Jar of Blessings- Intro

Today was a long day. On my drive home, I usually sing to the music, talk to my family & friends on the phone, or just relax for 20 minutes of "me" time. Today was different. I had a headache, my bluetooth was cutting out while talking to my mama so I felt frustrated, my feet hurt, and I was hungry. All I could do was feel sorry for myself because I was so tired and exhausted.

As I approached my door, I saw a package waiting and knew immediately, it was just what I needed...my Basket of Blessings book! Before I even opened to the first chapter, I began thinking about how I was definitely not focusing on what I had to be grateful for today. I started realizing that today was actually a really great day. I woke up feeling rested, my morning at school consisted of Dr. Seuss movies and cookies, the sun was shining throughout the day, and I have no homework tonight. Yes, I was a little tired and hungry but really? This book could not have come at a better time. For the next 4.5 weeks, my days will be crazy. I find myself not having a single day to simply forget about homework. There is always a paper to be written, research articles to read, observation write-ups, papers to grade, lessons to plan, the list goes on and on. April 1st will be the end of most of that but it seems so far away. Despite my workload, I still have so much to be grateful for. In fact, I should be grateful for everything in my life because truly, it's all a blessing!

I read only the introduction to the book to better understand the story behind the author's blessing basket and how she wants her readers to be involved in this project. Just a few favorite parts from what I read...

Most of us go through life so eager to make things happen, to accumulate something for the future, to make our mark on the world that we nearly-and often completely- overlook or underestimate the blessings that are part of our lives.

How different our lives would be if we turned our hearts toward gratitude- not just occasionally, as on Thanksgiving Day or Mother's Day. Not just a greeting card kind of thanks but a genuine gratefulness that expresses itself in a hymn of heartfelt praise to God. What would happen if we cultivated a daily habit of expressing gratitude, one that helped us count all of life good, regardless of the circumstances?

My mason jar is ready... tomorrow, March 3rd, will be the start of my 31 days of thankfulness. Each day, I will take a slip of paper and write down one thing that I have to be grateful for. I will try to do this for 31 days (possibly with a few grace days). At the end of my 31 days of gratitude, I hope that I'll have the motivation to continue to do this as I pray that it will be more natural to have a heart of gratitude. Just as Megan does, I will try to blog each day to share my gratitude and to encourage anyone who may be struggling to find things that they are grateful for in their lives.

If you choose to do this too, please let me know!

________________________________________________________

Day One: Reflect on your relationships, and identify one person who has made a significant impact on your life. Express gratitude to him or her, either in person or in a letter. Write down the thing you are most grateful for about that person and drop it in your jar.

Day Two: Write down five simple gifts that you are thankful for.