My favorite Veggie Tales is Madame Blueberry, the story of a "very blue berry" who accumulated loads of stuff to cure her discontented soul. Towards the end of the story, Madame Blueberry learns that thankfulness, not stuff, leads to a happy heart. The "thankfulness" song has become a favorite among my kids. Sometimes we even sing it as our prayer before mealtime:
I thank God for this day.For the sun in the sky.For my mom and my dad.For my reasons not to cry.For my friends that all careFor His love that's everywhereThat's why I say thanks every day!Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!I'm glad for what I haveThat's an easy way to start!For the love that he shares,'Cuz He listens to my prayersThat's why I say thanks every day!{From Madame Blueberry Learns to be Thankful, a board book, by Cindy Kenney}
With Madame Blueberry's message in mind, I add a few more entries to my list, baby steps on my journey toward 1,000 gifts:
15. The mess of home...& choosing to just live in it. After all, isn't most mess simply evidence of life thoroughly lived, of a home full of hustle and bustle?
16. A pre-dawn run in the rain.
17. Steaming cup of coffee that tastes especially good after pre-dawn run in the rain.
18. Steaming shower, more therapeutic than ever, after pre-dawn run in the rain.
19. Clamoring, full-of-himself Cupcake that has climbed up and over the sofa where I type this more times than I can count. Toddlers are noisy, busy gifts, are they not?
20. Late-summer proliferation of frogs {ewww!} that have provided endless delight for my two boys.
21. The promise and praise of Psalm 103: Praise the Lord, O my soul...who has redeemed my life from the pit, crowned me with love and compassion, and satisfied my desires with good things.
22. The fact that I can't possibly list right here and now all of the good things.
23. Grace, amazing grace, for this naturally-pessimistic and overwhelmed girl to see the good things in the mess of the everyday. Thoughtful teachers, her and her, who encourage me to count and to see.
24. Thoughtful discussion about truth, beauty, and art among Sunday friends.
25. A successful and crazy yard sale...much fun with neighbors as we joked and swapped a bit of junk.
26. A gentle and accommodating husband who puts up with yard sales and all of my crazy, who encourages rest and affirms my successes {both large and small.}
What are you thankful for?
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{Counting gifts with dear Ann today. Join us?}
I'm thankful for too much to list, but I have to say that I LOVE that episode of veggie tales! Madame Blueberry is awesome and learns a great lesson.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to find your blog! It is so creative, funny, authentic and real!!! Thanks for sharing....
ReplyDeleteYou're a bundle of energy too...and so fun to read. I'm thankful for your thankful list, especially all that steam and run and rain talk. Delightful!
ReplyDeleteI love Madame Blueberry's lesson on Too Much Stuff! Thanks for posting the words, now my heart is singing them.
ReplyDeleteMoi aussi! The Madame Blueberry from Chick-fil A used to hang from the rear view mirror in my van. My son insisted it come down when he was learning to drive.
ReplyDeleteI used her image to remind me to have a thankful heart.
That episode speaks volumes to me and I am thankful that you have reminded us (me) of the importance of being thankful for God's many blessings in my life. I am thankful for:
1) family 2) friends 3) jobs 4)a daughter who has always begun each day singing and smiling. 5) a son who is becoming a man right before my eyes!
Scooper ~ thanks for the friendly reminder.
{{{Scooper}}}}
Peace.
I'm thankful for date night, sunny skies, a school room, ballet lessons, provision. But mostly, it comes down to God's sustenance. (I'd also be pretty thankful for hot coffee and a hot shower after a wet run!)
ReplyDeleteOh, that episode must have been made after we stopped watching Veggie Tales! I do so love Veggie Tales, and my kids watched them for years. In fact, my oldest even went through a second VT stage in middle school--he and his friends would often sing VT songs. I loved it. One of my favorite things was his combining Yoda with Larry. . . "Your friend I can be. . . "
ReplyDeleteI am thankful for so many things. Just today I wrote about the sweetest gift my husband has ever given me. So today I'd say I'm especially thankful for someone who loves me that much. :)