Giving Thanks!

Today, I give thanks for...
1.) A warm and comfortable home.

2.) A good job.
3.) A safe vehicle to drive to and from work with every day.

4.) A cozy pair of pajamas to slip into after work.

"The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!" -Henry Ward Beecher

Hope this week is a good one for each of you!

Sitting Thankful

I'm so thankful this week for~
1. Sitting on the couch with a plate full of Christmas treats on my lap (yum!).

2. Sitting on the couch with a cutie-poo niece on my lap!

3. Sitting on the couch with my mother-in-law and a pile of crocheting on my lap.

4. Sitting on the couch watching a movie with our puppy curled up on my lap.

The happiest moments of my life 

have been the few which I have passed at home 

in the bosom of my family.  

~Thomas Jefferson

May this week be one of family and relaxation for you all!

It's almost Christmas!

Thankful this day for
1) Christmas lights
2) Christmas packages in the mail and on their way to family and friends
3) Christmas carols playing on the radio
4) Curling up to watch a Christmas movie with my husband.

I Love Christmas!

Source: Microsoft Office

I even love all the busyness of it and all the checking items off your to-do list.  (Really, I'm goofy like that.)  Far from being stressful or tiring, I find the planning of everything exciting.

Ok, I'll admit it- I'm one of those people who start planning and shopping months in advance.  And I'm not someone who decorates every inch of our home (yet) or feels the pressure to keep up with our neighbors.  Both of which definitely bring down the stress level a lot.

One of the things I love most about Christmas is the focus on blessing others.  I think about that as I get gifts together and as I'm wrapping them up.  I think about that as I make little treats for my husband and I to share at our workplaces.  And I think of that as I fill out our Christmas cards.  This is a special time of year where we get to reach out to all the people we love and value and let them know that we care.  Isn't that wonderful?

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." ~ W.T. Purkiser, Pastor

Feeling Grateful

Source: Microsoft Office

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." ~ William Arthur Ward

Thank you Father for
1) A warm home against the chill of winter
2) A warm family to welcome me home each night
3) A warm heart that is hopeful
4) A warm welcome which You've promised me at the end of this journey.

Blessings to you and yours!

For this day...

I am thankful for-
1)  The sights and sounds of the northern coast
2)  Time with family
3)  Turkey dinner, turkey pot pie, turkey noodle soup, turkey sandwiches... We are blessed with abundance.
4)  Sleeping in late and waking up to the smell of fresh coffee.

What are you thankful for this day?

Giving Thanks

All that we behold is full of blessings. 
~William Wordsworth

My childhood pastor was a firm believer in the importance of giving thanks daily for what we have received. He challenged us on several occasions to make it our habit to pause during our day and give thanks to God for four things. I don't know if there was any significance to the number, but the spirit of making it a regular practice to give thanks has always stayed with me.

Thanksgiving the holiday has passed, but still there is much to be thankful for. On my list today is-

1) The sight of my favorite bird, the great blue heron, landing in front of me. I snapped this photo of him to try to capture his beauty. Sigh...

2) My puppy crawling up on my lap to take a nap. It's so sweet the way she wants to be with us.

3) Nephews and nieces that are growing up healthy and strong. I'm excited to be seeing them soon.

4) My supportive husband. I got pretty sick over thanksgiving and he took good care of me and Mollie.

What about you? What are you thankful for today?