Weekly Gratitude Journal

It's easy to feel overwhelmed with despair as you look at the news. Afghanistan has been taken over by the Taliban, Haiti has had another horrific earthquake, Our cities are full of violence. And the virus that has dominated our news and our lives since March of 2020 is still making headlines and wreaking havoc. If not for elevated sight, if not for looking up to God and looking into His Word daily, I would definitely be in the depths of despair. But, I know that God knows about every detail of it all. He knows about the rise and fall of nations and He knows about the life decisions my kids are trying to make that has me on my knees. Nothing escapes His notice or care. My faith and trust in Him and in His care for us in the midst of life's chaos has been strenghthened by keeping track of all the little ways He cares for me and my needs as well as my wants, In all of the seasons of life these past twelve years that I've been gratitude journaling, in all of the hard times and the good times, He has never failed to care for us affectionately and watchfully. I can trust His leadership in this crazy world.

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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)

#14,759-#14,784

8-9-2021-

-good coffee in my new birthday mug

-God's faithful provision and care for us

-a walk with my guy after dinner

8-10-2021-

-quiet time to prepping for tonight's meeting

-choosing peace and trusting God with my kids and grandkids

-a really good meeting with the women in our church tonight

-a huge fingernail moon in a blue hour sky on my drive home

8-11-2021-

-a little hummingbird flittering outside our kitchen window

-our neighborhood park's shaded walking path on these hot days

-a photo of our two youngest granddaughters together

8-12-2021-

-our church's new satellite school starts today

-air conditioning!

-God's Word-loving our weekly Bible study on the book of Romans

8-13-2021-

-Friday Date Day-and my oldest sister's birthday, too!

-taking two of our grandkids to the splash pad

-dinner out with our youngest daughter and her family

-a ride up the old Oregon City elevator with two of the grandkids

8-14-2021-

-live streaming the prayer room while cleaning

-my guy bringing me home a Yumm bowl for dinner

-ending a busy day reading in bed and munching popcorn 

8-15-2021-

-beautiful Word and work of God in our church

-lunch with friends

-trusting God's leadership in this crazy world

still following,

Weekly Gratitude Journal

Wow! I don't think I've ever missed three weeks in a row of posting my weekly gratitude journal entries before! Life is full and busy and blessed. Our South Carolina son-in-law still does business here in the Pacific Northwest so he and our seven year old grandson were here for ten days. A week later our daughter from S.C. and our seven and one year old grandsons were back here again for our annual grandkid getaway at the little cabin on the Umpqua River, which our youngest daughter's in-laws graciously let us use. On top of all of that, our schedule at the church goes on as normal. And so, three weeks zoomed by without me having the time or gumption to sit down and write a post. Today, I determined to finally do so!

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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)

#14.693-#14,758

7-19-2021-

-a good prayer time in the wee hours before everyone woke up

-fun exploring with my grandson

-our four year old grandson asked Jesus into his heart today!

-hearing my grandson singing "God is so good" while he's playing in the other room

-plans coming together after praying about it

7-20-2021-

-sweet quiet time with Jesus

-God's faithful provision

-a fun afternoon with three of the grandkids at the river

7-21-2021-

-breakfast at La Provence with our son-in-law and grandson before they fly home

-my husband's help

-prayer support for a loved one that's going through a hard time

7-22-2021-

-a day to myself

-a walk while listening to a great sermon

-a super encouraging text

7-23-2021-

-a beautiful Friday date day drive to the beach with my guy

-a long walk on the beach

-laying on the sand relaxing in the sun with a driftwood log as our headrest

7-24-2021-

-God speaking clearly to my husband re. a hurting loved one

-fun/funny texts from our 12 year old granddaughter

-a text from a loved one- "I'm not going to give up."

7-25-2021-

-our secondary leadership team

-bearing one another's burdens in prayer

-going to bed early

7-26-2021-

-already seeing amazing answers to yesterday's prayers!

-people in our church reaching out to a hurting one

-seeing God at work

7-27-2021-

-another answer to prayer!

-praying with a friend over the phone

-dinner at our youngest daughter's

7-28-2021-

-our good friends spending time with our granddaughter

-a testimony that really encouraged me

-our daughter popping by

7-29-2021-

-Thursday prayer/fasting day with the ladies from our church

-our youngest daughter and her family coming over

-cooking and baking done for next week's grandkid getaway

-a fantastic Bible study

7-30-2021-

-a safe drive to our friend's funeral, 

(my husband was honored to conduct the service) 

-getting to comfort and pray with his wife

-my South Carolina daughter and kids here for grandkid getaway

7-31-2021-

-getting to see a photo of my brand new great niece, 

(my oldest brother is a first time grandpa!)

-a rare afternoon nap

-God's good work in our family

8-1-2021-

-worshipping with our church family

-a powerful call to prayer for the 16-25 year olds

-a safe trip to the cabin!

8-2-2021-

-64 years of God's faithfulness

-kayaking with my grandkids

-getting scared when a huge salmon jumped right in front of my kayak as I went by

-my girls cooking me a yummy birthday dinner (and I got to have my favorite-homemade warm berry crisp topped with vanilla ice cream-for my birthday dessert)

-so many birthday messages and texts and FaceTime calls from our two oldest grandkids

8-3-2021-

-morning coffee brought to me by my guy and him telling me I'm beautiful

-my sister and brother-in-law coming to the cabin to see us

-snuggling with my guy in a bed that's too small for us

8-4-2021-

-Papa taking the grandkids fishing

-going to the beach 

-a few minutes of quiet time after everyone else went to bed

8-5-2021-

-another memory filled grandkid getaway in the books!

-worn out grandkids leaning on each each other and snoozing on the drive home

-our daughter ordering dinner delivered so this tired Nana doesn't have to cook

8-6-2021-

-our nephew letting our grandson play all day with day with his cousin

-a summer rain after two months of drought

-Papa taking us to my favorite restaurant before our middle daughter flies home

8-7-2021-

-our daughter and her two littles safely back home

-facetiming our oldest granddaughter

-sweet quiet time with Jesus

8-8-2021-

-a fantastic message on the shield of faith

-planning and praying with the Visionary Leadership team

-a willing volunteer to cover some of my responsibilities during our upcoming vacation

still following,