Tuesday, April 8, 2014

#AtoZChallenge - Gratefulness and Proverbs 31



Grateful - warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received.


She considereth a field, and buyeth it:  with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. (Proverbs 31:16)

I think it is hard to get your hands dirty (or your gloves, if that's the way you roll) planting a garden and not be grateful for the incredible gift of life.  That you can take a little seed, mix it with some dirt, water, sunshine and a little bit of time and receive something that can feed you and your family.  How great is that?  (And if you buy food rather than grow it, you still get to count that because you support the work of the people who do farm.)

She is not afraid of the snow for her household:  for all her household are clothed with scarlet.  (Proverbs 31:21)

We can show our gratefulness for gifts we have received by doing what we can to prepare for the future.  It's a question of stewardship, or taking care of what we have.  We provide necessities for ourselves and our family first, so when the weather changes (and that can pertain to a lot more than climate), we are prepared.  There is nothing wrong with asking for, or accepting, the help of others when necessary; then when we are able to move to a place of providing for ourselves, that is a worthy goal.

Will you share 3 things for which you are grateful in the comments?  I'll start us off:

1.  My faith in God.  I would not be here today without it.
2.  My family.  I would be incomplete without them.
3.  The A to Z Challenge.  I'd be in bed right now if it wasn't for the A to Z (It's nearly 2am where I live).  I'm not complaining, though.  Last year and this year have been INCREDIBLE growth experiences for me as a blogger.

~~~oOo~~~

(thanks to Jeremy @ Being Retro for the original button design, to dictionary.com for the definitions, and to picmonkey.com for the ability to customize the graphics.)

19 comments:

  1. 1. I am grateful for the faith I have in God. He gives me strength and courage to persevere in trying times.
    2. I am thankful for my family... their trust and support means the world to me.
    3. I an grateful for my virtual friends who support, encourage and inspire. :)

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    1. I am also grateful, Shilpa, that we are getting to know each other as sister AtoZ minions on AyJay's wHooligans!

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  2. Hi. LuAnn! Okay, here's my list: I'm grateful for my husband who has always believed in me (and who is patiently putting up with me and the time the A-Z is taking away from him :), for bloggers who continue to educate me, and for God who is faithful even when I'm not!
    Shells–Tales–Sails

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    1. Guess I'll have to give a hearty, "Amen," to that one, Sharon!

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  3. Good post. I'm grateful for my husband, our puppy who takes such joy in going for a walk that she makes me smile and the people in our neighborhood who always say hello, even though we don't really know each other.

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    1. Those are wonderful examples, Shelley! We have the same kind of thing here, where you 'wave' at people who pass you going the other way on the road. Or, I've even had older folks on the side roads wave from their yards.

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  4. 1. I am grateful for God's mercies that are new every day.
    2. I am grateful for my husband and seven kids, which includes two sons-in-law. They are all such a blessing, each in their own way.
    3. I am grateful for coffee. :)

    Stopping by from the A to Z challenge!

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    1. Wonderful thoughts, Rhonda! Feel free to leave a link to your blog!

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  5. My 3 things: (It's really hard to just choose 3!)
    1. The sacrifice and resurrection of my Savior
    2. My family who loves me even when I act unlovable
    3. The ability to homeschool my small people.

    TaMara
    Tales of a Pee Dee Mama


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  6. One thing we find in nearly all religions is gratitude. It is a universal and necessary ingredient for lasting love and life.

    1) A free mind to think and grow
    2) A free heart" to know and feel love.
    3) Those is the world who practice the same and work to preserve the beauty which surrounds us.

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  7. One thing we find in nearly all religions is gratitude. It is a universal and necessary ingredient for lasting love and life.

    1) A free mind to think and grow
    2) A free heart" to know and feel love.
    3) Those is the world who practice the same and work to preserve the beauty which surrounds us.

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  8. Gratitude is one element that is present in nearly all religions, and is necessary for lasting love and life.

    1) A free mind to express myself and gratitude
    2) A free "heart" to know and feel that gratitude and the love it brings.
    3) Those around us that work to preserve the wonders around us so that we find ways to share our gratitude.

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  9. Hi LuAnn
    Good to be here again this year.
    Yes, a to z gives us sleepless nights!! LOL
    I can very well relate to that.
    This piece is very touching!
    yes, Let us be grateful to Lord God Almighty
    who created us and sustains us
    God Bless
    Philip Ariel

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  10. 1. I am grateful to God, who gave me the strength to smile through my struggles.
    2. I am grateful to all my friends who never sympathized with me, instead gave me reasons to be happy :)
    3. I am grateful to those ridiculed me, criticized me, Its because of you that I have always worked on becoming better and better.

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  11. I am grateful for:

    1. My family for always having my back.
    2. My editor for giving me a chance.
    3. The A to Z Challenge because I'm meeting a lot of wonderful bloggers. :)

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  12. I'm grateful for family and friends, for the gift of writing, and even for the blogger (Arlee Bird) who came up with the A to Z Challenge idea to torture over 2,000 of us each April.

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  13. My dad has a garden (or three) so there's always fresh food in the summer and fall. As for me, I lack a green thumb and tend to kill plants. =(

    1. My family for teaching me good values.
    2. My hubby for being supportive.
    3. My writing for helping me figure out what I want to do in life.

    ~Patricia Lynne~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, YA Author

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  14. 3 Things:
    Family
    Faith
    Opportunities
    Nice post that has got me thinking. I am impressed with how many blogs you are able to generate. I am struggling to keep up with the A to Z Challenge.

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  15. 1. I am grateful for the love I share with my family, especially my husband through all his pain and trials.
    2. I am grateful for the job I have to be able to leave when I need to in order to take care of my husband when things are not going well.
    3. I am grateful for being able to share my story with anyone who wishes to read it. :)

    Jamie Dement (LadyJai)
    My A to Z
    Caring for My Veteran

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