For granted.

Did you get up this morning, turn off your alarm clock, that woke you up with music playing? Then head off to the shower, turning on the water, letting it run so it can warm up. Did you get in and wash up your body, your hair, with wonderful smelling soaps and shampoos. Only to get out, and wrap yourself in a plush, comfortable towel. Then headed off to your closet to look through what seems like an endless amount of shirts, then over to the drawer to find the right color pair of pants to go with that shirt. Making your way over to sit down and put on socks and shoes.

Then, did you maybe head downstairs to the kitchen, where you looked through a fridge that had MANY items, but you thought to yourself "there is nothing here to eat"? Only to wind up stopping for fast food on your way to work, in your heated car?

Well, this is just a small fraction of what one of my days typically looks like. I wonder how similar it is to yours?

How many things can you point out in this short little story, that we take for granted? I can count the following:

1.) the electricity that powers the alarm clock

2.) a bed to sleep in

3.) running water (clean)

4.) soaps and shampoos

5.) towels

6.) over abundance of clothes

7.) socks

8.) SHOES (probably more than 1 pair too)

9.) frige

10.) food in the fridge

11.) money to get fast food

12.) a car

13.) if you are driving there must be gas

14.) a house

OK so you get the picture right? We, you and I, have SO much to be thankful for. Seriously. Even if you are living paycheck to paycheck like most americans, you have SO MUCH to be thankful for.

I am really trying to turn a new leaf. I am sick to my stomach over thinking about ALL I take for granted. But I am going to start working on being truly THANKFUL and THANKING GOD for specific things he has given and blessed me with daily.

I am going to shoot for 5 different things everyday, to THANK GOD for. I am starting today!

God, I am so thankful for my salvation, my husband, my two miracle babies, my house and my beautiful van. And then tomorrow, I will come up with 5 more things I am thankful for... I am going to start recording all these in my "Thankful Notebook".

Then, when I feel like the world around me is crashing down, and nothing is going right, everything is flipped upside down. I can grab that book, and start reading. I can start reading about ALL that I DO HAVE to smile about. I am really hopeful that this will help me change my attitude toward things.

When I think about ALL the people who live in POVERTY, and have so LITTLE, or NOTHING... and then I get upset when I can't go out and buy a new pair of pants, because I am bored with the ones I have? UGH, really? I want to lose this behavior, I would like for it to be gone forever :)

Toby Mac has a song, probably a favorite of mine - "I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul..." I do not want to be so consumed with the things of this world, that I miss the bigger picture!

I AM blessed, and I AM thankful!!!