Friday, November 26, 2010

Gratitude Journal-Day 5

Gratitude Journal-Day 5

Today was one of those days that you just don't know where the day went. I'm thankful for these types of days though, because they allow you to take a break from business, and just relax for a little while. I'm grateful for the time that I've had to relax and replenish my energy this week off of school. Often times I let myself get so busy and so overbooked, and I get extremely stressed, it is weeks like this when I am able to remind myself that "This too shall pass".

I tend to worry very often, about things that aren't worth worrying over. Recently though, God has been giving me comfort, and teaching me to that I can always turn to Him. I haven't been as worried lately, and I am so grateful for that.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving Day

So today I'll take a break from my usual Gratitude Journal, and talk about Thanksgiving. I realized how truly blessed I am today right before we sat down to eat Thanksgiving dinner. My Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, Parents, Siblings, and I were all standing in our kitchen around our countertop. It was covered in so much food, and my youngest cousin read a prayer that my Grandmother had printed out for our Grace. I really understood the true meaning of Thanksgiving as we bowed our heads, and prayed. She didn't say all of the words correctly, because some of them were rather large, but that made it even more authentic. I think that a lot of times in the past years during Thanksgiving, I didn't really truly grasp what it meant to be thankful, but this year I really felt the meaning of Thanksgiving.

There are so many memories that I have that are from Thanksgiving, or this holiday season, and I look forward to it every year. The music, the family time, the friend time, the snow, the trees, the lights, the turkey, the food, everything gives me such a sense of nostalgia, and I absolutely love it. Even though Thanksgiving is over in just a few short hours, I hope that I can keep the thankfullness that I have in my heart year round.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Gratitude Journal-Day 4

Gratitude Journal-Day 4

So today I've been thinking about traditions, and different seasons. I'm extremely thankful for the things that make certain times of the year oh so special. There are certain things that have happened year after year for me during certain holidays or times of the year, and it makes me so happy when they happen again, and so excited for them to happen. The Christmas music that I listen to every year makes my heart swell, and though I so desperately want to listen to it earlier and earlier this year, I have to stop myself, because if I don't, then it's not as special anymore, and it loses the meaning for me. There are certain things that I will not allow to be changed. For instance, as we were getting the house ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow, my dad suggested that we make the cranberry chutney tonight, instead of tomorrow, and I instantly said no. Every year for almost as long as I can remember, I wake up on Thanksgiving morning, get dressed, and go downstairs and help my daddy make the cranberry chutney. I am so thankful for the traditions and memories of different holidays and times of the year that make life so special!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Gratitude Journal-Day 3

Gratitude Journal-Day 3

Today I'm really thankful for people. People who I don't know, people I do, I'm just thankful that God put us all here in this world together. Today I went to a flea market with two of my best friends, and there was a man there selling phone cases, he had cases for all three of our phones, and he was really nice. It made my day seeing somebody in such an upbeat mood!

I'm really grateful for the ability to solve conflicts. God sends us little trials to get closer to Him, and He also gives us the ability to overcome the trials. It's not always noticeable, but there is always a way out. "This, too, shall pass"

Monday, November 22, 2010

Gratitude Journal-Day 2

Gratitude Journal-Day 2

I'm extremely thankful for my memories. A lot of who I am can be found in the memories I have. The best times of my life so far are in my memories, and I never want to have to give them up. When so many things have changed, the past is the one thing that will always be the same no matter what, and even if things are going badly now, I can look back and think about amazing fun things from my past. My memories are a humongous comfort to me, and I constantly think about them. I don't think I'm the only one who thinks about the past a lot, but I believe that I am one of the only people who looks back on the past for comfort. Even some of my saddest memories can make me smile, because they brought me closer to somebody, or because things are better now.

I'm grateful for the present, too. The time I have to live right now is a gift, and we can never be sure of how much longer we'll have to live. I'm thankful that I have time to spend with the people in my life, and time to get to know God better.

Another thing that I'm extremely thankful for is my Christian faith and the love of Jesus. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, and there isn't anything better than that, nothing compares to Him. God will always be there for me, and He will always love me. He loves us so much that He sent His one and only begotten Son to die for us.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Gratitude Journal-Day 1

Gratitude Journal-Day 1

So I'm going to start something new, and from now until Christmas I'm going to try and post about at least one thing a day that I'm thankful for.

I'm so thankful for my friends. All of them. I am in awe at what amazing friends God has given me. I have people who I can turn to about anything, people who I can always have a good time with. They genuinely care about me and they want me to be happy. I was standing in church this morning watching, listening, and singing along to many of my friends singing praise songs, leading our congregation in worship of the Lord, and realized how amazing they all are. This isn't the first time that I realized what wonderful people all of them are, it happens quite often. Even though I sometimes feel like there's nothing good going on, I should remember how amazing these people are. For a while I was having kind of a tough time with finding friends who care, and who want me to be happy, but recently God has given me some of the most amazing people ever.

I'm also thankful for the church that I am a part of, and my fellow Christians. I have been extremely blessed in the recent years with showers of love and care from people all throughout the church. My Christian faith has grown a lot in the past couple of years, and I have so many people who are growing with me and so many people who are leading us. It's through church that I met and became close to many of my best friends. God has been pouring out blessings through the church for me, and sometimes I don't even realize how amazing they all are until they're gone.

My family is always there for me, and I am extremely grateful for that. I know that I can always talk to anybody in my family, and even though we don't always get along, we love each other, and there isn't anything that I would change. It's simple, the way we care about each other, I am the oldest of three children, and though we have our arguments, I wouldn't trade them for the world. My parents always care about us, and always want us to be happy, and they are amazing parents.

There's a lot to be grateful for in the world, and sometimes I don't realize it, because sometimes I let my troubles cloud the way for them. I really am blessed in my life.