It's tough living in this tight space with a 6'2" husband and grade-school daughter... especially when I crave my "quiet time". (Sometimes, I hide in the bathroom just to be alone!)
.....There is an ugly pink carpet in our bedroom. The quarter slot to the laundry machine often gets jammed. It's drafty. The heater makes a funky smell. I think the kitchen cabinets were made in the 60's. And don't get me started on our weird neighbors.
Did I mention that it's cramped? This apartment makes us both a little bit cranky.
But the other day, as I was sitting at my computer, I looked outside the window over to my left, and I saw the most amazing sunset:
A beautiful view right from my bedroom window. It was humbling.
And I remembered this verse:
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Paul, Phillippians 4:12)I began looking around my cramped apartment. We have food, shelter, hot water, clean water, plumbing that works. We are living with plenty.
Cramped apartment, yes. But a home full of laughter and love. And lots of other things that make life comfortable.
So I decided to begin a Gratitude Journal.
Here are a few first pages:
I think it will be a good reminder for me to be content. :)
~*~
Do you ever get discouraged with your surroundings?
What are you grateful for?
Beautiful - thanks for such an inspiring post! My husband and I have a lovely son and a good house and many opportunities - sometimes money is scarce, but it's important to remember what we do have!
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful!
ReplyDeleteDrawing those wonderful things on our lists ... what a good idea to help us linger on each one! It takes time to draw and color those images; it only takes seconds to list them to our gratitude journal. It takes thought about how to put them down beautifully -- for being thankful is truly beautiful! -- and so, one must linger to do it some justice.
DeleteSo, if we give each one time in this way, we can also add another lingering moment: prayer can accompany the moments too.
Thank you for posting such a beautiful idea!
pattym
thank you, guys! xoxo
ReplyDeleteYour living situation sounds very much like mine and I often have the same rants. But you are right. We do have a lot and I do appreciate it too. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteI am grateful for the inspiration I received here!! Found this through pinterest...love it!!
ReplyDeleteaw, thank you ingbtanch and Hikes. It's amazing how a different perspective changes things. xoxo. (still not liking our pink carpet, but oh well. :))
ReplyDeletemy bedroom has green SHAG carpeting from the seventies. I would rather have pink, LOL...thank you for a different perspective. :)
Deletehahaha.. so true! I will take pink over shag any day!
DeleteYour gratitude journal is beautiful! And so was that view! Your post spoke to my heart!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful and inspiring...I've been keeping a gratitude journal but now...now I will sketch my thanks...thanks to you =0)
ReplyDeleteThis is ... wow. Inspiration to get back to my watercolors and finish my project I had started back last July. Love your gratitude journal. and thanks for posting some of those links in your sidebar especially the watercolor blogs.
ReplyDeletelove it! thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the beautiful reminder to be thankful for all the blessing we DO have.
ReplyDeletelovely, lovely Gratitude Sketchbook
ReplyDeleteseriously. thankfulness is what has brought us through the most difficult times.
ReplyDeletewe lived in a cramped apt too... all 7 of us! woot! now after a 7 month stint of that we're living in 2 bedrooms in someone else's house... (just when we might have thought it couldn't get worse! hah!)
but that's all humanly speaking of course ;)
last night or this morning i was reminded again (good ol' HS) that the prescription for difficulty is thankfulness. recognizing the good.
i love your artful journal. it inspires me.
gotta get thankful again.
thanks for this post, for starters ;)
amy
Oooh, this is a beatifully gorgeous way to express your thanks with such colorful, well done illustrations! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeletethank you, guys, for the wonderful comments.. and for visiting my blog. It truly means a ton to me!
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful for your gratitude journal. My mom's drawings were my inspiration, too! I cried when I read that page. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny, I just found your beautiful blog. You are truly and inspiration. I am now following. xx
ReplyDeletethank you, Karen! xoxo
ReplyDeletethis little post broght tears to my eyes. I have so been there, not so long ago. Just when I learned to be content in our little apartment, to appreciate the sights and sound of living on the poor side of town. When I learned to find the good in weird neighbors that most people would give a second thought to, When I finally accepted that maybe our situation would never change and decided to be ok with that. That is when the blessings poured in. After 9 years of wishing and 2 and a half years active searching we finally have our dream home. But I hope I never forget that kind of contentment even though now we have more than we ever dreamed. Bless you for reminding me.
ReplyDeletethank you so much for this, Amber. xoxo.
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