One Thousand Gifts (204-212)

I have been reading A Holy Experience (Ann Voskamp's blog) for a year. Every Monday Ann adds to her list of One Thousand Gifts and today I'm adding to my list too.

I have been re-reading the book One Thousand Gifts.

On June 8th my (former) Bible Study group has asked me to speak about how the book has changed and improved my life and my faith. Initially, I thought I would explain what the book is about yet have come to the conclusion that I cannot verbally do it justice. I've made a hand-out with Ann Voskamp's blog address and will encourage them to visit her blog before purchasing her book. I'll tell them of my journey so far living eucharisteo and how some days I am more successful than others. After all, I am a work in progress.

I'm hoping some will be interested in meeting later this summer to discuss their thoughts about the book and living on the foundation of eucharisteo. They are demographically diverse and I always learn a lot from them.

#204 - #212 on my list of One Thousand Gifts. I'm thankful for:


204. the opportunity to be in fellowship with my Bible Study buddies, and for them choosing an evening since I now work full time

205. forgiveness. God forgiving me and my forgiving others.

206. freedom through grace and forgiveness

207. neighbors talking on the patio after a long week of work heading into the Memorial Day weekend

208. conversation with increasing family. A few hours of pool time, warm sun, burgers and hotdogs with all the fixin's

209. attending church with our daughter

210. living in the United States of America

211. the men and women who have served and are serving in our military

212. quietly celebrating Memorial Day this year

Please visit A Holy Experience: Multitudes On Mondays, One Thousand Gifts.

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Read, enjoy, and thank God for His blessings.

One Thousand Gifts (196-203)

I have been reading A Holy Experience (Ann Voskamp's blog) for a year. Every Monday Ann adds to her list of One Thousand Gifts and today I'm adding to my list too.

This past week was different for me because Wonderful Husband was going to a conference in Florida for four days. It has been years since he traveled monthly in his job and if I stretch my memory it has probably been 4 years since we've traveled anywhere separately.

The funny part is that the day before he left, the light bulb over the kitchen sink burned out. We have nine foot ceilings and if it would have burned out after he left...I would have been in the dark until he returned. Then came the bug in the bathroom situation where he was home to squash it for me. He is my hero! I may have married him for his height and protective nature. ;)

I do believe in God's perfect timing. There were no light bulb or bug incidents while Wonderful Husband was gone.

I noticed while he was gone how many seemingly small things he does on a daily basis that I hadn't really noticed before (you'll see what I mean below). And although you might think that sugar or chocolate is my Love Language, I think I fit squarely in the category of Acts of Service.

My husband is well named in this blog, he is a wonderful husband!

#196 - #203 on my list of One Thousand Gifts. I'm thankful for:

196. my husband who makes the bed according to our marriage rule - last one up makes the bed. (I wish I could have taken a picture of my face while he was at the conference. I went to take my shower, exited the bathroom afterwards, and noticed the bed wasn't made, then realized that I was the last one up. Duh!:)

197. my husband who brings the newspaper in every morning

198. my husband who takes out the trash twice a week

199. my husband who brings the mail in every night

200. my husband who calls me and tells me that he misses me

201. my husband who brought me new re-usable bags (swag) from the conference. Hooray!

202. celebrating Wonderful Husband's 60th birthday and him reassuring me that 50 is a great age from his point of view. (I don't get to bemoan my age since he's 10 years older! Ha!)

203. God who blessed me with my husband. 28 years and counting. Thank you Lord!

Please visit A Holy Experience: Multitudes On Mondays, One Thousand Gifts.

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Read, enjoy, and thank God for His blessings.

Perfect

For years I have joked with my kids about how I am perfect.

After all, I'm their mom and I wouldn't exaggerate or anything. Ha!

I mean they've lived with me for years. They've seen me lose my temper, lose my car keys, (half-way) lose my mind, and watched me walk into a room and try to remember what I'm looking for or what I wanted to say. (And let me just point out, it was going to be brilliant and inspiring.)

A couple years ago (maybe more) I was out and about with our daughter and pulled the van in to a gas station for a fill-up. I was in the process of sticking my head out the window to see if the van was positioned close to the gas pump and the attendant walked up so I asked, "Is this good?"

And he said, "You're perfect."

I whipped my head around to look at my daughter and said, "Did you hear what he said?!?"

Picture her eyes that were already rolling....

"He said I am perfect!"

He had made my day, month, ok years, since I've always looked my husband or kids in their eyes and pointed out that the "gas station guy" said I am perfect.

Yes, I'm known for "beating a dead horse" with pointing out that I am perfect.

Fast forward to my follow-up meeting with my orthodontist yesterday. The previous appointment had involved a lot of pictures, panoramic x-rays, taking a mold of my teeth and of course his visual assessment of my crooked teeth, etc.

To begin this appointment of the Recommended Orthodontic Treatment, I was told (multiple times) that I "have PERFECT skeletal jaw alignment."

Did you notice the word PERFECT up there?

I'll wait if you wish to re-read it.

I'll even bask in my excitement a bit more.

Ok. Moving on...

Braces are in my future. Think about it, I just turned 50 years old and I will have braces.

But when I left the orthodonist's office, I couldn't wait to call my family to tell them...

I AM PERFECT!

I couldn't see their faces, but I know their eyes were rolling and they were thinking...

Here we go again.

One Thousand Gifts (178-195)

I have been reading A Holy Experience (Ann Voskamp's blog) for a year. Every Monday Ann adds to her list of One Thousand Gifts and today I'm adding to my list too.

This past week marked two celebrations. The first was our niece, Julie, graduated from university. Hooray! The second was I turned 50 years old. Another year wiser! Booyah!

I should have brought my camera to work to take a picture of my crowded desk. They really took their gift giving to a newly turned 50 year old very seriously! Ha!

Gifts from my co-workers.


We went out for lunch to a yummy Italian restaurant and there was chocolate cake afterwards. It was a wonderful day at work!

Wonderful Husband and our daughter were home when I arrived and surprise...they were hungry. I wasn't, so I sent WH out to pick up dinner for the two of them and then shared leftover chocolate cake.


#178 - #195 on my list of One Thousand Gifts. I'm thankful for:

178. our niece, Julie, graduating from Coastal Carolina University. She worked hard and finished strong.

179. my 50 years of life. God is good.

180. happy tears after reading my birthday card from Wonderful Husband

181. the people I work with, they are very kind and love to party

182. birthday cards and Facebook greetings from family and friends

183. my family

184. my friends

185. breakfast for lunch with our daughter and her boyfriend and he was kind enough to treat

186. a start date for our daughter's summer job

187. cool nights, sunny days with cool breezes, and low humidity

188. spring in Pennsylvania

189. Terri's analysis of her job interview

190. prom season for our local high schools

191. May and the abundance of birthdays (7 family members, 1 friend, 1 co-worker)

192. Floss sharing her challenging past which brought her to Christ

193. a tickled funny-bone after hearing, "It's the Alps, there's a lot of places to hide," on Dateline NBC

194. Wonderful Husband being my financial planner...hello 401k plan (again)

195. Psalm 101:6a says, "I will search for faithful people to be my companions." I believe that God has surrounded me with faithful people and I am blessed with their presence and companionship

Please visit A Holy Experience: Multitudes On Mondays, One Thousand Gifts.

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Read, enjoy, and thank God for His blessings.

One Thousand Gifts (165-177)

I have been reading A Holy Experience (Ann Voskamp's blog) for a year. Every Monday Ann adds to her list of One Thousand Gifts and today I'm adding to my list too.

Yesterday was Mother's Day and my traditional gift of geraniums. I feast my eyes on their beauty and color. Their arrival indicates that Spring is here and it is "legal" to plant outdoors in my area of Pennsylvania, where it should not go below freezing from Mother's Day until the Fall.

Hello Spring!

It is great to see you again!

#165 - #177 on my list of One Thousand Gifts. I'm thankful for:

165. my mom who raised me well (even though I was a bit of challenge...shhhh don't tell my kids)

166. my mother-in-law who raised a great son and who I think is the best mother-in-law ever

167. our daughter who has the adventure of motherhood ahead (anticipated arrival in November)

168. my Mother's Day geraniums

169. a Mother's Day visit from our daughter

170. a Mother's Day phone call from our son

171. my Bible Study buddies' prayers, emails, and cards

172. Charlotte and shared conversation over breakfast on Saturday

173. Carol complimenting my appearance and I loved that my eyebrows were included! lol

174. a beautiful rainbow and the reminder of God's covenant with Noah and his descendants that never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life on earth (Genesis 9:12-16)

175. a medium, vanilla, soft-serve ice cream cone from DQ

176. the intense color of green grass and leaves on the trees, that is almost so green that it makes my eyes hurt

177. turtles migrating (safely) across the road

Please visit A Holy Experience: Multitudes On Mondays, One Thousand Gifts.

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Read, enjoy, and thank God for His blessings.

Mother's Day 2011

Today is Mother's Day and the blogging world has been writing about: motherhood or the lack of motherhood, their mom dying or living, how wonderful their mother is or was...or how awful.

This year (I think for the first time) my mother is celebrating Mother's Day at my brother and sister-in-law's home. I'm sure in Texas there will be bbq involved during a celebratory lunch or dinner. I mailed her Mother's Day card well in advance so it will arrive ahead of time. I try to be an appreciative and prompt daughter. :)

Wonderful Husband's mother (and father) are on a road trip. They've traveled to our son's town and saw him coach a track meet, took him to dinner, saw his apartment, and went to a hotel to rest up for their drive to South Carolina. On Saturday, they saw Julie (their granddaughter, our niece) graduate from Coastal Carolina University. (Way to go Julie!) They'll travel father south to spend a couple days in Charleston then return home next week. I mailed my mother-in-law's Mother's Day card and it will be waiting for her return.

My Mother's Day will be different because this is the first year that neither of our "kids" live in our home. Heck, our son lives out of state! So the annual tradition of my receiving geraniums from "the kids" for Mother's Day will be delivered by one, yet deeply appreciated "child". Isn't she the lucky one to live local?

Mother's Day geraniums 2011

Another change this year is that our daughter is pregnant and although the baby is due to arrive in November, I think of today as being our daughter's first Mother's Day. It will probably be her most quiet and peace-filled Mother's Day too. Ha!

During this time of being focused on the blessings in my life, I am thankful for:
my mom who raised me well (even though I was a bit of challenge...shhhh don't tell my kids),
my mother-in-law who raised a great son and who I think is the best mother-in-law ever,
and for our daughter who has the adventure of motherhood ahead of her and has me looking forward to November.

Happy Mother's Day!

One Thousand Gifts (153-164)

I have been reading A Holy Experience (Ann Voskamp's blog) for a year. Every Monday Ann adds to her list of One Thousand Gifts and today I'm adding to my list too.

Life has been difficult lately. My "worry meter" has been on overdrive and when that happens, my food intake lacks healthy choices, my treadmill is still, and my attitude is in the dumps.

#153 - #164 on my list of One Thousand Gifts. I'm thankful for:

153. the Monday opportunity to add to my list of One Thousand Gifts because it's true that when I focus my mind on what I'm thankful for, my heart follows

154. pear tree blossoms soaring through the air like confetti

155. our son taking a Praxis test at a local (to him) university

156. our daughter getting a summer job

157. Wonderful Husband loading Quicken onto our daughter's computer

158. talk about budgeting

159. a dream born...to be a part of a flash mob dance...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KX2-J6uS-o

160. Ann putting the above video on her blog

161. the people of Second Baptist Church in Houston, TX and sharing their joy of Christ on the internet

162. the sun shining through the window on my face while sitting in a coffe shop

163. the beauty of Princess Catherine's wedding dress and the happiness of she and Prince William's wedding

164. laying out in the sun for the first time this season

Please visit A Holy Experience: Multitudes On Mondays, One Thousand Gifts.

Turn on your speakers.

Read, enjoy, and thank God for His blessings.