letter-writing-quill

My life is full of little tiny notebooks. They are everywhere…in my nightstand, on my dresser, in my work bag, in my car, and almost anywhere else you can think of that might remotely make sense as a place to store a little tiny notebook. I use them to write down ideas, words or phrases that strike me.

These notebooks are little lifesavers for my thoughts. It’s shocking how quickly a thought pops in and pops out of my brain. I joke that I have a mind like a steel colander.

Recently, I opened one of my many little notebooks and found a page of blog ideas.  For the life of me I can’t remember what in blazes I was referring to on that page but the cool thing was I found all kinds of other things on other pages that God used to bless me.

I found sermon notes and quotes and some short journal-like entries that reminded me of how God continues to work in my life. I don’t remember things well – big and little things get lost in the confounding amount of stuff I need to deal with daily. It was good to be reminded that God is at work.

God is blessing me even as I walk through my valley. And as I read, I can see that my valley has a decidedly upward slant to it! That’s encouraging!

The one I enjoyed looking through the most was my little notebook full of things I’m thankful for. I started this one about ten years ago when I felt that I needed to be reminded that God is good even in the difficult times.

Here are some of my thankful things…

  • #11 the sound of a soccer ball being booted across a field
  • #19 mums and pumpkins
  • #32 laughing that I started my journal upside down and backwards
  • #119 date nights with one of my children
  • #128 my daughter’s mismatched socks (Every. Single. Day.)
  • #167 hot cocoa and coffee every morning with my Bible study
  • #176 group chats with all my older children
  • #192 waffles every Saturday morning
  • #256 puppies…just puppies
  • #312 a new season of my favorite BBC mystery
  • #478 love…in all the ways God shows it to me

Even as I sit here, I can think of a bunch more. I haven’t taken the time to write many down lately. I forget to be thankful so easily.  

In this single parenting life it is super easy to focus on the difficulties and the challenges and the stresses. It is not as easy to focus on the things I can be thankful for particulary when I’m thinking about all the things I’d like to run from.

I’m learning to be grateful…learning to count my blessings.

Gonna grab a little journal and write “counting my blessings” at the top of the first page. Then I’m going to write

#1 Jesus

#2 my children

#3 sweet fresh blackberries

#4 my old dog lying at my feet

#5 dinner with friends

#5 dates with someone I love

#6 quiet times in the morning

#7 bread and butter 🙂

#8 MomLife Today

Sue Birdseye is an author and communicator who shares the adventures she has on her unexpected journey of single parenting. She went from the typical “picket fence” kind of life to being a single mom to five beautiful children. She has learned what it means to be totally dependent upon the Lord and how beautiful that dependence is.

Her change of life circumstances has led to a passionate desire to encourage and bless other moms no matter their life circumstances. She has been active in her community as a foster/adoptive mom and public school teacher. She has also been part of her church’s worship, discipleship, women’s, and children’s ministries. She is an avid book reader, a game night hoster, and an early morning writer. Her book “When Happily Ever After Shatters” is the story of how God stepped into her life and the lives of her children just when everything seemed to be falling apart. She hopes that her writing will encourage, bless, and maybe even make someone smile.