Gratitude

In the church we are often told that we need to have gratitude and a few years ago a friend of mine told me that she kept a gratitude journal . Anytime she was feeling a little low she would either read it or add to it. So a few years ago I decided to follow her example and it has done wonders for me, especially when I feel like I am sick all the time and life isn't fair and all of those other whiny things we all say to ourselves. So I just wanted to share some of my gratitude with everyone else!

First there are the obvious ones:

Family

The gospel

My Savior

TEMPLE WORK!!!

My nieces and nephews

SMART doctors

Scriptures

Then the not so obvious ones:

A breeze on a calm spring, summer or fall evening

Bamboo wind chimes

Sunsets

Star gazing

Cannon in D with ocean sounds (CD)

T.V and movies on a sleepless night because of insomnia

Reba's show

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Avonlea

Books

Buying books

LDS Fiction (Anita Stansfield, Michelle Ashman Bell, Betsy Brannon Green...)

LDS non-fiction

Christmas crafts

Hot chocolate

Old T.V. shows

Little House on the Prairie

Forgiveness and starting over

Fresh peas from the garden

Lilac's in bloom

Fresh garden carrots

Shopping for purses

Reading friends blogs

Blizzards that keep you inside with your family and in front of a blazing fire

Frogs - not the real kind

The fact that I am not a pioneer woman because I would have died at least 7 times by now

Sewing

Cross stitching

Baking

Hearing my parents laugh hysterically, even if it is at me

Taking pictures

Spring and Fall

A cool breeze coming in the window on a hot night

Sending thank you notes, AKA: Love notes

Noodle soup when I am nauseated, which is about 50% of the time

The new and improved Rexburg Hospital...well, maybe just the new rooms

I got to see my first temple marriage in September

Buying tons of stuff I don't need at the dollar store

Some people might think that I am just silly because I am grateful for Bamboo wind chimes and any other kind just won't do or that I am ok with being nauseated 50% of the time because I have grown to love noodle soup. But all this really is, is focusing on the positive. We all have PLENTY of the negative, but do we spend enough time thinking positive? I challenge everyone to start a gratitude journal...it has to be written down...and see what a huge difference it will make in your life, no matter how silly it is!!!!