Have you stopped lately to smell that beautiful rose in your yard?  Have you taken the time to look at the landscape around you?  We often are so rushed in life that we forget to stop and enjoy the beauty around us.  We would be so much happier if we would stop and take a minute to enjoy our surroundings. 

I am talking about the smell of the fresh mountain air, the pine trees, the salty ocean, the first rain, or delicious aromas from the kitchen.  What about listening to the waves crashing on the shore, the wind whistling through the trees, the crackling of thunder and striking of lightening across the dark sky, the sweet singing of birds, the laughing of a young child, the churping of crickets in the night, the pounding of rain on the roof tops, or the running of the creek out back? 

How often do we forget to stop and be thankful for what is around us?  Have you stopped and looked at the beauty of the sunset or sunrise, the vast mountains, the distant mountain ranges, the sea of blue, or the rolling fields? 

My challenge for you today is to stop and take a minute out of your day to take a deep breathe and look around.  What do you have to be thankful for?