Blessings only come to those who notice.”
Every week at my little church, we take time to mention prayer requests. But we also mention reasons we have to be thankful. Those things don’t have to be something remarkable. Often the things mentioned are what might be called everyday blessings remembered by a grateful heart. Someone might mention their grandchildren. I could certainly mention that every week. The picture here is from several years ago when the grandkids were all here for Thanksgiving. It was one of those unusually warm November days and so we all took a walk out on the farm. So added to being thankful for my grandchildren, I am also thankful when I get to take a walk with them. They are all growing up on me now, but sometimes we still get to take those walks together.
Other mentions at church might be for sunshine or perhaps rain. Sometimes someone is even thankful for snow although right now I think it’s way too early to be seeing snowflakes. Our young people at church sometimes speak up with a thankful blessing. One youngster often mentions the blessing of being able to be at church.
An unthankful heart is like a finger trying to sift the sand for iron–it doesn’t discover God’s mercies. But a thankful heart, just like the magnet, sweeps through life’s circumstances and finds daily blessings from God. (Ellen Banks Elwell)
November seems to be our official month to count our blessings. Sometimes you’ll see someone on social media naming a different reason for thankfulness each day of November. Coming up with something new each day all month long is a great way to notice those blessings we might take for granted and forget to notice. Like the beauty of the leaves in autumn.
So tonight I’m borrowing some of the ideas from one of my blog posts from four years ago about counting those everyday blessings. But I’m naming some new reasons for thanksgiving too. I’m thankful for my family, for those beautiful grandkids who will sometimes take a selfie with their grandmother. 
I’m thankful for all the sweet dog buddies I’ve had through the years. (That could be a whole new blog post.) I’m grateful for hands able to work. I’m very thankful for my husband, three children and their spouses, grandchildren and all my extended family too. I’m glad I have a place to worship with a loving church family.
I’m very thankful the Lord has blessed my desire to write stories and that many of those stories have become books. Those of you who read those stories and even my this and that posts on this blog are an amazing blessing that I never take for granted. I’m thankful the internet has made the world smaller so I can have friends like you from right next door and from all over the country and even across oceans. It makes it easier for us to count our blessings that way and to share them with each other.
That’s just a few of my blessings. I could go on and on. Shelter and food. Good health and prayers. New babies and old grandparents. Love and forgiveness. Grace and joy. Friends like you.
What are some of your blessings?
Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. (Native American Proverb)
Comments 6
Faith, Family, Friends are my blessings. A friend posted this thought several years ago on Facebook….
“What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?”
That struck a chord in me, and I try to be more thankful of ordinary blessings now. In this weather I’m also very thankful for my hot shower every morning too!
Thank you Ann for your thought-provoking posts and the friends that gather here.
Enjoy your weekend! 🙂
Author
I definitely count it a blessing those friends that gather here. Love that thought, Lavon. And I’m going to save that other thought and put it in the church bulletin next week. What if I did wake up today with only the things I thanked God for yesterday? I definitely need to be more aware of my reasons for thanksgiving and more vocal in my appreciation for the many good things in my life. Right now I can even be thankful for a sweet dog sleeping behind my chair as I sit at my desk and consider a new blog post on this Sunday evening.
Thankful for good health and a heart growing in compassion and for the desire to own nothing and yet have everything.
Author
Sounds as if you have some good things going for you as your heart grows in compassion, Karen. The most treasured blessings are those you cannot buy and only own through the grace of God.
So many, they are hard to name! Physical blessings such as home, food, clothing, money to pay my bills.
I am healthy, as far as I know, and I just enjoyed another birthday!
Spiritual blessings untold! I am saved, I am promised a home in Heaven, and I have JOY! I may not always have happy circumstances but I always have JOY!
And, I enjoy the love of reading. I haven’t traveled far physically but I have been to many places through books. Armchair travels are very rewarding!
Thanks for adding to my joy!
Author
A beautiful thanks list, Connie. Joy is a gift that we do need to hold in our heart. So glad you got to enjoy that birthday and may you enjoy many more.
Books are and have always been a blessing for me too. I love to read and go on those adventures in my armchair too.