Beautiful Gifts

As a mom I feel very blessed by the beautiful gifts of my children. I was given 4 children with very unique personalities and they constantly amaze me. I could fill a list of 1000 gifts just in them alone. One aspect of these personalities is the ability to just be silly for the simple purpose of laughing even if it is just laughing at themselves. This is one thing I could never do even as a kid...I didn't like "feeling silly" or like someone was laughing AT me. Obviously this is not something that Austyn has ever considered......she is quite comfortable being SILLY! And I adore her for it!!

 

--silly hats!

--ability to make others laugh

--confidence

--cool-er evenings

--sounds of summer

--cicadas

Dare I say "vintage" barbies were discovered in our 'need to move to storage' pile. I laughed out loud listening to the 3 big kids play with my old barbie. I answered many "mom what is THIS" questions and I'm kinda embarrassed to say the answer was "its a tube top" more than a few times. I'm a child of the 70s...what'd ya do???  

 

--busy days

--football practice

--using my degree

--marketing

--Popsicles in the pool

Thankful

Today I'm thankful for a lot!
--bruised ribs
--boy time
--quality time with my beautiful little ladies
--tree covered country roads
--pampering my girls
--pedicures in the kitchen

--yellow, teal and lime green toe nails
--dinner with good friends
--uneventful swimming time
--local people being kind to people they don't know to honor the memory of a beautiful little boy

Book One.Thousand. Gifts

"I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves one above the other and that the taller we grew in Christian character the easier we should reach them. I find now that God's gifts are on shelves one beneath the other and it is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower and that we have to bow down, always down, to get His best gifts." F.B. Meyer quoted in the book One Thousand Gifts

John 3:30
He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less

Still struggling with actually putting what I'm reading and learning into action....but I'm working on it.

Thankful today for.....
Ice Packs
classic Disney movies
church challenges
diving in deeper....and learning something
good news on facebook
play dates

One.Thousand.Gifts

--Grandma's cookies

--Small reminders of where my roots began

--holding hands
--Guitar lessons
--patient teachers willing to increase their love of music
--sunshine
--cartoons in the van
--gravel roads
--quick chats with a good friend
--evening dances in the pool
--family time
--empty laundry basket and full closet
--watering flowers with my son
--watching his facination with how everything works
--his love of hugs
--ice cream
--the littlest one making the big ones belly laugh
--hanging pictures



One.Thousand.Gifts

God's subtle reminders to listen

One.Thousand.Gifts

Live In Handyman

God's Sprinkler System (and Air conditioner)

Inspired

So I was recently inspired by a very dear friend from HS.....and as my usual....it didn't last long! After a conversation with my best friend in the world, after a lot of prayer and many church services I think maybe its time to listen. I seriously need to re-evaluate my life, my existence and what makes me happy. In short....I need to be more content with where I am and just be happy because the alternative is, well it is not fun. Someone recently pointed out that God had me just where HE wanted me at this particular time in my life and although I may not (and probably will not ever) understand why He is doing what it is that He is doing and I need to shut up and listen! By and funny turn of events that I believe was totally a "god thing" for lack of a better way to describe it, we have moved (yes again) into a beautiful home. We are still renting and for those of you that are keeping count, in 14 years of marriage this will make our 12th move. I'd like to think that one of these days we will in fact actually purchase a home which would mean another move but for now I'm happy in this "old farm house". We live on land and though it isn't ours per say its beautiful to look at. It has the feel of being out in the middle of no where yet we are only a couple minutes from town and whatever we would need. There is a pool out here too which is so nice, a little intimidating at first but I think we have already gotten used to it.

Ok so back to my inspiration......a few months back my very dear friend started posting these exquisite photos and all the titles said one.thousand.gifts. So it intrigued me to say the least. I found out that it is a book she was reading about (in a small nutshell) being happy where you are. Sort of a "bloom where you are planted" type thing. (haha thanks pastor Spencer...that was what you told us in church this week).

So between reading about the book http://onethousandgifts.com/the-book , seeing the beautiful photos Chanda has been taking and getting a deeper glimpse into her heart, attending church and listening and trying to practice what I've been learning each week and several conversations with Ty, I've decided I need to read this book and not just the website about it AND I need to be more thankful with what I have and less impatient because I don't have what I want yet.

So to begin my one.thousand.gifts and what I am thankful for today....

A man that I can call my best friend...and mean it...that walks, not in front of or behind, but right beside me through the good and the bad, the wonderful and the scary. He never waivers in his love for me or his love for his God and the need to serve Him. And for all of that I am truly thankful.