the thanksgiving project :: the end

when i first set out to do this project, i wasn't sure how it would end. would i even follow through? would my lens be any different? will i learn anything? will i be a more thankful person?

well, here we are. (: and 26 days later, i can say that my days are filled with more things to be thankful for than i can write down or even recognize. signing on for this project forced me to open my eyes and to be more conscious of my life. each day i'd be taking mental note: is this what i'd like to write about today? 

bad days still happen. i still find myself disappointed. or frustrated. or sad. 

but i have a month's worth of gifts to look back on and be thankful for. 

being thankful is a character trait. that is what i am striving for. the more i open my eyes to the blessings around me, big and small, the easier it is to give thanks in the bad times and the more i realize i have infinite blessings in my life. for that, i am thankful.

tidbits and tangents

day twenty-three: i'm thankful for unseasonably warm weather. 


i'm thankful for people in new york who care about me and have made my transition in living here enjoyable. 


i'm thankful that i am 3.5 hours away from a 6-day vacation that includes spending the thanksgiving holiday with my man and his fam and then spending some much needed time with my own. 


i'm thankful to have an apartment to come home to every evening. 


i'm thankful for a job. 


i'm thankful that i am being challenged in so many ways right now and have hope that God is doing a great work in me and will not finish it until it is complete. 


i'm thankful for Love.

encouragement

day twenty-two: tonight i am thankful for encouragement. i received unexpected words of affirmation this evening, and i am especially thankful because it came at a time when i have been wrestling with whether i should keep pressing on in something or not. so often we admire things in others, but so rarely do we tell them. my encouragement to you is to encourage someone today. 

affirm the gift of hospitality in someone. 

let someone know how much you appreciate being able to have heart-to-hearts with her. 

tell a friend how much you love her recipe for spinach dip or chocolate chip cookies. 

encourage the friend who is striving to be a writer. 

if i'm honest, most of the time, i see gifts in others and i walk around feeling inadequate and forgotten. comparison and envy are crippling to the soul and draining to the body. they do no good, and they simply aren't true. God has gifted me and you. He has created us with unique passion and purpose in mind.

instead of looking around and getting hung up on what you are not, bless someone today by letting them know you notice them and their gifts. and trust that others are noticing yours. i promise that blessing someone else, you'll find yourself blessed too.

seester

day nineteen: i am thankful for my sister, heather. 24 years ago she was born (boy, does that make ME feel old!), and from that time i've had a best friend. she's endured many trials, especially in this last year, but she keeps going with strength i'm not sure i even have. she is a fabulous mother, a faithful friend, and a complete goofball. i'm so thankful to have someone in my life who has been there for so much of it, who knows me, who gets me, who shares an interest in so many of the quirky things i do, and who i know i can go to any time of day or night. happy birthday heather. i love you!