Yesterday was Tuesday and I thought all day about being Thankful.

I thought about the blog I would write when I had time. (Thankful Tuesday, don’t you know?)

When I did find a moment, somewhere around 11:15 pm, I collapsed exhausted into bed because Tuesday’s are sooooooo long and so very full.

The beautiful thing that I realized as I did fall to sleep was that I was not disappointed that I had not had time to write my “Thankful Tuesday” post, but instead, amazed that by purposefully choosing to be Thankful and to think about being thankful all day, I really was Thankful.  I am thankful.

So – better late than never, and perhaps better thankful EVERYDAY 🙂

I pulled myself out of bed yesterday at 4:15am, got ready for the crazy Kaia fit class I would return to after a week long Spring break – and decided to ride my bike to class.  This brilliant plan of mine was only thwarted by the fact that I had never actually taken the bike route to the gym and subsequently ended up lost on dark bike paths for fifteen minutes longer than expected, making me 10 minutes late for class.  – I’m thankful that I live in a place that has bike paths that weave throughout the subdivisions and town center alike – that lead me to find new ways of travelling to the places I want to go.

Beyond that, the real beginning of my day began like this:

I’ve taken to not turning on the lights at 6am when I return from my class.  To getting ready for my day by candlelight and then sitting at the table in the quiet, with a brilliant cup of coffee and a book.  Reading the words as they are more and more visible in the light slowly building in the windows – and by candlelight – intentionally forgetting to not turn on lights or computers or phones….

It’s lovely.  I am able to enjoy the day beginning slowly as the sun rises because I pay more attention to the morning becoming lighter and lighter.  To the waking up sounds that the chickens are making.  To the cats who are meowing for their food dishes to be filled.  It really is lovely.  And I’m sitting there ready to hug whichever child wanders downstairs first, hungry for breakfast.

In my morning reading I start with my prayer book – which includes a psalm, a gospel, and a prayer – and then move on to whatever else I choose to read.

The rest of yesterday sort of flew by – kid taxiing, lunch and dinner prep, more kid taxiing, quick dinner before babysitter and friends get here.

Off to Newbigin, and my next favorite part of the day.

And it thrills me to say, that as my day began with silent prayer, coffee and a candle….

It ended with a rousing discussion of Science and Faith, a glass of wine, and a candle.

I know that may not seem meaningful to many people, but for me it really was meaningful and added to my thankfulness.  One of my friends who led a lent study this year started out the conversation during our first meeting by lighting a candle and talking about how it would symbolize during our meetings the presence of the Holy Spirit. I loved that.  Not that I think the candle actually is the Holy Spirit or that we have to light it for the Holy Spirit to be present, but for me it is a good reminder that He is present in every part of our lives.  By beginning and ending my day with a candle lit I remembered, and was thankful for the reminder that God is faithful and present in our lives and we can be a faithful presence because that is true.