There is something very powerful about having a spirit of thankfulness. When we focus on the many, many blessings we have in life, it greatly lessens our enemy's power to try to bring despair, fear, worry, anxiety, and any host of other emotions that would serve to get us to take our eyes off of God and place them on our circumstances. This won't be an exhaustive list initially, but will be sure to grow over time. Things I'm thankful for/that make me happy (in the order in which I think of them): - Faith in Jesus Christ
- - and the freedom to pursue my faith
- Someone who knows who she is :)
- Hope
- Crystal clear blue skies
- - with puffy white clouds
- Forgiveness
- Cottonwood fluff floating in the breeze
- Bike rides
- Flip flops
- Snowflakes falling gently from the sky
- Prairie grass blowing in the wind
- Playing XBox with friends
- Laughter
- Hiking out in nature
- - with someone special
- Trust
- Feeling grass between your toes
- Rafting
- Helping others
- - without them knowing you're the one that did it
- Meals with family
- Long conversations
- Visiting friends out of town
- Cool spring breezes
- Sunshine on my face
- Peace
- Writing
- Driving into Chicago on Lake Shore Drive at night
- Hearing waves lap the shore
- - and feeling them on your feet
- Unexpected phone calls
- Sticky rice with Mango
- Crunchy leaves
- Riding the el
- The smell of a freshly plowed field
- A cat rubbing up next to you
- - especially if you're feeling down.
- Getting a card in the mail
- Taking the "scenic route"
- Falling asleep to the sound of rain
- Frozen custard (especially lemon)
- Dandelion puffballs
- Pudgy squirrels
- Strawberries from the garden
- The Lazy River
- Meeting that one person whose soul echoes your own
- The promise of an acorn
- Time alone with God
- - with your journal
- - out in nature
- Writing (I know I said this before, but I really like writing.)
- Having people in your life who know you better than you know yourself
- Going putt putt
- Playing in the snow
- Fresh tomatoes
- Baby bunnies
- Feeling God lay a story on your heart, and seeing it come to life on paper
- Swinging on the swings in the park late at night
- Hearing someone say, "I love you."
- Laying in the sun
- Instrumental music
- Staring up at starry skies on a clear crisp night
- Staring up at starry skies on a clear crisp night
- Staring up at starry skies on a clear crisp night
- Storyboarding
- Being accepted for who you are
- Smoked pulled pork barbecue
- Liliacs
- The thok-thok-thok of tires on a concrete highway
- The sound of trains
- Fresh rhubarb pie
- Watching your truck turn over a quarter million miles
- Candlelight worship services
- Exploring
- Surprising someone with flowers
- Growing - in faith, in life, in maturity, in relationships, etc.
- Wind chimes
- Sunrises
- Driving a 5-speed in the winter
- Being yourself
- Climbing higher
- Turkey burgers with pepperjack cheese and red cream ale barbecue sauce
- Ceiling fans
- Green turn arrows
- Time with friends
- Cat sitting
- Ducklings
- Sitting down with God and letting Him teach
- Long walks along the beach
- Going tubing
- Lightning bugs over bean fields
- Undeserved grace
- Growing through difficult events
- Drives through the country
- Shared memories
- Someone who understands you better than you do yourself
- Patience
- Not being perfect
- - and still being loved despite that fact
- Fireworks
- Cookouts and picnics with loved ones
- Experiencing life
- - with people we love
- Working through stuff from the past
- Not getting stressed when problems pile up
- Taking Christmas card photos with family
- Sitting around the table talking
- Finding that one person in the world to share the rest of your life with
- Listening to others' life stories
- Raindrops on my face
- Rainbows
- Getting a letter in the mail from a far-away friend
- Turkey Run
- Sleeping in
- Sheets fresh from the dryer
| 