Thankful Thursdays - 5 Senses

This week Iris at Grace Alone wrote her thankful post on the five senses. Sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. I realized as I read her post just how right she is - we often take for granted our senses and there are those who live without one or more of them. This has been a non-dramatic, non-emotional week (which is not a complaint!) and I like this topic so I will take a few moments to thank God that He, in His brilliance, offers us so many ways to enjoy Him, His creation and each other.

1. Sight. I am so grateful for all that I can see. My husband's and sons' faces, my dog wag his tail when I get home, the brilliant colors this fall has brought, my home lit by candles, new paint on the bathroom walls...

2. Sound. How grateful I am that I can hear music! Nothing soothes my heart like music, nothing gets me dancing and praising God like music. I love to play the piano and even more I love to hear my son play piano. I love to listen to my friends as they tell me what is happening in their lives - I love that I could hear the prayer request last night from Grace. She and her husband have opened their home to pregnant teenage girls - hoping to offer them an option to abortion and last night they were able to bring home their first girl. What an amazing praise and oh...the joyful tears! Now I get to hear how all of that goes, I get to meet the girl and share in her journey through this time.

3. Touch. Hugs. Kisses on the cheek. Holding hands with my husband. Tickling a baby. Brushing my niece's hair.

4. Smell. When I get to bake something for my family, cinnamon scented anything, burn my scented candles. God actually blessed me with an incredibly strong sense of smell and while it can be a bit tough at times (too much perfume about kills me...), I can usually smell something long before anyone else can. When we travel to one of my favorite places, Leavenworth, WA (it's a Bavarian-type village, not a federal prison :)), I can smell so many different pastries baking, the various foods the restaurants serve - so rich, so wonderful.... Ok. This has me thinking road trip!!!

5. Taste. All the stuff we get to eat! Ok - that sounds funny but it's true. I know I forget almost every day just how blessed I am that there is a grocery store on almost every corner. Am I craving chocolate? an apple? chicken? What do I want to eat? I can find it - in any form - AND actually taste it as I eat it - within minutes. There are those who have to travel hours to pick up their groceries and even then they are limited as to what they can purchase whether it be by availability or money. There are those who would stand stunned and speechless if they were to walk inside an American grocery store. They haven't seen that much food in their entire lives, let alone in one place.

God has been so overwhelmingly good to me. I don't know that my grateful heart can ever feel truly grateful enough. My prayer today is I never take Him or His gifts for granted.

May He bless you immensely today, too!

Quick add - I'm also thankful for days like today when the boss is out of the office and I have the time to read all of the awesome Thankful Thursday posts!!!! If you don't click and read you are really missing out! Grace Alone...