It's hard to believe it, but on Thursday, Oct. 8, it will be the 1-year anniversary of my very first post . One of the main reasons I started a blog was to keep track of the gratitude list I began back in December of 2010, when I challenged myself to write down 100 things I was thankful for. That list grew and grew. In the spring of 2011, I purchased and read the book, "1,000 Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. By October, I was struggling to keep the list going, and so, I began to blog.  God has continued to teach and bless me spiritually over the past year. Just last month, I posted my one-thousandth gift ! Gratitude is such an amazing thing. It lifts me up when I'm feeling down, gives me a new perspective of my life, and helps me grow closer in my relationship with the Lord. That doesn't mean it's always easy to write down what I am grateful for. Sometimes I have to really dig deep and look around.  The past few weeks have been just that way for me. Family il