365 Days of Blessings, Days 242 through 247

Warning: This is an extremely long post.

Time flies when life is busy, or mediocre, or exciting. . . or all of the above from one day to the next. We had an ok day followed by an exciting one, followed by a restful day, folowed by an exciting day, followed by a long day with little time on the PC, and now today. I feel like I've let myself down on the blessings count, although I have some on scrap paper and in journals scattered around the house.

This last week has me contemplating this question: which is harder, counting blessings and giving thanks on the hard days or counting blessings on the mediocre, ok to pretty good days?
What do you think?

Today I'm giving thanks for some belated blessings, and today's blessings:

1. Being able to buy my favorite teas at the grocery store.

2. Walking with an old dog, and a middle aged dog, and realizing that my mom and I kind of match the dogs' ages. There is some humor in that, although I don't either one of us is a dog.

3. Seeing the "treat" lady on the road. My dogs love her so much!

4. The enthusiastic excitement that elementary school kids have about dogs. (We were walking a little late yesterday when the elementary kids were waiting for their buses.)

5. Finishing up the "Reader's Choice" Basket for a silent auction to benefit our dance studio. Of course, now I want to bid for it. It contains a cozy blanket, book gift cards, a reading light, a bookmark, a journal, and a book bag.

6. Having a wonderful dance teacher who cares for her students deeply. She wants my oldest to rest, ice, elevate, and recover . . . so she can dance again in a few weeks.

7. Preparing for a dance recital. Excitement rules the house.

8. Inviting friends to come with us to the dance recital to be Anna's cheer buddies.

9. All the costume pieces and props were found and put in order - gloves, hoodies, belts, sunglasses, long socks with stripes, jump ropes, tricycle, and the costumes too.

10. Getting a few lessons done on dance recital morning.

11. Getting directions when lost.

12. Enjoying a beautiful auditorium.

13. More dance excitement and enthusiasm.

14. Dancers who know how to enter and exit the stage. . . they made my job backstage much easier.

15. Dancers who are ready, over and over again, no matter how many costume and hair changes they have.

16. My youngest daughter handled herself backstage very well, with help from her friends, and I think she was better without me hovering. I was way too busy to hover.

17. Awesome friends and family who came to see the show!!! Thank you!!!!

18. Little girls dancing in the aisles, dreaming of dancing on stage.

19. Fundraising enough money to save our studio.

20. Staying after the recital to clean up, and seeing the girls dance on stage just for fun, even my oldest with her crutches took a few swinging steps around the stage.

21. Rest.

22. Finding The Taming of the Shrew in a modern BBC production, online. I don't think I could show it to my Shakespeare class, but I enjoyed seeing another take on the ageless tale.

23. The blunt honesty of my Shakespeare class. They don't like that disgusting character, Petruchio.

24. Sunday.

25. Worshiping in a retreat lodge by the sea, with 80+ Christian brothers and sisters who desire to worship and love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and love their neighbor as themselves. We have a wonderful Christian family all over the world, but I am especially grateful for the one we have close to us.

26. Planting a new church with Christian brothers and sisters who want to focus worshiping the Lord - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, outreach to our immediate community and the world, and healing.

27. Stepping forward in faith, with heart pounding, to take a ministry position I never would have imagined a month ago. Worship and Music Coordinator. Wow. It's an honor, and I'm going to need lots of God's help for every Sunday.

28. Seeing a dear friend, the worship and music director at our old church, be able to worship with her family on Sunday, and knowing that she is going to do great things in Children's Ministry. (We've kind of switched spots . . . )

29. Planning worship . . . it's exciting, challenging, and thankfully I have some awesome help.

30. Blessing and releasing our old church. Letting go of the hurts, and letting healing begin for all of us.

31. Bumping into my first Christian mentor, my first Sunday School teacher, at the zoo, and realizing later in the day that God planned it all.

32. Hearing a message from a mission to Burma.

33. Spending time with my parents for a few days before they went off on their trip again.

34. My writing class is having fun with their mystery skits.

35. My oldest daughter's chemistry class made orange soda, cola, and silly putty yesterday.

36. My oldest daughter is making it through this painful time on crutches. She took a few steps today, and pointed and flexed her toes for the first time in six days.

37. Healing.

38. My youngest daughter had a chance to shine these last few days, and she has been shining with grace.

39. My daughters "blinged" their DS case, with permission.

40. Sharing a DS . . . my kids complain about it now and then, but they haven't offered to use their own money to buy a second one, and my oldest definitely has some savings. I think it is a good way of having an expensive toy, and helps me keep track of their playing time too. 20 minutes each.

41. Stamps.

42. The telegraph, which led to the telephone, which led to cell-phones. Communication is wonderful.

43. Morse code. I admit I don't know it that well, but I think it was a wonderful invention.

44. Edison.

45. Having a conversation about unions and management at the dinner table, based on current day events and the history my youngest is learning in American history.

46. Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright described by my oldest as "wonderful, horrible, sweet, and sad." The book gives a fictional glimpse at Roman life, and the life of two captured tigers, one for a pet and one for the colliseum. It's a book that makes you cry in a good way.

47. Firework by Katy Perry. I might not like everything about Katy Perry, but I enjoy this song, and seeing my youngest dance to it at her recital was sweet.

48. Pre-reading The Second Mrs. Giocanda by e.l. konigsburg for my oldest daughter's homeschool lessons. So far I'm enjoying this fictional "insider's" look at Leornardo Da Vinci's life.

49. Having a few moments to plan specifically for the second half of our homeschool year.

50. Calendars.

51. An amazing husband who cooked dinner on Sunday night.

52. Two amazing daughters who cooked dinner tonight.

53. Homemade french fries . . . yum.

54. Ginger tea for an upset stomach (not because of the french fries, but from something else).

55. Nooma videos.

56. The Case for Faith movie that I've been watching through Netflix while I exercise in the mornings. I've read the book but it's interesting to see it in video format.

57. Notepads . . . where I sketch/brainstorm my ideas.

58. Peppermint sticks we can eat (made with sugar and not corn syrup).

59. Being able to write 59 blessings in one day - wow!

60. In Jesus, there is life.

Scripture Blessings:
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." John 1:4