Gratitude Top 20

A friend of mine makes a list of things for which she is grateful each week. Gratitude is something we are working to instill in our boys by having them tell us out loud each night what they are thankful for that day and then thanking God. I have also been working in my own life for a long time to make gratitude a habit. It really changes things. Today, I have a list. At the top--always--is my Savior who rescued and redeemed my life. I am grateful for:

1. 3 mornings of quiet time with the Lord by a rushing river in the mountains

2. New mercy every morning

3. The kindness and compassion that God has put into my son Joseph

4. The funny things Elijah says (for instance, while driving through the old part of Larkspur: "Mom, the old town just touches my heart.")

5. Finally having leaves on my trees

6. An unexpected check in the mail

7. An unexpected check in the mail (no, this is not a duplicate--another one!)

8. An unexpected check in the mail (nope--not a duplicate either)

9. An unexpected mastercard gift card

10. An unexpected deposit in our account

11. Provision for much of the orthodontic work Joseph so desperately needs (see 6-10)

12. A husband who lives grace to me and our children

13. Slowly finding food that tastes good that I can eat

14. Celebrating a year since the night my allergies tried to swell my throat shut

15. Romans 8:1

16. A car to drive that starts, stops, and hasn't tried to kill us (someday, I really should publish the chronicles of the blue van...really entirely too much adventure for this girl)

17. Finally losing enough pride to wear clip-on sunglasses and stop squinting

18. Dancing with each of my guys at the wedding this past weekend

19. A husband and sons who knew the best gift they could give me for Mother's Day was a new teaching Bible (and who knew I would love it in pink)

20. Standing at 10,500 feet at a sheer drop-off, feeling dizzy, seeing majesty, getting weak in the knees and learning some more about the fear of the Lord (ever tried to wrap your mind around how big He is?)

Try this sometime if you haven't. I find whenever I journal my gratitude, I can't stop. I will spare anyone who is reading this, but I have about 239 more I need to list.....and then more after that.....