Making Up for Missed Mondays

41. gifts from mom.

Soaps, lotions, bath salts sent through the mail with a sweet handmade card

42. unseen gifts.

What is unseen is eternal

43. flowers from Theron.

beautiful orchids like my mom's

44. quiet.

      In the stillness, in the quiet, I know that YOU are near.

45. a backyard oasis (pool) on a hot July day.

two fish

46. dipping chips together.

Yummy cheese dip

47. summer showers that come and go.

two ducks

48. doves.

(Sorry, this picture does not do them justice. Better in real life.)

49. Little surprises.

Baby mantis on Josiah's arm

50. Milestone birthday - fabulous fifty!
      What a coincidence! This is my fiftieth entry. That does not mean that I will be one hundred when I post my hundredth entry, does it? That is meant to be funny. (Insert laughter) Okay, I'm trying not to overreact. Theron told me, "It's not that bad being fifty." That made me feel better. He should know.

Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

31. Goldfinch in the garden (sorry no picture, but it was beautiful) devouring bugs.

32. Yellow flowers that speak of his glory.

33. The pinks that tell of our own frail humanity.

34. The purples, his royalty.

35. Red, redemption.

36. Pink, red, and white - Through his redemptive sacrifice, we can be made pure.

37. The blue which directs our gaze heavenward.

Monday Thanks

22. mothers

me and mom

23. sisters

my sister and mom, often mistaken for sisters

24. little girl enthusiasm

my great neice learning with her new toy

25. new books

Rome to the Reformation, next year's curriculum



Multiple Blessings

16. the song of the birds in the morning

17. sunshowers

18. Used Curriculum Sales

19. fears overcome (maybe my boy has softened my heart to the idea that not all snakes are bad)

Ring neck snake, caught in a jar and not killed, later released

That may not sound like a big deal to you, but in the past my opinion was that the only good snake is a dead one. I would quickly clobber them with a shovel or hoe, sending my son crying. I have a tender heart toward animals . . . and children. Therefore, I started to examine my evil ways. In the midst of learning to trust more, and abandon fear, while clearing leaf litter one day, I spied the familiar coiled . . . uhm, creature. Instead of doing my snake dance and screaming, I actually calmly asked Josiah to bring me a jar. He was so excited. With some help, we got our specimen into it's container. We observed it and researched it, finding it to be a harmless ring neck snake, which we released back into the yard. Another fear faced head on.

20. shade

21. berries from our own yard

Two Weeks Worth of Thanks

5. the gentle whisper after the storm
6. the song of Fire Belly Toads
7. two pairs of hands braiding challah together

8. Fresh breezes and boy with broom
9. Green growing

10. Grace that covers me

Counting Blessings

I've been reading Ann's blog for quite some time.
Now I'm reading her book.

an early Mother's Day present

Now, I understand the why. Why count One Thousand Gifts? Because God desires it. Because I need it.
It stirs a desire for more of God, less of me. I want to partake of Him everyday and count my blessings in this special way. To see a change in the way I see, more of Him and less of me. Count the gifts that He has given me. Rid myself of an unthankful, proud heart. Accept the gifts He gives and speak my thanks, pointing others to Him.

1. Families gathered lifting voices to the Father in praise

2. Dogwood blossoms lifting to the light.

3. Sweet memories of a young girl lifted on pew next to grandmother singing 'Love Lifted Me'.

4. The music making everything light.

God is Light. In Him there is no darkness.
I'm thankful for the ways He lifts my heart closer to His, closer to the Light.