Gratitude

Count Your Blessings
Name them One By One
Count Your Blessings
See What God Has Done:

I've started this post four times and deleted it four times. Because I cannot seem to even wrap my mind around where I should start counting my blessings??!!

My list is endless, and I suspect yours is, too! So, I just want to share 3 things that God has done to bless me beyond measure during 2008.

1. This blog. Several years ago, I started a blog and updated it only a handful of times. In February of this year, I was inspired to pick it back up for a variety of reasons. Over the past 10 months, God has made it abundantly clear that He wants me to step out in obedience and write more about my experiences with Him. This blog has provided me with a platform to practice and a sweet bit of encouragement! Through this channel, God has challenged me to step out of my comfort zone. I'm so grateful for His guidance. And grateful for a new way to handle life's ups and downs. My friend at Surviving 4 and I agreed the other day that even when a day goes terribly, at least we'll have some good material...

2. My marriage. We celebrated a decade of wedded bliss this summer. OK, it hasn't all been bliss, but I think that's why I'm so grateful. As we celebrated my brother's wedding this summer (and welcomed my wonderful new sister-in-law to the family), I have been more thoughtful about my own relationship with my hubby. Things haven't always been easy, but in the difficult times, he proves again and again that our marriage is worth fighting for. I never doubt that God brought this man to me. And that He bestowed a temporary dose of wisdom into two 22 yr old kids when He guided us toward choosing our lifetime partner.

3. Guatemala. I haven't written much about our trip this summer to an orphanage in Guatemala. But I'm grateful that God allowed a group of 15 children to soften my heart in the most incredible way. I'm grateful for a desire to be a long-term part of their lives. I'm grateful for the ability to tell my son stories of the children who have so little wealth but know so much joy..

My list could seriously go on and on. I want to tell you all about an incredible group of friends.. a ladies Bible study... a quick healing...but I'm pretty sure that you might question my sincerity if I told you that I'm honestly thankful to God for the pumpkins, heavy whipping cream and various spices that are essential to the brewing of my favorite beverage.

So, I'll ask you. What are you thanking God for this year?