IF...

This coming Wednesday we will be celebrating our nations 242nd birthday! I imagine that many of you, like me, are planning some sort of gathering with family and friends.

2 Chronicles 7:14 is the scripture Christians post all over social media on every patriotic holiday or national day of prayer. But, I have to ask myself if I'm really doing what it says.  

Am I humbling myself? Honestly, I like to make my opinion known. I like to think my opinion is usually right. I like things to be done my way. I like to think my way of doing things is the right way. I get defensive when someone is critical of something I say or do. I have a long way to go in the humbling myself department. 

Can you see how just this simple act of humbling ourselves would change the political discourse in our nation? What if all of us chose to humble ourselves before God - to submit our own way of thinking and doing things and chose to submit to His ways- WoW! We would probably have nationwide revival!  (Join me for the rest of this post on Sunday, July 1st, at Woman to Woman Ministries where each Sunday I share a bit of Sunday Soul Food!)

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Also happily linking up with the lovely

Susan B. Mead
and

Sunday Scripture Blessings

Friday Faves-Simple Summer Salads

BBQ Chicken Salad

Hip Hip Hurray for the good old summertime!

I'm reposting some simple summer salads for you, 

gathered together here all in one post to make them easily accessible for you.

Chicken Caesar Salad

Quick and Easy Chicken Salad

Oriental Chicken Salad

Spinach Salad with Chicken, Pear, Feta Cheese and Nuts

I love summer meals that are quick and easy to pull together as well as nutritious and delicious!  

I hope you and your family enjoy these simple summer salads.

It's almost FRIDAY, friends!

Have a HAPPY, HAPPY Friday

and

a BLESSED weekend!

        

             

Beach time!

Anyone who knows me or who has read my blog for any length of time knows that I love the sea! It is definitely my happy place. In the past month we've been to the beach on three different occasions.

The first five photos were taken on a day trip to the beach near Fort Stevens, Oregon on a recent day off. This beach is on the northernmost part of the Oregon Coast.

 The wreck of the Peter Iredale is a familiar sight to those familiar with this part of the Oregon Coast.

Our next visit to the coast was with our five oldest grandkids. We visited Heceta Beach near Florence, Oregon. This beach is just a wee bit south of the central Oregon coast.

Our most recent visit to the coast was to the beach near Ocean Park, Washington where the youth group from our church was having a retreat.  This beach is on the southern Washington coast.

I'm already looking forward to the next time we will visit our beautiful coast!

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songography at "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out"

image-in-ing:Variations

http://www.lifenreflection.com

buckaroo mama

peabea

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY at CREATE WITH JOY

Tom the Backroads Traveller

Eucharisteo-Give thanks!

It's been two weeks since my last gratitude post-two weeks full of activities, good times, and, yes, even some hard times. I saw a cute sign the other day that said, "Life Happens. Coffee Helps." I do love my morning coffee and look forward to those two cups I allow myself each day. But coffee has never helped me cope with life, not like giving thanks has. Counting my blessings helps me to see that even on the hard days there's not been one, not a single day, when I couldn't find something to thank God for. Counting my blessings causes me to recognize that I'm surrounded by miracles, like the three grandkids in the photo above-all three are miracle babies after years of infertility. On the hard days, I remember those miracles and believe for the miracles that are yet to come.

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

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)

#10,879-10,942

6-11-18-

-this beautiful day after a weekend of rain

-taking oldest granddaughter out to eat and birthday shopping

-my hub's making me a cup of my favorite mint tea each evening

6-12-18-

-our oldest granddaughter's 15th birthday

-my sister's 66th birthday

-my oldest grandson helping with yard work

-making a four layer red velvet cake for the birthday girl

(This recipe-yum! I doubled the recipe and made four layers.)

-building relational bridges 

6-13-18-

-a drizzly morning that feels like a day at the beach

-a friend coming over for a walk

-my husband rubbing my head when I have a headache

6-14-18-

-an invitation for tea

-oldest grandson falling asleep on our couch

-our 4 year old grandson waving to me and giving me a thumbs up from the stage at his preschool concert

6-15-18-

-coffee in bed

-lunch by the river

-two yellow butterflies flying down the freeway in the lane next to our car

-a walk around the lake

6-16-18-

-remembering my mama and thanking God for her on what would have been her 93rd birthday

-my Abba Father

-resting and trusting and seeing God at work

-a sweet and encouraging friendship

6-17-18-

-God's provision

-God's work in us

-God's work in others

-a safe drive to the cabin with the five oldest grands

-"don't go into the water" turning into an evening swim, clothes and all

-our nine year old granddaughter reading to her four year old cousin

-grace and forgiveness

6-18-18-

-a comfy new queen sized blow up bed

-the grandkids playing in the river from after breakfast to bath time

-cooking a fish caught by my oldest grandson and my six year old granddaughter eating it all up

-tucking the four year old into bed with stories, songs and prayers 

6-19-18-

-grandbaby number seven is on the way-due in January!

-a beautiful day at Heceta Beach

-laughing around the campfire

6-20-18-

-my nine year old granddaughter having the same sense of humor as I do

-a safe trip home

-learning to daily rest, pray and trust God with things I have no control over

6-21-18-

-the first day of summer!

-a bouquet of hydrangeas from our backyard

-my favorite fish tacos for dinner

6-22-18-

-a drizzly morning that cleared up in the afternoon

-the beautiful drive to my sister's 

-a safe trip

6-23-18-

-my brother-in-law's and sister's retirement party from 4+ decades of full time ministry

-snow covered peaks

-mountain lakes

-covered bridges

-safely home

6-24-18-

-God working

-youth camp

-lunch with friends

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