Update: I wrote this blog post about 5 years ago on one of my older blogs from back in the day. 😉  Prior to writing it, I had written another one about starting a “thankful journal”. At that time I wanted to start practicing gratitude more purposefully. About three months after I shared this post, our marriage was tested and we hit a VERY rough patch. Little did I know that my “thankful journal” would end up being the “gr8ful box” that Henry got for me on our 5th wedding anniversary. It’s amazing how the Lord was preparing me for the challenges that were to come without me even knowing it. The seed for gratefulness and walking in purposeful gratitude was planted in my heart and bloomed right when it was needed. God is so faithful. He always has a way of preparing us for what is to come even when we don’t even realize that’s what He’s doing. Enjoy!! 
“Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?'” “Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.”
— Joshua 4:5b-6, 7a
In one of my devotions that I had not too long ago I read this particular passage of scripture.  While reading this I remembered that my Mom and I started a “memory stone” box when I was younger. The artifacts or “memory stones” were to remind us of all the things that God had done for us. Each “memory stone” has a testimony and represents prayers that we prayed that have been answered. Every time that we looked at or saw the “memory stones” it reminded us of God’s faithfulness. Some of the “stones” represent promises that God made to us while others represent things that God “surprised” us with. Even though we didn’t have a lot at times, God ALWAYS provided and met our needs.

While I was in Oklahoma recently, I was able to look and reflect on the “memory stones” that mom and I collected over the years. It was nice to remember what the Lord has done for us over the years. This is how our “memory stone” display looks like.
tgw_memory-stone

One of the “memory stones” is a letter from Victory Christian School stating that I was accepted and that someone paid for half of my tuition for all FOUR years that I was going to attend high school. Another “stone” represents the missions trip that Mom and I took to Dominica. It was a wonderful trip and one of the first of several “missions” trips that we were able to take together. There are some cards with scriptures that have special meanings to us as well. There are other “stones” I could explain, but I think you get the idea. 😉

I really like this idea and see this as a way to take the “thankful journal” (that I talked about in an earlier post) one step further. Instead of just writing down what I am thankful for, I would like to collect “memory stones” to remind myself of how faithful the Lord has been to me. I want to always be thankful for those prayers which the Lord has answered. I would like to continue this “tradition” with my children and family. I’m in the process now of collecting “stones” to put in my own display. I find that when I don’t remember and reflect on the goodness of the Lord, I tend to complain and become ungrateful about the things that I am going through that might be tough at the moment. So I think this will be a good thing to start so that I can become more grateful and mindful of the prayers the Lord has answered and the needs that He has met.
I would like to encourage you all to take the time to reflect on the goodness of God.  I’m sooo excited and am soo grateful for ALL the Lord has done for me/us and will continue to do. He is truly awesome!!!!

Gr8fully Yours,

August 21, 2011
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