Gratitude Journal

 

Sometimes I get into a head space where I ruminate on everything that I think is going wrong in my life. My emotions, intensified by lack of sleep, cause me to spiral into a dark and ugly place. I fixate the clutter, the noise, my husband's absence, the dirty laundry, my inability to find time to workout, my children's naughty behavior, the fact that we can't seem to get a handle on our finances, the grime that continually seems to coat my home, the broken dishwasher,  ... ect. But then the sun shines, I get a decent night of sleep, share a cup of coffee with a girlfriend and suddenly I find myself wondering, "what was the big deal? Why am I letting all this circumstantial,  trivial, first world problems steal my joy and turn me into a crazy lady"?

 

It's ridiculous!

 

A couple weeks ago a conversation with a momma of five spurred me to start a gratitude journal. She said that keeping one had helped her through a tough time and became a source of tremendous encouragement to her. 

 

So I did.

 

I typically write in it on the days that I wake up snarky and sleep deprived. It helps me notice the awesome, life giving things that happen over the course of an ordinary day.  

 

Here is a list from the past couple of days

 

clean sheets

a sunny day

Nate did the dishes

hearing Levi say "puppy"

roasted almonds

running with my new friend Gillian

a new book to read

ranting with Nicole

Adams peanut butter on homemade waffles

my bedroom

the varying colors of leaves

a few moments of silence

the view outside our living room window

that I didn't have to wake Levi from his nap to get Claire from school

spontaneous visit with Charis

CHOCOLATE

watching House of DVF

homemade granola bars

coffee with Cora

Gillian Michael's workout

crunchy green beans

CBC radio

licorice tea

head rub from Nathaniel

being reminded about "Grace" at Bible study

bumping into Karen at Winners

the divinely delicious but healthy cupcake I had at Erin's

being inspired by a friend's décor

shopping for "fashion boots" and painting nails with Claire

blogging

clean water

quality time with my momma

Nate's new position at work

the inspiration board in my kitchen

eating Nathaniel's homemade deep fried halibut

that my neighbor Sarah walked my daughter to school this morning

the bouquet of tropical flowers my momma bought me

that Levi napped for two solid hours