I can think of no better way to start the year than by giving thanks to God. 

By daily practicing thankfulness, we enable ourselves to see the good in all situations, which in turn results in a joyful heart. I encourage you to join the Gratitude Community and start your own 1,000 Gifts List with me!

I started my One Thousand Gifts list one year ago and I’m only up to 102 gifts! Oh dear! I see so many little things that I’m thankful for each day that I don’t record. I’ll try and remember to share them here more often. I love sharing the daily blessings I witness and I love hearing about yours as well. Did any of you start a thankful list with me? If so, how are you doing on it? Be sure to check out Ann’s Gratitude Community page to join in with the many others giving thanks on their blogs! 

So, let me dive back into my list with a few things I’ve been thankful for lately:

103. The safe arrival of baby Gideon -
congratulations, Elise and family!

104. the determination of a toddler -
falling and standing, falling and standing

105. watching a first walk through crunchy leaves

106. happy helpers – munching leftovers from the garden

107. pure joy on a swing

Continuing to discover One Thousand Gifts…

93. a purple haze across the field – I love how God uses wildflowers to paint the landscape!

94. soap (especially for these wonderfully dirty days of summer!)

95. a rainbow found in the garden – blue berries, dark green and red chard, purple string beans, yellow pumpkin flowers and black berries

96. tiny, wrinkled hands

97. eager hands helping to pick berries

98. a stack of books from the library, just waiting to be opened

99. new friends made through blogging

100. the sound of bees busy at work

101. the feel of the calloused hand of my husband in mine - a sign that this ‘office-desk’ man is working hard for us around the homestead

102. spending time outside just *being* with my children – going slow and enjoying life

 91. Sips from “new” teacups
92. freshly baked bread

I have not posted any parts of my “One Thousand Gifts” list lately. To be honest, I first started this list right around the time that Jonathan was born and as the business of 3 children overtook me, it kind of fell by the wayside. I was visiting Ann’s blog recently and was inspired to get back to my list! So, here goes…

some more of the gifts I am thankful for!

71.   laughter
72.   when my entire body aches as I fall into bed at night – a sure
        sign of a hard day’s work
73.   the Sabbath
74.   my fuzzy blue bathrobe
75.   Johnny – jump – ups!
76.   little girls’ hair to fix up pretty
77.   Dan reading to the girls every night, even when he’s 
        exhausted
78.   a new niece on the way!
79.   the soothing sound of my bamboo wind chime
80.   experienced mothers/women who take the time to teach
        younger ones
81.   the explanation of how we got here revealed to us in Genesis
        ch. 1-2 (we don’t have to guess!)
82.   lilac buds a-bloomin’
83.   the honest, non “PC” questions of a child
84.   crayons
85.   my parents’ love for my children
86.   the “magical” hour of 9:00PM when all children are long
        asleep and the house is SILENT
87.   pure, fresh drinking water
88.   hugs
89.   shady trees
90.   baby belly laughs 

For my other “One Thousand Gifts” posts, click here.

Here is the beginning of my 1,000 gifts list that I began a few months ago. There are so many things to be thankful for! How are you doing on your list?

1. God’s love for me
2. Jesus’ death on the cross for my eternal life
3. My husband’s love for me
4. My daugher Abigail
5. My daughter Iliana
6. A new life growing inside of me
7. The Word of God
8. The example of my parents
9. Warm sweaters in the fall
10. The space to grow a vegetable garden on our property
11. The homemade jars of applesauce and tomatoes that line our pantry shelves 
12. The sound of the girls voices as they sing hymns with gusto – wrong words and all!
13. The gift of music
14. My husband playing and reading with the girls every evening
15. The US Postal Service so we can reach family and friends with news and encouragement
16. The variety of colors in fall
17. Chocolate
18. Butternut squash soup
19. My piano
20. The freedom in this country to educate our own children if we choose to do so
21. Our wonderful friendly neighbors
22. Scented candles for cold rainy days
23. Space for our children to explore outside
24. Hot water in the house
25. The book “Created To Be His Helpmeet”
26. Beautiful sunrises
27. An unprompted apology between sisters
28. Love of siblings
29. Long visits with a good friend
30. The opportunity to go directly before God’s throne in prayer
31. When my husband can tell that I’m exhausted and he does the dishes without my saying anything
32. The assurance that we will see loved ones again
33. The sounds of birds out my window
34. The sense of taste – to enjoy wonderful food
35. Binkies
36. 50% off candy on November 1st!
37. When my husband tells me I’m beautiful even when I know I’m fat and pregnant
38. Pinafores
39. Sitting down each evening with my husband to talk until we both get too sleepy to say anymore
40. Juicy, crisp apples
41. A tiny hand in mine during prayers
42. A husband who knows how to fix things
43. Jonathan arriving safely into this world
44. Old hymns
45. Handwritten letters in the mail
    
    Ten things I love about Iliana:
46. The biggest hugs “I never saw”
47. Her singing with gusto
48. Her saying “thank you” to everyone for every little thing
49. Her eagerness to help when asked
50. Her eagerness to help when NOT asked
51. The hard worker she is
52. Her kisses for her brother all the time
53. Her smile
54. Her energy and excitement over little things
    
    Ten things I love about Abigail:
55. Her sensitivity
56. How dependable she is
57. Her ideas for doing things differently – her resourcefulness
58. Her belly laugh
59. Her trust and belief in God
60. Her sweet voice singing
61. How gentle she is with animals and babies
62. Her determination
63. Her help as oldest
64. Her smile with crinkled nose
65. Thrift stores
66. Baby “snuffles”
67. Soft newborn baby skin
68. The opportunity to stay home with my children
69. A freezer stocked full of good food from our garden and aunt’s farm
70. Baby’s first smiles

“Continue earnestly in prayer,
being vigilant in it with thanksgiving”
Colossians 4:2

A One Thousand Gifts list is a wonderful idea that I’ve heard about on several blogs that I think would be eye-opening to write. This will be a list written by me of the things given by God – things that I’m thankful for – everyday gifts that I might normally pass by without a thought.

I’m guessing that at first, my list will start out with very obvious and general things. As I make my way toward 1,000 things that I’m thankful for, however, I’m sure the list will include more specific and small things. I want to be more aware of the big and little blessings in my life that I take for granted.

Several of the ladies who have done this have included their children as well, asking them to come up with 100 things they are thankful for. I’m thinking of having Abigail join me in this thankfulness walk.

Would you like to join me by making your own list of One Thousand Gifts?  Every one’s list will be different, as everyone has been blessed in different ways. Your list can include the gifts that you’ve already been given and the gifts that you notice in the coming weeks, months or even years. These can include small things such as coffee in the morning, or more important things such as God’s love for you! You can jot them down in a journal or on plain lined paper. Keep your list nearby so we can practice having a thankful heart together!

I’m going to get started on mine now! I’ll be sharing portions of my list in future posts.

[*Thank you to Ann for planting this seed in my mind.]