White barns and other blessings...

 I look at the journal with my gratitude list in it and I realize it's just the tip of the iceberg.

I miss so much.

 Either I forget to notice or I forget to write down the blessings all around me.

It's when I was adding photos to this post that I noticed this picture, and thought,

I should have thanked Him for the white barn.

The barn is on the way to the field where we picked blueberries on that heaven-kissed day we had this week.

I'm thankful that oldest daughter was the one driving so I could crank the shutter speed up on my camera and capture the barn as we drove by.

So, I'm thanking Him here and now for the old white barn in the grassy field against the cloudless blue sky and all the myriads of other blessings that I zoom right past without noticing.

***************

In 2012 I followed the prompts in Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare in counting my thanks.

In 2013 I'm going back to the way I did it in the beginning,

just noticing and recording the many extraordinary blessings in my ordinary life.

And so I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

(and capturing some of them via my camera or iPhone)

#3532-3556

7-8-13-

-devotions out on the patio

-gathering lavender from our flowerbeds for drying 

-(the store was oh, so crowded and a bit frustrating), but thank You God for grocery stores, readily available food and Your provision to buy it

-a friend from church helping change our flat tire

-four year old granddaughter's Jesus chant that she made up

( I wish I could upload the video here, but I couldn't get it to work...

suffice it to say that it went something like this, 'He's strong, He's mighty, He's very, very brave.  We love Him, We love Him, We really, really love Him. " and ended with Cha!Cha!Cha!

I think Jesus liked it very much.)

7-9-13-

-waking up and seeing the first glimpse of the pinky-peach sunrise out the window

-picking blueberries with all four grandkids and my two oldest daughters

-followed by a swim

-Papa bringing the grands Wendy's frosties and salty french fries 

-a delicious spinach salad with chicken, pear, feta, and pine nuts for our dinner

7-10-13-

-being a listening ear for a friend going through some stress

-Papa and four year old granddaughter having a fun day together so her Mama could pack for vacation

7-11-13-

-only grandson asking to do chores for us so he can earn $10 to buy a fish

-a fun, (and delicious), wedding rehearsal and dinner

-the Stewart family reunion

7-12-13-

-taking the grandkids to breakfast to meet Papa's relatives

-a short, but much needed, nap

-a wonderful wedding for a young man we've known since he was a boy

7-13-13-

-the feeling after I've finished my housework and run

-a friend at church helping set up our fellowship hall for our family reunion dinner

-devotions out in the sun

-a great reunion dinner and visit with the Hub's aunties and cousins

7-14-13-

-having the Hub's family in church

-a great message on relationships

-texting with friends 

gratefully yours,