attitude of gratitude

As we wrap up this Thanksgiving weekend, my heart is still full of gratitude.  I heard this morning in church that the Thanksgiving holiday ushers in the Christmas season, and what better way to enter into the Christmas season but with an attitude of thanks for our Savior.  So, I started to ponder all the many things that I am thankful for this holiday season.  Here goes...

• My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the relationship that I continue to develop with the Holy Spirit.
• My baby girl laughing
• My step-son and his new-found love of reading
• The warm sunshine after a cold night
• Twinkling lights on the Christmas tree
• A husband who loves me....just the way I am...
• The home we are creating for our children
• Peppermint mocha coffee creamer and friends who leave it on your front porch...just because!
• My job and all the wonderful ladies that I work with
• My parents...gracious knows, I've learned alot about gratitude from them
• My family...sisters, brothers, nieces and nephew
• My friends...who hold me accountable and help me grow in my daily walk with Christ

The list could go on and on and on.  I am thankful for the big things...family, friends, my house and car and job.  But I'm equally grateful for the smaller things....like a freshly raked yard with newly fallen leaves or the sound of my coffee pot brewing a fresh pot or my baby girl's first smile of the morning or my constantly running washing machine and dryer and the ability to pay the power bill to run that washer and dryer or a hot shower each and every day or three meals, plus many snacks, every day...and on and on and on...the list gets bigger and bigger. 

The more I focus on the things that I am grateful for...the less I am ungrateful for. The more I focus on the many blessings in my life...the less I focus on the worldly things and the more I focus on the eternal things.

May your heart have an attitude of gratitude this holiday season.  May you see all things in your life as a blessing and give thanks.  May your heart yearn for the eternal.  May you stand in God's presence with thanksgiving in your hearts and a song on your lips. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5