the present & gratitude

I have often been guilty of the sin of ingratitude(or perhaps I should label it insufficient gratitude.) Blinded by things that I felt ought to be different, or by a cloud of pessimism hanging above my head, or by simply not paying attention.

I read or saw a quote somewhere that said "if you want to be happy stay in the present." If I think about the future I stress out. If I think about the past I'm filled with regrets. I really feel that quote is for me right now. It's hard to let go of my expectations as to what my future should be, or what it could be, but I think it might help if I did. It's hard to look back and wonder 'if only I'd done this or that.' When I live my life day by day I really feel a lot better. I hope that in the coming year I can be more self-aware, and more aware of the Lord's hand in my life, more present.

We had Thanksgiving with some of our good friends tonight. It was wonderful. The food was delicious, the company was choice, I almost didn't miss my family. Almost. I made two pies, my first pies, and they were surprisingly good!
Now to the heart of the matter. Gratitude. What am I grateful for? The list probably hasn't changed too much from last year's (here) except for number 7. Now, I am thankful for our darling G and how she adds to our family with her sweet spirit. I love my life. I love it. I hope that I can remember to be grateful, to be more ready and able to acknowledge the good, the blessings, the experiences that the Lord places in front of me. I hope I will remember to stay in the present. Because really, the present is pretty good.

Oh, and don't mind the pictures. Again. Nothing to do with the text. Just some of my favorites from instagram. (For those of you who aren't IGers)

Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.

love,
Katie