Learning to Praise

So here we are already, Monday. Multitude Monday. I can't believe I haven't been back here since last week, so many things crossed my mind that I wanted to share, wanted to process with you.

Maybe I don't make it here because I don't dare. Don't dare to be that real, share that much. For fear of scaring you away? For fear of giving you reason to judge me, dislike me, disapprove of me?

But here I am, ready to share this with you: my exercise in gratitude. Learning to praise God all day, every day, with my lips and my heart.

Do I say "Thanks God" if my heart isn't really thankful yet? Will my heart learn to praise God for the bumps in the road, even before I land safely on the otherside of the bump, before I can see the good in it? (It's easy to be thankful when life's road is smooth and the good is abundant.)

Like for the rain yesterday...I knew I could or should be thankful for it.
But I didn't like the gray skies
and dreary mass of cloud
and the way it made me feel tired.

I wasn't thankful, rather I was bitter
and resented that I couldn't control the weather,
and that the weather could effect my mood so profoundly.

So when I was thinking of what I was thankful for yesterday I started to say "the rain", but stopped myself because I know I can't fool God. "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me...You perceive my thoughts from afar." - Psalm 139:1-2

Here I go, listing His gifts, grace for each day:



#27. Our new niece, Elena Christine Gritter, born Saturday, October 23, 2010; she is healthy and her mama's doing well, too! Congratulations, Deb and Eric!
#28. Internet and digital cameras so I can see her beautiful little face
#29. The Bierma Bed and Breakfast in Montrose
#30. the way the sun peeks through the clouds on a rainy day
#31. the way the sun shines into my kitchen more and more, even as the days get shorter and shorter
#32. my dishwasher
#33. Immanuel
#34. Brad's ability to fix the car, start up the furnace, blow out the sprinklers, close up the swamp cooler
#35. An amazing hail storm Saturday night
#36. a solid home to protect us from all the rain, hail, wind and cold
#37. intentional questions, and the people willing to ask them and listen
#38. being able to encourage a teenager
#39. seeing the speck in someone else's eye, causing me to examine my own eyes for planks that need to be removed
#40. encouraging friends
#41. a spontaneous sleepover party for this mama and her two kids
#42. the opportunity to live in GJ and enjoy its beauty
#43. a new mama friendship
#44. Skype, to stay connected and share life
#45. patient, persevering husband
#46. Cora squealing "Mommyyyyyy!" while she runs to me and wraps herself around my legs, almost knocking me over
#47. coupons


Oh, isn't she precious? Little Elena, may your heart always praise God, for He is good; His love endures forever. And we love you, too!