Our daughter is one of the most amazing people I know I'm ever going to meet. Each day she awakes with a "newness" that I find so revitalizing(yes the saying is true... they do keep you young). Although she is slow to rise,much like her father, when she does it is pure sunshine.

I have never witnessed a child with such a strong sense of faith and innate understanding of the world around her. I still don't feel like I can take credit for it though, I believe it's just God doing his work. Yesterday, she awoke with a mission. Getting to her school library was very high on the priority list. Even though I knew I would be tired and probably not the most pleasant mommie,I found myself wanting to rush the workday away to get her there. As we drove out to her school, she was the typical five-year old, laughing and singing really loud in the backseat. But once we arrived at school, her entire demeanor changed. I initially thought, it was just the shock of being at school, but she began to point out some of the things she's been missing since summer vacation began. She talked about the walks that her class would take to look for God's creations and how she missed walking to church on Fridays with her prayer partner in her "dress uniform." As she went on pointing out other things,I realized how these simple things mean so much to her and how perhaps this is what gives her that "newness" each day.

Whatever the case, it inspired me to revisit the practice of writing a gratitude journal and finding joy and thankfulness in the simplest moments of life. If my five-year old can renew her spirit each day with such a simple act, I think its something anyone could benefit from.