Ocean of Blessing

I've been back in Spokane for a week today.  I'm loving my new house, my housemates, and our precious puppy :-)
These last few days I have been able to relax a bit before the busyness of school starts, which includes good books, afternoon jogs, reconnecting with friends, and all the joys of making our house into a home.
It has also been a good time to reflect on how much God has blessed me and how much I have to be thankful for.  Ann Voskamp (One Thousand Gifts) has helped me to become more aware of all the gifts, big and small, that God has put in my life.  From the evenings of good conversation with my housemates, to the morning sunshine through the leaves of the trees in our backyard, there are so many beautiful blessings to be appreciated.  In One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp writes about how her whole outlook on life was changed when she took up the challenge to write down one thousand things she was thankful for.  After reading the book, I decided to try it for myself, and it really has afftected the way I see life.
God didn't have to put such vibrant colors into nature, he didn't have to make puppies so energetic, he didn't have to make cinammon smell so good.  But he did...just for our pleasure.  And he wants us to delight in him and his gifts and see that he is good. 
On a much larger scale, God had no obligation to rescue us from our brokenness, and he didn't have to buy us, the prostitute that we were, and make us into his bride.  But he did....and it is astounding.  We are drowning in a sea of grace because God is so good.  If only we had the eyes to see...