"What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?"

I've seen this on several other blogs/sites in the past few days and it's really struck a chord in me.  What if I woke up today with only that which I thanked my God for yesterday?  What would I have?  Who would I have?  Where would I be?  This statement has been sitting in my brain all morning and I keep rolling over and over it.  And I continue to be convicted, for I have not been thankful enough lately.  In fact, I feel rather ungrateful for much of what I have in my life.

I've been in a funk lately - I dunno if it's a season of life for me, or if my body is just regrouping hormonally after having two babies in two years - but I feel all wonky - unmotivated, without purpose, moody (and yes, I've been to the Doc - he didn't seem concerned by my "mood swings"...).  And after ruminating on the above statement this morning, I began to wonder if part of my issue as of late, was that I have not been near grateful or appreciative of what I have in my life.

For I have been incredibly blessed.  I can see this full well, when I really stop and take stock of what is going on in my life.  But sometimes, the moodiness, the lethargy, the "fog" I sometimes feel I am in, it hinders me from seeing these blessings.  And sometimes, I am just plain unaware or too busy to see what is right in front of me.

So, I thought I would share a few of the things that I am truly am thankful for, some of the blessings in my life:

1.  Jesus - I don't deserve what has been freely given to me.  I would not be who I am today if Jesus wasn't at the center of my life.  I screw things up a lot - I'm human and I made human mistakes - but there is always forgiveness, there is always grace, there is always love.  And for that, I am overwhelmed and I am thankful.

2. Maxwell - To be married to my very best friend is something that still astounds me.  Max encourages and lifts me up in ways I never knew I needed.  He loves on me even when I'm "moody" - he knows I only FEEL crabby and that really, I'm not.  We have our moments, don't get me wrong - we are two human beings and that means we are not perfect - but life with Max is good and it is beautiful to see how God has made us one, in spite of our flaws and failures.

3.  Our babes - God has entrusted our sweet little ones to us.  Sometimes I look at them and wonder why He saw fit to give us these babies.  There are so many days I feel I have absolutely no idea what I am doing or how to be a good mama - L and Z are constantly teaching me about life, being a mama and love.  I can't imagine life without them in it.  They are our joys and I pray that we would raise these babies, knowing that they belong first and foremost to God.

4.  Family - Here I am, at "home" in MN and still need to be reminded to be thankful, even though I am smack dab in the middle of some of the greatest people.  Our family is amazing.  I don't know where I would be without them.  They have taught me so much about life - about what it means to truly live.  Knowing I we have such a strong support system is huge - they are always there for us and continually shower us with gifts and love.  I have no idea how we would be where we are without them, our community.

5. Friends - Really, my friends belong in the category above, for they have all become my family.  My friends are beautiful and I am always blessed by them.  I have friends that I have known for years and I have friends that I am only getting to know, and they have all taught me something.  I am thankful that God puts people in my life and I am thankful for the ways He uses them, even when they don't have any idea.

6. Security - Some days, it's hard to be at home all day with two small babes - there can be lots of crying, lots of smelly poop and lots of whining - but really, it's a blessing - I think I would be a mess if I had to leave them everyday.  I am so thankful that Max has a great job that allows me to stay at home right now.  We don't always have very much money, but we always have enough to eat and fill up the car with gas and stay dressed and feed a puppy.  It can definitely be a challenge, but I'm thankful that we are learning to live on less.

7.  Life - Maybe this sounds silly, but I am thankful for the air that I breathe and the water that I drink; the flowers that I smell and the warmth that I feel.  I am thankful for the way God has created this world - for even though there is evil and famine and drought and war - there is also love and beauty and light and hope.  I am thankful that I can wake up each day, walk outside and smell the earth, the sand, the dust, the air.  I am thankful I can drive and touch the ocean, the mountains, the cornfields.  I am thankful I can see the stars at night, the trees that sway, the animals that move.

I take so much for granted on such a regular basis.  I have been blessed with so much.  And you know what?  As I was thinking on the statement I started off with, and the things that I am indeed thankful for, my sour mood and usual funk lifted earlier today.  When I became aware of how much I have been given and stopped to actually thank God for these things, I gained new insight, a new perspective.  I only hope and pray that I would always make the time to do this - that I would make it a habit, that I would never grow ungrateful or miss seeing the beauty and life and hope that teems all around me.