Multitude Monday

A few words on my heart from Ann Voskamp usher in my One Thousand Gifts list today:
"To learn how to be thankful...to be grateful and happy, whether hands full or empty. That is a secret worth spending a life on learning."

"Perspective can always adopt gratitude - and gratitude always parents joy."  (Eucharisteo!)

141.  A drive through the wide-open countryside
142.  AWESOME women's event at our church
143.  An incredible word of Abiding Hope from our amazing Senior Pastor's wife, Amy Groeschel
144.  Silly, goofy kids who make me laugh!
145.  Date night with the hubby!
147.  Kids' tickle pleas and belly laughs
148.  Watching/listening to my kids connect with & love their grandparents
149.  Watching Hollie love on her Daddy
150.  Lazy Saturdays watching cartoons in our pj's with the kiddos
151.  Finishing a great marriage class
152.  Making holiday weekend travel plans!

"We're ready for McDonald's!" :-D

 

With a grateful heart...

Kristi

Multitude Monday

Cherish Life’s Simple Pleasures  

The above is a sign I have hanging in my living room.  All too often I forget this.  Even when its' reminder is right in front of my face everyday, right there above the television I too often lose myself in. I let myself get so caught up in the 'dailies' of life...in the 'busies' that I allow to steal  my attention and let those simple pleasures slip away. And it's when too many slip away that life's mundane heaviness sets in like a weight on my back, and I find myself asking in achy regret...where did it all go? 

Cherishing those simple pleasures is a choice.  A deliberate, intentional choice. ( Remember -these are my theme(s) for this year?)  No more letting life just pass me by, letting moments with my kids escape me, missing out on opportunities to let God to work in my life  -and therefore missing opportunities to minister to, bless,and encourage others!  I feel like I'm a broken record here, but I'm going to keep saying it until I GET IT!  Habits take time to form, especially when you're having to replace the old/bad ones first.  Although, I want it to be more than a habit.  I want to draw so close to God that it becomes a part of me, that thanks for His bountiful blessings flow freely from my heart and soul and encompass all that I do and say.  That's a pretty tall order, but one that I look forward to seeking out.

So let's begin again, with some highlights of the last couple of week's Gratitude List:

83.  SOOOO thankful for GOD's GRACE!

87.  My hard-workin man!

88.  Love impending inclement weather...so exciting!  (Even when it 'flakes out' on us!)

89.  SNOW DAYS...a break in the routine!

90.  My boy wanting me to play Wii with him

91.  Short work/school weeks

92.  Thankful for church online when we have sick kiddos!

93.  Thankful for my cousin the nurse, who gave us all free flu shots a couple of months ago so we're not experiencing the worst of the sickies goin around!

95.  Noticing the clear blue sky just before dusk (when I was out driving) after it had been cloudy all day

96.  For Ann Voskamp, whom God led me to, to inspire me to take this 1000 Gift journey, her book that I'm about to dive into, her blog, her words that encourage, uplift, and take us closer to Him. 

HAVE A SUPER-FANTASTIC WEEK!

(Click on the picture link below if you'd like to find out more about One Thousand Gifts)

A Season of Gratitude

Well, with Thanksgiving being tomorrow, 'the holidays' are officially here! And there's talk everywhere about how to 'de-stress' your holidays, and the big question:  "What stresses you out the most during the holidays?"  You know what?  The thing that stresses me the most is everybody stressin' out!  For the season nicknamed, "the most wonderful time of the year" - when we're supposed to be thankful and loving and peace-seeking -  people sure can "Scrooge-out"!  Why do we do it?!  It seems so unnecessary!  Here's why:

I heard some good advice about de-stressing this season from Martha Beck, an author, O Magazine contributor, and LifeCoach.  I'm paraphrasing a bit, but these were her basic points:

• Check your motivation.  Motivation is typically fueled by one of two things:  Love and Fear.  Doing things you love to do, or for someone/people you love and care about, vs. fear that if you don't do/make/get something, someone/people will be upset, disappointed, or you will fail, etc.  
• Let 'good' be good enough.  You don't have to be perfect!  We tend to hold ourselves to a higher standard than others do, and often 'good' is more than plenty and perfectly acceptable for most! 
• Find the humor in the holiday(s).  Don't take things (and yourself) too seriously.  Learn to let those 'mishaps' color your holiday & make it memorable rather than ruin it.

Love that!  Great 'checks' for our motivation and easing the stress of perfection.  Also, keeping an attitude of gratitude and a giving spirit will help you keep perspective and be more mindful of your actions.  It's hard to be grateful when your eyes are on yourself!  Joel Osteen says, "Constant gratitude shows humility because when we are thankful, we magnify God instead of magnifying our problems. It gives us proper perspective and opens the door for God’s grace, favor and supernatural empowerment."

 “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!” 1 Chronicles 16:34, AMP

So, maybe instead of asking, "What stresses you out during the holidays?", we should be asking, "What are you grateful for?"  Here's to our holidays being fueled by love and gratitude rather than fear of perfection and perception!

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!   ;-)

Multitude Monday, Vol. 6

I'm still new to this journey of One Thousand Gifts.  Still finding my way, still learning how to truly and earnestly appreciate all of the beautiful gifts the Lord has given and placed around me.  I yearn to get out of myself and take in my surroundings, the things and people that bring me joy, to savor the simple things and then turn them all upward in praise.  Ann Voskamp says,

"It’s only in the expressing of gratitude for the life we already have that we discover the life we’ve always wanted—a life we can take, give thanks for, and break for others. We come to feel and know the impossible right down in our bones: we are wildly loved — and by God."

Father, please open the eyes of my heart that I may see your glorious works around me with my physical eyes and ears and touch. Help me to slow down, pay attention, and take it all in.  And then return it all back to you and be a witness to others of your unfailing love, mercy and grace.   Amen.

72.  Thankful for time spent with visiting family that I don't get to see much.
73.  Fall colors finally showing up!  Beautimous!
74.  New peeps visiting our LifeGroup!
76.  Thankful for a church that honors and appreciates it's volunteers so graciously.
80.  Thanks to my awesome hubby for steppin' up and doin' chores, fixing dinner, dealing with the kids, etc. when I wasn't feeling well.  Even when he didn't feel that great himself.  I am beyond blessed!


If you'd like to join me with your own 1000 Gifts journey and join the Gratitude Community, click here or on the button below.  Have a blessed week!

Multitude Monday, Vol. 5

This week, it's just been about thanking God for the simple things for me.  Thursday started Fall Break for us, with my hubby taking off so we could all spend some time together.  We didn't end up doing some 'big stuff' that I originally wanted to do, but ended up being blessed anyway with a bunch of 'small stuff'.  I think that's part of the lesson of doing this One Thousand Gifts, is finding beauty and gratitude in ways we might have otherwise missed!

53.  New Lifegroup friends

54.  The ambience the autumn sun and falling leaves give the outside of my house

56.  A lazy Fall Break morning!

59.  My first NBA game experience! (via free tickets!)

61.  The sound of falling rain on the roof

63.  Krispy Kreme doughnuts!

65.  Small roadtrip & family time at the pumpkin patch (more free tickets!)

66.  The wide open spaces of the rural Oklahoma countryside

69.  Time spent with friends we don't get to see very often

70.  A few stolen moments to myself to sit and just be quiet

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

Multitude Monday, Vol. 4

Well, it's Monday again.  And I've found myself unprepared for my post and lacking in general on my One Thousand Gifts journey.  I'll admit that I've slacked on my gratitude journaling this week.  Just busy-ness and forgetfulness mostly.  I started to feel bad, guilty. But, then I thought to offer myself some grace. I could use some today.  Just one of those days I'm feeling inadequate and all up in my head wondering how I can 'fix' myself and my circumstances.  But then I was reminded of a word I heard recently that talked about letting go of perfection, to stop begging God to do this, do that and simply let Him in, worship Him, offer Him the sacrifice of praise and get my eyes off of myself.  Because only as I draw myself close to Him will He be able to do a work in me.  Then the other things will fall into place, somehow.  The plan will be made known as He sees fit to reveal it to me, piece by piece.  It's a little harder "do" than "say", but I get it and am working on it. 

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. "  2 Cor 12:8-10 NIV

So today, I am thankful for His Word, and these other words that have stayed upon my heart, that all allow me to once again embrace His mercy and grace. 





 

Multitude Monday

Happy Monday!  Here are some highlights of my 'gifts' from last week, on my Thousand Gifts journey:

13. The journal my sweet hubby surprised me with to document my 1000 gifts.
20. Our friends being able to bring home the first of their premature twins, Eli, from the hospital.
23. Finding grace for myself, little by little...knowing that 'tomorrow is another day', another opportunity to    try again.
25. Becoming more aware of and longing for the quiet.
27. My Pastor's vision and call to action. 
30. Special time relaxing, hangin' out with my family watching a movie together.
32. Hugs from my Hollie.  :-)
34. My 6yr-old son telling me he loves my corn casserole.  ;-)
35. Watching my kids make up silly, non-sensical games & then cracking up at themselves.  Priceless!
37. Our first beautiful Fall day!

Thanks for joining me on my journey.  If you would like to join The Gratitude Community with your own journey of One Thousand Gifts, you can link up here at A Holy Experience. 

Multitude Monday

Today, I'm starting a new 'experiment', if you will...a gratitude list.  But not just any gratitude list - this one is a little different.  I've done 'Thankful Thursday' lists here before, and have been thinking of starting a more 'daily' gratitude journal recently.  Then as I was exploring (in)Courage today, I happened upon the blog of one of the authors, Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience and discovered the Thousand Gifts List.  I think it was a divine appointment, as I fell in love with and am intrigued by this idea.  Here is a sampling of what the Thousand Gifts List is in Ann's words:

"I am daily jotting down items on my Thousand Gifts List, working, one-by-one, up to a thousand gifts. Not of gifts I want. But of gifts I have.


As the moments slip down the hour glass of time, I am scratching down the gifts---just as they happen, as they arrive, as they are unwrapped---that He has given that make my life grace, the daily graces that He gives in an infinite number of ways, that stir me.


I am seeing things I have never seen before, atuned and aware of this constant, endless stream of gifts from His hand. I am one waking from slumber....from the stupor of indifference and ignorance. I have sight, fresh and keen---the world is new and full of His gifts.


Too often I miss Him, oblivious, blind. I don't see all the good things that He is giving me, gracing me with, brushing my life with. True, He is everywhere, always. But maybe, before The Gift List, I thought of Him as further off, not so close. When I started to see all the things that I love bestowed upon me, I started to see Him as near, present, everywhere, showering me with good things. Seeing the things I love all around me gives me eyes to see that I am loved, that He loves me."

WOW. Join me if you will, on this journey of enlightenment and gratitude.  I haven't figured out yet how many items I want to aim to list each day, or if I even do.  I may just keep my journal handy and jot them down as they come to me and see how that goes.  And I'm sure it will be varied - some of it may be 'deep', some of it will be 'small', silly stuff. (see below) But I will post each week for Multitude Mondays some or perhaps all of my weekly discoveries.  I'll think on it and let you know my plan next week.  Here are my first gifts:

1.  My beautiful, perfect children.  Not because they're perfect - but they're perfect gifts from God to me as their mother.   
2.  The way my 2yr-old daughter lowers her brow when talking intensely about something. 
3.  Sonic ice.
4.  The beautiful music at A Holy Experience's  website.
5.  The amazing (in)Courage online community...it never ceases to bless me in ways only God would have a hand in!

I am so excited to see what God has in store as I open myself up to discover His blessings and handiwork that are all around me, and perhaps to even explore a little more of myself.

To start your own Thousand Gifts List click here and join the Gratitude Community!  Thanks, to Ann at A Holy Experience for this gift of grace!