Thanksgiving

I'm jumping on the Day of Thanksgiving bandwagon, folks.

I will be honest with you, I have never been a joyful person.

I am usually solitary and deep and intense and well, difficult in that I am passionate and serious and very committed to what I love or do not love.

I mean, I'm happy. I can laugh. I recognize humor.

But joy? 

Recently I started a Beth Moore Bible study on James called "Mercy Triumphs", and she talks a lot about the Lord restoring joy.

I did not understand this because I have never had that kind of deep joy.  I have never been a happy-go-lucky optimist.  So, I was ready to see how something that I had never had could actually be restored.

What God has been saying to me is that He gives.  He likes to lavish.  He likes to do the unexpected for those who think they just don't have it or aren't ready for it or don't deserve it.  I fall into all of those categories! 

I really have been trying to wrap my mind around how this is going to look, this restoration of joy.....and I've gotten tremendous wisdom in the past few weeks, and it's all confirmation of one overarching principle:

Thankfulness births deep and abiding joy.

I've heard and read lately about Thankful Journals and blogumentaries on daily and weekly thankfulness and posting around your home what you're thankful for, and okay, I'm convinced.

I'm convinced that there is something very intrinsic in that principle that is sorely lacking in my life right now.  I believe I have hit on the key to real joy.  And I really believe the Lord is calling me to remember how blessed I am.

So, I'm going to do it.  And I'm starting today.  Will you bear with me?

I'm starting with 8 things I'm thankful for, and here they are!

1. I'm thankful for my hyper-sensitive taste buds.  By this I mean I have a very developed and very sensitive taster.  I am a major foodie and I love that I can taste very well.
2. I'm thankful that my girls ask me questions about everything under the sun! It means they trust me and it means that maybe I do have some wisdom outside of Daddy to bring to the table.  
3. I'm thankful for my shower.  I can hop in any time I want and it's such a pleasure to feel so clean and refreshed.
4. I'm thankful for Lucie.  Her almost-4-year-old personality is, quite frankly, totally adorable! A week or so ago I made a smoothie and gave her some.  She went out to the living room with it, but soon she came running in to the kitchen and she said to me, "Ummm, all I have to say is YUM!" Oh that girl....I'm so glad to have her!
5. I'm thankful that I got to carry this baby as long as I did.  
6. I'm thankful for open lines of communication with my Lord Jesus Christ.  I'm thankful that I can open my Bible and reaffirm the fact that indeed, He hears and wants to know each and every thing that is on my mind!
7. I'm thankful for paper.  I'm thankful that I am a Paper and Pen Freak.  Yes, I'm addicted! Index cards, good paper, journals, notebooks..I love them all and I'm thankful that I can have paper to write on any time I want.
8. And lastly, I'm thankful for friends who force me to let them bless me and who are willing to keep asking me to accept blessings.  This has been majorly cathartic in my life lately.

I hope to keep up on this regularly, and I hope you can bear with all of this!