Saturday, January 17, 2015

The Grateful Jar

Just so you know, I started writing this post on January 3rd or 4th.
I put off publishing it for no other reason than it getting shoved to the back burner,
not unlike many other things in my life that should have been a priority.
Here's how it started out...
~
I'd seen the idea before.
 A friend posted this on Facebook, and I knew right away I wanted to do it this year.



Nothing hard about it.
Lord knows I've got plenty of Mason jars...
...Lord knows I've got plenty of things to be grateful for.
~
The idea is to start it at the beginning of the year and add to it daily.
Yes, daily.
Even on my darkest day, there is something for me to be grateful for...
...simply the ability to breathe in air...on those days when it seems God is far away.
 ~
So I made up a cute little label, added some ribbon and slapped it on the jar.
I'm keeping it on my kitchen counter top with some little squares of paper.
It only takes a minute to write it down...and I plan to put the date each one.
 It is one thing that my way-too-often-undisciplined-self can do.
Yes, I can will do this!
~
At the end of 2015 there should be 365 little pieces of paper in my grateful jar.
  Since I'm getting a late start I'll have to put in more than one here and there to take up the slack :)
That's when the fun begins...when you go back and read them all...
...next New Year's Eve.
~
Oh mercy...I may not be able to wait that long!



So, that being the original post, let me continue...
~
I was all set to do this...except for hitting the publish button.
I was doing good, adding my little pieces of colored paper with grateful thoughts jotted on them...
...for about a week.
I would walk into my kitchen, the little jar catching my eye each time.
It got easier and easier to say to myself "Oh, I'll do this later, right now I'm so busy doing..."
Doing what??
Was I really too busy doing whatever to stop for a second and add to my little Grateful Jar?
In the beginning I took quite a bit of time preparing this...
...making that cute little label...
...coming up with the decoration on top...
 ...and cutting all those colored pieces of paper.



It deeply pains me to admit that I was failing to hold to my commitment.
Several more days have passed and I have not taken those few moments to add to my jar.
That is until this morning when I read this post from Gayle at Solitary Moments.
You may want to take the time now to read her post and then continue mine.
~
So let me just tell you, her words hit me right between the eyes.
Actually, it was the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart...
...God's amazing grace...right when I needed it!
~
I know that right away I need to open my jar and go through it until I find that last one I wrote...
...yes, I dated them, so it won't be hard.
If I have a hard time remembering something specific for those days,
I have NO excuse...


...since I can always be grateful...even for the air I breathed in.
~
Thank you, Gayle for this awesome reminder.
Yes Lord...You certainly do work in mysterious ways...even through blogs :)

Blessings,



27 comments:

  1. It is amazing isn't it how enriching "Blog land" can be. I've seen these jars before but your's by far is the cutest. prettiest. most creative, but then I've gathered you are that way! Good for you to work so diligently on this discipline and such a vivid reminder should make it easier, right? But I understand that "later." Wow I have a lot of that "later" in my life! Hope you're enjoying the sunshine this weekend!

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  2. Hi Debby. Thank you for this post and for sharing Gayle's post as well. What gentle reminders to be very thankful for every thing and all circumstances that God sends our way. Your jar will provide an endless bounty of God's goodness through this year to reflect on at the end. Have a blessed day.

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  3. thanks for sharing gayle's post for a bit of perspective. sometimes we need that.

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  4. Such a sweet jar! There are alway things to be thankful for and taking/making time to think on them or write them down just changes my heart a bit every time I do it. I can only imagine the joy you will have going through your jar at the end of the year!

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  5. I love the idea of doing this...and writing on physical paper would only take a few seconds. It is an idea to toy with...even if we are over half way through January. Off to read the post you linked to now.

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  6. Gonna start one today and call it my JOY jar since that is the word God has given me. Thanks for this idea. I have a feeling God has much to teach me this year.

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  7. Praise the Lord for His goodness!
    I stopped right when you said to and went to your friends blog. Her post was excellent! I gleaned some things from that post.
    Thank you for sharing it with us.

    Your jar is wonderful, Debby, and I believe you will hold strong to keeping it going through this year.
    May your heart be blessed as you fill it with much thankfulness.
    Enjoy your week-end.
    Joy! Debbie

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  8. That is such a wonderful idea. There is just so much to be thankful for.

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  9. This is such a wonderful idea, dear Debby Ray, and your jar is beautiful. I know it will be filled with many lovely thoughts throughout the year and what a joy it will be to reread the sweet pieces of paper that are filled with thankfulness :)

    Hugs to you!

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  10. Funny you should write about this - I was just talking to my sister and her daughter has given her a gratitude diary. a place in each day to write something you are grateful for from that day. I think it's a great idea and how blessed will you be at the end of the year and read back :)

    Diana

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    1. Diana...I love the idea of a gratitude diary too! It just might be easier to stick with rather than the jar :)

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  11. Hi Debby! I did travel to Gayle's and read her blog post. Oh my, what a great lesson to learn. To be thankful in all things, because they are. Not just because they are happy or good.
    It's funny you should fess up about your jar. I started one last year, and was very bad at keeping it up. It sits on top of my bookshelf with just a few little slips of paper in it. I don't even feel worthy to read them, because I did so bad at following through.

    This year is new. I think I can start again. I'll ask my husband to grab it down for me, and I'll keep it by my bed. Then maybe I'll keep it up. I want to be more grateful.
    Blessings!
    Ceil

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    1. It will be hard to ignore since you are somewhat of a "captive audience" I'll pray for you to keep yours up if you pray for me :)

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  12. Debbie, I love the idea of a grateful jar. I'd like to make one. I can imagine that reading the snippets of blessings would do one good on a gloomy day.

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  13. Debby, you have so eloquently expressed, once again, your feelings, full of honesty and passion, illustrated so beautifully by your charming Grateful Jar. I read Gayle's inspirational post, including the amazing quote by Melody Beattie, and I am captivated by both pieces of writing. Thank you for sharing these three accounts of such wonderful wisdom. You have motivated me to start recording my own feelings of gratitude, which, it seems, need to be written in order to be remembered and treasured, as they deserve.

    Wishing you a wonderful week,
    Poppy

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  14. I did read Gayle's post and am ashamed to say that it did not stay with me so I will need to visit and read it again. I have a pang reading this because we started a Christmas jar four years ago. We were to add to it every year. Nope. Didn't happen. There it sits on the window sill all forlorn waiting to be remembered. Gratitude first will become your motto, I guess. =D

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  15. This is a lovely idea, and you will be so blessed when you come to the end of the year, and read them all. You could even open it up on days you feel discouraged, and be reminded of all the blessings in your life. Kind of like memorial stones.
    Love how you decorated the jar, too. xo

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  16. Thank you, Debby, for your post. I got goose bumps for all kinds of reasons. How great God is, to think of us (and use us), mere mortals that we are.

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    1. Quite often I am amazed that He can use even me :)

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  17. The grateful jar sounds like a neat idea! Love your new blog header!

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  18. I've got one of those too! Such a great idea! Yours looks beautiful! We take so many things in our lives for granted. It's a nice reminder to be thankful for the little things. I'm popping over from Roses of Inspiration InkyDinkyDoodle #28.

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  19. I think I need to make one of these. What a beautiful idea and when the end of 2015 ends just think of all the wonderful papers you will be reading.

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  20. very cute way to decorate your jar.. I started the Daniel plan last summer and it suggested to have a journal where you write 3 things you are thankful for that day, and it is a great way to start off the day I think.

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  21. Such a great idea.. Love the jar and the whole concept of it.. Thanks..

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  22. This is a very thought provoking post. Thank you for sharing. Your jar is darling. I have been planning to either post a photo or at least say ONE thing I am thankful for each day. No excuses!

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Thank you for stopping by today! Your sweet comments are such an encouragement to me.

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