A sad goodnight

It's something he really wanted to achieve, something he worked hard for. "Will you pray for me, mom?" he asked just this afternoon. And of course I already had been and then did again, right then.

But I also talked to him about how God's plans don't always line up with our plans. Sometimes He keeps things from happening for us because He knows a better way. I said that when God says no, we have to trust in the big picture.

Much of the time His ways are past finding out, and sometimes the biggest disappointments in life turn out to be the greatest blessings. As it turns out, he gets the chance to see if this is one of those times.

He said he was okay when I went in to say goodnight, but my heart was heavy as I walked out of his room and away from that great big boy who's still a precious baby to me. Sometimes life seems like one big let-down, and I want more than anything to take his hurt away.

And I thought, how much more must my Heavenly Father desire to take my pain? How must He long for me to know that His way is best, that this is all for my good and His glory? It's a lesson I, too, needed reminding of right about now. And though I hurt for my child, I pray that before long he'll see that this was for the best. That God has it all under control.

That He's always working. Always.

121. lessons learned in times of heartache
122. she made cookies again, this time snicker-doodle
123. Jesus Culture
124. payday finally came around
125. a great first week of school
126. roast, carrots, and potatoes for Sunday dinner
127. the puppy can jump on the bed now
128. that thing I've been wanting to end for over two years is almost over, praise God
129. when He gives us glimpses of the big picture
130. I'm a grad student again ... can't believe it worked out for this semester!
131. a fun night out with good friends and great music
132. he marched in his first show and made me so proud
133. she sings in her room and doesn't know I stand outside and listen, and it's just beautiful
134. a clean house
135. surely only a few more days of 100°-plus weather
136. a visit from my Daddy
137. fun people to work with
138. he actually wears his new glasses
139. chord charts
140. knowing that despite how things appear, He's still on the throne ... Amen.

5-minute Friday: "Older"

Older. At twenty, it was all I wanted to be.

Then just before my thirtieth birthday, I looked at a teenager's hands one day and then looked at my own hands and it cratered me. I headed straight for the store for anti-wrinkle cream for my hands and whatever else.

Older means more wrinkles.

I'm turning forty soon, but to my amazement, it's no big deal. It is what it is. I don't think age will ever matter to me again, and I've decided it's because I wouldn't go back if I could. I wouldn't give up the wisdom I've gained in exchange for a chance to repeat my youth. This life is just too hard to want to do it over again.

Older means growing wiser

Yesterday I was walking in a parking lot and I looked over and saw an elderly woman sitting in a car, waiting. She was stunningly beautiful. She was just so charming, kind of like a beautiful old Victorian house or a well-weathered, well-read Bible. I thought, she's an old lady, and she's beautiful. And probably wise as all get-out. I hope to be that kind of beautiful some day.

Older means growing more beautiful.

I think older people just get it. They know this life is hard. They've earned their reward, and they know they are closer to going Home. Surely there's a peace that comes with that.

Older brings us closer to the time when we'll meet Him face to face.

So older is a good thing. All it really means is becoming wiser. More beautiful. More at peace.  And I'll take those things along with the wrinkles any day.

Linking up with the Gypsy Mama today! Do it with me! Just write for five minutes and don't worry whether it's just right or not. Okay, I admit it. It might've been six or seven this time, but I had a few thoughts to complete. Have a fun Friday!

Too many Tootsie Rolls

The other day I read a really good Proverbs 31 devotional by Lysa TerKeurst entitled The Slippery Slope. It's about a married woman who fell into a devastating deception that began all because of a little attention paid her by a man she wasn't married to.

It seemed innocent enough at first--just a mild attraction. But one thing led to another as it always does, and before long she was meeting with him in secret. And down the slippery slope she slid.

Lysa writes, "Things being done in secret are an indication of being led by Satan." She talks about how Satan loves to keep us operating in our dark secrets, and about how skilled he is at keeping us blind to what's really going on.

After all, deceiving people is one of the things he does best. And though I'm not married anymore, I definitely get what it's like to be deceived by the wicked one.

I also know all about falling into the trap of too many secrets. A few hours after I read Lysa's devotional, I was sitting in an all-day meeting at work, and there was a bowl of Tootsie Rolls on the table in front of me. I don't even really like Tootsie Rolls (I'd rather splurge on real chocolate), so for the first two hours of the meeting, I did just fine. But then I got bored, and what did I do? I reached for a Tootsie Roll.

Then I got another. And I wrapped the first wrapper up in the second ... you know, to hide that I'd had two Tootsie Rolls. Then I ate another, and wrapped the first two wrappers up inside the third wrapper, just to keep the number private.

And I kept going. And pretty soon, I'd wrapped up so many wrappers inside new wrappers that I ended up with one great big ball of Tootsie Roll wrappers.

Suddenly it was no longer easy to hide that I'd eaten something like nineteen dumb pieces of candy. And I was embarrassed. Ashamed. All I wanted to do was hide the big ball.

And then I thought of the devotion I'd read just that morning, about keeping secrets. I realized that it's not just about hiding the extreme behaviors. I have all sorts of little things I don't want anyone to know about. Eating ... spending ... being lazy ... you know, stuff like that.

So, my lesson in this Tootsie Roll escapade is that if I am doing something that I for any reason feel compelled to hide or keep secret, then I need to question whether I should be doing it or not. So I'm making it my new goal to live a life free of deep, dark secrets.

It's not always about the Tootsie Rolls, as this is one of my less scandalous secrets. But I'm guessing that my new secret-free life will not only help me shed a few extra pounds, but also bring to light many other shameful burdens (big and small) that I tend to carry around. It's strange how freeing the exposure of sin can be. What irony.

Or, maybe it's not so ironic. After all, the light of Jesus has a way of making the prince of darkness look like a fool.

What is normal, anyway?

Over the weekend I saw a mother with her disabled child by her side. I watched her for a moment and noticed how she cheerfully dealt with her business, and it struck me how it was all so normal for her.

I thought about how different her "normal" is from my "normal". I thought about how she has to get her big boy in and out of the car in the 106° heat and bring him inside. I thought of how she has to do that everywhere she goes, all summer long during these miserable, scorching-hot days. 

And she keeps on going, all year long, even in the rain. Even when the temperature drops down into the bitter-cold teens. I wondered ... does she find her circumstances bitter? And would I?

And then I find myself thanking God that I don't know. But if I did, would I be able to accept it? Would I be so cheerful about it?  I do have a child with some mild challenges (I've written a little about him here), and just this week I found myself asking his new PE coach to please watch out for him this year, and to protect him from the bullies and the cruel remarks. 

And as I articulated my request, I cried like a baby. It tears me up to think about others being cruel to him. In fact, it hurts me far more than it bothers him. The other day I asked him if the other kids make fun of him for the way he walks, and he said "I walk normally."

And I praised God because for the most part, he does. He can run and play and think and do his school work. He speaks perfectly and figures things out and is gifted in so many ways. But I could have been that mother I saw over the weekend. Why can my child run and play when hers can't? And why can she accept her "normal", but I don't want to accept mine and I just keep on praying for something different?

And what is "normal", really?

So many things in this life are beyond our understanding. But one thing I know: we cannot see the big picture. We are blind to the endless ways God receives glory through the circumstances we so despise. 

I pray my son will be healed and free of his struggles some day. But maybe God has different plans, and if that's the case, I want to be at peace with it. When we look around and see others bearing life's burdens with joy, I would venture to guess that we can't even fathom the eternal reward waiting for them, if they are Christians. 

So, instead of looking at that person who's worse off than me and whispering "Thank You, Lord that that isn't me", I now resolve to pray differently. 

Now my prayer will be "Please give them strength and sustain them with Your amazing grace. May their eternal reward be infinitely wonderful, beyond anything their earthly minds can imagine." 

Or something to that effect. 

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  2 Cor. 4:17-18 NKJV

#101-120

101. ice cream

102. we're almost totally ready for school to start

103. seeing good friends after the long break

104. God's mercies, and they are new every morning

105. seeing them jump up and down over new shoes

106. laughing over stupid stuff in Target

107. he barks to go outside now

108. getting more organized at work

109. the fun of seeing all the 80s trends coming back around

110. migraine medicine

111. a wonderful message at church

112. those times when my kids hang out together by choice and laugh their heads off

113. the wide array of Tex-Mex restaurants in our area

114. the yard's getting greener all the time

115. she makes the best peanut butter cookies ever

116. how proud they make me when they perform

117. they can open their lockers just fine, even though I worried quite a bit

118. they're about to go to a new school

119. I really do love being a librarian

120. he brought me roses again just because, and they are beautiful. Amen.

5-minute Friday: "New"

{Linking up with The Gypsy Mama today. She challenges us to just write for five minutes without worrying whether it's just right or not. You should try it. It's fun!}

GO.

My favorite thing as a little girl was to get something new. New shoes were the best! New clothes were fun, too. And I'm still amazed at how excited I could get over new fingernail polish or pretty new things to wear and to play with.

But as we grow up, so do our desires. Pretty soon it was a new car I wanted. And a new job. A new house would be nice, too. And a new husband. And of course, a new baby (or several new babies).

Then we get the gospel presented to us and we want a new heart. We learn how Jesus can wash our black ones to white with His precious red blood, and it's all too simple to make sense, but we trust anyway and now here we are with a new heart.

And we see Him working in our lives and we begin to yearn for a deeper kind of new, the new of wanting His heart and His mind. Of loving others with His love and thinking His thoughts and responding with His reactions. It's no longer that gotta-have-it wishing for new shoes or new cars or new careers or husbands or babies.

Now we know that every new thing we ever got is only because He gave it to us, and we're blown away to learn that with Him, the new will never grow old because His mercies are new every morning. His grace lets us start over again and again. His love gives us not just a new heart, but a new life.

He alone makes all things new.

STOP.

Shhh, I'm working!

I've been back to work now for the past week, but yesterday was the first day back for teachers. Trust me when I say you've never heard so much chatter and laughing in your life as one hears at a reunion of a gazillion teachers after summer vacation. My throat literally hurt by the end of the day after all the yacking I did.

The start of school is something I dread and get excited about, all at the same time.  It's always sad to see the end of the summer break, but then being back at work is never as bad as I expect it to be. Seeing my friends is a blast, and I really do love teaching. And I love being a librarian!

So here we go! It's a time for new beginnings. A chance to start over and do things better and more efficiently. An opportunity to venture out and learn about new books and technologies. A time to develop new relationships with a fresh crop of kids and a few new teachers. So as dog-tired as I am already, I'm excited to be going back to school for another round.

Oh, how the years go by. I have two kids in high school, two kids in middle school, and no more kids in elementary. How did that happen? They've gone and grown up on me, and I feel like I'm entering a new season in my life. I'm so proud of the godly people my kids are growing up to be, and I'm so thankful for them. I'm also thankful I still have a job where I get to work with wonderful teachers and awesome kids. I'm just blessed all around.

Lord, help me let go of the old and embrace the new, and help me to trust You as You bring new opportunities into my life. Remind me that I'm working not for just my employer, but for Jesus Himself. May I offer Him my very best, every single day.

But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.' 1 Corinthians 2:9

Arms around me

The old me would've fired back immediately. I would've popped off with something clever to say, something just as hurtful. I can get crafty with my words sometimes, and not always in a sweet way.

But I don't want to be that person anymore. I want the heart of Jesus. I want to respond the way He would. My desire is to forego all the good come-backs that pop up in my mind. So I often have to remind myself what Jesus did when others hurt Him.

Jesus did not retaliate. He simply forgave.

I have a new way to cope with the hurt. I try to imagine myself in the arms of Jesus. Big, strong arms that engulf me and soften the blows of life. I wonder what my offenders would think if they realized they were really hurting Jesus instead of me.

My blameless Savior deserves the pain far less than I do. Yet when I hurt, He hurts. He desires to take all my pain and suffering. In fact, He already has. And somehow the miracle of this makes the hurt easier to bear. Not easy, but easier.

It doesn't take long to learn that the deeper we go into the ministry of Christ, the more the enemy messes with us because we are a threat to him. He's the snaky scum behind many of the hurtful situations that come along in life to trip us up. So as his attacks grow more vicious, we should let it encourage us rather than discourage us.

It comforts me to know that no matter what stunts he pulls, no matter who he uses to get to me, he knows he can't really touch me. He knows Whose arms are around me. He knows Whose blood has covered me. He knows Who my Shield is. 

And this victory makes me smile.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13

#76-#100
76. the arms of Jesus
77. victory over the enemy
78. beautiful music
79. seeing raindrops on the window pane ... yes, RAIN, finally!
80. new friends, and the wisdom they bring to our lives
81. old friends, and the wisdom they've brought--and continue to bring--to our lives
82. school clothes shopping is done!
83. the first week back to work is over and done with
84. the yard is greening back up
85. the Holy Spirit's leading
86. reminders to keep my mouth shut
87. cooler weather (even by a few degrees)
88. really good reads
89. he brought me roses just because
90. enough cans in the cupboard to make good soup
91. Sunday afternoon naps
92. swinging on the porch
93. I finally learned how to set the sprinkler system correctly
94. opportunities to work with excellent musicians, and what I have learned from them
95. new blogging friends
96. encouraging comments
97. reminders to overlook mean comments
98. the strength that comes with each new test in life
99. a good milkshake
100. I found {somewhat} cheap gasoline today and filled 'er up. Amen.

5-minute Friday: "Beauty"

I'm linking up with The Gypsy Mama today for some 5-minute Friday fun!

GO!

It's the one thing every woman wants to be, and it starts when we are toddlers playing dress-up and wanting our mamas to put lipstick on us, too ... wanting our grandmas to let us wear their jewelry or have a squirt of their perfume.

The desire for it takes over during the school years as we learn that the only way to be beautiful is to look like everyone else. If we don't have the right things to wear, then we are ugly. But we don't understand at the time that the doing without is making us prettier on the inside.

And after we're grown, we look back on the girls we thought were the most beautiful, and as we remember their faces, we know that the pain those pretty girls caused us really only made them ugly rather than pretty, and we shake our heads at the irony.

Then as adults who routinely fall short, we've come to know that no matter what we do, say, or look like, our Creator still sees us as beautiful. And by the time the mirror betrays us and begins to show us wrinkles and other things we don't want to see, we've learned that the only real way to let others know we're beautiful is to let them see Jesus in us.

Because the people who radiate His love are the most beautiful people on earth.

STOP.

Gloria Vanderbilts {be still, my 80s heart}

I wanted them so badly, but my parents thought spending crazy amounts of money on designer brands was ridiculous. I was only in the 7th grade, though, and everyone else had them. Everyone. I was the only uncool kid in the school. I didn't have Calvin Kleins or Jordaches, either, but I was willing to bypass those lesser names in pursuit of the ultimate.

Ah, Gloria Vanderbilt designer jeans. The 1983 edition. I salivated just daydreaming of owning a pair. The little handwriting on the back pocket ... the little duck on the front pocket ... being twins with every other girl in school ... so many beautiful benefits! I knew my life would be complete if I could just have them.

My beloved jeans! 1983

So after I saved my money up for half a lifetime, my mom took me uptown to Ann's Dress Shop to make the purchase of the decade. My patient mother must've been sick watching me spend $40-some-odd dollars on something that ridiculous. I can still see her shaking her head in silence as Ann rung me up and I eagerly unwadded my bills. I couldn't get home fast enough. I needed to get those new jeans on ASAP!

I'm sure I wore them every day for a month. I think the back problems I've had in my adult life originated from those jeans because for days I walked around with my torso twisted so I could stare at the embroidered handwriting on my back pocket. Would you believe someone actually snapped a picture of it? That's me to the right, in my Granny's house with my new jeans on. --->

I wish I could remember how long it took for the new to wear off and the buyer's remorse to settle in. It was a whole lot of money to spend on something so frivolous, especially for a junior high kid.

The Lord showed me even then that possessions can't make us happy. Unfortunately, He has to keep on teaching me the same lesson because even as adults we want what everyone else has. And then each new thing we acquire only fuels a desire for more things. This is why buying superficial things to satisfy the yearning of our hearts never works in the long run. One of my friends never lets herself make even a $50-purchase without thinking it over for a day (and praying about it first). I think it's a practice I need to adopt.

I know the Lord loves to bless us abundantly with things we enjoy. But He also wants us to be good stewards of all He's given us, and He longs for us exercise a little self-control now and then and find our treasure in Him.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:19-21

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Romans 12:2

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Matthew 6:33 

For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.  1 John 2:16

By the way, I'm proud to say that today I wouldn't dream of buying my kids a pair of designer jeans. In fact, I despise spending lots of money on apparel of any kind. I have four kids to clothe--sweet, reasonable kids who don't bug me for the equivalent of 1980s Gloria Vanderbilts. We're more just your every-day Target and Old Navy kinda people. :)

It's 109°F outside, but merry Christmas anyway!

I looked into his bedroom the other day, expecting I would have to reprimand him for whatever questionable Netflix movie he was watching this time. But instead, one glance at the screen showed me that he was glued to a scene with characters from Bible times. This intrigued me, so I went in and sat on the bed beside him. He told me it was a movie about Mary.

I immediately recognized the scene from Luke 1. I watched as Mary arrived at the house of Zacharias. I watched her greet her hostess, and I saw how the baby in Elizabeth's barren womb leapt for joy at Mary's presence (really, His presence). I saw Elizabeth be filled with the Holy Spirit and begin to prophecy about the virgin birth. I watched as Joseph stood by Mary's side during a time when unwed pregnant women were subject to being stoned to death.

I watched the birth of John the Baptist, and I saw elderly Zacharias's tears of joy and heard his prayers of thanks once his speech was restored. I saw Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem and reaching the inn just in time for her to give birth. I saw how they were reduced to taking shelter in a barn since there was no room in the inn. I saw the Lord Jesus being born among the animals, and I saw how the shepherds came to worship Him there.

I watched it all, and I cried. Actually, I bawled so much I almost got a headache. The miracle of it all still amazes me, and I'm thankful for the things it brought to mind. I was in need of a reminder ....

... of how desperately I want the same kind of faith Mary had. Of how I want to hear from God the way she did. Of how brave I want to be, even when life is scary.  I remembered how important it is to keep my eyes open to the miracles happening around me, and how thankful I am to be His maidservant, His chosen one. And most of all, I remembered how much I long to please Him.

Lord, please make me a Mary.

#51 - #75

51. old barns
52. shepherds
53. mangers

54. Oak trees
55. pancakes with way too much syrup
56. my Kindle

57. two more days of summer

58. my thriving little white crape myrtle tree

59. school supply shopping is DONE (for the most part)

60. e-books

61. lunch with hilarious friends at Mexican Inn

62. the end of a summer cold

63. friends who know how to fix cars

64. it was his own idea to get a haircut this time

65. the grass is dead, but at least it's not growing!

66. I still have a job

67. he took out the trash without being asked

68. she makes wonderful pancakes

69. time to read

70. time to write

71. the ease of school clothes shopping thanks to standardized dress

72. the neighborhood is finally almost full of homes

73. yummy candles

74. strawberries

75. weeping for joy over the miracle of Christmas, even in the summertime. Amen.

It was just a little card ...

This morning I got a Bible off my shelf--one I used a couple of years ago. I started looking through different notes and cards tucked in between the pages, and I found a Dayspring card that my mom gave me just days after my husband died.

I read it, and I was overwhelmed to think about how true the words have been for me. Back then, words like these were all I had to cling to. But through it all, He has proven Himself more than sufficient in my life.

And still, I cling.

If you are going through a hard time, I pray this speaks to you. I pray He overwhelms you with His goodness today.

When you are the neediest,

He is the Most Sufficient.

When you are completely helpless,

He is the Most Helpful.

When you feel totally dependent,

He is Absolutely Dependable.

When you are the weakest,

He is the Most Able.

When you are the most alone,

He is intimately present.

When you feel you are the least,

He is the Greatest.

When you feel the most useless,

He is preparing you.

When it is the darkest,

He is the only Light you need.

When you feel the least secure,

He is your Rock and Fortress.

When you are the most humble,

He is the Most Gracious.

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory ...." Ephesians 3:20-21, KJV

Amen.

5-Minute Friday: "Whole"

TGIF! It's time for 5-minute Fridays ... where you just write for five minutes without worrying whether it's just right or not (I'm linking up with The Gypsy Mama today). Today's topic is "Whole" ...

GO!

I've noticed lately how the New Testament is full of broken people looking for healing, people looking to be made whole. Isn't the world exactly the same today?

Whole ... {w}hole ... hole.

That hole--we all have it. That yearning, that deep desire for something more.

We try filling the hole with the love of people, with lots of money, with great jobs, with the most coveted possessions and extravagances ... but none of those things can satisfy. None of those things can make us whole. Instead, they leave us feeling empty and still searching.

Only His love can fill that empty void--that hole. Only His love can cover us and flow into the deepest recesses of our hearts and bring healing.

Interesting what a little "w" can do. Thank God that He is my "W" ... my big, beautiful "W"! The "W" that changes everything. Where would I be--where would any of us be--without that "W"?

Only His love can make us whole.

STOP.

Under the weather

It must've been the plane ride home. I don't know how I can go all school-year long being around hundreds of sniffling kids, handling their germy books every day and still not get sick, yet here in the middle of summer I'm sick as a dog. Summer colds ... they're the worst. Ugh.

So I don't really have the energy to write a fascinating blog post today. However, here in my bedroom/infirmary, in the midst of the tissue and orange juice, the Emergen-C and my futile attempts to come up with something good to write about, I've been thinking about the goodness of God ...

... about how He rescued me ... how He chose me ... how He loves me.

Like everyone, I've had bad things happen. But I lament those times when I didn't run to God ... those times when I instead tried to ease the pain with people or things. Today I view those times as wasted chances--missed opportunities that prolonged my quest for true Love and Fulfillment. I often wonder what might've been if I'd done differently. But it's all in the past and I just can't dwell there anymore. I must take those thoughts captive and walk toward what He has for me now.

Maybe you're not like me. Maybe you already get it. Maybe you already get Him. I pray so. But I keep asking myself why I didn't see it all before, and I wonder how many others are like me. He was always there ... He's always been the same ... He's always loved me this much. I just never paid attention. I was never open to seeing Him work in my life--at least not the way I am these days.

So if I had one wish for you, it would be that you'd run to Him now, no matter what's going on around you. I pray that it won't take something earth-shattering, something to bring you to your knees, to open your eyes to the awesome goodness of God. I pray your eyes are open now, so that you can see Him revealing Himself to you in ways you never imagined possible. I pray He astounds you with His comfort, His provision, His mercy, and His protection. I pray He astounds you the way He astounds me.

I also pray you don't get a summer cold. Take care. :)

Appreciating the manna

Why should I keep doing more for them when they don't appreciate what I've already done?

It's a question every parent is bound to ask themselves at one time or another. We want to give our kids the world, and it stings when the sacrifices we make for them go unnoticed. I pondered this as I drove to school one morning during a time when I was feeling particularly unappreciated. I was really stewing about it. I was ready to take away all privileges and extravagances.

But then, I realized something.

Am I not the exact same way? Do I not take for granted all that the Lord has done for me? Do I not hurt Him just as much with my repeated failure to acknowledge the countless blessings He rains down upon me?

It pains me to admit just how ungrateful I am ... I, the one who tends to focus more on what I don't have than what I do ... I, the one who obsesses about the bad in the world to the point that it overshadows all the good ... I, the one who dwells on all that's gone wrong in my life rather than thanking Him for all that is so very right.

I'm sure my attitude must speak volumes, like I'm saying to Him, "What You give me isn't good enough." Like the Israelites, who after a while began to take the miracle of manna for granted, and then eventually grew to despise it. God forgive me.

I have a new favorite book to add to my mile-long list ... One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I've been subscribed to her blog for a while now. I recently had the amazing privilege of hearing her speak, and a question she asked in her message changed my life (as discussed in this post).

In her book she writes about a phenomenal change that took place in her heart after making the decision to keep a gratitude journal listing a thousand blessings. In doing so, she learned to live a life of eucharisteo ... thanking God for all things and in all situations, the way Jesus did. It sounds so simple, but the message reaches way down deep into joy, grace, and fullness of life in Christ. It's a message that changes everything ... because, after all, we are called to live a life of gratitude.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I want phenomenal change in my life, too, so I'm doing like lots of others and I'm making a list, too. Here is installment #1 of who-knows-how-many ... my own list of one thousand blessings ... (quite a few today!) ....

#1-#50

1. dogs that do really cute things
2. dental insurance
3. my new red washer and dryer
4. clouds that look more like real cotton floating in the air than weightless masses of vapor
5. Amazing Grace
6. the privilege of knowing all four of my grandparents
7. my front room, which is really a dining-room-turned-library
8. when my boys hug me tight and refuse to let go
9. seeing my girls cook together
10. sweet tea in a Mason jar ... with lemon!
11. tortilla chips & guacamole
12. Bluebell ice cream (homemade vanilla is the best)
13. trees -- I just love trees!
14. a boyfriend who prays for me
15. lawn mower repair
16. throw pillows
17. daisies
18. a home that looks both pretty and lived-in, all at the same time
19. house plants that refuse to die
20. Netflix
21. fruit smoothies
22. guitar music
23. laughing till my stomach hurts with good friends
24. memories of summers gone by
25. braces
26. a God who showers me with unexpected treats
27. my parents' unconditional love
28. owls
29. my kids' baby pictures 
30. retro lamps
31. Psalm 23
32. ceiling fans
33. fresh paint on walls
34. sprinkler systems
35. whiskey barrels full of flowers
36. porch swings
37. friendly neighbors
38. Pier One
39. Starbucks
40. my Kitchen-aid stand mixer
41. solar lights
42. Google
43. Macs
44. worship
45. memories of laughing at inappropriate times
46. my daughter's driver's license
47. no headache today
48. home, sweet home
49. low-cost spay and neuter clinics
50. summer's not over just yet. Amen.