Gratitude and Wonder - December 2023

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 136:1

 December 2023

I know, it's kind of weird to start at the end of the year, but since I started reading Colleen's first book this month, I thought it would be even more odd to start mid-month. So I'm going to start at the beginning of December. I think it's perfectly timed, as I have been musing over how much I despise the holidays - the endless chaos of having to visit everyone and spend hours there trapped in a house crowded with people I don't really enjoy being around, and then as a sum of all the agony, having Ian cranky and overtired because he missed his meal and nap. Yup, every November and December, I'm a ball of anxiety and feel about like Scrooge because I'd much rather not see family. I'd much rather cozy up on the couch or bed, and just be alone with a good book. I'd much rather spend one on one with a family member I do enjoy being around, like my mom - as I've recently (in the last 5 years) have come to appreciate more - and enjoy the company of my cat.

So here will be a list I intend to compile each day for the next month. I will pick one thing I am thankful for and one wonder of God's marvelous Creation that I admire and marvel at.

...I'd much rather cozy up on the couch or bed, and just be alone with a good book.

Day	Thanks	Wonder
1	Ian's warm hugs and tight grips when he snuggles.	The way a simple plant growing in the wild can remain strong and green through harsh cold weather
2	For safety while traveling in bad weather and nice weather.	How a bird can find food during terrible weather, and just as quickly as it finds it can disappear with it.
3	For Ian getting to have fun and go out places now	How a flock of Canada Geese can migrate and communicate with each other to make sure no goose gets left behind.
4	Helping me control my anger and deal with things better than I used to (even though I sometimes fail)	The way weather can positively or negatively affect me; feeling warm makes me happy and feeling cold makes me feel not so great
5	For God being so understanding, merciful and redeeming my failures	The way just going outside and being in fresh air and sun can make me feel better
6	For days without internet just because it forces us to do life without it and find ways to have fun	The way a toddler can go from one extreme to another
7	For little moments of success, like Ian just playing with the watercolors even if for only a few minutes	The beauty and amazing swiftness of an ordinary house cat
8	For those rare days when Ian doesn’t give me a hard time eating and napping.	The way a cat can fall very far and land safely, or somehow manage to run so fast up a wall that it escapes a pit a human wouldn’t be able to!
9	For my husband who loves me and is trying to be patient and understanding with me.	The magnitude of storms and how no two tornadoes are ever the same.
10	Whenever Ian calls me mommy or mama.	How God made each bird and even though they all may look the same, each one is its own unique self.
11	For God not being one more interested in religous duty than the heart	The way technology is getting more and more difficult to control
12	For a mom who cares	The way hot chocolate warms the soul
13	For us having a roof over our heads and heat in the cold months	How it can be 72 degrees in the house but it feel cold or hot depending on what the thermostat is set to
14	For the fun times we have with Ian	The way time seems to escape us
15	For Ian impressing us with how intelligent he is, learning new words and how to do things like puzzles. Also thankful that Eric noticed my car battery wasn't working properly and got a new battery (the old one was corroded underneath it).	How a small child can learn a complex thing like language and understand it, communicate with it, and do it all with little help sometimes - as if it just comes naturally.
16	For Ian getting to play with the cousins at Christmas gathering, seeing a baby chick and getting to pet it, and all the presents from family.	The way children can get so caught up in play that they don't think about how hungry or tired they are.
17	For lazy Sundays and God's grace when I'm not feeling well and am irritable.	The way the temperature can drop drastically, and it be hot one day then freezing the next.
18	Having friends who are understanding. Every precious moment with Ian.	How migratory birds change their bodies and adapt to prepare and make their amazing journeys for thousands of miles.
19	Thankful for even the tiniest victories.	Having anyone in my life who would love such a wretched sinner like me.
20	Waking early in the morning and getting to just enjoy the Christmas lights.	How God holds all the Universe in His hands and it's just a breadth to Him.
21	For good friends, though few they may be, where conversations are blessed and deep; for the time I had with Bethany walking the TVA birding trail, seeing and hearing the wonderful birds flittering about and singing; for the comfort of petting kitties even if they're not mine; for warm cups of coffee and learning about my friend more; for sweet thoughtful gifts no matter how small.	How we overlook or just miss the hidden treasures deep in the overgrowth until winter comes and clears the view. How our suffering, much like the cold and harsh winters, can do the same for us, and we can see God's gifts to us.
22	New mercies every day. When I fall short miserably, I know that my sin doesn't have the last say - but God will see the blood of Jesus that covers me, and overlook my wretched state just as He passed over the Israelites in Egypt.	How a small child can be so posessive of someone or something; even when the child doesn't own a thing, he can have such a strong affinity and desire for it, that he will demand it to bow to his desires. How we, even as adults, do the very thing at times - completely ignoring common sense and God's good measures of wisdom, all for the want of fulfilling our desires.
23	Moments that stand out among the mundane or routine.	How just seeing Christmas lights can make us feel the wonder of Christmas.
24	For naps and showers.	How for the sake of peace at the holidays we will overlook offences and endure cringe-worthy conversations with family.
25	For new experiences with Ian and remembering how past years were compared to now.	How kids can be so content with an empty box or crumpled paper, not even realizing the greater things they have to play with.
26	For Ian not having a severe allergic reaction to anything in a long time.	How sleep affects us. How much we need it to function normally.
27	For time to just get away and have fun - as much as we miss our little man when we take him to Grandma's.	How small of a world it really is.
28	For Ian not being too bad sick this morning when he woke up early.	How the days seem to drag in the moment but slip away too fast when we look back.
29	For Ian feeling better today and having lots of fun, laughter, and even managing a bath without too much crying and fighting.	How the human soul is built to overcome difficulties, as though hope itself is wired in us.
30	For time with Ian even if he gets on our nerves at times.	How we get old and our bodies can't handle things it used to.
31	For finding lost things and getting the house cleaned up a bit.	How I somehow don't have any serious health issues as unhealthy as i am...