It occurred to me yesterday that I am struggling with having a grateful heart and perhaps moaning a tad too much about my current situations! For me a quick way to snap out of thinking poor me or when will things get better, or wondering why things seem so difficult at the moment (unemployment, sleep problems, family stress) is to focus on all the things I really and truly need to have a thankful heart for! So here we go!!
1. I am thankful that while I’m unemployed, I have a roof over my head and food in my tummy and enough $ in the bank to get me through another month of no income.
2. I am thankful that I had a good job interview recently and will be having a second interview (although I believe more informal) within the next few days! Prayers appreciated 
3. I am thankful that my mum is alive and healthy! When you only have one parent, you really and truly need to appreciate that person
4. I am thankful that I have wonderful friends who support me more than they could ever realize! Thank you M & C especially!
5. I am thankful that the other day when I saw an old homeless man on the street, I was able to reach into my pocket, forget about worry over unemployment and give him some money. I am also thankful that I was able to chat with him and hopefully make him & others realize he does exist!
6. I am thankful for the wonderful community and friends I’ve met through this blog!
7. I am thankful for my own faith and having the confidence to attend Church and practice as I see fit answering only to God, not man! I am thankful that I do not feel like I need to fit a mould I don’t agree with!
8. I am thankful that my happiness doesn’t come from stuff!
9. I am thankful that my aunt successfully had a very difficult operation and is doing well.
10. I am thankful for trials and tribulations because they truly do make me grow and learn and appreciate all the blessings I do have!
“…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us…” Romans 5 3b-5a
I’d love if you shared what you are grateful for!
You really do have so much to be thankful for! You are an inspiration, and for you I am thankful!
I hope you realize the especially M & C was you! You are just too wonderful, thank you!
Right at the moment I am thankful for the wind raging around outside which has cooled things considerably. I am also thankful that my Mum taught us to enjoy such manifestations of God’s power rather thank to cower in fear all the time. And yes, I am always thankful for my close relationship with God and the privilege of prayer. Cherrie
That’s wonderful Cherie!
Thanks for the great reminder! Cold and dreary days can feel especially thankless–it’s always such a blessing to sit down and remind ourselves how much we truly have.
it’s funny I love bad weather days, for me, there is something special about them!
My husband does too! He just loves grey days. I need sunshine or I feel all wilted.
I am thankful for my family. All of us supported one another so strongly though my husband’s illness and death and continue to do so. I am grateful for the happiness I feel watching my grandchildren growing up. I am thankful that at the moment I have no financial worries and have a good home and reasonable health and friends. I am thankful for good books and music and extremely grateful for the beauty of the natural world where I live in northeast Ohio. I am grateful for the National Park a few miles away. I am grateful for being able to help others and for being connected to the CSA farm in my neighborhood. There are a lot more things for which I am grateful! Blogs like yours are one of them, FT.
Kristi I’m so sorry for your loss, truly! I think it is wonderful that even in these circumstances, you have so much to be thankful for. What an inspiration you are!
This post is wonderful! It’s so easy to focus on the difficult things happening our lives and to lose focus on the things for which we should be thankful. This is what I like so much about your blog, your positive outlook and love of friends and family, of life, is uplifting.
Me? I’m thankful for my husband and my children. Things were difficult for me when I was younger and when I met my husband he gave me the confidence to be me, at the time I was being the person others wanted me to be. I was living a very self destructive life and he helped me find my way out of it.
wonderful post again ft!
i’m thankful for family&friends (aren’t they wonderful?) and my new job (praying you can add this to your list asap!) and moving, despite all its stresses, i’m excited for new opportunities in the new year to meet people and make a new life in the town i grew up in. i’m thankful for my cosy bed and the wonderful healing properties of hot blackcurrant squash as i try to get over (another) cold. i’m thankful for my comfortable standard of living, compared to 9/10 of the world. i’m thankful for Christmas, and for the existence of Jesus…
I found this online a couple of weeks ago and thought you might appreciate this too right now FT.
http://escapistescapism.com/post/258386523
Maybe its something we should all put in a prominent place!
Gratitude and wonder. The 2 go hand in hand for me and as long as I’m mindful of them its amazing the effect it can have on the moment, the day, the week….
Right now I’m grateful that so many other people are being grateful too!
I’m thankful for the strength and encouragement to keep going — and those little “God things” that remind me God loves us and cares about us, even though we are nothing, compared to His holiness. Just had a few happen this week, including a song for church chosen nearly two months ago that just ‘happened’ to fit exactly in with the subject (an unusual one) of the sermon. Wow.
You have something to be thankful for, too — you were one of the winners in my stationery giveaway! Please pass on your snail mail address, so I can get your package out in the mail. Consider it a Christmas present from an American admirer…
Wow FT, I’m so impressed that you can write such beautiful posts when you are sleep deprived.
I’m thankful for your reminder to stop and be thankful!
I’m thankful for my job, even though I have had bad feelings about it recently I need to change my attitude and work to make it better.
I’m thankful for my family and my SO especially.
I’m thankful that we are able to afford a little winter break as a Christmas present to each other this weekend.
I’m thankful for my health, I’ve been grumbling about it a bit recently but I’ve been much worse in the past and I have great doctors who work with me to make improvements when needed, so I am also thankful for my socialised(!) healthcare.
Recent subscriber. Made me think just how lucky I am and how selfish I am at times, for which I am thankful to you. Loving your posts and helpful tips of you and others. Take care for Birmingham UK.
… thankful wednesday now as I’m a day behind catching up
I am thankful for having a warm house and a garage to keep my car in. It’s snowy and -20 here in so staying warm / dry is def not taken for granted.
I’m thankful for my health, my family, my friends, my job / $$$ earned, my sight, my hearing, my mobility and my nice curly hair lol.
Lastly I am grateful for FT and her wonderful blog and for all her recent writing … I need to catch up now
I’ve extended my weekly list of 7 Gratitude points to 14 thanks to the inspiration of this post. You asked to see any posts we did, so here’s the link to mine: http://wp.me/paZaD-gR
~Rose