Gratitude Journals

I bought an Oprah magazine the other day, i don't always agree with what she believes in, but you have to give her acknowledgement that, she really does have some good "food for throught" items , and some very interesting articles, in fact i learnt how to become a Blogger in an Oprah magazine, whether that is a good thing or a bad thing i am not sure, but i really enjoy it, it is an amazing tool for putting things into prespective, it is amazing how when you see things in black and white how they start to make sense. And i must admit i also have a personnal blog to which i have not given my friends the link............. if you can find it, i think you will really see me without the mask.........Good luck.
Included free with the magazine was a small "Gratitude Journal", and she challanges you to everyday write down 5 things that you are grateful for.....................
No problem there is loads of things which i am grateful for............ and on Monday i started my journal, no problem food, house, job, children and heat.
And then comes day two and i had to really start thinking because i had already used all the easy gratitude items..............
Firstly i am thankful, for good friends, friends who you don't have to phone everyday, friends who you can not see in months, and when you do get together, it is like a day has passed since you last saw each other, friends who know the exact moment you are down, and they send you and email or an sms, friends who can tell by your "hello" exactly what mood you are in, friends who could blackmail you with the information they have on you.................... i am really thankful for my friends.
Then i was thankful for laughter, how sad it must be if you cannot laugh at yourself, if you can't see something to give joy in every situation, what had happened lst night, and why this came to mind, was my daughter and i were cuddled in bed together, it was - 6 in Heidelberg last night, and you really just needed to be in bed, well, i very quietly " let one go" at that exact moment, she decided to lift the blanket to see how many cats were in bed with us, and well the rest in history, we laughed for about 10 minutes, that was of course after she had got her breath back..................... i am really thankful for laughter.
Then i am thankful that i am not alone, our neighbour is a strange character, and has caused us lots of problems in the past, killed out chickens, and shot our dog with pellets, but on the way to week of prayer at my daughters school i saw that he was walking towards the school, and i thought wow that's far to walk, about 8 km from home. After the service was finished, i felt the need to ask him if i could give him a lift home, and his words shocked me, he said he does not have a home his wife threw his out, and now he is living on the streets............. i am really thankful that i know i will never be that alone that i would ever have to live on the streets.
Then i am thankful, that i know no matter how far away God feels sometimes, he is always with me, perhaps he wants to bring me down a peg or two, perhaps there is a lesson that i need to learn, perhaps i have not prayed enough, perhaps he is just too busy fighting my battles for me........................... but i am thankful i am his child.
And lastly i am thankful for who i am, i don't always understand or see in me what other people see, but i like who i am, i like where i am going, and i like those people around me, who are taking the journey with me, I am thankful for me.............................