Peek into my daily gratitude journal. Gratitude is a daily decision... not just a feeling. Stories, pictures, songs, scripture and other goodness to savor.
If you use a comb, it is likely you have a favorite comb. Mine has ribs and detangles like no other. It isn’t fancy. It was not expensive. It gets the job done.
Our combs are service tools be take for granted until we break or lose a favorite one.
This passage fit the theme:
“The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.”-Proverbs 20:29
Today, I am grateful for my favorite comb.
“Who one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it is attached to the rest of the world.” -John Muir
Nature is fascinating. It seeks to heal itself and survive. Those who are given the responsibility to care for the land and its inhabitants have a serious responsibility.
I cannot help but think of the scripture where God gave man in the garden to watch over it
“The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.” -Genesis 2:15
It was a big assignment, but one that was to bring Adam joy. Nature is a lovely companion. We can learn a lot from watching it. It seeks balance. It is all connected.
Today, I am grateful for reminders to respect nature.
We all have a favorite pair of shoes. Sometimes we adjust our daily dressing choices to accommodate our favorite shoes.
When we know there is a long day ahead, the right shoe choice is a game changer. I love cute shoes, but in the end... the comfortable shoes win out.
The record of the Hebrew Exodus from slavery in Egypt is fascinating. God's faithfulness was real and fierce. Their shoes did not wear out. Imagine how comfortable they must have been.
Now, I do like a little variety in my footwear, but comfort first.
Today, I am grateful for comfortable shoes.
One of my favorite topics for gratitude are the little workhorses that make our days easier. The tea kettle is one of them. I have grown to appreciate my electric version for the quick way it heats a large amount of water. I use mine nearly every day.
The first electric kettle was invented in 1891 by the British company Crompton & Company. It was a groundbreaking innovation that replaced traditional methods of boiling water on stoves. In 1922, the Swan Company improved the design by introducing the first electric kettle with a fully immersed heating element. This change made the kettle more efficient and faster at boiling water.
I use it to make my Choffy Cacao and to speed up pasta making by pouring the boiling water into the pasta pan. It is a definite time savor (thanks Chase and Emma for that little life hack). Oh, and for a cup of evening herbal tea, the tea kettle does one more job before it gets to rest for the night.
I imagine there are days I take it for granted. I flip the switch and hot water is ready in minutes. I am at times unintentionally impatient and ungrateful. I could not help but think of the Israelites during their 40 years in the desert. They had water on tap.
Before I judge their lack of gratitude, I need to look in the mirror and give thanks for my electric tea kettle.
Today, I am grateful for my tea kettle.
Daily Gratitude Year 13 - Day 34: Today, I am grateful for my Randy.
God gave us marriage to teach us about his love for us. True love is something we talk about in movies, books, and even on podcasts.
"Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress." -Psalm 59:16
I am so grateful for the day he was born. The youngest of six (not "the baby") which shaped him into a wonderful partner for this oldest child. I find that my favorite days are when we are together. It is even better when we have our family with us.
Today is a great day to celebrate him every year. I am so grateful for the day he was born. He doesn't love attention, but today I get to tell the world how grateful I am for my guy.
I pray the year ahead brings plenty of fun, fellowship, and family time... and good health for the journey. I am grateful he chose me.. so I could chose him right back.
Today, I am grateful for my Randy.
My devotional calls it the miracle of multiplication. When God turns what we have into "enough."
In "The Hiding Place," Corrie Ten Boom talks about some medicine they were able to sneak into the concentration camp that her sister, Betsey, needed. At one point, there they had to make the decision to hoard the small vial or share it with others. They chose to share all that they had.
God responded. The medicine vial acted like the widow woman whose flour and oil did not run out when she cared for Elijah in his time of need.
"There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah." -1 Kings 17:16
God stepped in and made it enough.
Jesus taught the miracle of multiplication in Matthew 14:14-21. He taught them how to turn what they had into enough. I was just reading about it in Jonathan Cahn's "The Book of Mysteries." It is my favorite daily devotional for those who want to understand the Jewish roots of our Christian faith.
Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”
But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.
“Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children! " -Matthew 14:14-21
Here was the procedure Jesus used when they gathered the five loaves and two fish:
Today, I am grateful for enough.
Food is woven into our memories.
I cannot think of these no bake cookies without remembering the weekend the Smith kids (Randy's siblings) were all together for Mom Smith's funeral. We ended up making a huge batch of these cookies. We had them cooling all over Lola's kitchen.
I remember the scents, the sound of laughter, and the teasing. We had way too many people in the kitchen, but everyone enjoyed being together.
We made some memories right along with the cookies. The cookies vanished. The memories remain.
Bess family Thanksgivings are another time we make a ton of food and even more memories. The more the merrier is the theme of the day. The time spent in the kitchen is priceless.
A favorite childhood memory is one Sunday night at Grandma Opal Maxine's and Papa Chet's when Mama, Aunt Judy, Aunt Bonnie, and Aunt Kathy started singing as they were cleaning up. I remember them singing, "Singing...singing in the kitchen... banging on the pots and pans." It was silly... and looking back... it was so sweet.
As an adult in my own home, I still love a full kitchen.
It is good to feed the hungry, the hurting, and the grieving.
"Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon." -Isaiah 58:
Today, I am grateful for family moments in the kitchen.
