Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

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1) Opportunities to pray for others...I keep a spiral notebook next to our computer. Every time I read a prayer request through an email & Facebook, I jot it down. This gives me a chance to remember those prayers & also to look back at a later time to see the fruits of those prayers. Deo Gratias! 

2) Reading encouragement...The Blessings are taking part in the Pizza Hut Book-It program, starting this month. They're already good readers, so we set their reading goals that might be a bit challenging. Once the goal is achieved, they earn a free personal pizza. All are excited about it. Deo Gratias! 

3) Morning skies...I usually get up when it's still dark, so it's been wonderful to see the palette of colors in the sky as the sun rises. There have been so many shades of pink, orange, & purple lately. Deo Gratias! 

4) Movies w/ the Blessings...Yesterday, after schoolwork was done, we watched "Heaven is for Real". Great movie! Deo Gratias! 

5) Going back to 1st grade!...The Saint was having some trouble adjusting to his 1st grade PSR class at church. After talking w/ his teacher Sunday, she said I was welcome to stay in the class that day. The Saint knows that I won't be there every week, but I think it helped his confidence this time around. (He went from six kids in last year's class to 21 this year.) Deo Gratias!