Thankfulness Journal

I was convicted by something I read in my daily devotions last week to begin a daily journal on my blog of something I was grateful about from each day. I committed to do this every day until Thanksgiving. I forgot about that promise until this morning during my quiet time and renewed the commitment to start doing that at the end of today. To be perfectly honest, this day was perfectly chaotic and it seemed nothing that I did went right. It got to be almost funny--but not quite. By the end of the day I actually was sitting at my desk in tears. Most of the mishaps were technology related--to getting to work and finding that a setting on my computer had been changed and I could not send anything to the computer. I had the bulletin and the directory to get out so I decided to print one copy at my desk printer and then take it to the copier to print in quanity. That was when I found out that my printer was out of ink and I had no replacement cartridge. A little help from my friend, Shari, and that problem was righted. But it just snowballed from there, ending with Belair Road being closed from Mountain Road to Sunshine because of a very bad accident causing utility work to be done. This meant that parents both to Bill's afternoon chemistry class and later OBCA parents either could not get to the school or were late because of detours. This was from 12:00 until 4:00. It continued into the evening. I am doing a project for Bill, making photo mugs for each of the teachers to be given as gifts at our Retreat in two weeks. I only needs to enter a few more pictures which I had taken today and one picture that Heather had taken and was on her memory stick. All went well until I inserted Heather's memory stick into my computer. It just wasn't cooperating, a box kept coming up telling me that the door wasn't closed properly (?!--whatever that means). I removed and reinserted the memory stick several times and was getting very frustrated when Ryan came into the room. He said, "Let's take it out and try again." Fine, Ryan you try it. The memory stick was stuck in the computer! Ahhhhhhh! Ryan finally got it out by grabbing with pliers and pulling. However, now the memory stick has a dent in the corner that was in the computer and seems ruined. Shawn thinks I should take it to a camera store to see if they can retrieve the photos (a lot of them--there were over 100 pictures on there).

Well, all that said, I really don't feel very thankful! My first reaction is to write that I am thankful this day is almost over! However, as an act of my will I am going to be thankful--or try! Here goes:

I am thankful that God gives the grace to endure anything He brings into my day. And that I can trust Him that He is in control at all times and He doesn't allow anything into my life that is not part of His plan--for my good and His glory. I am also grateful that I had already decided to take tomorrow off as a mental health day. Popdaddy will still have his caregiver like I was going to work but instead I plan to head to the gym early and then have a 9:00 appointment for an hour massage. (Ryan gave me a gift certificate for this at Christmas and I have had trouble fitting that into my schedule!) Then I am taking Caitlin out to lunch for her birthday and some girl time. God's timing is so perfect. He knew just the day I would need that. He truly is a good and gracious God and He doesn't waste any experience.

Okay I really do feel better! I challenge all my other bloggers to join me in daily blogging a thankful page.