What are you thankful for?

I am thankful for_____________ (you fill it in).

When I was 18 years old I remember sitting in front of the television watching Oprah and hearing her talk about her personal journey to living in harmony and peace. Please remember that this was three five 16 years ago and the controversy surrounding her was not what it is today. Anyway it was there that I sat and listened to her talk about writing down every day 10 things she was thankful for.

I could do that.
I needed to do that.
At the time I was 18, graduating from high school, ostracized from my friends and pregnant! My life was in a whirlwind and thankfulness just seemed right.

I didn't finish the TV show that afternoon, instead I headed straight for my journal and began to jot down 10 things I was thankful for. I'm curious what those original things were and perhaps when I get a chance to dig out my old boxes I'll run across my list. Don't worry I'll share it here if I find it.

For the better part of my married life, I've kept a list of the things I was thankful for. God began using this simple tool in my life to change my thought process. To change out the wallpaper that had lined the walls of my mind for many, many years. God wants us to remember. Oh it's so sweet to do so and comforting to go back and recall the goodness and faithfulness of God in our past.

When my oldest was born and in the hospital for 26 days and his fate uncertain I was thankful for soap and ICU nurses, for biliruben lights and a private area to cuddle with my preemie baby.

When we moved 35 hours from my home, my mom, my family and all things familiar; I was thankful for telephones and airplanes. I was thankful for the same stars in the same sky to comfort me late at night!

When my boys were toddlers and I woke on Sunday realizing it had been a week since I'd spoken with another adult, besides Steve, I was thankful for naps and playgrounds, God's Word and naps.

When my marriage was hanging on by a string, that third string of Christ, I was thankful for clarity in the fog, peace in the storm and air to breath; for God's Word and godly women to speak into my life.

When the storms of hurt, death, disappointment and failure have come on me, thankfulness had a large part in bringing me through. It is not my natural instinct to be thankful, my nature wants to focus on how I've been done wrong or what I don't have or... I could go on and on about how in times of trial and times of joy when I've taken the time to write down what I'm thankful for it changes the moment. Sometimes slowly, sometimes almost instantly and almost always giving that thanks to God my Father in heaven.

Thankfulness to God helps switch our focus from the negative or the untrue to the positive and to the true. From things of this earth to things of worth. When we focus on what God has blessed us so richly with the junk that surrounds us fades into the background. The meaningless lies of this world drift away and our thankfulness shines a light wherever we're at.

So I leave you with this.
What are you thankful for?
Get specific, write it down, share it, remember it, smile about it and look up to God and thank Him for it!
Do this daily, perhaps before you go to bed. Reflect on it, say it outloud, believe it!

I'd love to hear some of those things here. Post what your thankful for in the comments. I look forward to hearing from you.
~Michelle

Some of my fav thanksgiving verses:
Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Jeremiah 30:19
From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained.

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.