Eight mornings. Eight reminders. One beautiful lesson: Gratitude doesn’t require a perfect life.
Friends, can I tell you something?
When I decided to kick off our Crazy Busy Mama 30-Day Gratitude Challenge this November, I knew I wanted us to be intentional about counting our blessings.
But what I didn’t realize was just how much God would use these first eight days to speak to MY heart.
Isn’t that just like Him?!
Here I am, encouraging all of YOU to wake up each morning and find something to be grateful for, and wouldn’t you know it, I’ve needed these reminders just as much as anybody!
WHEW! 😂❤️
Over these past eight mornings, we’ve laughed together, gotten a little vulnerable, celebrated some BIG moments, and talked about some things that might have stepped on a few toes.
And through it all, one thing has become abundantly clear.
Gratitude isn’t about pretending life is perfect. It’s about recognizing that God is still GOOD, even when life is anything but perfect.
So grab your coffee, friend. ☕ Let’s look back at what these first eight days have taught us.
Day 1: Grateful for the Opportunity to Begin Again 🍂
We kicked off November with a simple invitation.
What if we spent an entire month counting our blessings TOGETHER?
Not because everything in our lives is going according to plan.
Not because every prayer has been answered.
And certainly not because we have everything figured out!
But because sometimes the smallest shift in perspective can make the biggest difference in our hearts.
I wanted to create a place where we could come together, encourage one another, and intentionally look for God’s goodness in the everyday moments.
That’s how our Gratitude Wall came to life!
And one of the most important things I shared that first morning was this:
You don’t have to be in a happy season to have a grateful heart.
Some days, gratitude might look like celebrating an incredible blessing.
Other days, it might simply look like thanking God for the strength to get out of bed.
And BOTH matter.
I’m grateful for fresh starts, new mornings, and a community willing to walk through this challenge together.
Day 2: Grateful for Doors I Never Saw Coming 🎙️
Oh friends, this was a BIG day!
After keeping a pretty exciting secret, I finally got to announce something God had been working on behind the scenes.
My podcast, Failing Forward with Lori Conway, was getting a brand-new beginning through a partnership with Just the Network!
And I couldn’t help but think about how different my life looks today than it did just two years ago.
If someone had told me back then that this is where God would be leading me, I don’t think I would have believed them.
But isn’t that the beauty of trusting Him?
Sometimes God is opening doors we don’t even know exist.
Sometimes He’s preparing opportunities while we’re simply trying to survive the season we’re in.
And sometimes the very things we thought had brought our story to an end become part of a beautiful new beginning.
I’m grateful for unexpected opportunities and for a God who isn’t finished writing my story.
And friend, He’s not finished writing yours either!
Day 3: Grateful for the Setbacks That Teach Us Something 😂
Well, if Day 2 was about celebrating an exciting opportunity, Day 3 was about getting a little dose of REAL LIFE!
My brand-new podcast officially launched, and guess what?
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES!
The video didn’t activate.
You seriously cannot make this stuff up!
Here I am launching a podcast called Failing Forward, and apparently I’m going to demonstrate exactly what that looks like in real time!
HA! 😂
But as I sat with that moment, I realized something.
We can prepare, plan, pray, and do everything we know to do, and things can STILL go sideways.
And that’s okay.
Because failure isn’t final.
Sometimes the greatest growth comes from the moments that don’t go according to plan.
Sometimes God uses those unexpected setbacks to teach us patience, humility, perseverance, and GRACE.
And sometimes we just have to laugh, pick ourselves up, and keep going.
I’m grateful for the opportunities AND the obstacles, because both can teach us something valuable.
We aren’t failing, friends.
We’re FAILING FORWARD!
Day 4: Grateful for Grace When My Cup Feels Empty ❤️
Now THIS was probably one of the most vulnerable conversations I’ve shared.
Because I had to admit something.
Here I am hosting an entire gratitude challenge, reminding everyone how abundantly blessed we are, and yet some mornings?
I am EXHAUSTED.
Not just physically tired.
Emotionally depleted.
Overwhelmed.
And sometimes carrying more than I know what to do with.
And then comes the GUILT.
Because I KNOW how good God has been to me!
How can I be so blessed and still feel so overwhelmed?
Maybe you’ve felt that way, too.
But here’s what I’m learning.
Gratitude isn’t the absence of exhaustion. And faith isn’t the absence of struggle.
You can love your life and still feel overwhelmed by it.
You can be excited about a new beginning while grieving what you’ve lost.
You can have a heart FULL of gratitude while feeling like your cup is completely EMPTY.
And God doesn’t love us any less in those moments.
He doesn’t expect us to show up with a perfect attitude and a perfectly put-together life.
He invites us to come to Him exactly as we are.
So on Day 4, I was grateful for GRACE.
Grace to be tired.
Grace to be human.
Grace to admit that sometimes life feels heavy.
And grace to keep showing up, even when my voice shakes.
Day 5: Grateful for the People in My Circle 👯♀️
You’ve probably heard the saying:
You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with.
But have you ever really stopped to think about that?
WHO is in your circle?
Are they encouraging you?
Challenging you to grow?
Celebrating your victories?
Pointing you toward Jesus?
Or are they keeping you stuck right where you are?
This conversation was especially meaningful because of something I’ve been building in my own community.
KC Creators!
My heart behind bringing local creators together has always been about collaboration over competition.
Creating a space where people genuinely want to see one another succeed.
Where there’s room at the table for ALL of us.
And where we recognize that someone else’s success doesn’t take anything away from our own.
This week reminded me just how thankful I am for the people God has placed in my life.
The friends who show up.
The people who speak truth.
The ones who encourage me to keep growing.
And the relationships I never could have orchestrated on my own.
Sometimes being abundantly blessed has very little to do with what we HAVE and everything to do with WHO we have.
Love your people well, friends.
And choose your circle wisely.
Day 6: Grateful for God’s Order in a Chaotic World 🌅
This one might seem a little different, but goodness, it really made me stop and think.
I woke up feeling especially grateful for ORDER.
Think about it.
The sun rises every morning.
The seasons change.
Our weeks have a rhythm.
Fridays bring the anticipation of rest.
And Mondays almost feel like a little New Year’s Day, don’t they?
A chance to begin again!
Even when our personal lives feel completely chaotic, there’s something so comforting about the order God created.
Lamentations 3:22–23 reminds us that His mercies are new every morning.
EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING.
Not just when we get everything right.
Not just when we’re feeling strong.
Every morning.
And I don’t know about you, but I am incredibly thankful for that!
Because there are plenty of days when my life feels anything but orderly.
But God is still faithful.
The sun still rises.
His mercies are still new.
And tomorrow brings another opportunity to begin again.
I’m grateful for the beautiful reminder that even when my world feels out of control, God is never out of control.
Day 7: Grateful That God’s Word NEVER Fails 🙏
Oh, this one!
Luke 1:37 reminds us that no word from God will ever fail.
And friends, what a PROMISE!
Because life changes.
Circumstances change.
Relationships change.
Plans change.
Sometimes our entire world changes in an instant.
And I know that all too well.
But God’s Word?
It NEVER fails.
There have been seasons in my life when I couldn’t see how anything good could possibly come from what I was walking through.
Times when the future felt uncertain.
Times when all I could do was pray and trust that God was still working.
And looking back, I can see His faithfulness in ways I couldn’t recognize in the moment.
Maybe you’re in a season of waiting right now.
Maybe you’re praying for healing.
For restoration.
For direction.
For a miracle.
Friend, don’t stop trusting Him.
Just because you can’t see a way doesn’t mean God isn’t making one.
I’m grateful for the promises of God that remain steady, even when everything around us is changing.
He is the God of the impossible.
And His Word never fails!
Day 8: Grateful That We Can CHOOSE JOY ☀️
And that brings us to Day 8.
A simple but powerful reminder.
Joy is a CHOICE.
Now, don’t misunderstand me.
Choosing joy doesn’t mean choosing to ignore our pain.
It doesn’t mean we pretend everything is wonderful when our hearts are hurting.
And it certainly doesn’t mean every day is easy.
But it does mean we can choose where we place our focus.
We can choose to look for the blessings instead of only seeing the burdens.
We can choose to thank God for what remains instead of focusing entirely on what’s missing.
We can choose to believe that good things are still possible.
And sometimes that choice has to be made again and again throughout the day.
I’ve learned that joy and sorrow can live in the same heart.
That gratitude and grief can coexist.
And that even when life looks nothing like what we imagined, there can still be beautiful reasons to smile.
I’m grateful that my circumstances don’t have to dictate whether I can experience joy.
And I’m grateful for a God who continues to give me reasons to find it.
Eight Days. One Beautiful Reminder.
As I look back over these eight mornings, I can’t help but smile.
Because what started as a challenge to encourage YOU has been teaching ME so much.
I’m grateful for fresh starts.
For unexpected opportunities.
For the lessons that come through setbacks.
For grace when I’m exhausted.
For the people God has placed in my life.
For His beautiful order in a chaotic world.
For promises that never fail.
And for the ability to choose joy, even when life is hard.
But perhaps what I’m most grateful for is this:
God has been faithful in every chapter of my story. Even the ones I never would have chosen.
And if there’s one thing I hope you take away from these eight days, it’s that you don’t have to wait for everything to be perfect before you start being thankful.
Start right where you are.
With what you have.
In the season you’re in.
Because there is goodness to be found, even here.
Watch Our First 8 Days of Gratitude ☕❤️
I’ve brought together our first eight morning Coffee Chats into one special YouTube compilation!
Whether you’ve been joining me every morning or you’re just discovering our Gratitude Challenge, I hope these conversations encourage you to slow down, reflect, and recognize God’s goodness in your own life.
Grab your coffee, get comfortable, and join me for eight mornings of faith, encouragement, real-life moments, and gratitude.
Now It’s YOUR Turn! Let’s Fill Our Gratitude Wall! 🍁
I don’t want this to be a challenge where you simply read my words or watch my videos.
I want this to be something we experience TOGETHER.
So here’s what I want you to do today.
Look back over these eight reminders and tell me which one speaks to your heart the most.
Is it being grateful for a fresh start?
An unexpected opportunity?
Grace when you’re exhausted?
The people in your life?
God’s faithfulness?
Or simply the ability to choose joy?
❤️ Leave a comment below with your DAY NUMBER (1–8) and tell me WHY it resonates with you!
And then I’d love for you to join us on our Crazy Busy Mama Gratitude Wall!
🍂 VISIT OUR GRATITUDE WALL HERE
📖 Grab your FREE 30-Day Gratitude Journal.
✍️ Share something you’re thankful for on the Gratitude Wall and come back each day to continue building this beautiful habit.
🎁 And don’t forget to read the details about our special Gratitude Basket gift-away happening at the end of November! Your participation on the blog is part of the celebration.
My prayer is that by the time November comes to an end, we won’t just have a list of things we’re thankful for.
We’ll have hearts that have learned to LOOK for God’s goodness a little more intentionally.
Because friend, sometimes the little things really ARE the big things.
And when we start counting our blessings, we often discover we’ve been abundantly blessed all along.
I’m so thankful you’re here.
Keep showing up. Keep choosing gratitude. Keep choosing joy.
And remember, God is NOT finished writing your story.
With love and gratitude,
Lori ❤️
Crazy Busy Mama | Reclaim the Table
#CrazyBusyMama #ReclaimTheTable #GratitudeChallenge
