Thankful Thursday

Here we are, 9 days into December (how the heck did that happen??), and it's time for Thankful Thursday with Rebecca Jo, Jennifer, and Leslie. 

I hope you join in yourself or at least take some time to read the gratitude lists of the others playing along. There are just so many benefits to taking time to think of all the things you have to be thankful for, the big and the small, when you are mindful of them it really does change your outlook on life. Dwell on the hardships, the bad things in life, and you will find yourself thinking pessimistically. Focus on the good and you will find that you are more hopeful, less immobilized by circumstances. 

It's not that hard, just start with a small list of 5 things every day. It doesn't matter if they are small. Just get started and create the habit of thankfulness in your life. Keep track of the things...at least for the first year. Write them down in a special notebook or in your journal or on your blog or on little slips of paper dropped in a jar. Then at the end of a year look back at them. You will be surprised at how it got easier the more you did it, by how you struggled in the beginning to write down even the shallowest of things, and how as time went on the gratitude came easier and easier. And you will have a record of all the good things that happened in one year of your life.

I know from experience. Several years ago I was locked into a negative mindset. Then I read Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts and accepted her challenge to start listing the things I was thankful for. And numbering them. Her challenge was to list 1000 things in a year. In the beginning it was HARD. I struggled some days, but I kept at it and as I exercised that muscle of gratitude it got easier and easier. Now I can (and sometimes I do) easily list 1000 blessings in just a couple of months.

Life is what you make of it. Focus on the negative, the painful, the evil and your thinking will reflect that. Focus on the good and your life will reflect that. And you will also notice that it has an effect on those around you.

Now, a few things I am thankful for this week.

A Christmas Tea 

Two friends from my Tuesday Bible study group, my mom, and one of my clients went with me. We all took a dozen cookies to share and the recipe. There was a hot chocolate bar, a variety of teas and coffee, veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, and the cookies. We each received a bag with all the ingredients for a holiday simmering potpourri. The speaker was a member of my small group and she gave a wonderful talk about God being there on the battlefield of our own personal Gettysburg (she and her family are history buffs).

Everyone enjoyed themselves and my client, who is mentally disabled, said on the way home, "I learned something today." I asked her what she had learned and her answer was "That God is always with us." Yes! How special is that?!

A Christmas Tree  

The tree is finally up...nearly 2 weeks later than it usually goes up. I was late taking down the fall decorations and bringing the Christmas boxes in and then I had to wait for Tim to build a heavy wooden base that will, hopefully, prevent the kitten from tipping the tree over. 

I had finally gotten the tree the way I wanted it last year, but decided to skip the ornaments this year because of the kitten. It only has lights and ribbon...and 3 special ornaments that are new this year; one for siblings that I had made for Tim and his sisters, one I had made about bff's for my Bible study girls, and a snowman yesterday's client made for me.

Jasper  

This cat. When he isn't exasperating me, he is delighting me. He is at least twice the size he was when I got him on Halloween and he still has his spider monkey-hopped-up-on-crack moments, but they are getting to be fewer or of shorter duration. We are still working on the scratching and biting and his "sin" of whacking the baby Jesus and the wise men out of the nativity and batting them across the floor. And after going with not decorating the tree...he has, so far, left it totally alone.

Father & Son

This season never fails to bring into sharp focus the joy and blessing of knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior, of being a daughter of God, of knowing how loved I am, of knowing my sins are forgiven, of knowing I have the hope of heaven before me.

Fun Movies

My Monday client and I went to see the new Ghostbusters movie. I wasn't expecting much after the one with the women, but was pleasantly surprised. I don't want to put any spoilers out so won't get into it, but if you like the original movies you will probably like this one. The original cast makes appearances...and I may have even shed a tear at the end...partly because it was touching and partly because I realized how long ago the first movie came out. Ouch!

Daughter

Megan helped me put the ribbon on the tree, clipped the kitty's claws for me, made her dad jello just because she knows he likes it, and knowing how much not seeing our other two grandchildren hurts us, makes sure we are a big part of her children's lives.

All of You

'nuff said.