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Nov 8, 2015

November: Invitation to Gratitude {Transforming Power of Gratitude}





November 8: Invitation to Gratitude {Transforming Power of Gratitude}

"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." 
Sarah Van Breathnach

I began recording just one blessing that I noticed each day. That small step primed my mind to be more vigilant, more attentive, cued to my world with a different eye. The daily notations increased and seemed to stream from the pencil, my hand urgent to record quickly lest I forget some one gift before I had scribbled them all down at the end of the day. One daily recording, became a multitude of daily gifts. I pursued the practice of listing daily blessings for nearly a year, reaching a goal of one thousand recorded gifts. One thousand. The weight of the journal with the number of pages filled was stunning. The tangible evidence of this new spiritual discipline. 

The deeper reward, 
the more constant outcome, 
was the heightened sensitivity of my soul 
and the groundbreaking transformation of my demeanor and perception of daily living. 
Even without daily listing of blessings I still saw them daily. I noted the abundance daily. I praised God's presence in those blessings daily. 

I continue to add to the list periodically, recording full pages at a time. Today there are hundreds more with nearly fifty praise and thanksgiving scripture verses intertwined with the bounty of blessings. But it was the initial daily listing that successfully trained my heart and my eyes to internalize a habit of maintaining a grateful heart, an awareness of God's hand in all things, in all places, at all times. Gratefully, that remains the blessing carved deep into my soul.

"...if a joyful heart is good medicine, then giving thanks is my daily prescription." Ann Voskamp

"Without gratitude there is no joy." Brene' Brown
View Dr. Brene' Brown's interview on the topic of JOY here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKV0BWSPfOw



Additional Posts in An Invitation to Gratitude Series:
Day 1 Attentive Listening
Day 2 Boundless love
Day 3 Time Away
Day 4 New Roads
Day 5 Legacy
Day 6 Indian Summer


Linking with the Weekend Whispers, Still Saturday, Coffee for the Heart, and Tell His Story. 
Click on the buttons below to read posts by these communities of faith filled writers.

5 comments:

  1. I loved this post ... it's a great reminder to stop and take the time to be thankful Every Day. Feeling inspired. xo

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    1. Kind words...always graced to have you stop by.

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  2. Oh I meant to say also that I have been enjoying a show on PBS called Homefires. It's on Sunday nights and it's set in 1939 England.

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  3. What a lovely and inspiring post. It's easy to see what blessings are around once you start looking!

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  4. What a great and inspiring post! It's easy to see blessings around us once we start looking for them.

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