A Thankful Spirit

I find myself these days often reminding my boys to just "be thankful." Be thankful for the favorite supper you get to have tonight AND be thankful for your not so favorite meal maybe tomorrow. Be thankful that you got to have some extra unexpected t.v. time even though you maybe didn't get to watch as much as you wanted. Be thankful for the fun bedtime stories Daddy tells and not complain when he says "to be continued." Be thankful for the ten M&M's I gave you and not always feel the need to ask for "just one more."

JUST.....be thankful.
Is that so hard?

But, keeping it real.......how often am I just plain thankful - for the here and now, for the things I have, for the gifts God has given me, for the life that I am living, etc. etc. etc.? Must I always compare? Must I always keep looking for the next thing that will then "really make me happy?"

Comparison destroys contentment, right? And a joyful spirit makes the heart glad but discontentment dries of the bones! Man - in our sinful nature - it could be so easy to become brittle awfully quickly! And honestly, it would be no one's fault but our own!

So, in light of trying to live out what I'm wanting to teach my young men, I want to more intentionally practice the art of having a joyful, thankful spirit. Periodically, I shall post a gamet of things, in no particular order, of random thankfulness knocking around inside my head and my heart - and I shall spew it out here for the world to see!

1. My hubby. He is TRULY my best friend and my soulmate. I would be lost without him.
2. My boys. How blessed I am to have this whirling, crazy life with three littles.
3. My chickens. Seriously - they make me really happy. Not sure why, really....but I love them. They soothe me.
4. My family and friends. I am blessed beyond measure.
5. My home. It suits us perfectly - not too big, not too small. A little quirky. Just like us. It is a blessing and a gift.
6. Family Days. They keep us close. They keep us connected.
7. Yard Sales. It can be little things, right? They're like Christmas to me!
8. The country. Wide open spaces. Reconnecting with Creation.
9. Real, honest conversations. I have them with only a handful of my friends. True grit - where the rubber meets the road. I do not take them for granted.
10. Nap times. They are my sanity. :0)
11. Summer sunshine. The cold is coming, so I am drinking it in.
12. My washing machine and dishwasher - both humming merrily away as I type. Bless those pioneer women!
13. My garden. Who knew how much we would ALL love it?!
14. My two little widower neighbors who take awfully good care of us.
15. My Jesus who loves me unconditionally and who remains faithful to this ever faithless daughter of His!

More to come.......
What are you feeling thankful for these days?