“I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for the love of family and friends.”

It’s my Facebook status, and it makes me smile. Overwhelmed was my defining word for decades. 

Overwhelmed with laundry, kids, homeschooling, marriage, emotions that felt out of control, to-do lists, fear. Always overwhelmed.

I got sick of hearing the word come out of my mouth, but it was the only one that was sufficient to express the almost constant state of my drowning soul.

Yesterday was my forty-fifth birthday, and Jeff asked me how forty-five felt. 

“I’m overwhelmed . . with the love of our family, God’s grace and goodness, you. It’s better than I ever dreamed it would be. I’m so grateful.“

Another popular Facebook status this month says: It is not happy people that are thankful. It is thankful people that are happy.


My transition from overwhelmed with life to overwhelmed with love isn’t coincidence. I discovered intentional thanks-giving four years ago, and it has changed my life.

For sure, there are still plenty of challenges, strong emotions, kid stuff, to-do lists, and laundry. But they don’t eat my lunch like they used to, because the act of thanks-giving puts and keeps them in perspective. 

In the midst of a heartbreaking loss, there’s the love of family gathered around. 

On the days when there’s so much to do I don’t know where to start, there’s a sense of gratitude for a full life. 

When my “want to” has gone AWOL, there’s the awareness of productive days past and the peace and confidence to stop and rest.

As we give thanks for all His gifts, our hearts are prepared to celebrate The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Jesus. I’m so excited to read this daily devotional beginning December 1. We will be discussing it at Winsome Reads, a Facebook book club. Join us?!

I’m giving away a copy of The Greatest Gift!