Thursday, September 16, 2010

Thankful Thursday - Cooler Weather



Thankful Thursday is a weekly exercise in practicing thankfulness.  This month's hostess, Iris at Grace Alone, is thankful for cooler weather.  Me too!  Although I don't live in the desert like she does, I also suffer through July and August's heat.  I do not like to sweat! I do not like to even "glisten" as we Southern ladies like to say.

In thinking about thankfulness this week, I realized there are so many things that bring me joy. I have been blessed with many major things:  health, spouse, children, family and friends, wonderful jobs, many interests and passions.  I give the Lord praise for these blessings continually.

However, there are so many little joys and pleasures in this wonderful life! Things that add richness and color to our existence. I'm so thankful God did not make this world boring!  He gave it color, fragrance, variety  in all the species of plants and animals.  He made sunsets and rainbows!

This is not a new idea. Blogger Ann Voskamp has a  meme on Mondays called Multitude Monday, One Thousand Gifts that encourages readers to journal the gifts you are grateful for, from the big to the little.

She has inspired me to list some of my little joys:
  • California Raspberry nail polish from OPI.  It makes me smile.
  • Glimpses of wildflowers entangled with the weeds lining the roadside as I drive to work.  Today, there were flowers that were such a vibrant yellow!
  • The color yellow - I'm so glad God made it!
  • Blue hydrangeas - it just makes the world so pretty.
  • My favorite gold hoop earrings - they go with everything and as long as I've had them, they're still shiny!
  • Citrus - The fragrance when you peel an orange or slice into a lemon.
  • The flavor of an early morning cup of hot tea.
  • Gentle breezes - I love to be outdoors when the wind is blowing.
  • Chocolate - need I say more?
  • Memories - I have so many precious memories, experiences I wouldn't trade for a million dollars. My children's adorable baby voices (I can still hear them all these years later!)
  • Lip gloss
  • Crickets chirping
  • Trees - I never met a tree that I didn't like.
  • Splashing my feet as I sit on a dock on a lake
I could go on and on listing (and my regular readers know that I probably will continue). But I would like to leave you with this thought:

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Every blessing, big or little comes from Him.  Thank you, Father!

10 comments:

  1. Fabulous list. It can be easy to take these little things for granted, but they really are blessings. Thanks for the reminder!

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  2. Amen! We have a lot in common! I love the color of yellow and have a love for trees! :) So glad you have many blessings!

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  3. I love California Raspberry nailpolish from OPI. I left some questions for you on my site.

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  4. Hi Jerralea, beautiful thankful post, I so enjoyed reading your list, I think mine would be very similar. I too am so thankful for all the colors and fragrances that God has blessed us with. The small things in life do add up and are so easy to take for granted.
    I was so blessed today, thank you for sharing.
    Thank you too for visiting me and for taking the time to leave me such a sweet comment.
    Blessings,
    Sue

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  5. I don't much like to "glisten" either...

    Loved your list of joys! And I love Ann's blog...her accounts of her trip to Guatemala had me in tears every day....

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  6. Loved... loved... LOVED.. all of these tiny praises. I'm right there with ya...

    Hugs.

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  7. My kids always help me be thankful for little stuff. My youngest girl pointed out the cricket song to us the other night. I had sort of faded that to background noise, and now that she reminded me of it I listen a little closer and enjoy it more.

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  8. Loved reading your list. You are great at recognizing God's hand in all aspects of our lives. Have a wonderful week!

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