Everyone has a myriad, myriad things to be thankful for, but sometimes we don’t pause long enough to notice them.

This is my pause in a busy life. A list… just a list, no fancy words… of all the many blessings, gifts, joys, moments of grace, love and happiness I have been gifted. An unnumbered list, giving my Spirit voice. And at the end, a great big THANK YOU to the Father that made me, molds me and mends me when I fall. Amen!

• Quiet days in the office, when Peter is out and I can take time to breathe, sip herbal tea and contemplate life.
• The Email that reminds me of the wider world. Messages from around the globe that reach me in seconds.
• The sparkling water I keep under my desk, and the glass I get to pour it in.
• Small groups at Church, in art classes and anywhere else where the group is small enough for deep conversations and deeper friendships to form.
• Memories, whether good or bad. Good memories are the light shining on the sea of life and remind me of how fortunate I am. Bad memories are a reminder of how far I’ve come, with God’s Good Grace. We need them both.
• Books: virtual or real. And bookshops that stock them. I love old bookstores, second hand books and the vanilla smell they have that comes from the lignin.
• When the sun shines on the desk for the first time in a day. It’s a lightener, and I love it. Of course, by the middle of the afternoon I’m grateful for the shutter that I close down to add some much-needed shade.
• Music! Instrumental or choral, secular or sacred, played or played to. I love it all.
• Red: My favourite colour is red, and has been for as long as I can remember. It brightens my heart, makes my head sing and brings cosiness to my life.

For these, and the thousand other gifts God has seen fit to give to me, I am thankful.