And so I keep counting…

When times get stressful I tend to hunker down.

It isn’t just negative things that are stressful.

Lots of good things, changes happening all at once, can be stressful too.

Happily, my daughter, son–in-law and two grandkids arrived safely in Ghana

and I even got to Skype with them yesterday!  YaY for technology!

Youngest daughter is on the plane right now heading for her short missions trip to Cyprus and Israel.

Suitcases are in our bedroom and are getting packed for our trip to Ghana to speak at a church conference.

We are smack in the middle of our church building project.

All of these are good things, stretching us kind of things, but a bit overwhelming all happening at once.

So, I hunker down, I start needing more of Jesus, more of His Word, more worship,

more of the Rock beneath my feet that never shakes.

My other way of hunkering down?

I nest.

Yesterday, I went on a spring cleaning frenzy.

Kind of ridiculous when I still have a list of more important things to get done before leaving on our trip.

I guess it’s my way of bringing order when things start to feel out of control.

Isn’t it strange, the things our soul runs to for comfort?

My spirit knows to run to Jesus, but my soul seeks comfort in my familiar surroundings.

This gratitude gathering, it’s a choice to follow the way of the spirit instead of the way of the soul.

A choice to see God’s grace gifts, no matter how we are feeling.

And so I keep counting…

**********

I’ve taken the Joy Dare.

I’m counting one thousand thanks in one year.

I hunt for thanksgiving using the prompts Ann gives us each month.

If you are interested in joining in, click the link above or at the bottom of this post.

I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little green journal…

#1764-#1784

3 gifts eaten-

-homemade soup and bread shared with family and friends

-oven roasted veggies with olive oil and sea salt

-fresh strawberries

3 gifts that made me laugh-

-my grandson doing his silly chipmunk voice when we Skyped the night before they left

-silly little blonde, blue eyed granddaughter

-friends being silly

a gift salty-

-roasted almonds with sea salt

a gift sweet-

-my morning smoothie of fruit and greek yogurt

a gift just right-

blueberry lemon pancakes for breakfast on our day off

3 gifts found in His Word-

-the book of Ephesians, God has me reading it over and over, savoring it lately

-I am God’s masterpiece created anew in Christ Jesus to do the good things He planned for me long ago

-because of Christ I can come fearlessly into God’s Presence and be assured of His glad welcome

3 gifts found in women today-

-an offer of help for an upcoming church dinner

-calls, emails, facebook messages, blog comments all saying “I’m praying for you!”

on the day my girl and grandkids left for Ghana

-sisters, daughters, granddaughters

3 gifts spoken-

-I love you

-praying with others

-the Word preached, taught

a gift sung-

-“Jesus, You have won me!”

a gift written-

-a card from an old high school friend

a gift painted-

-the mural in our church prayer center painted by some of the women in our church

 

Gratefully yours,

Elizabeth