Blessings #376-387

Coming out of a week where I did not accomplish all that I would have liked, and facing a week that is full to the brim with lots of extras and feeling the temptation to power through, get 'er done, just make it to Friday night.  And knowing that's not peace, that's not what He's called me to.  What do I have to lose in the rush?  Too much.

So I take a deep breath, a pause, a moment to thank my Abba Father and know that if I will but lean into Him, he will take me through each task and reveal to me much mysterious wonder along the way.

my pastor preaching God's hard truth in gentleness
that he let God's word speak... he didn't step on any toes.... he let the Holy Spirit do that.

the Lord's loving discipline

the butterflies starting to emerge
the wonder in the children's eyes

the innocence of these little ones

friends taking initiative
a body of believers starting to look like family

a new children's director and the journey it took to bring her here
the old children's director who served so faithfully, so lovingly for so much longer than what was beneficial to her

Sally's words about contentment in this book
receiving something I didn't know I needed

The Blessings #349-375

The Lord is good.  All the time.  His grace is sure and His mercy is new each morning.

Amen.


Once again, no pictures...... and oh how the pictures could tell the story so much better than my words, but....

my boy carving his pumpkin by himself
me getting to carve my girl's

the delight of children at such simple things

a puppy that growls in his dreams... sleep growls.... too cute

my girl's amazement at the metamorphosis of her caterpillars
her drawings and note-taking for her nature book
all of it, every bit of it, being her idea

walking on rain slickened streets
the most vibrant of yellows, oranges, reds and greens against a dark, pearl gray sky

learning about the 12 ways of communicating
learning that spoken word is the least effective of all the 12
the written word is the second least effective
realizing the energy I spend in communicating is often spent on the 2 least effective
eagerly wanting to develop the other end of that list, because.....
the Holy Spirit does His work

new friends
old friends

having been here long enough for some new friends to become old ones
our two families trick-or-treating together for this third consecutive year
watching my boy gently guide his little 5 year old princess friend down a steep, slippery drive

our little family going out to the movies on a Friday night
being able to relax and enjoy a great movie without having to cover little eyes and ears (Secretariat)
having popcorn, candy and soda to share

a clean mammogram for my sweet friend
her knowing how much He loves her

a clean house

love that is stronger than misunderstanding or miscommunication

work

Parade of Blessing #328-348

wind and rain whipping through the trees at night
the roof that keeps us dry
the furnace the keeps us warm
the glow of candles
the scent of apple cider warming on the stove

being at home
feeling at home
realizing things that are hard to put into words

my love telling my children how it's easy to find Mama in Costco because 'she's the prettiest one'
kisses from and to him

a friend trusting us to help him stay the course

that in life we have many chances

my mother-in-love's 69 years on this earth

our puppy who was sick is well again
industrial strength carpet cleaner

brilliant fall colors on tree-lined streets

that this:

has spurred on.....

prayers of family peace
the calm of sweet, wonderful music playing in the background of our daily living
a desk and cabinets, pantry, and coat closet that have now been de-cluttered and washed down and......
the huge difference these simple things have made

and a few digital recordings of a beautiful life....

Oh the lavish blessings He has heaped upon me....

Fall Fun and blessings 303-327

Oh the graces and mercies He richly bestows on me and mine!  Here are just a few from the past few days.....

tree filtered sunlight speckling painted yellow walls
washed decking
yellow, amber and red colored mums in a big pot
fall wreathes

the rain holding off just a bit longer

my son researching and studying for lego robotics
figuring out a kid-free, dog-free space for him to work in
the chance to volunteer with my son at a lego event at the mall
being able to enter his world for a few hours.... uninterrupted

the way the morning sun floods the music room

the sound of my mother's voice

the praises of my sweet mother-in-law
a surgery gone well
a recovery on its way
a God that loves her so well she cannot mistake it
that she and I can share deep things of the heart with each other
that I cannot help but love her

I can see, talk and pray with my sweet Michelle in Korea each week

watching a dear friend get excited about ministry

welcoming new families into the church, and
the excitement of the possibilities....

grass fed cows
juicy dog bones

pumpkin patches with jumpy things and livestock

leaves in the backyard

The counting continues #286-302

What a thankful heart I have as I remember the past week.  There were so many times I wished I had the camera, but it seemed more important to stay in the moment than to run and get it.  I prayed the memories would be etched in my mind.  I am not good about documenting our life in pictures or in words.  I know it would be such a treasure to my dear ones, so I need to work on that.  In the meantime.....


celebrating my love's birthday simple and relaxed 
knowing that the best present this year was to just 'be' with his kids, his wife, and his dog
the profound joy the kids and I experienced in finding simple ways to bless him
a friend unexpectedly asking to babysit, so we could have a date together the night of his birthday
her lovely demeanor when she arrived ready for duty

walking down a rain-soaked Portland street holding his hand
that at the same time, we both shared how we like this city

night-time stories with the whole family, puppy included, snuggled up on our big bed

an absolutely amazing, deeply penetrating sermon delivered in humility
gaining a new understanding of forgiveness, a life-changing one really

ten adults sharing heart thoughts in our family room
nine children playing well together downstairs
a puppy behaving so nicely even Cesar Millan would be proud

keeping to boundaries, and
the amazing satisfaction I am experiencing in caring for my family, because
the priorities are getting rightly ordered

Holy Spirit teaching us all things

Now

It's this moment, this flash, this twinkling, this instant that I live
the folding my hands are doing, the smoothing of knitted fabric
my hand feeling the slick soft puppy tongue accepting the treat
holding the cool plate while the scent of the warm bacon rises
running my fingers through her hair, stopping and smiling at the tangle
hearing his 10 year old heart pray out loud
relaxing under the hot spray of water on my sleep-stiffened shoulders
counting the times I saw him smile last night
praying for peace at the sight of the candle's flicker
breathing in His Word written in her handwriting
tapping out the reality and hitting click to send
it's not what I did yesterday
it's not what I will do tomorrow
it's now

Picking back up with blessings #255-285

What a wonderful thing that Multitude Monday is on Monday!  For me, it's a great time for me to remember how I have so much to be thankful for!

In reality, I could have made it to 1,000 in the space of one day.  Here is just a record of a few that stand out from the past week:


that words arranged become art
the way my girl smiles at me

my boy watching football with his dad and me
the Jags beating the Colts, and giving us something fun to celebrate together

walking on top of fallen leaves
the sound of them crunching underfoot
the crisp autumn air
sunny, warm weekend days


the barely there mist as I walked Toby Sunday morning


a good sermon
meeting new people


the victories and frustrations of dog training and knowing we'll figure it out...
hopefully before he kills a certain little doggie he regards as a walking chew toy.


Dusting off my guitar and discovering

My love and me watching our smiling, happy children play
when he talks

that we live in the now
no past, no future, but right now.... right now I...

have Holy Spirit
have a sleeping boy and a snoring puppy
have a husband at work
a girl in the kitchen
a warm cup of coffee
great music playing
a pile of books we will read today
sun in the trees
wet curls clinging to my face
my girl's slippers on my feet
glasses on my face
my favorite jeans
a juvenile long sleeved T-shirt from the kids department, because
I can






Here's a PS:
I have joined the Make your home a haven Fall challenge over at Women Living Well. Check it out.