Driving along a country road this evening on the way to pick up my daughter from dance class, I recalled the immense joy driving this road brought me just a year ago. We had just fulfilled a lifelong dream by moving our family from a busy suburb of Washington, DC to a small, quiet town at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Daily my eyes and heart feasted on the beauty and surprise of our new country life.

But tonight I rushed down the road inwardly grumbling that once again I was having to drive all the way to town. Where did the wonder go? The joy? What was it a year ago that caused this drive to delight my soul? When did it become drudgery? The road is the same. In fact, my first drives were in the grey, leafless winter, and now the valley is ablaze with autumn color.

What happened? It’s simple.

I quit saying thank you.

My full heart of a year ago overflowed in thanks and gratitude to God. For the new home. The mountains. The skunk, and turkey, and deer, and varied assortment of wildlife we saw daily. For the quiet. And the big sky. And sunset.

None of it went anywhere. I’ve discovered even more to love. But when I quit saying . . giving . . thanks, I forgot.

So I decided.

Including today there are thirty days until Thanksgiving. Every day from now to then I will post as many “thanks-givings” as the # of the day 1-30. For example: day 1 – 1 thanks, day 2 – 2 thanks, day 3 – 3 thanks, etc.

By day 15 I’ll most likely be enlisting the kids’ help, but I expect to be a professional “thanks-giving” sleuth by day 30. And if my math is correct, I will have posted 437 “thanks-givings!”

Along the way, I will share quotes, songs, and some of what I’ve learned and am learning about the powerful practice of giving thanks.

That’s the personal challenge part.

Here’s the invitation:

Join me!

If you accept my invitation, I’d love to read your “thanks-givings,” as few or as many as you like, in the comments below.  But even more, I encourage you to share your thanks with family and friends. I might even get creative and post mine on leaf cut-outs on a bulletin board with my kids . . maybe.

The point is to practice the privilege of giving thanks, to bless God as we do, and to be surprised by the fruit of thanksgiving.

Here’s a song to get you in the mood!

(And here’s the lyrics)

So thankful for . .  

1. You and the others who take time to read my blog . . thank you