day thirty!

Today I am thankful for:

1. pear vanilla muffins
2. lunch dates with Christina
3. sympathetic friends
4. Jered's patience
5. my running class

Well there you have it, thirty days of thanks... five thanks a day... 150 things I am thankful for and SO much more. This has been a very healthy exercise for me, and even though the official thirty days are over I plan on taking note of the big things, the small things, and the in between things and having a heart of thanksgiving everyday as best as I can. Thanks for reading! xo

day twenty-nine

Almost done my thirty days of thanks! Today I am thankful for:

1. possiblities
2. Brent's c3metro worship album project
3. sharing in Christina's excitement about her house
4. courteous drivers  
5. people with fantastic customer service skills 

day twenty seven & twenty eight

This weekend I am thankful for:

1. beautiful weather in Jasper for our weekend away
2. beautiful girlfriends inside & out
3. beautiful scenery at Maligne Canyon
4. safe travels
5. hot showers on sore muscles
6. quality & open conversation with family
7. Isla & my toe painting rituals
8. my mother's encouragement & compassion
9. my father's passion
10. my husband's hair (yup you read that right!)

day twenty-six

Today I am thankful for:

1. kind words from coworkers
2. weekend getaways with the girls
3. having a job I enjoy
4. free rentals from Erica
5. cheap room rates at JPL courtesy of Yori's boyfriend

day twenty-five

Today I am thankful for:

1. teamwork
2. unexpected date nights with Jered
3. Michael Jackson's inspiring creativity
4. macaroni & cheese
5. couch cuddles with my lil' family of Jered & Otis

day twenty four

Today I am thankful for:

1. Girls night @ Axis
2. Freeee accessories
3. staff appreciation week at work
4. Daneel time
5. alone time

day twenty-three

Today I am thankful for:

1. my mum's patience
2. my parent's monster coleslaw
3. my running room clinic
4. how I feel AFTER my clinic
5. early bedtimes

day twenty two

Today I am thankful for:

1. coming home
2. movie night with Jered & Otis
3. a hot high pressured shower
4. dove heat therapy shampoo
5. Jered's special recipe popcorn

day twenty & twenty one

This weekend I am thankful for:

1. Regas & Val's complete acceptance of me
2. Nertz
3. Group camp
4. delicious sweets & treats
5. wearing my pajamas all weekend long
6. homemade Valentine's cards
7. Jorja & Achiel
8. Erin & Tyler
9. late night board games
10. ferrero roche chocolates

day nineteen

Today I am thankful for:

1. super busy and productive mornings
2. my bass player Justin's committment to my music
3. getting to share my songs with strangers
4. Jered's flexibility for last minute schedule changes
5. cozy roadtrips with Jered

day eighteen

Today I am thankful for:

1. my niece Isla & my toe painting tradition
2. the relationship Jered and Brent have
3. my friends feeling so at home in my home
4. my new coffee machine
5. the flexibility at my job

day seventeen

Today I am thankful for:

1. rare moments of silence & reflection
2. Jered's words of affirmation
3. God's promises
4. Justin (my bass player)'s flexibility and committment
5. quiet weekends in Cypress Hills

day sixteen

Today I am thankful for:

1. the beautiful sunshine
2. my coworker Carolyn's enthusiasm and positive nature
3. fun shopping excursions in the middle of the work day
4. happy garden
5. salt water taffy

day fifteen

Today I am thankful for:

1. quiet time with God
2. Jered's ambitions
3. sympathetic friends
4. my mother's "go with the flow" attitude
5. quickie cat naps with Otis

day thirteen & fourteen

So I'm not very good at remembering to post my weekend thanks, but I am still thankful!

This weekend I am thankful for:

1. sore muscles - they make me feel accomplished!
2. meeting random new people as a single on chair lifts
3. one on one time with Laura.
4. going out for breakfast with Jered
5. harry potter marathons
6. sleepy saturday afternoons
7. a clean and organized house
8. fresh bread
9. clean crisp sheets
10. hot tub parties 

day twelve

Today I am thankful for:

1. the amazing healthcare workers I get to work with
2. Jered's generosity 
3. free lift tickets & rentals courtesy of Erica
4. the ability to ski after so many years of missing out because of fear
5. fruit salad

day eleven

Today I am thankful for:

1. my health - today I was reminded about how precious & vulnerable life really is.
2. my husband's incredible talent at the drums
3. the slow but sweet progress of recording my first full length record
4. Tony's pizza
5. late night bubble bath chats with Jered

day ten

Today I am thankful for:

1. my own private office and direct line
2. the slightly warmer weather outside
3. dance aerobic workouts with Daneel
4. Gram's famous homemade biscuits
5. John Hughes' movies (The Breakfast Club in particular)

day nine

Today I am thankful for:

1. some alone time @ my parent's piano
2. spinach salads
3. singing harmonies for friends
4. gerber daisies (especially yellow ones)
5. annelise coming home next week!!!

day eight

Today I am thankful for:

1. uncontrollable laughter with my mum & sister
2. sweet text messages from Tim
3. Otis finally learning how to roll over
4. hot showers after a good run
5. backrubs from the hubbie

day six and seven

Yesterday and today I am thankful for (it's the weekend, I forgot to post yesterday):
Saturday thanks:

1. quality time with Tim & Megan
2. the italian centre sweets aisle 
3. Jered having a day off 
4. my parents love for Otis
5. good food and conversation with friends

Sunday thanks:

1. my nephew Cohen's happy disposition
2. sunday afternoon naps
3. sunday dinner with the fam
4. fresh snow
5. board games

day five

Today I am thankful for:

1. gourmet perogies
2. silly girly romantic comedies
3. a busy productive day at work
4. quality time and conversation with my girlfriends
5. phone prayers 

day four

Forgot to post this last night!

Today I am thankful for:

1. quality time with my sister and brother in law
2. deep fried chickpeas from Culina restaurant
3. the way my niece Isla greets me when I visit
4. my boss Jackie and her generosity
5. the chance to be creative at work

day three

Today I am thankful for:

1. my husband making me lunch & leaving me a love note on the front door
2. good conversation with coworkers
3. homemade cookies
4. having a warm reliable vehicle to drive 
5. salad dinners with fun and lovely friends (Daneel)

day two

January 26/2010

Today I am thankful for:

1. my root canal randomly being covered 100% by my dental plan (quoted at 50%)
2. my knee feeling so much better that my running clinic was a breeze tonight
3. my dad's fantastic soup 
4. the slipper's Jered bought me for christmas that are OH so cozy right now
5. bubble baths accompanied by a good book & a snoring pup 

day one

January 25/2010

Yesterday at church (www.c3metro.ca) we had a guest speaker, who just happens to be a friend of mine, Tim. He shared a word about living life with a heart of thanksgiving. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Be cheerful no matter what: pray all the time, thank God no matter what happens. This is God's will."

In this letter Paul wrote to the church, he is telling them (and us) to give thanks in all circumstances, not just the good. Not just when bad circumstances change for the better, even when bad circumstances just stay bad. Even when circumstances get worse. Romans 8:28 says "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him." We are supposed to have faith that God is working for the good in everything that we go through.

This seems like a simple enough concept to live by, but after church I went out for lunch with my husband and another couple and as we were talking, we all were saying how we have not been living life with very thankful hearts these days.

Regardless of what you believe in, living every day being thankful for even the smallest aspect of your life will bring light and joy to your existence. After hearing Tim talk, I realized I need to work on being thankful everyday.

I've heard it takes thirty days to create or break a habit. I want to create a habit in my daily life of being thankful. I want to live life with a heart of thanksgiving. So, for the next thirty days I'm going to come to this blog and document at least five things I am thankful for. There are a few rules because I really want to challenge myself to be thankful for all things, different things, small and big things. I'm going to try to have little to no repeats in the things I'm thankful for. I might not post them everyday but I will be thinking, praying and reflecting on "five thanks" a day for the next month. When I remember I will come here to post & share them with you.  I hope you join me.

Today I am thankful for:

1. the joy I feel when I write a new song
2. my friends (Daneel & Erica) at work that email me back & forth each day
3. my parents having me over multiple times a week and feeding me (my belly AND my soul)
4. the way Otis (my dog) greets me when I come home.
5. the simple happiness I get from a good London Fog 

I would love to read your "five thanks" if you want to leave them in a comment. Until tomorrow!