Weekly Gratitude Journal...

Remodeling, church activities, squeezing in special time with the grandkids when we can - this summer has been full!  I always want summer to be a bit more laid back than the other seasons, but I haven't been very successful so far this year in achieving that. I guess I'd say I may be more busy than I'd like to be at times, but I'm more blessed than I deserve all of the time. And so I continue to count His graces in my life...

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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)

#12,306-#12,327-

7-22-19-

-day one of Vacation Bible School in the books

-an afternoon at the lake with the three middle grands

-a sweet talk with my ten year old granddaughter

7-23-19-

-some quiet time with Jesus before this busy day begins

-new shower doors installed in our remodeled bathroom

-belly laughs

7-24-19-

-my favorite time of the day-morning coffee and time with Jesus

-all of the wonderful volunteers for our VBS

-meeting youngest daughter and our two youngest grands with our two middle granddaughters

at the splash pad 

7-25-19-

-the mechanic saying that our new to us used car was a great deal

-when not so fun errands are finished

-a "day moon" in a cloudless blue summer sky

-a hummingbird "chasing" a large yellow butter on my walk today

7-26-19-

-a fun date day lunch out-Korean tacos, yummm!

-stopping by our daughter's to see the two youngest grands

-watching a favorite show and munching my favorite popcorn with my guy

7-27-19-

-finishing the book of Ezekiel

-going to Chipotle for lunch with a friend

-God's help with a blog post

7-28-19-

-God is building His church

-a sweet spirit and powerful worship

-God sending us relationships

still following,

When you need to reboot...

Dualistic thinking, us versus them thinking which is so prevalent in our culture, is even evident in our choices of cell phones. You are either an iPhone lover or hater. Me, I'm an Apple lover for one reason. Got something glitchy going on with your iPhone or Mac computer or iPad? There's aren't many things that turning it off and then back on again won't solve. The definition of reboot is to restart or revive, to give fresh impetus to. It's sometimes necessary for your smart phone and even more necessary for you and I! 

Continuing with this analogy, just as our phone can get "glitchy" and need to be rebooted in order to start functioning as it should, there are times we can get "glitchy" and need rebooting as well. For example, let's say you're feeling irritable and easily annoyed and generally out of sorts. Rebooting for you could be as easy as getting a good night's sleep or going on a good brisk walk in the outdoors. It's amazing how something as simple as some rest and some exercise can change our perspective.

Sometimes, however, the glitch is more than a physical issue-it's a spiritual one. In my own life, I've often described it like this, when I'm "running smoothly" spiritually, my innermost being feels like butter in God's hands. I can tell that there's no resistance in me to His will and His ways. I'm able to hear His voice in my spirit. I'm able to sense His presence. I'm more loving, kind, patient and giving in my relationships. When I'm spiritually "glitchy" I sense resistance and irritation within myself. I am more easily irritated and annoyed with others. I become more selfish and self-absorbed. Like a smart phone that isn't functioning as it should, I'm not operating at optimal spiritual capacity. I need to reboot.  (Join me for the rest of this post on Sunday, July 28th at Woman to Woman Ministries, where each Sunday I share a bit of Sunday Soul Food!)

still following,

Also happily linking up with:

Sunday Scripture Blessings

Susan B. Mead

Sue Moore Donaldson

Weekly Gratitude Journal...

Vacation Bible School begins at our church this morning. Our two middle grandgirlies will be staying at our house for the next few days so they can attend. Our five year old grandson lives in our city, instead of across the river like his cousins, and he will be attending also. Our oldest two grands will be helping with games and such along with some of the other youth group teens. We have twice our usual number of children attending this year for our V.B.S. so we are excited about that. It's going to be a busy few days but I wanted to pop in here quickly and post my weekly gratitude journal!

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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)

#12,282-#12,305

7-15-19-

-a sweet time in the Word and prayer

-getting things done for VBS

-the new vanity and toilet are installed in our master bathroom remodel

-time with our middle grandson who wants to sing and talk about Jesus with me

-God's provision

-a beautiful walk at sunset

7-16-19-

-more volunteers for our upcoming VBS

-prayers via encouraging texts

-oldest grandson doing yard work for us and hanging out a bit with his Nana

7-17-19-

-a big sale on the custom bathroom blinds we needed

-a creative idea, with God's help, for how to update the jet tub surround

-friends and family to talk to when I'm frustrated about a dishonest plumber I'm having to deal with

7-18-19-

-a good meeting with all of the V.B.S. volunteers

-our bathroom remodel is done! Hallelujah!

-help from our city water bureau and a plumber friend about our plumber problem

7-19-19-

-chips and salsa and mahi-mahi tacos outside at our favorite restaurant by the river

-going to the new Lion King movie with our oldest granddaughter and G.

-talking with my granddaughter about everything from makeup to school to friends....

7-20-19-

-Proverbs 3:5-6 in the Message Bible

-a nice long phone chat with our oldest daughter when she got home from vacation

-oldest granddaughter texting me about some spiritual insights she had

7-21-19-

-freedom in worship

-pastor friends coming to our church while here on vacation

-all of the volunteers who helped us set up for tomorrow's VBS

still following,

Proverbs 3:5-6 - a favorite verse or a daily practice?

Have you ever felt prickly? You know, easily irritated, frustrated, discombobulated, anxious? I assume we all have at one time or the other. What triggers these feelings? I suppose the causes vary from person to person. For me, having to live in mess and chaos such as during a move or remodel, money struggles, too much busyness and not enough peace and quiet, relational misunderstandings, injustices...these can trigger me to become prickly and irritated.

I've had almost all of those triggers in the past two weeks-remodeling, a lot of busyness, some unexpected plumbing expenses related to our remodel, and an injustice involving the plumber we hired. I've, indeed, had some prickly emotions happening!  (Join me for the rest of this post on Sunday, July 21st at Woman to Woman Ministries, where each Sunday I share a bit of Sunday Soul Food!)

still following,

Also happily linking up with:

Sunday Scripture Blessings

Susan B. Mead

Sue Moore Donaldson

Weekly Gratitude Journal...

Going to make this short and sweet since I've got a list of things to do today in order to be ready for next week's Vacation Bible School at our church. Here at home we're still in remodel mode on our master bathroom but it's coming along nicely and I'm loving it! Happily, this morning we have a brand new working toilet in our master bathroom and the new vanity is being installed as we speak! Tomorrow a plumber is coming to install the new faucet on our spa tub and after that the grout can be finished on the tile around it and the shiplap surround under it installed. Then we are just down to installing the new shower faucet and shower doors when they come in and it will all be done, except for the new blinds that are being ordered. Hip Hip Hurray! It seems like this summer is zooming by and has been full and busy. I'd love a slow and lazy August!

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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)

#12,261-#12,281

7-8-19-

-the beginning of our long awaited and saved for master bathroom remodel

-a nice long walk with two of my grandgirlies

-and a fun swim at the Y!

7-9-19-

-a friend's help with a simple repair

-God answers prayer!

-a quiet evening together

7-10-19-

-encouraging progress on the bathroom

-a visit with G.

-homemade meatloaf

7-11-19-

-God's provision

-a field of summer wildflowers

-communion-powerful worship-praying for one another

7-12-19-

-the adventure of taking our two year old grandson for a haircut

-a long walk with him

-trusting God when trials come

7-13-19-

-a friend helping my husband with selling my car and buying something different

-the gift of help when I had an awful migraine

-a good book to read

7-14-19-

-a needed shift in my attitude with God's gracious help and forgiveness

-my migraine gone!

-God who keeps working and never gives up on us!

still following,

The Transcendent One...

Quite some time ago, on a Sunday morning I heard God speak these words to my heart. "You must keep your eyes on the Transcendent One in order to transcend." I had a generic understanding of what He was saying, I needed to keep my eyes on Jesus instead of my circumstances.But when I got out my iPhone, right there in church, and looked up the dictionary definitions of the words transcend and transcendent, it gave me a lot more insight.

transcend-to rise above or go beyond the limits of

-to rise above or extend notably beyond ordinary limits

transcendent-exceeding usual limits

-beyond the limits of ordinary experience

-beyond the limits of all possible experience and knowledge

-beyond comprehension

-transcending the universe or material existence

(Join me for the rest of this post on Sunday, July 14th at Woman to Woman Ministries,where each Sunday I share a bit of Sunday Soul Food!)

still following,

Also happily linking up with:

Sunday Scripture Blessings

Susan B. Mead

Sue Moore Donaldson

Weekly Gratitude Journal...

Our master bathroom remodel started yesterday! It's the last room in our house to get a makeover - to shed it's 1992 tile and flooring with it's pink and blue accents and huge oak vanity and come into 2019! On top of that, I had two sweet grandgirlies all day yesterday and overnight, so I'm a day late posting my gratitude journal. Life is full and sometimes messier than I'd like. (Currently our bedroom is full of everything that used to belong in the bathroom.) Change is messy, isn't it? Even the changes that God makes in our lives don't come without a measure of mess and upheaval. But, oh, how lovely and worth it is it going to be when our bathroom remodel is done. Even more so, how lovely and worth is it when we grow and change and become a wee bit more like Jesus! I thank God for the temporary mess in my house because of the beauty that is coming. And, I'm thankful for any discomfort and mess that comes when I let Jesus do some rebuilding in me. Have Your way, Jesus!

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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)

#12,239-#12,260

Thank You, Father God, for ...

7-1-19-

-the first day of July!

-two tired grandsons napping at our house

-God's faithful provision

7-2-19-

-a day trip to the beach

-yummy clam chowder

-a walk by the sea

7-3-19-

-an encouraging conversation

-laughing with my daughter

-talking to my granddaughters on the phone

-a beautiful evening walk

7-4-19-

-our country's 243rd birthday

-a delicious BBQ at our nephew's

-fireworks and s'mores at our house with our family

7-5-19-

-a good book to read

-a slow lazy morning

-a fun evening with the two oldest grands

7-6-19-

-ALL of God's Word

-my "baby" brother's 60th birthday!

-homemade ice cream and good conversation with friends who stopped by

7-7-19-

-laughing at my own mistakes

-our church's annual BBQ and homemade ice cream contest

-someone asking to be water baptized

still following,

Live Free!-Part Two.

In last week's post I shared a wee bit about a season in my life which began my pursuit of living in greater spiritual freedom. I choose those words more carefully this week, as I hope I didn't give the impression when I wrote that I'm living free that I never struggle. What I want to make clear is that when I shifted my focus, (with God's help!), from being a victim and blaming other people and outward circumstances for my unhappiness and instead focused on the things in my life that I could change, much greater freedom resulted. I had a request, via Facebook, for some more details about my pursuit of freedom mentioned in last week's post. So this week, I decided to share a part two.

The summer I turned fifty I went to the beach by myself overnight.  I knew there were some things twisted up inside my heart that could only be straightened out with a good long talk with God while I walked by the sea.  My heart was full of unforgiveness and bitterness towards others and about circumstances in my life that I was unhappy about.  I can take you to the exact spot on the beach where God spoke to my heart these words, "Quit focusing on others and circumstances that you can't change but instead change the things you can. Build your life!" With those words came the realization there were plenty of things that I had the power to change.  (Join me for the rest of this post on Sunday, July 7th at Woman to Woman Ministries, where each Sunday I share a bit of Sunday Soul Food!)

still following,

Also happily linking up with:

Sunday Scripture Blessings

Susan B. Mead

Sue Moore Donaldson