More Thanks

25. The Fair!
26. Hot, delicious tomato basil soup
27. A walk in the sunshine
28. The song “Beautiful” by Mercy Me at just the right time
29. Lunch with my friend Diane
30. The way Jessie says “Mag-gie!”
31. The way Jessie says “Mom-my!” when I come home from work
32. The golden light of sunrise on the fields behind the house
33. Cool mornings that signal fall is on the way
34. A sure sign, the sign that a decision was the right one
35. Iced coffee on a hot day
36. Daycare & afterschool care all lined up
37. Mickey Mouse pancakes
38. Taking a lesson learned and doing it again, doing it right
39. Hugs for no reason
40. Jessie singing along to “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”
41. Action songs with Jessie
42. A fired up preacher man
43. Joyfully singing with an open heart
44. A little boy wanting to be just like Daddy
45. Emerging bravery
46. High-pitched joyful giggles
47. Hot coffee on a cool morning  

Slowly, but surely, I’m getting there.  I think I need to step it up to get to 1000 by the end of the year.  I have, however, caught myself saying Thank You for various things as I have quiet time.  The author is getting more into Grace and how to say thank you when things are difficult.  This is definitely a book to read many many times.

Meet Me at the Fair

Maggie & I went to the fair last night.  It was my first time at a State Fair in a long time. I was in high school the last time I went to the South Dakota State Fair, and I think I went to the Colorado State Fair one time in college.  We weren’t in 4-H and none of us were big on rides, so it never seemed worthwhile for the trip.

But the MontanaFair is right down the road.  And we drive by it every. single. day.  Maggie LOVES rides.  She is much braver that I ever was on those rides.  She didn’t even want me to go with her on ANY of them.

Except the Ferris Wheel. That one she held pretty tightly to me on.

We also ran into some friends, so Maggie had a blast going on rides with Caleb, who is just her age and size and only slightly braver than she is.

I so loved watching Maggie’s smiles and joy as she stood excitedly in line.  I’m glad it was “buddy night” so we were able to get a wrist-band pass which allowed her to go on as many rides as her heart desired.  She was tired and thirsty and a little grouchy at the end of the night, but some water and cotton candy perked her up enough to tell dad about the “frog” ride, which was “The most awesome ride EVER!”

I wanted to Thank You

Since starting on my little challenge, this is the song that has been going through my head.  I believe I heard on K-love Radio that he sings “Thank You” over 30 times in this song.  How very appropriate. In less than a week, I have 24 gifts, blessings, reasons to Thank God:

1. Watching “Curious George” with Maggie
2. A kiss before work
3. Toothless grins from my almost 7 year old
4. Little girl giggles
5. Snuggles from my Jessie
6. A husband who still finds me sexy
7. Purple daisies
8. Time in prayer with girl friends
9. Planning surprises
10. The smell of dry erase markers
11. A cancelled obligation & the gift of time
12. Cold, refreshing water
13. A free lunch
14. Early morning snuggles watching cartoons as a family
15. Fresh smell of rain
16. Raindrops causing ripples in the swimming pool
17. Giant sunflowers just starting to bloom
18. Cupcakes baking, smell wafting throughout the house
19. A whispered “I love you,” secret, seemingly stolen in time
20. Jessie saying “Oh pretty!”
21. Popcorn, the timeless snack
22. The smell of sunshine still in Jessie’s hair
23. Splashing water on a hot Sunday afternoon
24. The hint of pink against a leaving storm cloud at sunset

I think I’m off to a good start and will hit my goal in no time!

Thankful

For my birthday, I received 2 books: the first was the Joyce Meyer devotional I mentioned last week, the second was "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. And today, I am compelled to make a commitment to myself based on what I have read this morning.

The devotional was about not letting the little things get to you, as that is how we lose joy each day. Little things can frustrate us, me, in ways the big things can't. And in the book, the author is writing about how to be thankful, grateful, truly in everything. And to be grateful for the big things we, I, must be grateful for the little minute everyday things.So, if I am thankful in the little things, the little things will not sap my joy, but give me joy.

And so today I commit that I will write down the little things I am thankful for each day, with the goal of getting to 1000 before then end of the year. To keep myself honest, each week I will publish the list in the blog.

1000 seems so daunting and easy all at the same time. Can I do it? Can I learn to be truly thankful in all the little things God provides to me each day?

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Birthday Celebration

My heart {and my wine rack!} is full. I am so very blessed!

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Day 14,610

That is the number of days I have been on this earth (obviously this only counts the days that I have been breathing on my own ).  That is approximately 2087 weeks or 350,640 hours or 21,038,400 minutes.  As I look back on those days, hours, minutes, I tend to wonder, what have I done with that time?  I do have to admit that not all of that time was productive.  Many of those hours have been wasted away in various ways.  Perhaps if I had not wasted those hours, I would be in a different place?  Perhaps I would not wonder else can I contribute to society, to work, to my family.

Of course, there are many things I would not change: my faith, my family are at the top.  Everything else is gravy.  And of course, it is never too late to make changes or go on a different path.  As part of my entry into this new decade, I am resolving to turn my focus inward.  I can only control and change me; I cannot control others, only my reaction to them.  My wonderful husband, perhaps in a nudge by God, gave me a yearly devotional book by Joyce Meyer entitled “The Confident Woman,” a devotional I had kind of started online.  On Wednesday, I checked out the daily devotional and felt it was just too timely, what with my birthday only a few days away.  Titled: It’s Not about Age.  I want to remember the parts speaking to me today:

… It really does not matter how old or young a person is.  If God calls someone to do something, and they have the confidence to go forward, nothing can stop them
   How you respond to your age and, for that matter, how others respond is really up to you.  We all age in years, but we don’t have to an “I’m too old” mind-set.  Moses was 80 years old when he left Egypt to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land.  Confident people don’t think about how old they are; they think about what they can accomplish with the time they have left.  Remember confident people are positive and look at what they HAVE, not what they have lost …
      Lord, You used people of all ages throughout the Bible, and You can use me.  Today is a new day (and decade), and I am excited about what You have for me to accomplish!  Amen.

Today is a new day, a new year, a new decade!  I cannot wait to see what is in store for us!