Overwhelmingly blessed...

I can't begin to express my overwhelming gratitude for the blessings of the Lord these past two weeks. He alone knew ahead of time just what I would need and how much I would need it when, some months ago, we were invited by friends to go to Hawaii with them. We've been to many places in this world, but we'd never been to Hawaii before. God didn't just provide an amazing vacation in a beautiful place, but He provided a sweet time of inner healing and refreshing. His presence was real and near and sweet in my morning times with Him. He also provided the right friends to be with us. We had deep heart talks as well as times of fun and laughter...both were good medicine. 

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I'm all about finding the blessings and giving thanks for the little things in everyday life. But, more times than I can count God has done abundantly above and beyond all that I can ask or think. In the past two weeks there was the amazing vacation He gave us, a sweet first birthday celebration for our youngest grandson, a first house purchase for our youngest daughter and her husband and so many other happy blessings. I'm overwhelmingly blessed.

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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)

#10,752-#10,826

5-14-18-

-another almost 90 degree summer-like day

-steak on the grill, corn on the cob, salad for dinner

-reading to my grandson 

5-15-18-

-a beach like drizzly morning

-a pancake breakfast with my grandson

-an apology

-a visit with some of our kids and grandkids to say goodbye before we leave for vacation

-good news on the inspection of the house our kid's are buying

5-16-18-

-a belated Mother's Day lunch with my oldest daughter

 and a good conversation to catch up with each other

-phone calls with friends

-a reminder that laughter is good medicine

5-17-18-

-a safe flight to Hawaii

-palm trees and tropical bird songs

-the fragrance of the flowers in the breeze

-the colors of the sea and the coral reefs seen from the plane

5-18-18-

-a sweet time of prayer and the Bible while sipping good Kona coffee out on the lanai

-going to water aerobics with my friend

-tiny yellow birds

-a drive along the coast and over the mountains to Hilo

-a stream flowing into the sea at the park we stopped at

-answers to prayer for my son-in-law who had a bad gall bladder attack while out of state

5-19-18-

-our second born daughter's birthday

-the message of Jesus preached at the royal wedding

-swimming in the warm sea

-laughing with my friend

-a lazy, relaxing evening-ordering dinner in and going to bed early

5-20-18-

-10+ hours of sleep!

-sweet time with Jesus

-driving to the coffee plantation in the mountains above Kona

-dinner on the waterfront in Kona-yummy fish tacos!

-the color of the waves as they crest-a color blue that there is no word for

5-21-18-

-breezes that smell like plumeria

-God-given insight

-a lazy day by the pool

-fresh pineapple

-macadamia nut ice cream

-a hula school demonstration

-an evening walk after a nice dinner out

-the stars in the night sky

5-22-18-

-pineapple iced tea after a walk in the heat

-a luau-the food-the island music and dancing-so fun!

-dancing with my guy to the Hawaiian wedding song

-God restores my soul

5-23-18-

-our oldest daughter and son-in-law's twentieth anniversary

 and our youngest daughter and son-in-law's third anniversary

-happy news 

-the beautiful Hawaiian waterfalls 

-the black sand beach

-the beautiful sunset at our last dinner in Hawaii before taking the redeye flight home

5-24-18-

-a safe flight home

-my peonies are all abloom!

-home!

-flowers from my guy

-our own bed

5-25-18-

-our youngest grandson's first birthday

-our kids closed on their house

-our whole family, plus friends, at our grandson's party

5-26-18-

-time to write before watching the grandkids overnight

-a sweet friend's help with the grands so I could go to a vow renewal

-making homemade mac and cheese for the grandkids

-a fire in the fire pit and s'mores with the grands and our nephew and his family

5-27-18-

-morning snuggles and baby chatter with our youngest grandson

-new faces at church

-a fun lunch with our granddaughter after church

-the beautiful weather

-peonies on my kitchen counter

still following,