11:17 on Thanksgiving

It's 11:17 p.m. on Thanksgiving, and before the day is done, I wanted to make mention of a few things I've felt especially grateful for lately. I feel like I'm pretty decent at gratitude. I don't know if it's okay to say that (it sounds boastful), but I feel like I do gratitude "well" at this point in my life. Now, of course, there are times where I am selfish and ungrateful... and I'm sure there are people reading this who wouldn't think of me as a grateful person (those of you who I present the worst of me to), but in my heart, I am truly a grateful person... I think... maybe... okay, now I'm second/third/fourth guessing myself, but I can say that when I've taken the VIA character survey, gratitude has shown as one of my top five strengths,* so at least there's that. 

Anyway, three things I have felt very thankful for in recent weeks are my home, my ability to seek and receive personal revelation, and opportunities to learn and grow.

My home is not the biggest nor the nicest, but everyday I'm thankful that I have this little spot on earth that we can call our own. I know that "home" is more than walls and doors - we could live anywhere and make it a home, but that doesn't minimize my gratitude for these walls and these doors that have sheltered my family for 18 years. 

Seeking and receiving personal revelation is such a sacred and special blessing to me. Any time I feel that the Lord answers me or instructs me on a personal level, my heart swells with gratitude. I try to write those experiences down as often as possible because they can be fleeting. When I go back and read the accounts of personal revelation, I am always reminded of God's love for me, and how He knows my mind and heart.

With those experiences come the opportunity to learn and grow. Sometimes I feel like I am stagnant - like I'm just standing still and not progressing in any way. But then I'll get the tiniest glimpse of some way in which I have learned or grown, and I'm reminded of the aggregation of marginal gains, mustard seeds, and small and simple things. I'm grateful that I don't have to stay the same. I'm grateful that my learning and growth have no expiration date. 

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with much to be grateful for!

*My top 5 strengths are spirituality, love of learning, humor and playfulness, creativity, and gratitude