The tally is in friends.

I’ve reached five thousand reasons in my thankfulness journal.

That means I’m halfway to my goal. *cheers!*

I’m not quitting, but I am planning on slowing down the pace a bit. As much as I want to be thankful, the 29 reasons a day rule gets a bit overwhelming at times. Take, for instance, when it’s past my “bedtime” (whenever that’s supposed to be), and I’ve yet to write down 29 things that I’m thankful for. That’s always rough.

But I’m still planning on writing down as many wonderful things each day as I can. It’s been a great adventure so far. I definitely don’t want to give up now.

As I shared in a previous post, I enjoy flipping through the journal already. It’s like a diary–a synopsis of the many random, amazing, and hilarious things of each day. I imagine it will get more comical to read (and probably embarrassing) as the years go by. (I didn’t really write that down, did I? *gasp*)

Actually, it’s not that embarrassing for me to read. But like any honest diary, it’s when others peer into it that our cheeks get rosy.

Yep. It’s for my eyes only, that is, unless I choose to share some of my thankfulness with others (which is always a good thing to do!).

So here’s a more recent peek into my half-completed thankfulness journal:

(Note: the brief commentary after each entry isn’t from my journal)

#4,300–Being in Jerusalem–I know…I’m spoiled rotten. It was truly a blessing to visit Israel once again. It is always a life-changing experience. I don’t know how anyone could visit that country and not be affected by it in some way. I haven’t written much about the trip, but perhaps I’ll share more in the future.

#4,721–American Ninja Warrior–We love watching this show as a family. The whole neighborhood has probably figured that out by now, since it gets pretty loud with the seven of us cheering.

#4,825–Josh Groban–This guy’s talent is amazing. I love how he combines classical and contemporary musical styles. Favorite song: Brave. It totally gets stuck in my head like crazy. Good thing I love it.

#4,876–Attacking Punching Bags–After a year and a half of Krav Maga, I finally discovered how fantastic it is to go ballistic on a punching bag. For the first time ever, I wished that the instructor hadn’t called, “Stop.” I was wailing my arms, fists, legs, knees–pretty much everything–at the lousy bag. It was invigorating. Note: I wasn’t even in a bad mood, so go figure!

And to break the halfway mark…

#5,024–The Rainbow Over Jacksonville–There are definitely benefits to rainy days. As we drove through town this past Monday, Dad and I saw a beautiful rainbow stretching across the sky. Dad said it was the coolest one he’d ever seen.

Now it’s your turn. What’s something you’re thankful for today?