It’s all about deciding to in 2011, and for me, it starts with a list.
And I’m not talking about New Year’s resolutions. I’ve started 2011 with a list of things I’m thankful for. After all, deciding to have a thankful heart once saved my life, and by extension, brought peace to my family.
I wish I could claim this idea as my own, but I can’t. I found it on a quiet blog, whose author, Ann Voskamp, wrote a book called One Thousand Gifts. You can pre-order a copy here.
Here’s how the idea works:
- Start making a list of things you’re grateful for.
- Make it a goal to have at least 1000 things listed by the year’s end.
That’s it! What a simple, profound idea for the New Year. As an optional step, you can e-mail Ann from her blog and let her know you joined her Gratitude Community. And don’t worry if you don’t make it to 1000. The important thing is to start somewhere.
Why don’t you start a Gratitude List right now? The best gift you can give your family is to be personally content, and as a certain blueberry once learned, a thankful heart is a happy heart.
Need some starter ideas for your list? Here are a few examples from my 2010 list:
- Riding go-karts
- Neighbors at the lake
- A room full of talking, laughing people, all taking photos
- Hope for Women online magazine
- Sipping green tea on the patio
- That I missed the cow patty
- Colorful pansies
As you can see, you can list almost anything.
Dear friends, my heart bulges with hope for 2011, and you are all symbolically on my Gratitude List. My prayer for you in 2011 is the same as Paul prayed for his disciples in the book of Ephesians:
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
(Ephesians 3: 14-19, New Living Translation)
I hope that you will decide to have a thankful heart in 2011, and beyond. Here’s to counting our blessings together, one by one.
Stephanie, I was helping with some editing the other day and got a sneak peak at this article and want you to know that I began my Grateful List (never understood why this word isn't spelled GREATFUL, because being grateful is GREAT!). I already have over 25 things listed. Thanks for the suggestion.
Yay! And thanks.
What a wonderful, positive way to start 2011! Although I do try to fall asleep each night counting my blessings of the day, I have not kept a running list. I will start my list today! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Lisa!
Sounds like a great idea
# 1 am thankful for knowing God's grace
# 2 for my wife of 10 years
# 3 for my two boys
# 4 close friends who are like family (Marchbanks)
Yay! You started your list right here! Yes.
Thanks~I need this today
Thank you, Kay.
Stephanie,
I love this idea. We get so "caught up" in what we want to accomplish, or what we want to obtain in the New Year, that we forget about all we have and all we have accomplished. Sure, we all want to be better people, a better spouse, a better parent, a better friend, but reflecting thankfully on what we have is a stepping stone to being a better person in 2011. We continuously focus on "new" ideas and strategies that we tend to set aside our past blessings that have gotten us this far. Being grateful lifts our spirits and gives us hope in difficult times. It compels us to believe that if God has blessed our lives in the past, He will continue to bless us and see us through another year. So yes, let's begin to make that list and "count our blessings!"
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Sherry.
What a great way to start the New Year! I am grateful for you!
And I so grateful for you, too my dear friend. ♥
What a wonderful, positive way to start 2011! Although I do try to fall asleep each night counting my blessings of the day, I have not kept a running list. I will start my list today! Thanks for sharing.
I don' know how you find the time Steph, but i'm glad you do. Love you girl….
1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
3. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
4. Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
Bless you, Fran.
Funny that you picked this topic. My list would definately turn heads, and chins would drop. Grateful that my dad broke his hip, making it possible for the dr's to discover he needed immedate surgery to repair a totally unrelated health concern, tops the list, especially because it happened New Years day. Wrecking my car into a cow, the list goes on………. We have been instucted all along to give thanks in everything……..and I believe he means EVERYTHING! Keep up the good work, Stephanie!
Kerri, you are so right. What an inspiration. Love to you. ♥
Hi Stephanie, what a great idea! Making a list not only keeps us thankful at the moment we are writing our list but in those moments we need to remember what we are thankful for! Just pull out that list and read and reread then add some more!!!!
Thank you, Sandra!
Hi Stephanie, what a neat idea and such a great site! The more we thank God for what we have, the more blessed we are. He loves our words of thanksgiving and praise.
Thank you Koenia! I think of you from time to time, and pray you are doing well.
Reading this made me think of Phil. 4:6-7:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We do a great job requesting things from our Father but He asks that we also include the things for which we are thankful. It is an important ingredient in true prayer and a prerequisite to real peace.
Your idea of a New Year's List is a great reminder for us not to take for granted the amazing things God allows us to enjoy.
So good to hear from you, Carey. God bless you! ♥