Being Thankful

This weekend as we drove, Leslie read me part of a book she was reading.  I forget the title, but in it the author was writing about being joyful.  Lately, I haven't been feeling very joyful.  Winter blues really get to me.  Plus a wide range of other things in my life that I've been letting "get me down".
Anyway, a short version, she said that someone challenged her to write 1000 things she is thankful for.
That it is hard to be joyful if you are not thankful, and grateful.
I thought, hey if thinking about things I'm thankful, could bring joy to my life, I'm up for the challenge.
So, I started yesterday.  I'm up to 45 already.
I'll share a few with you in a minute, but I've really been thinking about joy and happiness and depression and discouragement.
A few things that I wonder about is things like "fake it till you make it".  If you aren't feeling happy, smile anyway, and "fake" it until you actually are happy.  hummm.... I'm pondering that one.
If you know me, I don't fake anything.  I wear my emotions on my sleeve.  You can read me even if I don't want you too.!

Here is a few I thought I would share with you:

1   sweet smell of a fresh orange
2 Teaching a child something new

Teaching Trevor to Draw

8  "flowers" hand picked by my little boy and telling me "because I love you!"

Here Mom "I Love You!

11  Music
18  sounds of water dripping from the eaves or roof
20  Quiet time in the afternoon
22 The Holy Spirit and God's presence in my life
28 Popcorn and America's Funniest Videos

Watching Americas funniest Sunday nights

33 smell of wood smoke and a warm fire in the woodstove
45 freedom to be a stay at home mom
46 the anticipation of new flowers in the spring

Starting seeds

Here are some verses I've also been pondering

Ecclesiates 6:9  Enjoy what you have, rather than desiring what you don't have!
I gotta go, the girls are home and it's time to get ready to go to music lessons.