Grateful for another year...

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 
John 1:16

One year ago I made it my goal to notice what I have instead of what I don't have.
One year ago I began to look for the blessings that surround me every day.
One year ago I set out to be thankful... 1,000 times.

895. Sunday afternoon naps
901. My children, here, now
924. Having tea in a friend's kitchen
927. Eternal hope
928. Teenage boys being silly
937. A creek to explore
949. Surprise visitors from China
953. A new baseball team with new friends we haven't met yet
957. Digging deep in God's word
968. Warm towels from the dryer
970. Watching a movie at the Byrd theater
973. Planning a trip
977.Open doors and open windows
981. A family game of four-square
985. Walking and talking
989. Sunrise Easter services
991. Footprints in the sand
993.Cashiers who cover 13 cents when two boys are short on cash
995. The greeter at Walmart who calls out, "Bye love!" in a Scottish accent
996. Getting rid of stuff we don't need
998. Talking about Heaven
1,000. Counting my blessings

I am thankful that I have way more than 1,000 things to be thankful for!



What are you thankful for today?

Still thankful after all these months...

I am pressing on to finish my list of 1,000 things I'm thankful for before my birthday in April.   I hope you are still working on your lists.

802. Touch screen Coke machines (if you haven't seen one yet, they are SO cool)
805. Popcorn with milk duds (these taste best when eaten at the movie theater)
806. Free refills at Chic Fil A (I especially love the lady who comes to my table and gets my cup and brings it back full)
810. A sunrise on the beach

816. A song leader who takes requests
821. Laughing so hard your stomach hurts (doesn't happen often enough)
827. Planning a party
830. A blanket of darkness covering our sleep (so thankful that God turns out the lights and says "Rest")
831. Feeling lonely and friendless and wanting to go "home" (I hate it when I feel this way, but I try to be thankful because it reminds me that this world is not my home and it forces me reach out to different people.)
835. Milk and Twinkies at midnight

837. God with us (an amazing thought!)
847. Kids big enough to help (and especially a daughter who will do dishes for as long as she has music to sing to)
848. A new mom at Mom's In Prayer (love this group of women who get together each Friday to pray for their  kids)
849. Praying for Audra's future husband and his parents (Did you know that you can do that????)
850. Father/daughter dances

852. Clean water from the tap (so easy I take it for granted)
854. A de-cluttered closet
857. Remembering to slow down
858. My first time to make a chicken pot pie

861. An invitation to have coffee--even though I don't drink coffee
863. Learning something new
877. Snuggling on the couch between Richard and Will
880. Lemonade stands in February

882. A future and a hope
885. A chocolate cherry fudge cake waiting for company (If you are feeling lonely, invite someone over for dinner.)
887. Butterfly bananas

Christmas Thanksgivings

One of the best things I've done this year is start a list of 1,000 things I'm thankful for.   Here are a few things from my list this month...

The smell of fresh cut Christmas trees

Christmas lights reflected in the window

Making gingerbread houses with friends

Drinking hot chocolate and watching "Elf" outside with the neighbors

A daddy/daughter dance date

A Baylor Heisman winner who gives credit to God

Moms who pray for their kids' teachers and then take them cookies

Having a cup of tea at the Jefferson Hotel while watching Audra sing

Watching Will and his friends sing Christmas carols at the Jingle Bell Run

Boys sleeping under the Christmas tree

Ice skating outside

Celebrating 18 years of marriage

722. A crisp, quiet morning

723. A cup of tea and my Bible

728. God's grace measured in proportion to my need

731. A shoulder to cry on

741. Un-rushed family dinners

744. Package deliveries

745. A date with my daughter

749. Reading a book by the fire

750. Flannel sheets

752. Someone saving me a seat 

753. A new friend who dreamed we were moving--and cried!

756. Christmas cards in the mail

758. Pumpkin bread ready to be delivered to the neighbors

760. Finding the perfect gift

761. Sharing the comfort I've received

768. Having tea in a friend's kitchen

770. Frosted sugar cookies

780. Newborn baby bundles

788. Seeing someone I know when I'm out Christmas shopping

791. Dinner by the fireplace

794. Arms full of Christmas goodies from friends at church

I have so many good things to be thankful for!  

But last week I put something on the list that wasn't so good, but I was trying to "Give thanks in all things."  

767. A broken retainer

I didn't feel like giving thanks for that, but I did out of obedience.  ("I don't know why, but thank you Lord for broken retainers.") 

 Somehow Will's retainer was on the floor and somehow Richard stepped on it.  We had just been to the orthodontist the day before.  I was not happy with how Will's teeth were looking and I did not want to spend $200 for a new retainer.  I was grumpy, grouchy, and not happy or thankful, but I gave thanks anyway.  Hmpff!  A couple of days later I took Will back to the orthodontist to get fitted for a new retainer.  I was getting my teeth cleaned on the other side of the building so I left him in the waiting area with a note for the doctor.  In the note I might possibly have mentioned that when I first saw Will after he got his braces off I thought he was wearing "those fake teeth you wear at Halloween," but I said it in a very nice way and I signed it "weary mother of three kids with braces".  After reading the note, the doctor came and found me and thanked me for writing it and telling him what I was thinking.  He assured me that this was only the first phase of Will's treatment and that his teeth would look better when it's all over (in a few years).  Then he said that he looked at the broken retainer  pieces I had included with the note and that it shouldn't have broken like that.  (You mean Richard should be able to step on them?)  He said this new retainer would be "on him".  Whoo-hoo!!!! 

  I gave thanks for a not-good thing and God changed it into a blessing.  Does that always happen?  Well, I don't always get free retainers, but I do think that if we thank God for the good things AND the bad things, we will always be blessed.

Merry CHRISTmas!!!!!

Giving Thanks

I can't let you feel sorry for me thinking I was sad all weekend.  Thursday was a perfect Thanksgiving Day. It was full of food, friends, and laughter.  

It started the day before.  I was thankful for all of the help I received.  It was so much fun to get ready for the big day.  Well, I had fun.  It doesn't look like Audra was having too much fun.

A couple of early birds :-)  

Even though I put the turkey in the refrigerator on Saturday, it was still frozen on the inside.  Richard saved the day and helped me get it in the oven in time. 

I know some of you make "real" deal, but one year my sister was in the hospital on Thanksgiving Day (because she broke her leg skydiving) and the rest of us went to a friends house for dinner.  Later, when we took my sister a plate of food, she burst out crying because there wasn't any canned cranberry sauce.  It's been a family tradition ever since.

It's not enough just to be thankful.  It's important to know who to thank.  Everyone had a verse to share.

I even invited a friend for Buttons.  I just forgot to tell Richard.  Putting a male and a female bunny together was both entertaining and educational.

I love having a table full of people!

After dinner it was time for Thanksgiving tattoos.

Audra gave me a butterfly.

Don't worry, it's just temporary!

See the girl in the bottom left of this photo?  That's Letha.  I was her teacher for two years in Kisumu, Kenya.  Now she is a grown-up and I'm a grown-up so we are the same age--weird how that happens!

This is what was left of the pecan/chocolate chip pie that Jacob made.  I didn't get a picture of Audra's oreo pie, but it was good too.

I am thankful for such a good day.

Pizza and Cucumbers

The last time I wrote about my Eucharisteo(Thanksgiving) list, I was at number 271.  Today I am at 610.  How about you?  Are you still finding things to be thankful for?  Sometimes it's hard to think of new things.  After I hit 500, I found that I was repeating myself.  I guess there are some things in life that I really love!  Richard said that he started repeating himself after the first six things.  He wrote down me and the kids and our house and our parents and then got stuck.  I told him that there were at least 100 things to be thankful for about me alone and that he just needed to try harder!  Smile.
If you are having trouble seeing what there is to be thankful for, here's a few from my list that might spur you on to think of your own...

273. Driving with the sunroof open and singing
276.  When everything is ready for company to come
281.  Sonic ice
287.  A table full of teenagers
292.  Running into friends at Target
301.  Friends to pray with
305.  Pizza and cucumbers
310.  New recipes
329.  Running through sprinklers
332.  Special Olympians
338.  A sister with a boat
344.  Christians in Congress
351.  Being missed
357.  Kisses in the elevator
363.  Pregnant bellies
375. The high/low game
376.  Sittie's spaghetti
392.  Finding out I can resist fresh baked chocolate chip cookies
396.  Listening to Will tell me about his day
407. Squeaky clean dishes
414.  Laughing in a crowded theater
428.  Generous lemonade stand customers
431.  Using our guest room for guests
458.  An innocent daughter
468.  A new friend on FB
477.  People who wave when they drive by

Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.  1 Samuel 12:24

Eucharisteo: to give thanks; to rejoice

Back in April I started my journal of 1,000 gifts.  It's my Eucharisteo journal--giving thanks to God for what he has given me.  I've named 271 so far...

47. People who adopt orphans
51. Sharing an earbud with my son; sharing his world
57. Real mail in the mailbox
68. Wagging dog tails
81. Father/Son camping trips
83. Wild strawberries among the weeds
100. Butterflies
108. Ginormous bowls of popcorn
129. Early morning walks
133. Teenagers who say thank you
143. Bunnies who want to be held
151. Iced tea mixed with lemonade
167. Clean sinks
184. A peaceful home
186. A husband who loves me
212. Strangers who say hello
215. Dinner parties
224. Roller coasters at night
231. A permanent address (only thought of this one after spending a day with the homeless)
236. Good night kisses
245. A child in my lap
267. Looking in libraries
269. Having a hand to hold

I hope my list will encourage you to notice the gifts God has given you.  Perhaps you haven't recognized the things around you as gifts.  Acts 14:16 says that God has not left us without evidence of himself and his goodness.  For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.  God has put things around us that reveal himself and his goodness--things like rain, food, and joyful hearts (and baby ducks, BFF's, and birthdays).  In John 17:7 Jesus says that everything he has is a gift from God.  In order to live life with a grateful heart, you have to recognize the gifts you have.

in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:18)

Raindrops on skylights

Do we truly stumble so blind that we must be affronted with blinding magnificence for our blurry soul-sight to recognize grandeur?

So says Ann Voskamp in her book One Thousand Gifts.  Do we save our thanks and praise for moments of magnificence and grandeur?  Does it take a mountain top experience to see God?  Isn't the  God who made Niagara Falls, the Swiss Alps, and the Grand Canyon the same one who made the geraniums by your front door, the sunrise over the 7-11, and the cool of the water rushing over your skin in the neighborhood pool?  Do you have the time and the eyes to see His hand where you are today? Now?

The only place we need to see before we die is this place of seeing God, here and now.

I have started looking.  I have started noticing.  I have started giving thanks. If I continue to name three things each day, I should reach one thousand by my next birthday.
Some are good things,
1. the sound of raindrops on the skylight in the middle of the night,
4. a new contact on my phone,
9. open windows,
14. eating outside.
Some are not-so-good,
37. an "A" scratched on the side of my car  reminds me that Anna lived,
38. dirty socks on the floor remind me that Jacob, Audra, and Will still live,
39. forgotten homework, flutes, and lunches--another chance to say 'I love you' when I take them to their owners.
Giving thanks in all things.

Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives.  Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our YES! to His grace.

Try it.
Slow down.
Look around you.
Give thanks.
Start with  three and let me know in the comment section what they are.

"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." (Psalm 50:23)