Giving Thanks - Part 1

Yes, I'm aware that it's not Thanksgiving anymore, I'm not that crazy, promise! However, during the Thanksgiving season my DNA (disciple - nurture - accountability) group challenged one another to come up with 50 things a week that we were thankful for. We also started reading 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Well, confession. They started reading it, I bought it. At the moment (and always) I was hooked on reading She Reads Truth and didn't have time during the holiday season to add pleasure reading. Now I'm hooked on Love Does for pleasure reading. BUT, I am going to read 1000 Gifts, really! But despite my lack of reading, the act of giving thanks, being thankful, and living in a place where I look for ways to be thankful for everything sunk in deep with me. My "Type A" list loving self love this challenge. I've fallen back a bit, but still constantly looking for small, big, average, and spectacular things in my life to be thankful for. I decided why not share?! And we'll just call it a series. Once a week I'm going to share 20 of the things I collected and will continue collecting. 50 seemed like a few too many for you guys to actually read. And I want you to read them! Because I want to brag or want you to know me better? No! But because I actually believe in this big time now. It's helped change the way I see my days. Also, keep in mind I wrote many of the first 150-200 ish during the holiday season, sooo they might be seasonal (like pumpkin poptarts and peppermint mochas). So, I apologize in advance if I make you want something you can't have until next fall/winter. Oops!

Two of my favorite synonyms for thankful are please and relieved. My favorite definition of thankfulness is warm friendly feelings of gratitude. These things please me. They make me feel relieved about life. They give me warm feelings. What does that for you? Will you join me in being thankful?

1. My DNA group* 
2. Arise Church
3. Worship music
4. Starbucks tables
5. She Reads Truth
6. Pumpkin Pop-Tarts
7. Leopard print
8. Owl journals
9. Felt pens
10. Cooler days
11. Leaves to crunch
12. Unconditional love
13. The brick streets
14. The OWLs*
15. A God that heals
16. Glitter nail polish
17. Glitter
18. Coffee
19. The Starbucks morning regulars
20. Good Starbucks baristas

*DNA groups are small 3-5 accountability groups through Arise church, as stated above, stand for disciple - nurture - accountability. 

*OWLs stands for Older Wiser Ladies. It's a group of women who meet for dinner once a week who are single-ish, 28-31, and surrounded by college students who are 10 years younger than us.