Well can you believe we have already completed 5 weeks of 2012!
I'm telling you, time really does zip by these days!
If I am totally honest, there were are few days I did not have a grateful heart. I had a day or two in there when emotions got out of hand. A house full of females can get pretty crazy and one wrong thing said can cause an explosion and its like dominoes.....one gets knocked over and it sets em all off. Yeah, not proud of that..but it happens.
It happened. I didn't feel grateful.
But gratitude is a choice.
We can choose to be grateful even when our feelings say otherwise.
And that really was the entire reason for me doing "Everyday Thanks" anyways....
To help me embrace all the change this year is bringing.
In my own words from {week one}......
Embrace.
I don't want to just endure all the change.
I want to embrace it with open arms knowing that a sovereign God ordained it.
I want to embrace all that He wants to teach me through this change so that I can be an example to others. That if they follow what I do, they find Jesus. One that can say as Paul said.."Imitate me as I imitate Christ". (1 Cor 11:1)
Yes, I want to embrace it...willingly not begrudgingly, anticipating God's goodness all the way.
You've heard me share this desire to embrace change here before...
I pray this is the year that I learn this lesson and learn it well.
I know from experience this won't be easy.
In fact, it's just down right hard.
One way that has always helped me embrace change is to focus on my blessings.
To choose gratitude.
And being the picture freak that I am, I thought to myself...why not remind yourself with a picture...
Be intentional and find something to be thankful for each and every day this year.
No matter what.
So....Somewhere along the middle of these two weeks I had to make a choice.
I chose gratitude.
Day 22: for this awesome pin cushion ring my friend Marie made.
Day 23: for finally getting Lauren's room painted..
Day 24: for a day spent wedding shopping with Lydia.
Day 25: for actually exercising.
Day 26: for a thoughtful friend who dropped this off for us.
Day 27: for 5 years of Chuck and watching the ending with good friends.
Day 28: for my big brother
Day 29: for an occasional good book that is hard to put down.
Day 30: for the man who makes my coffee every morning.
Day 31: for having all my laundry done and put away.
Day 32: for getting a few things scratched off my wedding to do list.
Day 33: for getting to visit with one of my dearest friends and hold her brand new baby girl.
Day 34: for getting to hang out with 3 of my favorite guys.
Day 35: for technology so I don't have to miss out on any of my grand baby's milestones...new front tooth!
( I just threw the last two pics in there to fill in the spaces....
my grand babies for which I am forever, everyday, eternally grateful!)
How about you.
You gonna choose gratitude?
I hope so.
The alternative stinks.
Stephanie :)
Stephanie, you have been such a blessing to me through your blogs, girl. And being a pastors wife, living in the country, And through the ups and downs of being a parent I know what you feel. I have been wanting to talk to you also about all this wedding stuff, as we have one that will be marrying soon also. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
ReplyDeletelove your beautiful heart, steph:)
ReplyDeleteawesome post :) gratitude is so so important. thanks for the reminder!
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