Thankful Wednesdays

Starting this Wednesday, I would like us to start participating in "Walk With Him Wednesdays" per writer and blogger Ann Voscamp. She wrote the best selling book One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are. It is a beautiful, inspirational book that I highly recommend. She also writes the blog A Holy Experience. In the blog she asks everyone to name 3 things that they are thankful for everyday or at least once a week. She suggests this is always best to do in the morning to start your day off. She posted in her blog, "When your heart's grateful to God at the start of the day, you can trust God in the hurtful of the day."Being grateful fills our hearts up like teacups so that they are not dry for the hard parts of the day which is bound to happen to all of us.

I thought the naming of the 3 things for which you are thankful, which she calls "Joy Dare", would be a nice exercise to share with the readers of this blog. People who have participated in this said it has been life changing. I have been posting how our Nigerian friends hold onto their hope and joy amidst difficulties. They are grateful for the small things. I think this is the key. I am so thankful for the simple, relaxing Memorial Day weekend I enjoyed with my family. On Memorial Day evening, we hung out together on our backyard patio, enjoying the summer weather and our favorite summer food of Maryland steamed crabs. We laughed together, the kids swinging on the tree rope, the dog playing with fallen tree branches and I just sat back taking in the moment. As I get older, I realize it's the small moments that mean so much and go by so quickly.

Each Wednesday, I will post Ann Voscamp's prompt for what we should say we are thankful for. Then you will respond by posting in comments. I hope everyone will join us in our thankful journey. I am asking our Nigerian friends to please participate with us. We would love to hear your voices because I believe we can learn so much from you.

This Wednesday's prompt is what 3 gifts of bluelare you thankful for? #1000gifts #JoyDare

Blue is my favorite color. Blue is peaceful and serene. In nature it is the color of so many glorious things. Here are mine: 1.) I am thankful for both of my children's amazing, beautiful blue eyes. Our son was adopted at six months old. As soon as we first saw him, we could not help but notice his eyes. They were round saucers and so inquisitive. He has deep blue eyes that we called ocean eyes. Our daughter, who we adopted at eleven months old, has pale, crystal blue eyes that were just as mesmerizing as soon as we looked upon her. Oh yes, my children's blue eyes...2.) I am thankful for the blues of summer vacation. The gorgeous blues of the ocean water are in my mind. The ocean is my favorite place to go and I am grateful to have a vacation with my family. I love and am thankful for everything about it even if these things aren't blue - the feel of the sun, the sand, the smell of the ocean, shells, beach houses, saltwater taffy, roaring waves, beach breezes, boardwalks... 3.) And finally, the blue that I am thankful for, one that I am enjoying this summer, one that has always been there, but sometimes I have taken for granted, is the wondrous blue endless sky, that God has given us.

Now it is your turn. You do not have to go into detail like me. Just list 3 things in the comments and use the hashtags above that are given after the question with your answer. Please share and give thanks to God.


Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.

Ps. 73:25-26