
14. I am coming to the point where I can be grateful for the huge trials before us at the moment, for they are giving me an opportunity to live out what I’ve always said I believed—that God is good all the time and only does things in my life for my good and His glory. He IS in total control of my life AND I can trust Him completely.
15. I’m thankful for the opportunity I’ve had over the past nine years to share my life with the readers of Douglas County News. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep writing for the paper after we move, but you can follow me at my web blog at https://breathingbygraceblog.wordpress.com and there you can leave comments so we can interact about what I’ve written (or about life in general). Thank you for reading me all these years.