31 Days of Thankfulness

This morning we drove to McCurdy Road where the new part of the Rail Trail has been paved. It was great walking on the fresh new pavement... and for the first bit we had it all to ourselves.

There were a few bikers... but then a whole slug of bikers came... Maybe 30 or so.  I missed shooting the first guys.

There were lots of folks enjoying a day off and some family time.  We saw this father and daughter later on their way back.

They stopped to see what Shirley was taking a picture of... and we struck up a conversation. It looked like Shirley was taking a picture of something on the ground. But she had read that to get more interesting photos, don't always take your pictures from eye level standing up. Go down low and shoot up. She was actually taking a picture of graffiti on a nearby building and was shooting it thru the reeds.

I was so impressed at this precious little girl... her polka dot  helmet matched the polka dots on her bike.  I asked her permission to take her picture. She gave me a gracious smile.

But the hike became all the more special as we stopped walking nonstop and started taking some photos of the awesome nature along the trail.  I was amazed at how the snowberries were so plump and plentiful.

And so were the rose hips. Their bright red colour is so beautiful.

I didn't taste these choke cherries... but I was attracted to a single rain drop clinging on for dear life.

When I saw this seed pod burst open, I wasn't sure what it was.

I've seen milkweed earlier in the year with the huge fluffy globes... but I have never seen one this late in the season with all the seeds. It was so unusual I took several shots and then Googled up to find out what it actually was.

Some of these seeds will get eaten by the birds... and a few may actually start to grow next spring.  So amazing how God keeps the native plants all reproducing without us having to do a single thing!

We never get tired of walking on the Rail Trail.  This bridge is over a creek that goes thru Scandia Golf and Amusements... And the last time we walked here...

I took this photo of a couple throwing stones into the creek off the same bridge... Sept 5, 2016.  So you can see the progress that has happened in the development of the Rail Trail.

I picked up a book in the "Share Department" of our Church library... it is called "31 Days of Praise."  

Being a bit of a list maker, I was attracted to the title... so picked it up and gave it a quick read.  

Thankfulness and gratefulness is all related to adoration and praise.  I talked with my daughter last evening about how to get more people sharing the things that they are thankful for.  She did a Gratefulness blog for more than five years where every week on Friday evening she would post the things that she was thankful for.  After five years it got to be kind of repetitive and she wanted to do something different.  I can tell you that I really loved it when she wrote out her new list ever Friday evening.  I never missed reading what my daughter wrote.  

The Thankfulness Challenge!

Whether you feel content with your life right now or you wish things were different, you can make a decision to be thankful.  You may have a hard time believing that thankfulness can make a big difference, but it is the little things that we do every day that pay big dividends.  Before you get out of bed in the morning, thank God for three things in your life.  Write it into your journal and watch the list grow day by day as you start to thank God for the many things that we often take for granted.  As you go thru your day, recognize and vocalize gratitude for the traits and kindnesses of others. At nightfall, offer up a prayer of thanksgiving and praise God for the challenges we are facing. 

Just as I looked forward to seeing what my daughter was grateful for each Friday evening, I believe our heavenly Father looks forward to his children telling Him all the things that we are grateful and thankful for.  So my challenge to each one who reads this is to start a page in your day book or journal... or take a notebook and start to make a list. Make a point of adding to your list something every day that makes you thankful and tell the Lord about it.  This one thing may help you have something positive to share with others and encourage them. We all need to be an encouragement to each other, don't you agree?  Make a point to do it every day.

Let me know if you like this idea and are going to accept the challenge.  Thank you.