I'm A Believer!

One month ago, I wrote 1. sunshine.  That is where my list began.  I still had not received one thousand gifts, but I had a general idea of how to list 1000 things I am thankful for, so I dove in.  I now have the book, and all I can say is:  I am thankful that Ann started her list and stuck to it.

I was reading back through my lists, I have several in various places, and it brought me right back to those moments.  Stopping to recognize the preciousness of one small moment, and to record it, made it stick.  It made that moment a gift.  It made me smile, remembering being there, watching, thanking God, and writing it down.  I now have 144 moments from the last month alone.  This is quite an accomplishment for me, since I cannot usually remember the last moment.  Not only do I remember, but I love them!  They are becoming milestones for me.  They are like the rocks that I have collected over the years when I visit the beach.  Most people probably wonder why I have little piles of rocks in various places around my house.  They have no value whatsoever, except that I found them while I wandered on the beach and thought they were worth picking up and keeping.  Now when I see them I think of the beach, the sand, the surf, my children and I gathering rocks to admire.

So why is this so profound?  Why does it matter that I have 144 seemingly random, and fairly worthless things listed that make me smile?  For one thing it has made me much more thankful.  I have sat through several gymnastics meets watching my daughter for a grand total of 5 minutes, while sitting in a gym full of people for four hours.  Instead of imagining all of the other things I could be doing, I was realizing why all of us were there.  We loved each other.  I was there because I love Bronwyn.  There were lots of brothers and sisters there because they love their siblings.  It changed my whole perspective.  I have also been looking for God.  Where is He doing some miraculous thing that no one seems to notice?  And then I find it.  A slug trudging across a path in Westport Wa.  It may seem mundane, but you should have seen Brooke smile when she picked it up, priceless.  I am finding hundreds, no, thousands of priceless moments that God gives me everyday.  There is a lot less time to grumble when I am enjoying the smell of chocolate cake, and taking the time to write it down.

I know it is becoming the trendy thing to do, and I hate that kind of thing.  But I am here to tell you, if you are feeling a little glum about life, take the challenge.  Write down 1000 things you love.  Nail down 1000 moments of your life, and see if it doesn't change the way you see the world.

#145-159

My daughter accepting an invitation that I know is an incredible honor, but also an incredible challenge.  Her willingness to face her fears and not let them win.

Friends that you can let your hair down with, that speak your language, and make you feel at home.

Husbands who really are happy to just have their favorite dinner for their birthday.

Phone calls from parents to wish their children Happy Birthday.

The smell of flowers.

The way that watching the Fresh Prince of Bel Air makes me miss my brothers.

Soggy earth, and the hope of the grass and flowers that are brewing in it.

Melted snow.

The smell of bread baking in the oven.  The way it brings the kids running up the stairs in joyful expectation.

My children skipping along the sidewalk singing B-I-N-G-O on their way to music class.

Chatting with friends about the blessings, and curses of homeschooling and Christian schools.

Dreaming about what my children might like to be when they grow up.

Going to bed tired every night, knowing that I did all that I could do. 

Knowing that there will be more work to do in the morning.