Grateful Thursday

Today was a stay at home day. My favorite kind of day!! Seeing as it was rainy that worked out great. As mentioned under the title of my blog, one of the main reasons I started blogging was so that I would do a better job of writing down the things I want to remember. Things that happen in our day to day life, things the kids do that I want to remember, and also things that I am learning along the way. It seems that I will learn something important, it becomes something I try to make a part of me - and then before you know it I have forgotten that lesson.

So if I am rambling on about something, it is probably just me trying to get my thoughts down before they escape me. :) (Yes, I do actually think about important things on occasion. Just never in full sentences - you know - before someone needs me for something!)

I was reminded today (by one of my favorite blogs) that there are some important differences between thankfulness and gratefulness. Pretty much what it came down to is that thankfulness has more to do with our circumstances. We express thankfulness when someone does something for us or gives us something. Perhaps for people or things we have in our lives. Thankfulness is a great thing indeed!

Gratefulness though surpasses circumstances - what we may or may not have, what this or that person has or has not done. It is not about trying to manipulate people, or the future, or God. This realization was a check to my spirit. Sure I can display thankfulness for the things I have and for the people in my life - but is gratefulness a part of my core? I want it to be!!

So here it goes:

I am grateful for hot showers - unlike the cold ones that the vast majority of people it the world take - that is if they have a shower.

I am grateful for Honey Nut Cherrios (or what ever off-brand equal I may have). I LOVE cereal and would eat it three times a day if I did not have a family. But Honey Nut Cherrios has been my favorite since high school! I still eat it almost every morning.

I am grateful for children with innocent and joyful hearts. Their laughter is something that I so enjoy listening to. (Most of the time anyway - the exception to that would probably be when they are in their giggly moods and CANNOT control themselves at the dinner table - and have to be sent away like some were this evening.) :)

This is one of my favorite pictures of all of them together.
I remember they were in one of those giggly moods this evening too.

On a little more serious note. I am grateful for the last year or so of our lives. There have been some hard things (I hope to write about them later so that I don't forget) but there has also been more growth than ever before in our lives. I am grateful for God's faithfulness not to give up on us, and to still want to use us, and to increase our faith.

I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me. Who wants me to know I am the reason for that twinkle in His eyes. (And guess what? You also are the reason for that twinkle in his eye. And so is every other human soul in this world. Isn't that amazing?) Thank you Lord for loving me!! Please help me to love you more everyday!!!
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Iliana said she is thankful for her pink light in her room.

Cruz said he is thankful for his dad!!

Marcia said she is thankful for her baby doll, Rose, and her doggy.