Feeling rather Grateful-January 2011

Usually winter brings me to an ordinary shade of gray. My hair seems grayer, the pacific northwest sky is gloomed in multi-gray, even the trees and grass of my yard are lensed in gray. Ordinary...blah-ness.

But this year I have decided to do some things different with the help of my gracious Savior. I have been pondering my perspective and have found that I am just letting life happen, rather than living out the moments. Where did the joy of each day go?

I wonder...

I seem to have found my self in this familiar place but can't recall which path I took to get here. Ever feel this way? I don't want to live out my days in passivity, giving me the opportunity to just idly complain.

I am choosing to be grateful.

But new habits like memorizing scripture (new thing #1) and choosing to live gratefully (new thing #2) have to be practiced. So I'm practicing...

Here is a snippet of my grateful list for January.

I'm Grateful for:

• Dinner with a life long friend- talking about the deep things of our lives
• Thankful for sickness- sometimes the only way to stop, think, and gain new perspective and turn
• A programmable crock pot- my constant companion
• A studio filled with treasure to create with
• New books to read and enrich my life with
• Seeing the value in memorizing God's word
• A little boy who needs a talking to everyday about self-control
• A husband who makes me feel safe
• A friendly face at Starbucks, blueberry scones, and my sketchbook.

I also using a set of scripture prayers complied by Bob Hostetler called 31 Ways to Pray for Your Children. (new thing #3)

Todays's prayer:

Prayerfulness: " Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests"

Ephesians 6:18