One Thousand Gifts - Post #2

Already another Monday...another day to stop and reflect on my growing gratitude list to my Father. To be completely honest, I didn't feel in much of a gratitude mood this morning (or for part of the weekend for that matter). Thankfully I keep my list as the blessings occur, or I might have just given up today and decided that God hadn't really blessed me with anything in the past week! :) Just kidding! But I was in one of those moods where I felt "blah!". Nothing terrible going on in my life...just me letting daily life get me down. In particular, the new increased whiny-ness of my daughter. I'm sure those of you who have older children will just laugh and think "oh just wait until she has words to add to the whiny-ness".

That is exactly where God brought me to this morning while I was just letting the tears roll...because for me letting the tears roll helps even if the tears don't make much sense. I've got to learn to love Charlotte and find peace despite what good or bad may happen. I felt God asking me this morning, "Do you really want to be upset/down/frustrated every time Charlotte does something you don't like?" I'm positive that was a rhetorical question where the answer is "No". I know raising a child (and hopefully more than one) will be full of ups and downs....but I want to rest in my Lord during the downs. And so God put this verse from the 46th Psalm on my heart this morning,

"Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

The count to 1000 (and more) blessings continues...

15. Electric tea kettle

16. baby girl's favorite teether being her big toes  :)

17. old friends and inside jokes which last for ages

18. my amazing husband who keeps melting my heart

19. that the Spirit intercedes for me - I don't have to know what to pray for, the Spirit guides that

20. softening my heart to those I love by praying for them

21. knowing other believers around the world and keeping up with what they are doing for your Kingdom

22. nothing in all creation being able to separate me from Jesus

23. soft, baby skin

24. a picnic at the park on a beautiful day

25. finding my daughter's ticklish spots

26. Skype

27. cuddling with my baby girl

28. laughing with my husband

29. my parents & grandparents sharing their faith with me through words and action - being spiritual farmers

30. the view of Madrid out our apt window

31. being able to watch NCAA basketball tourney online!!

32. Brendan having the day off work

33. my husband cooking breakfast for me

34. the opportunity to sleep in this morning

35. Brendan watching Charlotte so I can get out for some "mommy time"

36. the sights and sounds of Madrid as heard at "our" park (Parque de Berlin)

37. that my mom shared with me the importance of journaling

38. hearing English spoken - and realizing how much I take that for granted

39. my husband listening to me share my heart with him

40. 5 sweet months with my daughter

41. my husband doing the dishes after dinner while I put little girl to bed

42. for God's financial provision - so glad He foresees what I can't

43. our apartment is not cold anymore - yeah, for warmer weather!

When I started this list I wondered how God would use intentional gratitude to change my life...well today when I felt like not being grateful, God used this list (as I typed it) to remind me that He loves me and blesses me even when I don't feel it. Thank you, Lord, for knowing me as well as you do!


If you are interested in learning about thanking God for 1000 Gifts and where this idea came from (because it didn't start with me :)), click here.

**I'm amending this post shortly after posting it because my Father just keeps on speaking to me today, and I wanted to share it with you. I visited the blog, Holy Experience, shortly after posting and found that Ann's post today spoke exactly to where my heart was this morning. Click here to read it...hope it blesses you too!