My Little Book of Gratitude
My prayers this morning were unusually focused. Afterward I felt calm, truly ready to face this day. My mini-sausage biscuits were scrumptious; you know how much I love sausage. My cup of English breakfast tea was perfect. At the stop sign, I got to see the rising sun break over the hills in the distance. The light bounced off the mist woven through the trees.
This afternoon, I felt satisfied with my lesson plans, got papers graded, and left school feeling accomplished. I've had a great hair day, and the weather is so flawless it's absolutely heartbreaking. At the library a few minutes ago, I found some excellent books to read. One is called, The Story of Libraries. I also found a book about a topic I've been thinking about lately. There it sat on the shelf, waiting just for me.
Days like today are rare for me. Aren't good days rare for all of us?
Today wasn't perfect. In fact, there are still lots of things that make me sad and concerns hovering at the edges of my mind.
It seems to me that good days hinge chiefly on frame of mind. I'm ashamed to admit that most days have an equal balance of pleasant and unpleasant elements. What makes a bad day as opposed to a good one is essentially the way it is perceived.
I've been going through a little rough patch in the recent past, but I finally feel like I'm coming out on the other side. As is usually the case, I've grown so much through facing difficulty and gained things along the way I plan to keep.
One of the things I've gained is my Little Book of Gratitude.
There it is -- nothing special, just a pretty journal. Inside I write down special things that happen, sometimes as simple as something nice someone says to me. For example, from page two, "My friend told me I was a blessing to her today."
Sometimes I write down beautiful things I see.
I started it so that on my lowest days I'd have something to look at, a reminder that there are good times too. It helps. It's a habit now. I pull it out all the time and jot things down. It has become my way to actively say, "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)
This afternoon, I felt satisfied with my lesson plans, got papers graded, and left school feeling accomplished. I've had a great hair day, and the weather is so flawless it's absolutely heartbreaking. At the library a few minutes ago, I found some excellent books to read. One is called, The Story of Libraries. I also found a book about a topic I've been thinking about lately. There it sat on the shelf, waiting just for me.
Days like today are rare for me. Aren't good days rare for all of us?
Today wasn't perfect. In fact, there are still lots of things that make me sad and concerns hovering at the edges of my mind.
It seems to me that good days hinge chiefly on frame of mind. I'm ashamed to admit that most days have an equal balance of pleasant and unpleasant elements. What makes a bad day as opposed to a good one is essentially the way it is perceived.
I've been going through a little rough patch in the recent past, but I finally feel like I'm coming out on the other side. As is usually the case, I've grown so much through facing difficulty and gained things along the way I plan to keep.
One of the things I've gained is my Little Book of Gratitude.
There it is -- nothing special, just a pretty journal. Inside I write down special things that happen, sometimes as simple as something nice someone says to me. For example, from page two, "My friend told me I was a blessing to her today."
Sometimes I write down beautiful things I see.
I saw this old oak tree yesterday. It had scars from sawn-off limbs and a huge trunk that could provide the masts for ten ships. I have driven by it hundreds of times, possibly thousands of times, and never really seen it. I felt as if I made a new friend.Quotes that inspire:
The future -- as we work to create a world that honors and rewards women, we look to our daughters and think of the future. I hope that daughters, not only in Africa but all over the world, will be inspired and know that if they are committed and patient, they can achieve something worthwhile. ~Wangari Maathai, Nobel Prize Laureate 2004Beautiful sentences from my favorite books:
She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning. ~ Jane Austen in PersuasionIt's gotten full of reminders to forgive myself and take time to look at the moon.
I started it so that on my lowest days I'd have something to look at, a reminder that there are good times too. It helps. It's a habit now. I pull it out all the time and jot things down. It has become my way to actively say, "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)
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