Counting Mine {1 ~ 15}

Recently I've been reading one thousand gifts by Ann Voskamp. She writes about a dare given to her by a friend: to count one thousand things she loves.

Her gifts from God.

And by doing so, she learns what true joy is. She reaches a level of intimacy with the Lord and she is able to let go, to trust Him. To see Him in each moment, to live each moment fully for what it is. To be thankful for everything and to see that all that is given to her has been lovingly given by the Lord.

That thankfulness always precedes the miracle.

I want this joy. This level of intimacy. The trust. I need it.

I want to feel close to the Lord and to be thankful for what he has given me. To draw close to him and know in my heart that he loves me. I have head knowledge, but I need heart knowledge too.

Even more, maybe.

So this morning I decided to start my own gratitude journal. I planned to just list ten to see what I came up with, but before I knew it I had 79.

I am humbled.

And there are more. Many more.

So, I decided to post my one thousand gifts as I go on this journey. Not so much for everyone to read them, but for me to have a place to store them.

And so I will begin.

1} being a mother
2} a cup of tea in my favourite mug
3} listening to worship music in the kitchen and hearing Julie singing along in the next room
4} my mother's hands
5} swinging ponytails
6} looking across the room at my husband and seeing that he was already looking at me. And then... he winks
7} the hum of the dishwasher in the late evening
8} rain against the windows
9} checking the time and seeing that it's 3:16, a reminder of John 3:16
10} a joke that makes me laugh for days
11} watching baptisms - death of old life, beginning of new
12} promises kept
13} meeting new friends in unexpected places
14} the quiet that settles after the children have all been put to bed
15} being the first to use a brand new jar of peanut butter

Each Sunday I will share more of my list with you. If you feel prompted to start your own list, or you are already compiling your own...will you let me know? It would be such a blessing to know that others are on this journey to thankfulness and joy as well.

Have a great Sunday and start counting ;-)