Super Saturday: Let's Focus on Thanks

I feel like keeping this week's post short and sweet.

We've just celebrated Thanksgiving and now we almost feel forced into the Christmas season with Black Friday sales and Christmas carols on the radio.

Maybe we need to linger a bit longer in that attitude of thanksgiving. In that vein, I thought I'd list a few things I'm thankful for here, and I invite you to share some of your own in the comments (or at least ponder them in your own heart for a while).

I'm thankful for:

God (who provided His love and all of the other people and things on this list)

My family (Gary and our children, but also each one of our extended family members)

Friends (I often say that I can't imagine my life without each person God has brought into our lives as we've moved over the years)

This beautiful world (We love to travel and explore its many wonders)

(taken this October in Canada)

The hardships I've had to go through (Yes, I'm even thankful for those times, because they helped shape me into who I am today)

The future (With all of its many possibilities and surprises)

It's good for our mental health to practice gratitude, so let's not forget to do that each and every day.

So grateful for each of you, ~Robyn

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." (Psalm 107:1 NIV)

Are you thankful for everything in your life? How can focusing on God help you to be grateful every day?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Enough

A while back I read a book called More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity by Jeff Shinabarger (DavidCCook, 2013). It was a great book that helped me to look at different areas of my life and see how I could live with less and give more to others. 

One section stuck with me: Enough Clothing. In that chapter, he told about a girl named Ashley who did a social experiment so she could relate to the people in her neighborhood who didn't have as much choice about the clothes they wore as she did. She decided to wear everything she owned one time. She figured she could maybe go for 70 days...but she ended up going for 156 days. It was interesting to see what she learned from her social experiment.

She owned 190 articles of clothing. In the months since then, I've been wondering how many articles of clothing I own. I'm a little scared to find out. You see, my clothes are all over the place...

In the four-drawer dresser in our bedroom:

Piled up on the floor next to our bed:

In half of our bedroom closet (and piled in front of it sometimes): 

 Two drawers in the hallway right outside our bedroom:

Two drawers in Blake's room:

I forgot I even owned the jeans I found here!

And in an upstairs closet:

The prom dresses aren't mine, but the rest of these clothes are...plus a box full underneath!

Do you see why I'm a little scared to start counting? 

As Thanksgiving approaches, I think I just might take some time and do a little inventory. I know there are many items of clothing that I never wear. I seem to have favorites that I grab most of the time for all sorts of reasons. I'm thankful for the clothes I have, but this may be a good time of year to take stock and give some away to those who need them and will wear them.

Just how much is enough? If I'm brave, I'll tell you next week what my final count was. Until then, I'm going to make sure I'm thanking God for all of His blessings. I take them for granted way too often.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving next week, everyone!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."                                                                             (Psalm 107:1 NIV)

Do you have too much of something? How can focusing on God help you to be grateful for what you have and decide to be content with enough?