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heat, humidity, and freshly mowed lawns

Ah, summer! When I was growing up, my dad always liked to mow the lawn in the evenings after an early supper or before a late one. It was cooler, and since his mornings were always busy at the office, the evenings were the perfect time. Us kids would run around barefoot in the moist grass and do cartwheels and somersaults in the sections of the yard he had mowed. The smell of that freshly cut grass has stayed in my mind for all of my 23 years of life. To me, it's the smell of home . . . of safety . . . and happiness. 

Living in an apartment complex doesn't lend itself to that sweet smell much, but today when I walked out to get our mail, there it was, sending me spiraling back down memory lane. I couldn't help but grin a little. It really is the little things in life, as the saying goes, that mean the most. I have many wonderful memories of special trips to museums and amusement parks and national monuments, but they don't stand out nearly as much in my mind as those of time spent at home with my family.

Sometimes, in our spiritual walk, I think we forget how special those little moments are. The times when God gives us just a short verse or a song to give us strength for the day. We tend to think our biggest blessings come from big events and that may be true sometimes, but how often do we overlook God's tiny blessings? 

I was recently challenged through someone reminding me that a joyful person is a grateful person. And when I thought about it a bit, I realized they were right (naturally), so I decided to actively look for things each day to be grateful for. 

Among my list for today were the following things:
 - enough milk to make myself a latte
 - A/C that runs well
 - the time and motivation to get a workout in
 - Christian authors

Not the biggest things in life, but certainly little blessings from God that made my day more profitable and enjoyable. Instead of looking for God to give you a bigger house or money to pay off all your loans or that new kitchenaid mixer, I challenge you to look for the tiny blessings. The sweet little reminders of the love of God that will encourage you in your relationship with Him.

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