Counting My Blessings: 1 to 30

In January, this year, I had resolved to speak positively; and one of the things I wanted to do (to enforce that habit) was start a gratitude journal. After delaying quite a bit, I’ve finally started to count the blessings in the little things of my daily life. Ann Voskamp of A Holy Experience, author of the bestseller One Thousand Gifts, has been hosting something called a Joy Dare.

The goal is to count one thousand gifts in the year 2012. {Not sure how many I’ll be able to do, having missed three months; but better now than never, right?} So, every month, she posts a chart that can be used as a guide to find things around us that we are thankful for. You can download April’s Joy Dare here.

This is me, counting my blessings…

3 Gifts Round

1. Worship DVDs our kids are crazy about.
2. My extra-large non-stick cooking pot.
3. Idly & Vada for breakfast at our church canteen.

3 Gifts White

4. The pages of my daily planner.
5. The kids’ old school uniforms, packed up to be donated.
6. My brand-new, well-used running shoes.

3 Gifts Surprisingly Found

7. The sons giggling in their sleep.
8. A lost & found toy car tyre.
9. A Confident Heart kindle edition, available for free.

3 Gifts in His Word

10. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

11. “Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.” (Ephesians 6:18)

12. “So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him…” (Genesis 1:27)

3 Gifts @ 11AM, 2PM, 6PM

13. A second cup of coffee.
14. Husband home for lunch.
15. Sons building fire trucks with their humble legos.

3 Gifts Nailed Together

16. My sin nailed to my Jesus.
17. My Jesus nailed to a cross.
18. A cross nailed in front of our church.

3 Gifts Waited For

19. An opportunity to pray for a special person.
20. Board games for our kids.
21. A good night’s sleep.

3 Gifts Rising Up

22. Praise rising up in our church congregation.
23. Kids rising up happily from their afternoon nap.
24. Remembering that Christ rose up from the grave & conquered death and hell.

A Gift Hiding, Held, Heard

25. Treasures in His Word.
26. Holding a sleeping son close.
27. The sound of monkeys wrecking havoc outside our apartment.

3 Gifts Opened Up

28. My Bible.
29. My daily planner.
30. My mind to receive His word.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?