the "gratitude community"...

There is a group of people in the blog world who are called the Gratitude Community. These are persons who have committed to making gratitude a way of living-- to looking for, acknowledging, and telling others about things in their daily lives for which they are grateful, blessings they have been given. Part of being a member of this Gratitude Community is writing a list of One Thousand Gifts... a means of counting (and sharing) one's blessings.

As I, too, have been making a real effort to work on being grateful over the past couple of years--to searching for and acknowledging God's many creative blessings in my life--I am very excited to discover that there are others out there who are practicing this spiritual discipline as well...and sharing their gratitude with others. I have decided to join the Gratitude Community, and over time, you will see me adding to my list throughout my posts. (you'll see items with numbers next to them as I count my way to 1000) In this way, you can join me in being thankful for all of the wonders God has placed in my (and your) life...

I truly believe a heart of gratitude is a key to experiencing the joy of the Lord in our lives and to deepening our understanding of our Father's amazing love for us! I am excited to share in this adventure and welcome you to do the same ...on scraps of paper, in your journal, in a notebook by your bed... wherever, however you can do it!

God, I am thankful today for these Your gifts....

1. the smell of chocolate cake baking

2. the taste of chocolate cake batter licked off the beaters
3. the feel of the cooling breeze of a fan on a hot summer's afternoon
4. the brilliant blue of a clear summer sky
5. listening to old 80's music and enjoying the memories that come with it
6. baking cookies with small boys eager to bake
7. my family being safe in the midst of the Georgian-Russian conflict
8. green leaves fluttering in the breeze
9. the sound of silence on a lazy Saturday morning
10. the joy of lying abed late after many early-rising mornings

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

~ 1 Chronicles 16:34

(If you would like to read the 1000 Gifts lists of others in the Gratitude Community, you can find the list of participating blogs here.)