I Am Thankful For:
Packages mailed
Kisses from my husband
New space heaters
Baking Christmas cookies with the grandkid
Jackets for the dogs
Every day I am given
Wrapping presents
Finding a bag of Christmas candy I had forgotten about
A surprise gift
Baked goodies from the neighbors
A quiet night before the busy weekend
Family gathered for Christmas
Games that make everyone laugh
Christmas morning
After Christmas deals
Christmas dinner leftovers
Toys that keep the dog entertained for a long time
I Am Thankful For:
My dog making me laugh
A cute Christmas dress
Reaching my reading goal for the year
Picking up holds at the library
Coffee
Presents to wrap
Planning for Christmas break with the grandkid
Remote start to warm up the car
Breakfast out with my husband
Dreams for the future
Cute boots
Frosty mornings
Sunshine on a cold day
Christmas cookies
A warm house
Doggy snoops
I Am Thankful For:
Blasting Christmas music in the car
Peppermint patties
Scheduling a Christmas trip to Biltmore Estate
All current orders complete and shipped
It's been a good year
Productive days
A cup of hot tea
My husband making the morning coffee
Homemade pizza night
Opportunity to help others
Cute Christmas earrings
Delivery workers/drivers
Time to sit and crochet
Christmas shopping done
Simple, nutritious meals
Ending the day with a Jameson and Ginger
Throughout this year of 'Abundance', I have come to realize how much of my life has been lived with an attitude of scarcity. The fear of "not enough".
Always thinking that there's just not enough. Believing, somehow, that if someone else is getting something: time, attention, affection, praise, love, friends, readers, sales - that somehow, there won't be enough left for me.
That I'm not enough. Not pretty enough, smart enough, talented enough, strong enough, or good enough. The belief that I am not enough to deserve or to earn the things I want or need for myself led to a lot of resentment, anger, jealousy, and self doubt over the years.
Instead of living a life focused on abundance, I have allowed myself to believe it is one of scarcity. Like Eve, surrounded by a beautiful, lush garden, yet tempted by the one thing she couldn't have - I found my attention constantly drawn to what I thought I might be lacking.
The cup was always half empty.
It's an ugly truth. One I didn't - I don't - want to acknowledge. But there it is. And the only way it can ever change is if I take a long, hard look at it. Examine it for what it really is. Stop looking for the empty holes and instead focus on the promises God made about the abundant life he planned for us.
That he came so we could experience a full life (John 10:10)
That He has plans for us to prosper. To give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah
How, if we lean on Him, He can do so much more than we could ever even imagine (Ephesians 3:20)
That our confidence will be richly rewarded. (Hebrews 10:35)
If, like me, you have bought into the lie of scarcity for too long - it is time to let it go and grab the abundance!
I Am Thankful For:
Lunch with my son
Vegetarian chili
December
Christmas table setting
The perfect table runner
Christmas shopping almost done
Fixed the Christmas lights by myself
Dinner out with my husband
Christmas movies
Finding the perfect Christmas gift
A big pot of homemade soup
Being married to my best friend
Lunch with my daughter
Orders completed
Leftover soup and sandwiches
Towels fresh from the dryer
I Am Thankful For:
Help cleaning up
Christmas cactus blooming
My husband fixing dinner
Cinnamon rolls
A perfectly cooked turkey
Thanksgiving day
Leftover pumpkin pie
Black Friday shopping with my daughter
Christmas movies
Christmas tree
Quiet Sunday morning
Christmas decorating almost done
My husband picking up my prescription for me
Bedtime
Dental insurance
Christmas cards
I Am Thankful For:
An unexpected gift
Sunrise
Dublin, Ireland
"Fresh" Guinness
A beautiful day in Ireland
Friendly and informative tour guides
Irish whiskey
Edinburgh, Scotland
Making it to the top of Arthur's Seat
Visiting Edinburgh Castle
Riding a train through the English countryside
Big Ben... Parliament
Visiting Westminster Abbey
Riding the "tube"
Visiting the Tower of London
A safe journey home
30 years of marriage
Waking up in my own bed
I Am Thankful For:
Another year of life
Texts and messages from family and friends
Buds on the Christmas cactus
When it's so foggy, it feels as if the rest of the world has vanished
A downy woodpecker at the suet feeder
Free birthday coffee from Starbucks
A last minute Etsy order
My husband cooking a steak dinner
Peppermint mocha oatmilk creamer
A summer-like day in November
Sun breaking through the fog
Chocolate
Election day
Lunar eclipse
Pink clouds
As my year of focusing on 'Abundance' joins the month most often associated with gratitude, I find myself thinking about how the two go hand- in-hand.
As I have spent the past 10 months thinking about, reading about, and learning about abundance - I have come to believe that you can not experience true abundance without gratitude.
If you are not thankful for the things that you have and are not grateful for the abundance in your life - it is never going to feel like enough. It doesn't matter how much you have. It doesn't matter how rich, full, or satisfying your life is. Without gratitude, that abundance will always feel more like scarcity.
On the other hand, if you live life with a thankful heart, full of gratitude for the things you have, it can always feel like an abundance. No matter how little you may have, if you are thankful for it - it will always feel like plenty.
When we are grateful, we aren't focusing on the things we don't have. We are too busy being thankful for what we do have. This focus magnifies and increases it in our hearts and minds.
Do you have a gratitude practice, such as writing in a gratitude journal or keeping a gratitude list, to help you focus on your abundance? Tell me about it in the comments!
I Am Thankful For:
Snoring doggies
A comforting meal
Watching Dr Who
My husband working at home for the day
Warm Autumn days
Fridays
Blue birds on the cable behind the house
Making myself laugh
Snacks and a scary movie
The Monster Mash song
Silly, cheesy jokes
A small, family pre-birthday dinner
All my wonderful birthday gifts
A big, long hug from the grandkid
New lipstick
Dinner with my dad and step mom
One more birthday gift
The last piece of cheesecake
November is going to be an excellent month! Can't you just feel it? This is always my favorite month of the year, but it's going to be extra special this year.
Working On: Getting my Etsy shop ready for the busy holiday season. I'm taking a short break for the first few weeks this month before things get hectic. I need to get everything ready for the Black Friday/ Cyber Monday sale.
Celebrating: November is always a big one for celebrations. Today is my birthday. The Big 5-3! Of course there's Thanksgiving. And the Man of the House and I have plans for celebrating our wedding anniversary this month. Thirty years deserves a big celebration - don't you think?
Wanting/Needing: You know what? I can't think of a single thing! Unless it's a few extra hours in the day to take care of everything I need to be doing this month.
Eating: It's officially soup season! Which means I'm cranking up the slow cooker and enjoying all the soups, stews, chilis and gumbo. It makes my heart - and my tummy - happy!
Loving: I think it's pretty obvious by now that I am loving just about everything about November
Goals for November:
