// thankful sweetness //

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There's just something about coming together. Something about one, two, three people linking arms, supporting one another. One hand reaching down to help someone else up. It's community, it's accountability... and it's a beautiful thing. The Bible says, "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." -Ecclesiastes 4:12 and man, is that true. There is strength in numbers, and power in togetherness. And there is a something precious and fierce about sisterhood: coming together as daughters of God and lifting each other up. And friends, I've seen that in you.

A couple weeks ago I realized afresh how ugly a heart lacking thankfulness is - I saw my own heart struggling with thankfulness in my situation. Comparison, discontentment and selfishness began to rear their ugly heads and I decided to change it. The change took the form of simply writing in a little rectangular notebook every couple days - scribbling in my colored Sharpie pens 4 or 5 things I am thankful for. I shared my new quest with my sisters here, and oh the support I received. In the last few years, I've learned one of the most important things in friendship is just showing up. And my sweet bloggy friends did just that....not physically, because we are all scattered over this blessed earth. But you showed up, you joined in, and it means everything. I invited you to join me in thankfulness lists - and you have. Gratefulness is not easy to pursue - it's a fight against our natural urge to always want more than we have and see the glass "half empty" rather than embracing what we do have. But together, we can do it. We are doing it. Finding the good things, searching for the sweetness in ordinary life. And it's really beautiful.

My list today:

Your lists take my breath away. Precious, simple, profound and humble - tears threaten to fill my eyes as I read through the unique blessings in your lives. I'm thankful for this community - the blog/Internet community. I'm sometimes heartsick over how much negativity and evil is promoted through media, through the Internet - but then I see how so much good can be done when we use our little online platforms for encouraging, speaking truth, and loving others.

This week's thankful lists inspire me all the more to embrace the beauty in my life - enjoy the little things - and thank God for each and every blessing He so graciously gives me.

Enjoy the thankfulness of these precious ones. And friend, join in. Hashtag on Instagram or Twitter #thankfulsweetness or e-mail me your lists. I'll feature them here next week.