Thankful Thursdays.

I decided to linkup with Erin & Amy this Thursday and practice Thankfulness. 
As I have been working to practice this attitude, it has really changed my heart towards how I see things. Being able to see beauty in the small things, and really enjoy the little moments. 
To really enjoy the everyday, even when my first response could use a little work.

Learning to enjoy walking through crunchy leaves and not rush onto the next thing.
To explore with two cuties who want to see the little things in the world and see everything through their eyes. How their perspective is beautiful.

So first of all. I am thankful to this man.

For loving me for who I am, flaws and everything. For choosing me 3 1/2 yrs ago to stand by his side and continuing to choose me everyday since. This is the closest living example I have seen to understanding the way God loves me. 

I am thankful for family. For the way they love unconditionally through all of lifes up and downs. For their support through lots of difficult decisions at times.   

For beautiful friendships the Lord has brought into my life this past year. He answered my prayers for accountable, genuine sweet ladies who I could do life with. This sweet lady is just one of so many. SO blessed.

And for two sweet babies who continue to show me how to love littles, show me what I need to work on in my own life, teach me patience and how to enjoy every single day of life.

They really remind me that every day is such a gift. (No picture of them for obvious reasons, but oh goodness they are too stinking cute!) 

For my precious Father who has continued to floor me on His timing in providing little gifts like books I wanted, truth when I needed to hear it, the gift of His word & just a love far better than anything I could ever hope for.

Back to Eden: 1000 Gifts.

{Via}

I feel it appropriate to start back at the beginning on this topic.

To really share how this topic was laid on my heart so heavily.

Actually, it began with reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp many moons ago now.

I realise many of you may have read her book and may even be starting to be frustrated by how much people are talking about it or continuing to talk about it.

I know I personally have mentioned it so many times on this blog here.

Honestly though, her book really opened my eyes in so many ways to something so simple, which changes one's entire heart attitude to life.

What a revelation to discover.

By being thankful for things, we can battle so many 'funks' we may find ourselves in. 

That was my main reason for feeling compelled to start the series in the first place.

These moods are often a result of life situations. Things we may have no control over.

But the Lord in all His goodness, is allowing them for a reason.

To grow us? To build trust in us? To allow us to change our attitude?

While we may have no control over the things in our lives which happen to us, we do have control over how we react to these challenges.

Ann in her book talks about how perfect things were back in the garden of Eden. 

How Adam and Eve were in perfect relationship with God, they were not lacking in anything. 

They saw God perfectly, in all His goodness, the way He truly is.

Notice how Sin's original root is in Satan tempting them to focus on what they don't have.

He shows them discontentment.

As Ann writes:

'we were lured by the deception that there was more to a full life,

there was more to see.'

Now, seeing God as someone we can trust is so much harder than it must have been in that garden, it becomes a choice now instead of a given. It becomes a battle to see things the way they really are, the way we were designed to see them. 

How old this idea of discontentment is right??
I look forward to exploring this topic more.


Much Love,
L