More than anything else in my life, I pray with gratitude. I thank God daily for everything that I have in my life, even the struggles that I come out from as a stronger, wiser person. November seems like the most common time to talk about your appreciation, due to Thanksgiving. I take this opportunity to talk a little more with others about the things I am thankful for.

This post came up in a discussion about thankful photo challenges and I thought the discussion questions included were really thought-provoking and lovely so I decided to get involved.

Day one is beauty. This world is so beautiful. Some days I just feel a breeze on my face and I’ll stop and stare at the nature all around me. I’ll gaze at the clouds in the sky, giggle at squirrels (and sometimes guinea hens, for some reason?) frolicking around my lawn, and listen to the wind blowing though the trees. I’m grateful for nature’s beauty most, absolutely. It is so relaxing and it’s difficult to be anything but happy when you’re taking in that fresh air.

What makes my home beautiful the most is the love inside of it. I am also grateful for the location. When we bought our home just over a year ago, we were both so against moving back to New Jersey. Upon scouting the area, we realized that living by the beach was going to be amazing and the neighborhood was so calm and cozy. We just had our Christmas photos taken at the beach and it was so lovely. Standing with my husband on the sand at sunset, so wonderful. We actually stood smiling for our family pictures, staring out at dolphins jumping close to the shore. That feels to me like something out of a movie, but I’m living it. I couldn’t be more grateful.

My children embody the essence of beauty because they are children, of course. The innocence of children, watching them discover the world and appreciate the smallest of things, that’s beauty. Also, my family, friends, and fellow MOPS members do. To put another person in front of yourself, to genuinely care about how they are doing and to try to help them in any way you can, it is so beautiful.

What I find beautiful about myself is again most importantly, that which you cannot see. I love my attitude. I look for the silver lining in everything, I’m almost always found with a smile on my face, and I’m just so full of love and the desire to help others. I love life.