365 Days of Blessings - Days 55, 56, and 57

365 Days of Blessings, Days 55, 56, and 57

1. God makes masterpieces! Psalm 139:14

2. God gives us the need and ability to give. This struck me especially in my Bible reading yesterday in Ezekiel 48:20b "As a special gift you will set aside the sacred portion, along with the property of the city." When I read that phrase, "special gift" I started wondering who the giver and the receiver of this gift actually could be. Are we the givers or the receivers, or both? When I buy or make a present for someone I love, I have such joy and excitement as I anticipate giving it to that special person. How much more joy and excitement can there be when we give to the one who gave us life? Maybe the special gift is special because we are able to give it, because we want to joyously love the Lord with our gifts, and maybe the portion is sacred not only because it is for the Lord, but because God is helping us make a place of sacredness in our lives.

3. Being able to hear amazing Christian speakers like John James, and Bob Lenz share their hearts, their testimonies, and scripture. Did you know that God is a God of second chances? And that most people become Christian before they're 18? That suicide and self-mutilation like cutting is on the rise in our country? I already knew most of that, but I needed a reminder.

4. The Newsboys amazing testimony, worship, music, praise, and I admit I really like the fact that their newest album, "Born Again" is number 4 on the Billboard charts.

5. Thousand Foot Krutch. They rock, they worship, and they were the sweetest to our little girls four years ago at our girls' first Creation Fest (4 years ago). We just happened to go to the "signing" tent while they were there, and they were just genuinely nice young men. I think most of the Christian bands are, but they impressed me when they talked to my daughters who were 5 and 8 at the time.

6. Yesterday (Saturday) morning, the kids tent soundboard tech had it together, and all the performers sounded great!

7. Francesca Battistelli is wonderful! We were blessed by two of her new songs yesterday afternoon.

8. Superchick! ran a sound check for twenty long minutes, prayed for ten (I could see them back stage), and then gave the best concert I've ever heard them give. We had so much fun as a whole family, jumping up and down, dancing and singing, praying and praising.

9. Having our 20-year-old neice join us for the last day of Creation Fest was a huge blessing. We've been trying to get our neices and nephew to come for several years now, and we enjoyed having her with us.

10. 10th Avenue North led us in amazing praise music last night, and I wish they could have been on stage longer.

11. Skillet, as always, rocked "our faces off" (Skillet saying), gave my husband a sore neck (head-banging Christian guys like mine are wonderful), and took the time to make sure their sound was just right for their concert. They ran their sound check at 7a.m. yesterday morning, and then again before their show at 8:50p.m. They had great sound, a pyrotechnics show, and awesome vocals, guitars, drums, violin and viola. They also have a great message.

12. Kids Grove crafts at Creation Fest were a new feature of the festival this year, and we enjoyed them.

13. The ministry of Project AK47, saving the lives of children kidnapped and forced to be soldiers in places like the Philippines, and Burma. Children as young as three are taken and forced to be "runners".

14. The amazing love and ministry of all the musicians at Creation Fest who sponsor children through Compassion International, saving children and families from poverty, child trafficking, and hunger.

15. Biblegateway, an internet site where you can find the Bible in multiple languages, for free. I happen to use it when I am looking for different translations and am trying to get at the "meat" of the meaning of certain passages. BibleGateway.com

16. Being able to drive home from Creation Fest in less than an hour on the last night.

17. Coming home - it never gets old.

18. Loving my dogs, and cat when I come home.

19. Sleeping in my own bed.

20. Bringing stuff into the house . . . sometimes I dread the unpacking process, but today it has been kind of fun, taking one load at a time, and putting it away where it belongs. Gasp! Am I actually becoming an organized person?

21. My parents are back in the States! They will be flying home today from the East Coast! (They are great next door neighbors)

22. Telling "animal stories" with my niece. We love our dogs, and cats. We've run in terror from farm animals like mean roosters, and bulls. We both been shocked by electric fences and have lived to laugh about it.

23. Water. Good, clean water is an amazing blessing!

24. Shade on a sunny day.

25. Working up a sweat in the afternoon sun while rocking out to Superchick! (kind of out of order)

26. Cold showers while camping - nothing wakes you up faster than water that nearly gives you "brain freeze" while shampooing, and hearing the shrieks in the showers (ah! that's cold!).

27. Daughters who brush the knots out of their own hair!!!! Woohoo! It's been a few years since I had to do that, but I am so glad that they are completely independent for their hair.

28. My husband, who is happy to be the official "waterboy" of our softball team - always filling up a giant jug of clean water for our softball team when we play.

29. My youngest daughter's ninth birhday is in two days, and I have her present all ready for her. I'm excited to give it to her, but I like this kind of anticipation.

30. Getting home-school books in the mail for next year (starting in a month)is awesome - again, more anticipation that feels good.

Psalm 139:14
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. I know that full well."