Gifts #5-11

These are the gifts I'm thankful for today.

#5  listening to my daughter's speech for school - so well-written and smart!

#6  a phone call from my hard-working, newly-married, first-born daughter

#7  the perfect tart, crisp, green apple

#8  a pain-free day (a gift I thought I would never receive again)

#9   the camellias blooming by my front door

#10  a hug from my needs-a-haircut, drives-me-crazy, makes-me-laugh, candy-consuming, almost-taller-than-me teenage boy

#11  a sister-in-law who is also a holistic nutritionist - in spite of the no-sugar, no-gluten, no-dairy diet she has me on right now

What a difference in my day, looking for the gifts, instead of focusing on my needs!

One Thousand Gifts

Just discovered a new blog, well, new to me anyway.  It is called A Holy Experience.  The writer of this blog, Ann Voskamp, has also written a book "One Thousand Gifts". 

I have never read the book and have just begun reading Ann's daily posts but, right away, I was struck by the purpose of One Thousand Gifts - A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are - a recognition of the power of gratitude.

So, I have started my own One Thousand Gifts journal, where I can record daily reminders of all the beautiful gifts I have been given.  These are the first four gifts that came my way today.

#1 - the blank pages of a journal - filled with endless possibilities

#2 - ruby red pomegranates bought at a roadside stand

#3 - a text from my teenage daughter just to make me smile

#4 - wise counsel from a dear friend

I'm on my way -  4 down and 996 left to go!