Every year at Thanksgiving, my parents sit down and have a big feast. Afterward, they go around the table and everyone present at the meal tells what they are thankful for. It’s often a pretty emotional time. And it seems no matter what journey the year has taken us on, each one of us can always find something good that was brought into their life. I love this tradition of giving thanks. It seems we can never truly get enough of it.
I read a lot of blogs. One of my favorites is by Ann Voskamp. She is a treasure. And she keeps a Gratitude Journal that she shares on her website. I have loved reading her entries and was inspired to do the same.
So beginning January 1, 2010, I started my very own Gratitude Journal. I grabbed a notebook and started on page 1 with “Week 1” and numbers 1-20 down the left hand side.
There were times it was very easy to know what to write down and 20 lines wasn’t enough. And then there were other weeks where I just sat and stared at the blanks I needed to fill in. But I never gave myself permission to leave a week with blanks on its page.
I didn’t worry about being repetitive. I just wrote down whatever I was thankful for that particular week – be it an activity, a person, an event, a moment, a phrase or an observation.
What I didn’t realize was that I was creating this wonderful log of a year’s worth of memories. It’s obvious, I suppose. But reading over all 1,040 entries at the end of the year I could see very clearly all the good things He has given me. They were staring back at me from the pages of my journal – evidence. All the things I had forgotten were listed. All the moments I didn’t want to forget were waiting for me to remember again. If someone had asked me “What’s good in your life?” I could have simply handed them my journal and said, “This…and so much more.”
I’ve always considered myself a grateful person. I don’t have a problem saying thank you. I feel like I see pretty clearly that I don’t deserve all the good in my life. And maybe this project has helped me increase that gratitude. I don’t really know how to figure that out as it seems a little more abstract and not so quantifiable. But this is what I do know. Each week I would put this journal next to my planner and I would fill out a list of 20 things I am thankful for. That simple act brought to mind hundreds (literally) of things I would have otherwise easily glossed over.
Is it ever enough? When I think about what I would do if my days with Brian, Reagan or Madison were numbered and drawing to a close I am sure I would soak myself in every single minute with them. I wouldn’t sweat the small stuff. I would waste less time. I would treasure and hide every memory in my heart. Truthfully, my days with them are numbered. Who knows how many of them I have left. But in 2010, I was able to cherish my life, my family, my God in a way I hadn’t before.
Maybe keeping a Gratitude Journal makes you more thankful. I don’t know. It made me more aware and more present. I don’t remember the bad things so much from the year. But the good, oh the good, has washed over me time and time again.
I won’t share all 1,040 things, but here are some of the highlights:
- Reagan singing scripture
- A barely fuzzy head tucked under my chin
- Lack of sleep due to a child I desperately wanted
- Laughter from a father and his daughters as they play downstairs while was dishes
- A mom who is more like my best friend each day
- Happy smiles first thing in the morning
- A Coffee Break group that digs into Scripture
- Reagan and Maddie laughing at each other
- Waking to a frosty-white world
- A child who insists on using every crayon in the box
- Being the first one to wake up in the morning
- Living within walking distance from parks
- Laughter with friends
- The way she runs to me with outstretched arms
- Maddie babbling away when she wakes up
- Maddie wearing Reagan’s old outfits and the memories that come back
- An evening watching a movie with Reagan
- The way she says “I missed you!” when I am gone for only an hour
- The way my parents take joy in my children
- Great music. Better lyrics.
- The way she sings “He loves us! Oh how He loves us!”
- Her many giggles just to get attention
- He is still listening – no matter what
- The silence of falling snow
- Reagan asking to make a Valentine’s card for me
- Creating instead of napping
- Watching Reagan exercise like me
- Hearing Tom and Angie’s voices
- Laughing with my husband
- Medicines for fevers
- Making a snowman
- Great service at my coffee shop
- Spontaneous worship
- Dancing with Maddie
- A husband who helps
- That they want to play together
- The incredible gift of very healthy children
- A story that makes me cry
- When sunlight feels like a spotlight
- Buying everything on my shopping list
- Quiet time each evening with Reagan
- The wisdom of a friend
- The love of a little girl
- The ability to reason with her
- People who love me through painful criticism
- That he reads the Word
- The third day
- My mom and her willingness to change a diaper
- Leaving the house without a coat
- His gentle correction
- Our first walk in 2010
- A healing conversation with my husband
- The joy of throwing an acorn in the pond
- Maddie’s first time in a swing at the park
- That I understand them
- Choosing silence
- Hearing him tell me I look nice
- Sidewalk chalk
- A group of friends who love worship
- That she looks to me for protection
- Palm branch processions
- That she doesn’t want to be away from me
- Going out for pizza as a family
- Playing Candyland as a family
- Visions of heaven
- Music that overflows from the soul
- Hands raised high in praise
- Maddie doing SO BIG! and clapping for herself
- The sweet way Reagan loves her sister
- Reagan’s statement out of nowhere, “He died! On the cross!”
- Her first shaky steps
- “Do you need some help, Mom?”
- Her eyes searching for me
- Guitars
- Not having to get the carseat in and out of the car
- Friends who love music and go to concerts with me
- A 3 year old who makes me laugh
- That Maddie wants ME
- Memories that come flooding back
- That she turns back and runs down the hall just to hug me
- Smiling for no reason
- Confession and coffee
- Inability to out-sin grace
- A body that has changed with bearing children
- Soft green grass
- Her arm around her little sister in the stroller
- Going to the park twice in a day
- Late bedtimes because we were out playing
- Maddie walking all over the house
- Maddie is ONE!
- A garage turned into Candyland
- Reagan running in circles in excitement
- Dads playing with kids
- Reading in bed
- Meeting friends at the park
- Reagan’s first popsicle
- Maddie coloring with sidewalk chalk
- His hard work for us
- His head bowed low before breakfast over the Word
- Laughing at myself
- Choosing to not perpetuate gossip
- That I share life with them
- Squirrels
- That we are different and it is okay
- Tan lines
- Our first real picnic
- Nine years together
- Pictures of His faithfulness
- A new niece – Emily Lynae
- Twirling skirts
- Devotions interrupted by children
- People noticing my weight loss
- A surprise package for Reagan and Madison from Tom and Angie
- Not exploding in anger
- One piece of cherry pie
- A walk down the lane
- Trying to catch a butterfly
- Reagan picking apples
- Flying a kite
- Thirty-two years of life for Brian
- People who live frugally in order to be generous
- Phil singing “Kindness” for special music in church
- Walking instead of driving
- A shared smile – no words needed
- When we fall and get back up
- Fresh apples in apple crisp
- Love that never fails
- All the things I never have to do because he does
- Trying to hide laughter from children
- “Super Reagan is here!”
- My first guitar accompanied solo
- Stories of faith
- Ability that doesn’t leave the moment you stop
- Rest areas with parks
- Arriving to hugs and smiles
- Reagan’s joy at fireworks
- Sitting through a whole church service with my husband
- Hilarious family members
- Waves washing our feet
- Maddie laughing in her room
- My Dad on his birthday
- Laughing till it hurts
- That I am not a celebrity
- Jeans that fit better than they ever have
- Maddie vs. cupcake
- A fabulous trip to Bethel Mission
- Appreciation
- Watching Reagan and Maddie play outside at the farm
- The magic of an early evening on the farm
- Reagan picking tomatoes
- Realizing He has given me every big thing I have ever asked Him for
- That He accomplishes through me
- Reagan’s impromptu prayer for Daddy after he prayed for us at supper
- Maddie’s high chair dancing
- Seeing the humanity behind the evil and sin
- That He loves us anyway
- Truth revealed
- Entering a writing contest
- Laughing at 5:30 in the morning
- That people stop to pray
- Perfect weather on our zoo day
- Being burdened for others
- The tiny curl at the bottom of Maddie’s hair
- That being with me makes them feel better
- Zeno’s pizza with ham
- Celebrating my Mom’s birthday
- People who LIVE like Jesus
- When he surprises me
- Honorable Mention
- Telling the painful stories
- Her skipping run to match his strides
- Trust in a small group
- A new nephew – Alex Joel
- Twirling with Maddie in the kitchen
- Spontaneous standing in worship
- Kneeling for Amazing Grace
- Reining in the want monster
- Living in the moment
- That He never lets go
- When words flow onto paper
- The wonder in their eyes at the Christmas tree
- Laughing so hard you can’t finish your story
- Zephaniah 3:17
- Their initials on my wrist
- Reagan is four!
- Being able to not hate a picture of myself
- Uninhibited worship
- Uncontrollable giggles
- Two girls dancing in tiaras
- The advent conspiracy
- Free refills on coffee
- Intense love for me
- New countertop, sink and faucet
- Sharp pencils
- Brian taking care of us
- Belief
- Giving homemade Christmas gifts
- Pictures of mark the passage of time
- Being snowed in
- Harry Potter series
- Reaching and exceeding a goal
- Eyes opened to other’s struggles
- Saying yes before considering the no
- Reagan’s first Christmas program
- Truth from the pulpit
- Fingerprints on the windows
- Maddie saying “I love you!”
- Movies with my sister
- Playing games with my family
- That He is the master storyteller
- That I don’t eat like this on a daily basis
- Maddie curling up by Grandpa DV for a nap
- Reagan’s love of baby Emily
- Feeling challenged to “write” (or live) a better story
- One thousand forty good things
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