Falling Off the Wagon

I fell off the thankful wagon. Pinpointing the exact time is difficult, but it was sometime between the $900 car repair and the leaky toilet and the dog's third seizure and the four-day-long bout with the flu.

I had been trying so hard to count my three things a day, a challenge I took on over at Ann Voskamp's blog at the beginning of the New Year. Then all of a sudden, one day of not counting turned into two... two turned into four, and before long I had gone almost an entire month without a conscious effort of being thankful.

My life is truly blessed. I want to be thankful... no, more than that, I NEED to be thankful. I don't want to be the woman who lets life's blessings pass by unnoticed and sits in a rocking chair at the end of my life with nothing but regrets. I want to recognize the joy while it's mine to grasp, see the blessings while they are literally everywhere. Why is this so hard?

It shouldn't be. So today I choose to get back on the thankful wagon. To count my blessings and be thankful because "this is God's will for (me) in Christ Jesus." (1 Thess. 5:18) What better reason to give thanks? When I'm thankful, I am fulfilling God's will for my life!

Thank you Lord, for this absolutely perfect, beautiful Spring day...

for an evening walk with my entire family at my side...

for blue skies and shopping trips with the three most wonderful kids on the planet...

for a husband who loves to be with his family more than anything else...

for reminders of Your love everywhere.

I am forever grateful!

On the Way to 1,000

I'm 11 days into The Joy Dare -- counting at least three gifts or graces from God every day until I get to 1,000 gifts (and probably not stopping there). So far, it hasn't been difficult to find an abundance of things to be thankful for; although, I must admit that I have simply forgotten to count my gifts on a few days.



How could I forget to be thankful? "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1

Forgetting to be thankful should not be an option. Forgetting means I am not dwelling on the goodness of God. Am I so caught up in the things of this world that I am not captivated by His love?

The Psalmist reminds himself:

I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
Psalm 143:5

So today I will remember and be thankful for:

#26 ~ A Grace in the Kitchen... Bright yellow bananas with just a hint of green.

#27 ~ A Grace in the Weather... Beautiful, pristine snow, falling like grace from heaven (even though the country roads may be a bit difficult to navigate!)

#28 ~ A Grace that Might Never Have Been... My three beautiful children.

I was diagnosed with endometriosis when I was 26 years old. My doctor warned me that many women with this disease are unable to conceive. Two years after my diagnosis, I gave birth to our first baby girl. Two more blessings followed. But I never want to forget that these children, these amazing gifts from God are just that... GIFTS. Thank you, Lord, for giving me the privilege of being a mother!

The Joy Dare

#1 A Gift in My Hand... The one that started it all: One Thousand Gifts

Have you heard of The Joy Dare?  Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts, is challenging her readers to count 1,000 gifts in 2012. Snap a photo or record three gifts a day. Little gifts, big gifts, they're all the same -- graces given to us from the hand of a gracious God.

On Ann's blog, A Holy Experience, you'll find January's Joy Dare download. Some ideas to give you a little inspiration in your search for blessings. You probably won't have to look far. Don't be discouraged if you're joining the game a little late -- I'm starting today, too! After all, it's never too late to start being thankful. Three gifts a day multiplied by 366 days (this year's a Leap Year, remember?) equals 1,098, so if we're faithful every day, we should easily be able to log 1,000 gifts... or more!

#2 A Gift I Walked By... What a great reminder of The Joy Dare!

#3 A Gift I Sat With... Woman's best friend, my faithful buddy, Coda

So are you ready? Take The Joy Dare with me! In the words of Ann Voskamp herself:

This kneeling wherever we are, and murmuring it aloud, just this one word to Him, this is the word that can change everything – us and the whole world: “Thank-you.”

Overflowing!

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

It was one of those days. The dog threw up his entire meal on the floor. The laundry pile seemed like it had multiplied tenfold overnight. My middle daughter had a terrible cold and cough, and I was feeling like I might be next in line. In the midst of all the chaos, these words from Colossians came to mind: “overflowing with thankfulness.”

The only thing I was overflowing with was a bunch of complaints and groans.
 
When everything is going my way, it’s easy to be thankful. When the dog is behaving (not barfing!), the laundry is folded and put away, and the kids are healthy and happy, counting my blessings comes naturally. But the true test of my heart is what happens when things fall apart. Do I criticize my spouse, complain about getting a raw deal, and moan and groan that things aren’t fair?  

I want to live in a constant state of thanksgiving. Not just during November, but all year round. In every circumstance. Even when I’m cleaning up after the dog. But how?

The key, says Colossians 2:6-7, is living my life in Christ, rooted and built up in Him. If I’m living my life in my own strength, thankfulness will be in short supply. But when my foundation and strength is found in Christ, I can be filled to the brim and overflowing with thankfulness!

Father, I am blessed beyond measure because of You. Help me to live in a constant state of thanksgiving, not just during this season, but in every season of life. You are the Giver of all good things, and I long to overflow with thankfulness!