365 Days of Blessings, Day 100
1. The Lord gives us humor.
2. Hearing coyotes at 2a.m.
3. Waking up to a conversation next door . . . "No, you get my bag. I don't have any pants on . . ." teenage boy talking to teenage sister from a tent. Then the mom chimes in "people are sleeping." And my husband says, "No, we're awake."
4. Sun sparkling on the water.
5. A good breakfast with laughter and conversation.
6. Our nephew's messy, red-brown hair.
7. Teenage boys (nephew and friend) waking up super-slow in the morning.
8. Bowling at a re-furbished bowling alley last night with family.
9. Bowling a 106 . . . considering I don't bowl often, I felt pretty good about that.
10. Conversation at camp late at night.
Scripture Blessings:
"Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the
transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the
depths of the sea."
Micah 7:18-19
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
365 Days of Blessings - Day 99
365 Days of Blessings, Day 99
1. The Lord gives us joy!
2. Sleeping inside an RV during a windstorm.
3. Helping our tenting neighbors anchor their tents down so they don't fly away.
4. Plumbing.
5. Toothbrushes and toothpaste . . . something to be really thankful for on camping trips.
6. A family style breakfast - fried leftover potatoes, bacon (not for me, but it smells good), pancakes, and fresh fruit.
7. Blue water and blue sky.
8. Admiring nice dogs with a friend.
9. Watching a water dog at play.
10. Dogs and cats . . . topics of many fun conversations.
11. Spook, the Cat Ninja, the legendary cat of our nephew.
Scripture Verse Blessings:
"But as for me, I watch in hope for
the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me."
Micah 7:7
1. The Lord gives us joy!
2. Sleeping inside an RV during a windstorm.
3. Helping our tenting neighbors anchor their tents down so they don't fly away.
4. Plumbing.
5. Toothbrushes and toothpaste . . . something to be really thankful for on camping trips.
6. A family style breakfast - fried leftover potatoes, bacon (not for me, but it smells good), pancakes, and fresh fruit.
7. Blue water and blue sky.
8. Admiring nice dogs with a friend.
9. Watching a water dog at play.
10. Dogs and cats . . . topics of many fun conversations.
11. Spook, the Cat Ninja, the legendary cat of our nephew.
Scripture Verse Blessings:
"But as for me, I watch in hope for
the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me."
Micah 7:7
Saturday, September 4, 2010
365 Days of Blessings - Day 98
365 Days of Blessings, Day 98
1. The Lord gives us rest.
2. Walking into warm lakewater, with my sandals pushing up against my feet trying to float, and my daughters reaching out to save a dragonfly from drowning.
3. Riding in a boat on a warm day on Lake Wapato.
4. Lake Wapato, a small lake just four miles from Lake Chelan. My sister-in-law Katie is a genius at finding sweet camping places and nice lakes.
5. Tubing.
6. Taking our daughters tubing for the very first time . . . I wish I had my camera with me this morning.
7. Our nephew Jacob's skill and sheer sense of joy at tubing.
8. Bumping and weaving around family members in an RV - 7 family + 1 friend today, two more coming tomorrow. We share space comfortably, praise God!
9. A walk on a country road.
10. Apple orchards filled with bushels of perfect apples.
11. Sunflower's cousins growing bushy and weed-like on the edge of the road.
12. Shades of brown rising in low hills against a blue upon blue sky.
13. A slow but steady internet connection.
All these and many more, I give thanks for to you, O Lord! Amen.
Scripture Blessings:
"In the last days
the mountain of the Lord's temple
will be established
as chief among the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will come and say,
'Come, let us go up to the mountain
of the Lord,
to the house of the god of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.'"
Micah 4:1-2a
1. The Lord gives us rest.
2. Walking into warm lakewater, with my sandals pushing up against my feet trying to float, and my daughters reaching out to save a dragonfly from drowning.
3. Riding in a boat on a warm day on Lake Wapato.
4. Lake Wapato, a small lake just four miles from Lake Chelan. My sister-in-law Katie is a genius at finding sweet camping places and nice lakes.
5. Tubing.
6. Taking our daughters tubing for the very first time . . . I wish I had my camera with me this morning.
7. Our nephew Jacob's skill and sheer sense of joy at tubing.
8. Bumping and weaving around family members in an RV - 7 family + 1 friend today, two more coming tomorrow. We share space comfortably, praise God!
9. A walk on a country road.
10. Apple orchards filled with bushels of perfect apples.
11. Sunflower's cousins growing bushy and weed-like on the edge of the road.
12. Shades of brown rising in low hills against a blue upon blue sky.
13. A slow but steady internet connection.
All these and many more, I give thanks for to you, O Lord! Amen.
Scripture Blessings:
"In the last days
the mountain of the Lord's temple
will be established
as chief among the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will come and say,
'Come, let us go up to the mountain
of the Lord,
to the house of the god of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.'"
Micah 4:1-2a
Friday, September 3, 2010
365 Days of Blessings - Days 96 and 97
365 Days of Blessings, Days 96 and 97
1. Psalm 121:1 "I lift my eyes to the hills -
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth."
2. I feel like God opened my eyes today to all the beauty that he has made.
3. The blue sky with wispy white clouds softly moving to the North.
4. My cat's bright white and black fur, standing out against the dark green shade of the garden bed.
5. The many textures of leaves . . . feathery, sloping and slick, prickly and upright, large and umbrella-like, smooth, rough, soft, and furry looking.
6. Reading my description above, I'm thankful for my thesaurus, a handy tool when I can't quite capture with words the amazing awesomeness of God's creation.
7. Mossy banks, blackberries, and ferns, salal, more plants than I can name, and then the cattails growing in the ditch.
8. Feathery tops of tall brown grass swaying in the breeze of a passing car.
9. A huddle of mailboxes leaning together for support.
10. Neighbors waving as they drive their kids to school.
11. A chipmunk dashing across the road, and reaching safety just in time.
12. A bluejay defending her clump of blackberry bushes.
13. Starting to jog in the midst of walking . . . just one power pole length, then two, then three, then . . . walk.
14. The blue-grey bark of a fir tree in the early dawn.
15. The new green bark of a Madrona peeling back to show the red heart of bark underneath.
16. The light shining through the shadows, falling in patterns framed by leaf shadows on the driveway.
17. Five fresh blackberries picked from the vine, melting in sweetness in my mouth.
18. Eating a little like a hobbit - first breakfast (blackberries), followed by second breakfast (half hour from now), followed by elevensies, then lunch, then . . . well, you get the idea. If I can just keep my portions down like I have for the past four days, I will be all right.
19. My husband aka the Alternator Repair Man, has revealed his secret identity . . . and he has a few extra volunteer hours lined up for himself helping another church member fix her car. I love that about him as long as he remembers to spend some time being Super Husband, and Super Dad too.
20. Packing up for one last summer trip . . . Lake Chelan here we come! Dogs and cat getting spoiled by my Mom and Dad. Excited and Nervous about making a water-skiing attempt for the first time in nearly 12 years. Fun, sun, and rest . . . just one more time.
Extras: Plans are all made for the school year, including some for my writing time!
Prayer, and lots of it, fills my heart with praise, thanks, and joy. Thank you, God!
Scripture Blessings:
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2
1. Psalm 121:1 "I lift my eyes to the hills -
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth."
2. I feel like God opened my eyes today to all the beauty that he has made.
3. The blue sky with wispy white clouds softly moving to the North.
4. My cat's bright white and black fur, standing out against the dark green shade of the garden bed.
5. The many textures of leaves . . . feathery, sloping and slick, prickly and upright, large and umbrella-like, smooth, rough, soft, and furry looking.
6. Reading my description above, I'm thankful for my thesaurus, a handy tool when I can't quite capture with words the amazing awesomeness of God's creation.
7. Mossy banks, blackberries, and ferns, salal, more plants than I can name, and then the cattails growing in the ditch.
8. Feathery tops of tall brown grass swaying in the breeze of a passing car.
9. A huddle of mailboxes leaning together for support.
10. Neighbors waving as they drive their kids to school.
11. A chipmunk dashing across the road, and reaching safety just in time.
12. A bluejay defending her clump of blackberry bushes.
13. Starting to jog in the midst of walking . . . just one power pole length, then two, then three, then . . . walk.
14. The blue-grey bark of a fir tree in the early dawn.
15. The new green bark of a Madrona peeling back to show the red heart of bark underneath.
16. The light shining through the shadows, falling in patterns framed by leaf shadows on the driveway.
17. Five fresh blackberries picked from the vine, melting in sweetness in my mouth.
18. Eating a little like a hobbit - first breakfast (blackberries), followed by second breakfast (half hour from now), followed by elevensies, then lunch, then . . . well, you get the idea. If I can just keep my portions down like I have for the past four days, I will be all right.
19. My husband aka the Alternator Repair Man, has revealed his secret identity . . . and he has a few extra volunteer hours lined up for himself helping another church member fix her car. I love that about him as long as he remembers to spend some time being Super Husband, and Super Dad too.
20. Packing up for one last summer trip . . . Lake Chelan here we come! Dogs and cat getting spoiled by my Mom and Dad. Excited and Nervous about making a water-skiing attempt for the first time in nearly 12 years. Fun, sun, and rest . . . just one more time.
Extras: Plans are all made for the school year, including some for my writing time!
Prayer, and lots of it, fills my heart with praise, thanks, and joy. Thank you, God!
Scripture Blessings:
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
365 Days of Blessings Days 94 and 95
365 Days of Blessings, Days 94 and 95
You may be asking, where have all the blessings been the last few days? Or maybe not.
I came home from chaperoning a MS youth road trip, and yesterday I never wrote down my blessings . . . and today, I'm late. Guess what?
Without counting my blessings in the morning I became . . . grumpy, quick to find fault with myself, and saw only the bad stuff in the newspaper.
So, I had the negative example to remind me that I need to get back to the positive.
Here are some of my many blessings from the last two days, and you might notice, I've gone back to the basics:
1. God is awesome!
2. "There is no charge for awesomeness!" Po in Kung Fu Panda.
3. John 3:16
4. "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift . . . that's why they call it the present." Uguay the turtle in Kung Fu Panda
5. Psalm 118:24
6. Blackberries ripe on the vine, fresh for eating in the moment or maybe later. Who knows, maybe a few will make blackberry jam?
7. Our apples from our golden delicious tree are on the ground, and no longer edible . . .the deer have moved on to one of our neighbor's orchards . . . but they know us like old friends when we walk by them.
8. Three mile walks, three days in a row.
9. Sunshine that dries out the rain.
10. A new Red Wolf Exhibit at Pt. Defiance Zoo in Tacoma - a signature exhibit since the zoo has been in a partnership program that has brought the red wolves back from near extinction. Something good in the newspaper.
11. Comics like Garfield, Peanuts, Pickles, and Zits. A few other good things in the newspaper
12. Seeing the new line-up for Free Family Movie Nights that will be taking place at our church from October through March. Free movies, free popcorn, free candy. Good stuff.
13. Having a wonderful friend who looked after our escape artist cat who somehow knew in advance that we were taking her and her furry doggy brothers to a kennel last Thursday.
14. Having all the pets home safe.
15. My husband washed the dishes yesterday . . . cheerfully.
16. I've finished a Shakespeare class syllabus, a Writer's Workshop for 9-11 year olds class syllabus, a homeschool poetry syllabus, and a combined homeschool history and literature syllabus in the last two days. Some of the syllabi just needed tweaking or polishing, but I'm glad I got that work done.
17. Dinner is ready, and I had help making it.
18. Good family movies like UP, and Kung Fu Panda.
19. School is around the corner for us, and I'm almost ready for it.
20. Scripture Verses taped to my kitchen cupboards - a needed reminder.
Thank the Lord for these blessings, and all the ones I forgot to name!
"May the words of my mouth, and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14
You may be asking, where have all the blessings been the last few days? Or maybe not.
I came home from chaperoning a MS youth road trip, and yesterday I never wrote down my blessings . . . and today, I'm late. Guess what?
Without counting my blessings in the morning I became . . . grumpy, quick to find fault with myself, and saw only the bad stuff in the newspaper.
So, I had the negative example to remind me that I need to get back to the positive.
Here are some of my many blessings from the last two days, and you might notice, I've gone back to the basics:
1. God is awesome!
2. "There is no charge for awesomeness!" Po in Kung Fu Panda.
3. John 3:16
4. "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift . . . that's why they call it the present." Uguay the turtle in Kung Fu Panda
5. Psalm 118:24
6. Blackberries ripe on the vine, fresh for eating in the moment or maybe later. Who knows, maybe a few will make blackberry jam?
7. Our apples from our golden delicious tree are on the ground, and no longer edible . . .the deer have moved on to one of our neighbor's orchards . . . but they know us like old friends when we walk by them.
8. Three mile walks, three days in a row.
9. Sunshine that dries out the rain.
10. A new Red Wolf Exhibit at Pt. Defiance Zoo in Tacoma - a signature exhibit since the zoo has been in a partnership program that has brought the red wolves back from near extinction. Something good in the newspaper.
11. Comics like Garfield, Peanuts, Pickles, and Zits. A few other good things in the newspaper
12. Seeing the new line-up for Free Family Movie Nights that will be taking place at our church from October through March. Free movies, free popcorn, free candy. Good stuff.
13. Having a wonderful friend who looked after our escape artist cat who somehow knew in advance that we were taking her and her furry doggy brothers to a kennel last Thursday.
14. Having all the pets home safe.
15. My husband washed the dishes yesterday . . . cheerfully.
16. I've finished a Shakespeare class syllabus, a Writer's Workshop for 9-11 year olds class syllabus, a homeschool poetry syllabus, and a combined homeschool history and literature syllabus in the last two days. Some of the syllabi just needed tweaking or polishing, but I'm glad I got that work done.
17. Dinner is ready, and I had help making it.
18. Good family movies like UP, and Kung Fu Panda.
19. School is around the corner for us, and I'm almost ready for it.
20. Scripture Verses taped to my kitchen cupboards - a needed reminder.
Thank the Lord for these blessings, and all the ones I forgot to name!
"May the words of my mouth, and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14
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