Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Day 9 - Gratitude


Instead of another area of homemaking, I really am burdened to touch on the area of gratitude today.   I know that this is an area in which I am lacking.  But as the air becomes cooler and Thanksgiving approaches, my desire to choose gratitude over the apathetic ungratefulness that so often consumes me becomes stronger.  When Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts, hit the press, I was among one of the first to buy it for I loved her style of writing, her humility, and her example.  After reading it for the second time, I became even more impressed that choosing to live a life of gratitude is the only way to live.  But do I choose that daily?  Not nearly enough…  

My gratitude journal has been poured over, lost, collected dust, and rebirthed several times over the past two and half years.  But it has been during the times when tears mixed with joy (and sometimes sorrow), that my journal has come alive and stress has dimmed to a minimum.  For as Ann says, “When stress mounts, I pray to dismount it with gratitude.  My stress management plan will be intervention with verbal thanks.  I can only feel one feeling at a time, and I choose to give thanks at all times.  Fight feeling with feeling!”  How I long to do this!  But I can’t… not alone.  It is only with the strength of my Lord.  For as Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

1575.  decorated for fall
1576.  a wagon walk with my girls
1577.  reading late while fixing hair
1578.  rollerblading girls
1579.  my little garden, still hanging in there
1580.  my husband's love for our Lord

Link to Ann's blog for some great printables to assist in this journey of gratitude.  


2 comments:

  1. You are incredibly motivating Amy! Every post of yours just makes me smile and long to be the awesome, Godly woman that you are!

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    1. You are incredibly sweet, Lindsay! It's only God's grace, pure grace.

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