The Week of Thankfulness

As I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving, I remember all that I am thankful for. I have been tracking these thanks for nearly a year now, and have listed over 400 thanks to God on this blog since beginning this journey on December 14, 2009. But this is my first Thanksgiving Week while on this journey, so pausing to recall these thanks, sometimes repeated from week to week, is an apt way to continue my "attitude of gratitude" toward Him. Throughout the Old Testament, God calls His people to remember. He gives them festivals and celebrations throughout the year for that express purpose: to remember what He has done for His people, and to remind them that He is with them still.

And this call to remembrance is my reason for embarking upon this journey to One Thousand Gifts with the Gratitude Community at A Holy Experience. Joining with many other women on the same journey, especially Ann herself, has made this difficult year much more bearable, much more interlaced with gratitude rather than grumbling, peace rather than panic. So thank you, Ann, for being a beautiful example of a Woman of Thanks, and I look forward to the publication of your book, One Thousand Gifts, in the coming year. Thank you for expressing to us all that God impresses upon your heart--you inspire me to be more like Him each day.

And thus continues the journey, sometimes stumbling, at other times running forth in joy, a journey of ups and downs, but always a journey of remembering His good graces to us, to me....

On this grey morning, with chill winds blustering around our little cabin, I thank our Father for:

411. ...stacks and stacks of free firewood that will keep us cosy all winter

412. ...my sister and her family visiting this week from Montana

413. ...having Elizabeth home from college for nearly a week--my mama's heart misses her so during the week!

414. ...for the wind-up of a great MLA research essay course at Brave Writer

415. ...for Mango Tea from Trader Joe's on cold mornings that warms me and reminds me of warm, tropical places

416. ...for a full pantry, thanks to the Thanksgiving Box from Lake Murray Community Church

417. ...for a week's break from home schooling when I most need it

418. ...for my husbands arms holding me close on cold mornings

419. ...for His grace in helping me to bang out a poem a day this month for the November PAD Poetry Chapbook Challenge

420. ...for the grace of writing wherein time and place disappear and I am awash in words and in His Word.

421. ...for the little gem of A Diary of Private Prayer which helps me to pray in ways I never would have before

422. ...for the editing work going forward on the Book of Common Prayer project

423. ...for His Word, piercing me through daily and upholding me, being my strength and my song

424. ...for a husband who is constant in prayer

425. ...for a lovely Thanksgiving this Thursday with family and friends galore

This week my project (among many) is to at least start to transcribe my One Thousand Gifts into a physical journal. Currently I have them copied into a Word document on my computer, but I want them at hand where I can peruse them at will, thumbing the pages and remembering His gracious gifts, His mercy that never ends. I'll let you know how it goes....

Thanking Him with you,