Today, my team member Carrie is celebrating two years of her thankfulness list.

I’ve kept lists of my own — not online — and I agree that regular focus on gratitude is a powerful practice.

I first made a list like this at a seminar with Rich Mullins during my college years. He asked the group to write down as many gratitude thoughts as we could in about 5 minutes. I still have that list somewhere. I remember that it included fresh baked blueberry muffins and sunshine. Top on Rich’s list: diet Coke.

Today, I want to start my own list, here. I’m not committing to any regular posting schedule, but I am going to begin counting, from one to one thousand, inspired by Ann Voskamp, Carrie, and others.

Perhaps you’ll join me?

Image by rustiqueart

For today, I am thankful for:

1. A new friend, a true answer to prayer.

2. @linda462009 , who reached out on Twitter and followed up via email to share her perspectives on balancing motherhood and life.

3. Choices about school for my children. Though I am a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of changing plans for my daughters’ school with only about two weeks before the first day, I am thankful that we can choose how and where to educate our children.

4. My Thursday morning Bible Study crew. Though we’ve lived here for nearly 3 years, I’ve been slow to make friends. I am thankful for a small group of women who meet in my home each week and for how each week we are being knit together more closely as we share our hearts and lives.

5. Our finished basement. We finished our basement as our first improvement project when we moved into our home. It provides a nice escape place for our Thursday morning Bible study, and houses our exercise equipment.

Tell me something! What are you thankful for? Are you keeping a list?