Did you ever notice that gratitude and attitude rhyme? To me, gratitude is a state of being...it implies action. My attitude effects my gratitude. Without a right attitude, gratitude cannot exist. If I am caught up in myself and my inconveniences, there will be no gratitude. It is a shameful thing when I realize my own self absorption and see the blessings that have gone uncounted. So, if you will....indulge me as I do a little counting.
There are the obvious ones...
There are the obvious ones...
- He didn't have to do it for me and the rest of the world but I know He would have even if I was the only one. The sacrifice that Father God made for me is unfathomable. As odd as it sounds, I don't know that I ever fully understand all of it. I think if this kind of love was something that I could completely comprehend, it wouldn't be as staggering. Give up one of my sons' lives for someone elses? SO not happening!
- My family...the one I was born into and the one I married into and the one that is made up of dearest friends from various stages in my life.
- My husband. Goodness...Mr. Snark. No one, man or woman, can aggravate, fluster or infuriate me as much he does. But then, no one makes me laugh like he does. No one has ever made me as happy as he has. No man will ever love me the way he has, does or will. I remember life before him, but don't ever want to know life without him.
- Y1 and 2...I often feel unequipped to be their mother. Seriously...what do I know about being a man? I do know that God doesn't give us challenges without providing the tools to accomplish the task at hand. Y1 has moved beyond the stage of being a little boy and Y2 is hot on his heels. Sometimes, I look at them and still see my little boys: my little boys who liked to pull all the plastic storage bowls out of the cupboard and play inside. My little boys who LOVED taking bubble baths. My little boys who wore knee socks and saddle shoes to Sunday school. My little boys who stole my heart the first time I heard each of their hearts.
- My girlfriends...my sister-friends. My favorite ones? Oh, that's easy...the ones who love me enough to be honest with me and hold me accountable.
- My church....and I'm not talking about the facility. While our buildings are lovely, they are just buildings. It is the people who are the hands and feet of Jesus and we are a group that doesn't mind getting our hands and feet dirty.
- My pastor preaches solid Biblical truth at a time when many pastors shy away from doing so, on the off chance that the truth would be offensive.
- Flavored coffee creamer....otherwise, coffee would be bitter and unpalatable and I'm getting to the age where coffee is no longer optional.
- Music...the stuff that takes me back to my childhood...the songs that proclaim God's goodness...classical pieces that are able to aurally convey certain periods of time or acts of nature...the stuff that makes me sing out loud no matter where I am.
- Tweezers...eyebrow grooming would be tremendously difficult without them!
- Unlimited long distance phone service....we've moved a lot and such a thing is necessary for maintaining certain friendships.
- Mrs. Judy....she's my hairdresser and that makes her a hero in my book!
- Sassy frames for my new glasses....if I have to get old lady lenses, at least my frames can be cute!
- My anniversary band...I love when the light hits the diamonds at just the right angle and they wink at me! Reminds me of just how much I am loved.
- Laughter...it is my bread and butter. Life is painful and difficult and sometimes, outright grotesque. A laughing face is much more photogenic than a sobbing one. I'd much rather be seen with laugh lines than mascara tracks.
- Cheese....burgers, pizza, pasta and sandwiches just wouldn't be the same without it!
- My comfy, red sweater. I bought it just after Y2 was born. It is no longer fit for public consumption...the public beyond my front door, anyway. I love schlepping around the house in it and I'm certain that I will cry when the day comes for its final retirement.
- Blogspot....I can vent, rage, whine, preach, lecture, converse and speachify to my heart's content.
- The color red....when I wear it (NEVER on college football Saturdays and only on high school football Fridays if it says "Eagles!"), I feel perky and spunky. Okay...spunkier.
- Food Network....when I started into the glamorous life of a SAHM, Food Network became my new best friend. The kitchen as become my laboratory and my family, my guinea pigs!
Amen~~~
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