FIVE THOUSAND! (and still counting...)

Our son-in-law is on a mission's trip, so my husband preached this morning at his church, while our staff pastor of Truelife Espanol preached at our church. When we pulled into the parking lot of the school where Hope City meets on Sundays, our two little granddaughters ran out to greet us in sweet little blue and white seersucker dresses, their white saltwater sandals slapping on the sidewalk. Our five year old grandgirlie's freshly trimmed hair flew out behind her, golden silk. The two year old's never-been-cut hair was up in a little top knot bun, and her dress had already been decorated with a smear of pink marker on the bodice. What a joy to be there with our daughter and the people dear to our heart that helped to plant the church from our church, and what a blessing to see the many faces of those who have found Christ at H.C. 

This afternoon I gave myself permission do nothing but rest after a little touch of some sort of bug yesterday that left me feeling tired. I curled up on the bed in our room, the only room in the house with air conditioning, on this very warm day. I pulled a favorite book off the shelf, one I've read at least two or three times before. Immediately the author's words pulled me into the story.  It's been way too long since I've read a book purely for pleasure.  A warm, happy feeling of pure relaxation and enjoyment soon turned into sleepiness, resulting in a long Sunday afternoon nap.  I can't remember the last time I took a nap.  It was wonderful.

Five thousand blessings have been recorded in my journal as of this week. This November it will be five years that I've been counting.  It's in counting and recording my thanks to God that I began to notice the beauty and blessing in what might otherwise pass by like just another ordinary day.  Now, I know that there are no ordinary days, that each one has a unique beauty of its own.  Each one contains blessings to notice, blessings to count.  Just like today.

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

Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.

 I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

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

#4992-#5020

8-4-14-

-a fun afternoon getting together with a friend

-us both agreeing on our favorite lunch spot 

-an idea for a Christmas gift

8-5-14-

-our five year old granddaughter calling me about having a sleepover at our house

-a fun time playing with her at the river

-her collecting rocks and sticks in a basket, saying she's going to give them to her other nana for a present

-her being so excited to pick and eat the first cucumber from our garden

-watching the old Ramona videos with her that our girls watched when they were young

8-6-14-

-my five thousandth thanks

-making pancakes with my granddaughter

-taking her to Costco and her gobbling up most of a hot dog, 

then making a root beer float from her vanilla frozen yogurt

-helping her find the stuffed animal octopus hidden at Trader Joe's

-her getting the lollipop for finding the octopus, but being too embarrassed to let them ring the bell

-buying some Trader Joe's dahlias

-her face lighting up when she was telling her mama all about our sleepover

-meeting a sweet Christian family that is relatively new to our neighborhood on my run

8-7-14-

-such richness in today's devotions

-watching my youngest grandson while his mama got a haircut and while I got some work done at the church office

-a really wonderful worship and prayer time at the church tonight

-youngest daughter coming over before leaving for Nicaragua tomorrow with the team from Hope City

8-8-14-

-our two oldest grandkids getting touched by God at camp and getting safely home today

-a fun evening with friends

8-9-14-

-a text from our youngest saying that they arrived in Nicaragua safely

-eating our own home grown zucchini, grilled

-my sister-in-law and brother-in-law coming to town and spending the night

8-10-14-

-going to Hope City today

-our two youngest granddaughters running out to greet us in their cute dresses

-good reports about our church service

-a rare Sunday afternoon nap

gratefully yours,