21 Days of Gratitude: Girlfriends

Why 21 Days and not 28 or 30 days to complete the whole month? Well, because I realize that we are busy people with busy lives and instead of beating yourself up for missing a day I’ve built in those “we just couldn’t get to it” days for you. If you missed what this is all about go here 21 Days of Gratitude to find out what this is all about. #21Gratitude

My hope is that you will jump in even if you are getting a late start. Even if you miss a day. Even if you’re not really into it but you feel like you need to teach yourself to be a beauty seeker of the little things in your day.

Let’s find the joy in the little moments and stop walking around aimlessly trying to beat the clock.

That’s how I feel most days so I’m ready to cultivate a heart of thankfulness with my family! Don’t get me wrong we don’t just do this in November but this is the time we dive in and focus on it each day. Here’s our Gratitude calendar.

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As promised here’s our first quote to start us off on our 21 Days of gratitude! You can download the quote here: Focus on Gratitude quote 1

Today’s day of thanks is focused on friendships.

I thought long and hard about sharing about my best friend, the love of my life, my husband.

But I will be the first to tell you that his friendship could never take the place of any of my good girlfriends nor vice versa.

Both equally beautiful but couldn’t be any more different.

Living overseas makes cultivating deep friendships a challenge but I’m not going to use the whole overseas thing as an excuse.

I need girlfriends.

Not just another friend, but deep friendships. I can only do “surface” chit chat for so long.

I have always been blessed with wonderful girlfriends in my life and I don’t take that for granted.

From the moment I was six when I discovered the sweet joy of having a best girlfriend I was smitten.

But I quickly realized in my young innocence how vicious that word “best friend” could get.

I thank God for the girlfriends he has given me who have the ability to celebrate others

and not get caught up in the jealousy, territorial and selfish games girls can play.

I am thankful that we can celebrate each other and not hesitate to withhold a compliment (I often forget, sorry.).

The girlfriends God has put in my life have been there to pick me up when I couldn’t muster up the energy to do so.

They remind me of my strength.

And when I get lost in the world of comparison they remind of who I am.

They remind me of who He is and challenge me to be more like Him, our Savior.

We’ve laughed hysterically and we have sobbed together.

We’ve had many an intellectual debate and then ended our time with a chic flic.

These girlfriends have come in all sizes, shapes and colors. And I am thankful that I never let their beauty, intellect and talent keep me from pursuing a friendship with them.

As I think back to each of these wonderful girlfriends God has put in my life,

Happy tears and thankful tears gather at my cheeks,

as I picture each of their beautiful faces.

Thank you amigas: my once upon a time friends, my in the distance friends, my childhood friends, my college friends, my mommy friends, my older friends, my younger friends… you’ve each played a special role in my life

and for that I am blessed.

Don’t forget to stop by each day a blogger will share a quote with you and perhaps an activity, their thoughts that will help us cultivate a heart of gratitude with our families.

The schedule is here and all of the info for you to join in.