In this bleak mid-winter, is there any reason to feel blessed?

I know, I know. We just celebrated Thanksgiving. Giving of thanks. Christmas. Giving of gifts, to celebrate the best Gift.

I should be grateful.

But the hubbub is just a memory, and the daily grind stares at me and says, “What are you going to do about me?”

Every day. Health struggles. Every day. Sin problems. Every day. Dirty house. Every day. Neck pain. Every day. Brainless chore list. Every day. Wondering if I will ever be able to eat anything besides the only two food items my stomach can digest. And that ridiculous Christmas tree. Every day since the 26th, the homely glares at me from the corner, saying, “I win. I win! I win because I’m still here.”

It can get weighty.

I want to share (in pictures) what I’m grateful for. Because I want to stop focusing on the hum drum, joy deserted nothingness of life, and fix my gaze on beauty. Gorgeous (or maybe not so gorgeous) things that make my heart beat wild for my Creator.

I’m skeptical. Will I run out of things to take snap shots of each week? To share with you, my readers? Well, if Ann Voskamp can do it every day, then I’m thinking I can do it once a week … or so (insert mysterious music here).

My first attempt at turning away from the ungrateful, to the thankful:

Works in progress.

Being confident of this very thing, the He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. ~Phil. 1:6

I’m aware – it’s only a quilt waiting to happen. Even so, the fabric remnants remind me that some day, something beautiful will be completed.

Rotten bananas. Real ones, too. But the rotten show me the ugly can be transformed into delish. Not that I can eat the delish (see above reason for ungratefulness), but I’m thankful that when life throws me something rotten, I can choose to make something good of it. Rotten bananas to banana bread. Lemons to lemonade. It’s all good.

Red.

Gorgeous. Often overlooked. My favorite.

(*secretly tries to focus on red, rather than dust particles on the piano …. sigh)

Since reading One Thousand Gifts, my mind is slowly, surely turning toward gratefulness. I’m turning away from the sulky, sinister, not-so-Polyanna outlook. Turning to being aware – fully aware – of the beauty that surrounds me in the midst of the ugly. Someday, I might even be grateful for the ugly.

A work in progress.

I work. God works in me.

Never complete until He takes me home. But Him and I, on the same wavelength. The same path.

That’s what counts.