Weekly Gratitude Journal

To be completely honest I should change the title of these blog posts to "Occasional Gratitude Journal." I still write daily in my actual handwritten gratitude journal. Posting it to my blog weekly started back when I began that habit. Ann Voskamp used to have a weekly blog link-up where we shared what we had written in our gratitude journals on Mondays. I wanted to continue doing so even though her weekly link-up stopped years ago. But in the past few years, after I felt the Lord prompt me to prioritize my in real life relationships and responsibilities over my online writing, well, real life has truly preempted my writing on here-yes, because of being busy, but also because once you get out of the habit it's difficult to get back into it on a consistent basis.

I really did have a lot going on the past six or seven weeks since my last post. For the purpose of not making this post too terribly long I'll finish posting February's gratitude journal entries today and then post March's next week-I hope!

In February we had a quick trip to Orange County, California for the dedication of our friend's new church building and the ordination of two other friends. Immediately after that, we had a family reunion with my siblings and their spouses and I prepared and hosted the meals for that at our house. And then immediately after that,(!), I stayed at our oldest daughter's for six days with our two middle granddaughters while my daughter and her husband took a pre-anniversary trip to Hawaii. Add on top of that all of my "normal" responsibilities of full time ministry and you can understand how I got so behind on posting here. With that said, here's the rest of my list of February's blessings!

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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)

#16,656-#16,731

2-6-2023-

-receiving a kind thank you card in the mail

-a nice walk without getting rained on!

-a dear friend's delicious soup recipe for dinner tonight and shared with a young man from church who's here fixing our thermostat

2-7-2023-

-phone calls with my sisters

-the super helpful staff at our local paint store

-a beautiful evening walk

2-8-2023-

-a FaceTime chat with my granddaughter

-a phone call from my oldest brother

-beautiful blue sky with puffy, cumulus clouds

2-9-2023-

-tea, deep conversation and prayer with a young woman from church

-the time to take a walk in a full, busy day

-good teaching and good discussion at tonight's Bible study

2-10-2023-

-videos of our youngest three grandson's via text

-a fun afternoon and evening with our eleven year old granddaughter

-a successful Night to Shine at WCC

2-11-2023-

-a productive day of chores

-flowers from my guy

-and a YUMMM bowl for dinner!

2-12-2023-

-meeting J's parents

-a Super Bowl party with our church family

-watching All Creatures Great and Small with my guy

2-13-2023-

-God's help with notes and plans for tomorrow's meeting

-"I miss you, Nana and Papa" text from our granddaughter

-facetiming our youngest granddaughter

-an evening walk

2-14-2023-

-a sweet card and gift from my guy

-work going better for our granddaughter

-a day at home of baking and worship music

-a text from our oldest grandson

-our five year old grandson singing, "God is Gonna Finish Just What He Started"

-the good work God is doing in the women of our church

2-15-2023-

-our second born granddaughter is 14 today!

-a nice long chat with our oldest granddaughter

-hugs and I love yous from my guy

-a birthday dinner for our granddaughter 

2-16-2023-

-the Holy Spirit praying through me, teaching me, guiding me

-family reunion preparations completed

-help with our yardwork

2-17-2023-

-a 40% off sale on the new pants I needed

-a safe trip to LA

-our friend watching our dog for the weekend

2-18-2023-

-God's care and provision for this trip

-a lovely drive down the PHC to Dana Point

-dinner with my big brother

2-19-2023-

-God's amazing provision for our friend's new church building

-our wonderful CWBN family

-getting to be at our friends' ordinations

2-20-2023-

-breakfast and wonderful conversation with our friends before flying home

-a safe trip home

-our home!

2-21-2023-

-a safe trip for our daughter and grandkids to Asbury

-all of my siblings and spouses together

(me and my siblings)

-communion and prayer together followed by a fun game and lots of laughter

2-22-2023-

-my sister helping me make breakfast

-snow all day long!

-feeding my family

2-23-2023-

-an older couple in our church helping one of our young couples 

who were stranded in the city due to snow

-sharing stories of God's mercy and grace in our family with my siblings

2-24-2023-

-our daugher and son-in-law getting a flight to Hawaii after yesterday's cancellation due to snow

-my oldest brother's words of love and appreciation for our family

-an unexpected gift from my siblings

-roads clear enough for all of my siblings to make it home safely

-my oldest brother able to catch a flight

2-25-2023-

-a nice long phone chat with my granddaughter

-God's promise to finish what He started

-Mt Hood and Mt St Helens with a fresh coat of snow

2-26-2023-

-God's Word to our church

-a happy engagement in our church

-a fun afternoon with our two middle granddaughters

2-27-2023-

-my husband! Today's his birthday!

-talking to my girls on the phone

-a birthday dinner for Papa with our granddaughters

2-28-2023-

-our oldest grandson only needs laser treatments, not more surgery 

(on his facial scars from his accident)

-snowdrop flowers in my backyard

-my Visionary Leadership Team

still following,