Gratitude: A Year of Naming My Gifts

After Andy returned from a week-long work trip he gave me a 24 hour retreat.  After a week of almost non-stop childcare, I really needed a break.  My plan was to spend the evening reading and journaling.  Instead I fell asleep at 6:30 and slept a whopping 13 hours.  I guess I really was exhausted.  I did manage to spend some time reflecting and praying in the morning.  I wanted to come up with a word for the year.  A year that would set the tone for the year and give me a goal to reach for.  I have been praying a lot for joy lately, a joy that is apart from circumstances.  So I really thought about choosing the word JOY for the year.  But as I reflected further, I realized that the root of joy is GRATITUDE...As I SEE all that the Lord has given,  and I thank him for it, joy naturally arises in my heart.  So I am choosing the word GRATITUDE this year.  I am praying God would give me eyes to SEE his gifts, small and large, and that as I pronounce thanks,  joy would naturally overflow!  From things like 3 kids happily banging pots and pans in my kitchen (currently) to a husband who continually shows me the love and acceptance of Christ, God's gifts in my life are abundant.  I am praying 2014 would be a year of seeing God's gifts to me, small and large, those delightful and those hard.

One of the ways I want to count his gifts is to post a pictures regularly that capture a moment I am thankful for (or write a full post about it)..  So here's to a year of GRATITUDE, that overflows into JOY!

3 kids happily banging pots