21 Days

I'm on a journey. Started it with Michael Hyatt's Personal Life Plan about a year ago. Check it out on his website. A fantastic tool for identifying the important stuff in life and moving forward into success in relationship and other life goals.
Then I joined Hello Mornings and am in the middle of my second early morning Bible Study with them. See their website for great inspiration.
Now there's a book study coming through the same site called "21 Days to A More Disciplined Life" by Crystal Paine. I'm grabbing hold of these opportunities as life it to short to waste it in old habits and ruts. I want the best of what God has for me.
Check it out and be inspired.

#123  For my fan and that air conditioning is coming.

#124  For little Lucy cat, tiny mews, pint sized kitty affection

#125 For His mercy that is new every morning - fresh grace, fresh perspective

#122   For a daughter washing dishes and playing with her brother so I could steal moments in the garden, watering, transplanting enjoying the growing.

#117  For my alarm going off at 5:30am and actually getting up (after a 10 minute snooze). Here I am in the quiet.
#118 For the girls at Grow in Grace who are on this journey together, studying His Word, making better choices.
#119 For my still sleeping family while I'm up in this still place
#120 For the flocks of singers I can hear through my window, raising the morning
#121 For my Savior, who is leading me, saying "Come and See" John 1:39

Continuing Thanks

Pressing on. An early morning rise lavished on me reminders of all we have to thank Him for.

#115 - Songbirds everywhere. Chorus filling my ears and soul before I'd even stepped through the front  
           door.
#116 - For the grace to get up. For the excitement that kept me on the verge of waking through the night.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

I've decided to use this blog to record thankfulness. I've been so inspired by reading Ann Voskamp's Holy Experience and so am starting my own list here.

The journal that I've been gradually gathering gratitude in has served me well, but often sits on a shelf and weeks go by. I have accumulated a list of 108 moments.

I continue on from there:

109 ~ That You give me joy and the determination to give thanks, even when I feel frustration

110 ~ For gentle music ministering

111 ~ For children playing happy in the snow

112 ~ For Abba's heart making mine happy and peaceful in this now

113 ~ For husbands' feet thumping upstairs. Maybe he's feeling better, but if not...

114 ~ For unfailing love, grace, mercy, strength and joy

The day had started with that unexplained tension, tightness through my neck, shallow breathing and discomfort in my chest. I hate anxiety. The shower was hot, soothing and I entered His gates with thanksgiving despite that gnawing feeling, offering it all to the lover of my soul.

A quick bite to eat and off to the store I run as a fundraiser for our school. I love it there, not because I always wanted to run a thrift store, but because I love our Christian school passionately. I love people and I love helping them find a great deal. We have an awesome team of volunteers, people who bring a rainbow of love, diligence and expertise in many different areas. We would not be open but for them.

Part way through the day one of our team came in with her family to shop. She wasn't there five minutes when the phone rang and it was my daughter saying that they're at Chapters and her Dad has passed out.

WHAT?

Other family weren't able to go and help, but this wonderful team member shrugged out of her coat, asked her hubby to take the kids home and said "Of course I'll stay".

I drove to Chapters, praying, wondering and found them all there, attentive staff hovering over my husband, him looking tired.

We came home, leaving the extra vehicle for later.

He went to bed for hours, I went back to work. The kids had pizza and a movie.

I came home by 5:30pm and started making supper. That's when the gratitude started to flow.

I grabbed my journal and started recording the list above. Peace flooded me. It was a slow spread of warmth within, an assurance, a garden oasis in the midst of a frenetic and worrisome day. Gratitude turned it around for me. It was a conscious choice to write stuff down and the fruit was beautiful.

We enter His courts when we give thanks. The song by Alvin Slaughter says " When I praise Your Name, heaven stops to listen..."

It's true.

And so I add one more to my list:

115 ~ for a big furry guy walking up to my chair, quiet meowed greeting and a gentle brush up against me as he goes by. Love wrapped up kitty style. Thank you God.

Harvest Life

The stalks were still succulent, red and sour to the chew, in September.

I needed 12 cups of fruit to make this crisp. Peaches from the store and pears from Nonna's neighbor made 8 and I had 4 more to go, so I went to my backyard garden and started sawing off rhubarb.

I had more than enough to complete the crisp, and it was delicious, a definite hit at our Andrews family reunion.

I had paused, looked at tender shoots bravely pushing through the soil, leaves unfurling as if spring was still birthing. This new growth was surrounded by the blood red remains of the fruit I had cut off. Like fresh wounds these cuts still oozed their juices. Pruning brings both crimson death and life at once. The new life was already there, ready, pushing forth, before the gardener even picked up the knife.