Goodbye to 2025

Saying goodbye to 2025 feels a little like closing a well‑worn journal. This year was full of lessons, surprises, and moments that shaped me in ways I didn’t always expect. As we step into a new year, I’m excited for the insights, adventures, and growth still ahead. Thank you for walking through 2025 with me. Through the lessons, the surprises, the shifts, and the small wins that added up to something meaningful. Here’s to a beautiful year to come!

Saying "Thank You" to Delivery Drivers!

 If you're like me, this has been the year when you fully utilized the various delivery services available in your area.  From Instacart to Amazon, to Shipt - I have tried them all over the course of 2020.  Between grocery delivery for most of the year and now having done all of my Christmas shopping online - the delivery drivers could probably find my house blindfolded by now.  (You know... if they really had to.  I personally wouldn't recommend trying it)

I wanted to do something to thank the delivery drivers for all their hard work throughout the past year.  They have made it so much easier for me to stay in isolation as much as possible and keep myself safer from the pandemic.  So, when I saw this idea on Pinterest I thought it was just perfect for the situation.

I ordered a variety of individually wrapped snacks.  In this case - trail mix, granola bars, crackers, some rice krispie bars for any sweet tooths (sweet teeth?), and some bottled waters.

I set up a selection of the snacks in a small basket along with a few of the water bottles, printed up a cute free sign that I found HERE. (Thank you MoneyFitMoms.com!) 

When I placed the basket by the front door where it was sure to be seen last week, I had some doubts about how the whole thing would work.  But each day when I brought it inside, a few snacks would be gone, along with a bottle of water or two.  

I even heard the UPS driver call out "Thank you!" from the front porch.  And one Instacart driver sent me a message through the app that it was "the sweetest thing ever!"  

I hope it has helped them to know that their work to keep the rest of us well-supplied through the difficulties that 2020 sent our way is greatly appreciated!

5 Tips for Creating An Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude is a learned behavior.  It is something that has to be cultivated. It has to be intentional.  It has to be nurtured.

You see this as you watch parents and other caregivers with small children; as they tell the little one to "Say 'thank you'" or prompting "What do you say?"  But it also holds true for adults.  If we  don't practice being thankful, it is easy to slip into a pattern of complaining, comparisons, and discontentment.

At the beginning of the year I made the choice to begin publishing my Spirit of Gratitude posts only once a month instead of weekly.  It wasn't a good choice.  As I spread out those thankful posts, I began to write less and less often in my gratitude journal (something I had been doing daily)  I started scrambling to try remembering several things I was thankful for each month to get the post written.   Last month, I even ended up skipping the post all together.

It occurred to me over the weekend that this is NOT living a spirit of gratitude. I'm getting myself back on track.  I invite all of you to join me in cultivating an attitude of gratitude in your own lives.

Not sure where to start?  I've got you covered! 

Here are a few practical steps to cultivate gratitude in you daily life:

• Say "Thank you"
• When someone does something nice, or helpful, be quick to say "Thank you".  Everyone like to feel appreciated. 

• Start Your Day With Gratitude
• Take a few moments each morning to give thanks for good in your life.  A positive start sets you up for a positive day.  When gratitude becomes a part of your morning routine, you will find yourself  more aware of the good things in your life instead of focusing on the negatives.

• Stop Complaining
• Try to stop complaining and criticizing for an entire week.  Complaining feels good while you're doing it,  while you're soaking up the sympathetic attention you receive from doing it.  But in the end it just fuels negativity - not just for you, but also for those you complain to or criticize!

• Keep a Gratitude Journal
• Every day write down 5 things you are thankful for.  They might be general or specific.  They may be big things or small little things.  It doesn't matter what it is - just write down something!  This weekend I was talking to a friend who told me that every day her husband mails her a post card at work with a list of 5 things he is thankful for.  And #1 is always "You".  -  I KNOW!!  How sweet is that!?!?  

• Remember What You're Thankful For
• We all have them - those days when you just don't feel especially grateful for anything.  Maybe everything feels like it's going wrong and you're struggling to find the good.  On those days, read through your previous entries into your gratitude journal to remind yourself of all the good things in your life!  This helps you to move past the negativity and shift your focus on gratefulness.  

These are some guidelines I try to use for living a life filled with thankfulness.  Do you have any special tips for helping keep your mind and spirit focused on gratitude?

PS:  The Spirit of Gratitude posts will be returning as a weekly feature beginning this Thursday! 

PSS:  THANK YOU to Jenny for letting me share the story of the daily postcards from her hubby! 

The Top Five Posts of 2014

2014 has seen many ups and downs on the blog.  Both with my frequency (and quality) of posts - and the views it has received.  Here are the Top Five posts from this year according to the view stats:

Don't You Care?
When I wrote this I never imagined it would be read by so many people!  It seems as if a lot of us have asked God this question at one time or another based on the traffic this post got. 

The 14 Day Marriage Challenge
This blog challenge to rekindle the romance in your marriage saw quite a bit of interest.  In fact, three of the top 5 posts for 2014 came from this series!
Romancing Him - the 14 Day Marriage Challenge
The 14 Day Marriage Challenge: Day One
The 14 Day Marriage Challenge: Day Four

Three Things I Like to Remember
I was overwhelmed by how many of you joined me on this little nostalgic trip down memory lane!

Dropping Your Nets
When we took a look at letting go of the things that slow you down, tie you down, and hold you back to freely follow Christ

THANK YOU! to each and everyone of you who took time to read these posts - or any other post - on the blog this year!  It is greatly appreciated!

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Over The Top!

You did it!  Y'all pushed me over the 100 Followers mark on Google Friend Connect!

WOW!!!  I still have a hard time believing there are 100+ people who care what I write on this little ol' blog.

But... I asked... you delivered...

and now I am hard at work creating a special little Giveaway to celebrate this occasion. 

Stay tuned - the 100 Celebration Giveaway will go live around the middle of next week. 

And...

a big THANK YOU to all of you for reading and following!!

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

A Spirit of Gratitude: July 19

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

Laughter

Sunshine

Time with the family

 Summer nights

Sweet-Tarts

The sound of rain

A Spirit of Gratitude: May 16

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

Listening to the male offspring talk to himself while getting ready for school

Quiet Saturday mornings

When the Man of the House fixes dinner

Quick fixes to car problems

Finding comfort in God's Word

A Spirit of Gratitude: April 2

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

Trips to the craft store with the female offspring

New craft projects to work on

Spring Break

Quiet time to write

Playing Farkle with the family

A Continuing Spirit of Gratitude

After much thought and consideration, I have decided to continue my "30 Days of Gratitude & Thanksgiving" series under the Header "A Spirit of Gratitude".  It may not be (probably won't be) a daily feature as it was through out November.  But it will be a regular post - appearing at least once a week for Thankful Thursday and probably more often than that.

I am crazy grateful for everyone who reads this little blog!! Thank You!

30 Days of Gratitude & Thanksgiving: Day 16

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. ~ Colossians 3:17

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

91.  Extra sharp cheddar

92.  Planning a nice Thanksgiving feast

93.  Rainy nights

94.  Hair color to hide the grays

95.  Prayers for patience

30 Days of Gratitude & Thanksgiving: Day 15 (Thankful Thursday)

"I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High." ~ Psalm 7:17

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

86. Funny Examples of irony

87.  Baby naps

88. Early sunsets

89.  Baked potatoes

90.  Giggling

30 Days of Gratitude & Thanksgiving: Day 14

“One of the main reasons that we lose our enthusiasm in life is because we become ungrateful..we let what was once a miracle become common to us. We get so accustomed to his goodness it becomes a routine..” ~ Joel Osteen

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

81.  Warm scarves

82.  Weekends

83.  Wintery grey skies (which match my new living room wall color!)

84.  Unexpected laughter

85.  Watching dog as he dreams

30 Days of Gratitude & Thanksgiving: Day 13

"I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers"~ Philemon 1:4

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

76.  New pens

77.  Finding a great Nook tablet cover on clearance

78.  Clemintines

79.  Sermons which convict & inspire me

80.  Fresh paint on walls

30 Days of Gratitude & Thanksgiving: Day 12

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

71.  Grand baby learning to shake his head "no"

72.  Night out with the Man of the House

73.  Long stroll through book store

74.  Male offspring wanting to be a "good friend"

75.  New notepads

30 Days of Gratitude & Thanksgiving: Day 11

"But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you" ~ 1 Samuel 12:24

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

66. Learning something I didn't know

67. The grand baby reaching for me

68.  Wearing the Man of the House's Navy sweats

69. Finding inspiration for a blog post

70. Fake "peanut butter" cups

30 Days of Gratitude & Thanksgiving: Day 10

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~ William A. Ward

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

61.  A cup of "Constant Comment" tea

62.  "I love you" texts from the Man of the House

63.  Crisp apples

64.  Catching up with a friend over a long phone call

65.  Rain against the windows