Overflowing with Thanks

Day 1: thankful for a lazy Saturday after a month with weekends that were packed to the gills. 

Day 2: thankful for the extra hour and that my kids actually slept in!

Aaaand that's where my list ended this month. It's not that I lacked gratitude, more that I lacked the focus, time, and energy required to keep track of all I am thankful for. Despite my lack of posting my daily thoughts of gratitude, it is there, unwavering and strong, firmly rooted in my faith and hope in Jesus.

 

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The past couple of years, I was very intentional about selecting one thing I am thankful about each day and posting about it on social media, then compiling my thoughts here in a weekly digest.

2013: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4                 2012: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 

I didn't do that this year, and while I am still filled with gratitude and joy for everything in my life, I kind of missed the practice of focused gratitude. Something about making it a habit of choosing one thing made me notice all of the little things around me I have to be thankful for: moments spent with my family, living life with my husband and best friend by my side (even when things are stressful and hectic!), interactions at work with colleagues and students, a thriving church family that holds me accountable and encourages me to grow, looking back and seeing how much I have learned over the years in all areas of my life, the wonders and beauty of nature, the list just goes on...

 

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I love how an attitude of thankfulness just makes me overflow with joy, and I find it especially centering to focus on gratitude throughout the whole month, considering the barrage of advertisements and materialistic emphasis during the month leading up to Christmas.

Since I wasn't very focused about gratitude this year, I already have a few ideas of what I might do next year during the month of November to focus my thoughts a little more. Perhaps a personal gratitude journal, weekly posts here on my blog, writing notes to people I am thankful for? I have been wanting to read Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts for a few years now, maybe I will put that on my summer reading list (since I don't do much personal reading during the school year!)  

I made a calendar last year with free scripture printables and this has been the image I have seen on my kitchen wall every day this month; it makes me smile and it is so true!

I hope this finds you filled to overflowing with thanks for everything in your life and that your blessings are too many to count!