THE CIRCLE NOVEMBER 2015 | THANKFUL.

Happy November, friends! I know I pause to write at least once per month, but how can it be Thanksgiving and holiday season already? I'm hoping that time will start to slow down a little, however, because I want to savor and enjoy each moment of this time of year!

This month, we're going to a little bit of that by practicing poetry AND gratitude at the same time. But before I show off my mad poetry skills (insert sarcasm here), I want to introduce you to this month's co-host:

Elena is a newlywed to a handsome mister, a lover of books, a daydreamer of traveling adventures, and an admirer of all things lovely (like tea, flowers, & hand-written notes). She loves encouraging others towards the beautiful hope found in Jesus, especially through one-on-one conversations
and also through her blog, Beautiful Hope.

One of the things that I love most about Elena and her blog is her heart and passion for gratitude. I've learned so much from her and when I read her posts, I find myself humbled at all that I have to be grateful for. So with that as inspiration, we're throwing it back to elementary school days and creating acrostic poems with THANKFUL as our word. We can't wait to read your posts!

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Time. In a world where time is fleeting and life is precious, I'm grateful that I have time here on this earth, free time for hobbies, and time off on weekends and holidays, too.
Help. I'm terrible at asking for help, but I've learned more and more that help is exactly what I need. And asking for it is not a sign of weakness.
Answered prayers. Even if they're not answered the way I want, I'm grateful He listens and cares for me.
New days. When life gets tough, it's nice to know that each day is a brand new day and a chance to start all over.
Kids. I may not have any of my own, but I love all 38 of the ones in my classroom.
Friends and family. The best people out there.
Unconditional love. The fact that His love is unconditional baffles me each day. But I'm grateful for it and know I couldn't live without it.
Living at home. Some may call me a homebody, but I couldn't imagine life without my crazy dog and family members with me all the time.

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Next month, we're sharing our favorite Christmas traditions and sharing a few photos of our Christmasy homes. That's right, traditions AND tours. Do you go out looking for Christmas lights? Do Secret Santa? Fill up stockings? Take some photos and write them down because we'll be sharing ours on Wednesday, December 16th!