Choices...

Sometimes a body needs to get away, needs to be refreshed and restored in order to regain perspective.  My daughter's in-laws own a little cabin on a beautiful river,  just under twenty miles inland from the beach.  They generously let us use it this week for four wonderful days away.  

I bought this cup at a stop on the way to the cabin.  It spoke to me.  Too often we let our own circumstances and our own emotions boss us around. We think that happiness and satisfaction in this life will be found once our circumstances calm down, once our prayers are answered the way we think they should be, once the people in our life get their act together, or once we ourselves get our act together.  The truth is that there are some times in our life when we have to grab our emotions by the nape of the neck and make our emotions submit to our will.  We have to choose to be happy in our imperfect here and now. We have to choose to obey the will of God, which is for us to be grateful in all things.  We have to choose to find our satisfaction in the only One Who can truly satisfy us instead of in fallible human beings and the fleeting pleasures of this world. 

This little cup helped to remind me of these things when my weariness caused me to loose my perspective.  I spent our mornings away sipping my coffee out of it and reading my Bible, journaling, and praying as well as soaking the beauty of God's creation into my spirit.  I ended the days sipping my decaf tea in the same spot.  I was able to return home with a new determination to choose gratitude, to choose happiness, to choose to find my satisfaction in God.  

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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 journal.

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

#8473-#8516

5-30-16-

-remembering those who lost their lives for our freedom this Memorial Day

-youngest grandson in his little denim overall shorts

-breakfast out with my daughter, granddaughter and grandson and other friends from church

-laughing and shopping with friends

-my husband and oldest grandson and our Truelife Espanol pastor having a fun day riding the train to Seattle and going to a baseball game

5-31-16-

-a safe trip to the cabin

-a beautiful warm day

-watching the birds soar over the river

-the rustle of the breeze in the trees

-the green of the river

-watermelon sprinkled with a touch of salt

6-1-16-

-it's June!

-morning mist on the river

-a family of geese 

-coffee and Honey Bunches of Oats sitting on the deck

-the hubs tidying up the cabin while have my morning quiet time

-sleeping for ten hours last night!

-Isaiah 61-beauty instead of ashes, oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of heaviness

-an amazing meal out at the Bridgewater restaurant in Florence

-a long walk on the beach

-the perfect ending to this wonderful day

6-2-16-

-the loud hummmmmm of a hummingbird flying by me

-the comfort and promises in God's Word

-praying the Word

-wildflowers in an old bottle from Scotland I bought in the antique store in Florence

-two elk swimming across the river 

-walking on Bastendorff Beach

-texts from our oldest granddaughter

-watching the Father of the Bride movies together

-sleeping so well here

6-3-16-

-fog hovering over the river and covering the mountains

-morning bird song

-a duck family and two geese families on their morning swim

-trying to row the life raft around

6-4-16-

-the hubs stopping at the antique mall on our way home and finding some ironstone bowls

-making plans with the family for Father's Day

-a safe drive home

-thinking a prayer on the drive home, and finding the answer to it when we got home!

-having an air-conditioned home during this hot weather

-going on a walk with my hub's once the weather cooled down a bit

-a beautiful sunset

6-5-16-

-wonderful worship and presence of God

-an encouraging message today

-another great Vision Conversation Lunch

still following,