To read back through them is like looking at a snapshot of my life, filled with gifts, most of which would have otherwise gone unnoticed. And I find myself asking, "Is my life really this amazing?" I submit that it is. We miss so much wonder and grace in our frenzied lives.
So here is to the practice of Eucharisteo! "All is grace."
10/23/12
1. The morning quiet before the kids and the sun are up.
10/24/12
2. Beautiful words
10/25/12
3. Autumn on the Ranch
10/26/12
4. Watching kids excel
5. Flocks of birds descending like a blanket on the Ranch in the fall
6. A horse, painted with the word "Hope"
7. Strong coffee
10/29/12
8. Rocking chairs and a baby snugged up against my neck into that place where they fit so perfectly
9. A husband who works harder than anyone I know
10. Quiet
11. Worn pages in my Bible
10/30/12
12. Any night with more than 3 hours of sleep.
13. Jubilee!
14. The first crisp, clean morning that actually smells like winter
15. Blustery days
16. Fuzzy socks
17. Home grown tomatoes on my window sill
18. Crochet
19. Seeing a deer in the woods outside my kitchen window
20. A cup of coffee at nap time.
10/31/12
21. Horses outside my picture window
22. Sunrises where shades of pink and purple and blue fade into each other so that you can't tell where one ends and the next one begins.
23. When the kids are nice to each other. . .and me, in the morning.
24. Silas's belly laugh
25. Kierra's creativity with her wardrobe
26. Listening to Brennen play the drums
27. Pansies that don't midn the cold
28. The funny way kids mispronounce words
29. Steve taking Silas on an errand so that I can have a break
11/01/12
30. Cold hands cupped around a hot cup of coffee
31. The rhythm of the seasons
32. Grandparent's unmatched joy at everything grandkids do
33. Friends who challenge me to know Him more
34. That moment where I finally relinquish control
35. Listening to my kids sing and play worship music in their rooms after they come from school.
11/2/12
36. Chili's chips and salsa
37. Any meal shared with friends
38. Silas saying, "Nom nom nom" while holding his cereal cup up to me
39. Bare trees that signify the coming rest that winter brings for me
40. Interacting with your daughter on Twitter
11/4/12
41. The end of Daylight Savings Time. Hello extra hour!
42. My favorite, worn-to-tatters shoes.
43. Afghans from my Mamma
44. A fresh page in a brand new notebook or journal
45. The sense of anticipation and discovery when I am about to start a new book.
46. Turning on to a narrow, winding road nearly suffocated with trees
11/6/12
47. The word that can save me - PLANTED in my heart and taking root.
48. A country where my voice matters and I am free to worship the King of Kings openly and boldly.
49. Orzo!
50. A barn full of enough hay to feed the horses through the winter.
51. Blessing my kids by surprising them with a clean room
52. Authors like Jen Hatmaker and Shane Claiborne who challenge the way we look at everything
11/7/12
53. That it doesn't matter who is president because Jesus is still King.
54. That my kids have fun to be around, Jesus loving friends.
55. Walking in from the cold to ta toasty warm house
56. A home from which to be hospitable
57. Green tea and honey
58. Finding a leak that means Stephen will no longer have to haul water every day
11/8/12
59. How peanut butter and apples are perfect together
60. Wooden fences and wagon wheels
61. Packages in the mail
62. A thick blanket on my lap
63. Gilmore Girls
64. Discovering the perfect yarn for a project
65. Homemade peanut butter granola
66. Blankets that smell like fabric softener, fresh out of the dryer, warm and begging to be wrapped up in
67. Days when I feel all domestic-like.
68. Cookie dough - oh why are you so good?
69. Cheese curds. Yup.
11/9/12
70. Date Nights
71. Pinspiration that is the catalyst for a new idea or project
72. Wide open spaces after the fields are taken down in the fall
73. Fall decorations made from nature. Bundles of cornstalks, hay bales, Indian corn, pumpkins and gourds
"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter every day epiphanies, those transcendent moment of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." Sarah Ban Breathnach
74. Garage sales, thrift stores and antique malls - oh the love of the hunt!
75. Firewood stacked up high next to the fireplace in anticipation of a cold night.
76. Watching Si practice his little, drunken walk toward Brennen
11/11/97
77. The incredible man of faith I see Brennen turning into
78 Bonfires with friends and food and worship music
79. Fresh eyes to see
80. Sunday mornings when everyone sleeps in and I get just a little longer with my coffee.
81. Beans and cups that make a better toy than anything I could buy at the store.
82. New friends whose story you are only beginning to know
83. Big, comfy hoodies! Did I really wait until number 83 to write this?
84. James 1-3, written on my heart. Planted in me. Saving me! Have to get those last 2!
11/13/12
85. Getting coffee in a glass mug at a coffee shop
86. Decisions finally made
87. Nature's canvas
88. An afternoon at Panera
89. Course call of a blue jay
90. Beth Moore.
91. When the Spirit causes a Scripture or the way it relates to another verse - or the whole rest of the Bible, come into sharp focus in a way it never has before.
92. The nostalgia and joy of looking through old photos
93. The way a sight or smell or sound can bring a forgotten memory back vivid and strong.
11/14/12
94. Ranch dressing
95. The way Si holds his hands up in the and shrugs and says, "Oh?!" For "Where did it go?!"
96. Worries that draw me to prayer.
97. Family suppers! The older and busier the kids get the harder these are to come by and the more I cherish them.
98. Woodpeckers with their bright red heads, skipping up and down the trees outside the kitchen window
99. Adoption and the picture it is of how the Lord has grafted us in and made us heirs with Christ. Unfathomable.
100. Kids who are generous and care more about using all we have been given to serve the least than they do about having the latest and greatest.
11/15/12
101. Mornings frosted white
102. That even when our well runs dry, fresh water is readily available to us
103, Dogs who kill giant rats and leave them in the middle of the back yard for me to step on. I know that somehow this is a gift.
104. Apple shreds
11/16/12
105. Someone likes my crochet washrags enough to buy them at Urban Sassafrass!
11/17/12
106. Snuggling into my favorite spot on the couch before anyone else is up with a cup of coffee and a big fluffy blanket
107. When Steve does Si's bath
108. When my son makes and unselfish decision
11/18/12
109. Dogs who run pouncing to the gate to say, "Hello!"
11/18/12
110. Cooking for friends
111. Wicker baskets
112. Friends and family who share. We have needed to buy so little for Si since he was born, thanks to the generosity of friends and family with stuff their little ones have outgrown or no longer need.
113. Soup - delicious, homemade soup on a cool, fall day.
11/21/12
114. The soft glow of a street lamp beneath thick fog
115. Watching the sky slowly lighten and the form of trees and horses taking shape in the soft dark just before the sun comes up.
116. Seeing a kids face break into an irrepressible grin. . .and that grin tumbling into laughter when they trot on a horse for the first time.
117. Anticipation. . . of any kind! I just think it is the best emotion ever invented. Hope, joy, imagination, excitement, all wrapped into one feeling.
11/26/12
118. Road trip with my awesome daughter
120. Staying the night in a hotel.
121. American Pickers and Storage Wars marathon
122. The whole crazy family at Mom's!
123. Watching my incredible daughter turn into an adult right in front of my face.
123. Coming home after a trip away
124. THE FIRST SNOW!!!
11/27/12
125. Watching a movie, snuggled up on the couch with my family
11/29/12
126. People who inspire me to dream
127. A husband who desires to glorify God above all else in his life.
129. College visits with K
130. The feeling of nostalgia as we drove into Chicago - both a little sad and a little happy
131. Feeling so proud of my kids it makes my chest hurt
132. A bare tree filled with birds
133. Unexpected words of encouragement
134. Flash mobs - seriously cool. Want to be part of one some day!
135. Doing something that scares me and pushes me and the growth that accompanies this
12/3/12
136. Beth Moore Bible studies that kick my butt and drag me deep into the word.
137. Delicious irony
12/15/12
138. A husband who takes care of me when I'm sick.
139. The intricate pattern of branches on bare trees
140. Eating out!
12/6/12
141. That each sunrise and sunset is as unique as a snowflake. They just never get old.
142. A winter day warm enough to go to the zoo
12/7/12
143. The brilliant colors of a peacock
144. A heart, tender enough to be broken
145. Bonus rotisserie chicken!
146. Watching Si and his dad wrestle
12/8/12
147. Baking Christmas cookies with my family
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| Silas's contribution |
149. Michael Buble singing Christmas songs on my Spotify
150. Rose (DCFS Class)
151. The comfort and familiar of tradition
152. The word 'Family' on my living room wall
153. Fat baby cheeks
154. A sincere apology
155. Looking for the perfect Christmas tree
157. Garland
12/11/12
158. Reading by the light of the Christmas tree
159. That Si is such a Daddy's boy, even though that means I have to put up with crying every time Stephen leaves.
160. Settlers of Catan
161. The insanity of God allowing me to participate in His plans - ones that shape eternity
162. Grandparents who love to babysit
163. The perfect Sharpie pen
164. Some 'fruit' in my life that is so completely other than me that it can only be the Spirit!
165. Having conversations about theology and culture and the heart of Christ with my son. Is there ANYTHING better?
166. Medicine
167. Access to endless recipes on the internet! Hello bacon, chicken orzo!
12/12/12
168. Settlers of Catan - even when I lose
169. Homemade chicken stock bubbling on the stove
170. A tree full of ornaments collected over the years and countless cries of "oooooh! Remember this one?" as we are hanging them on the tree
12/17/12
171. When my son, who has far more sophissticated taste in music than me, shares music with me on Spotify
172. S.N.O.W.
173. Finishing a project
1/4/13
174. Christmas lights
175. A facebook page filled with birthday wishes
1/5/13
176. Cinnamon Dolce lattes
177. A husband who takes over all the responsibilities to let me take time to get alone with the Lord
178. The beauty of the lake, half frozen and littered with geese, and heron and those cute, little, waddley black duck type birds
179. A daughter who desires to serve God even in dark places
180. Amazing lyrics
181. The exhilaration of a walk on a crisp day
182. The first time Si says a new word, usually discernible more for the inflection of his voice than that he is actually pronouncing the word.
183. His smug little smile at all the control he has over us when we try absolutely everything to get him to say it again
184. A husband who takes over so that I can spend as much time as necessary taking care of my momma
185. Finishing an unpleasant task
186. Mercy that is new every morning
187. The perfect gift - one that is personalized and oh-so thoughtful!
188. Snuggling up and watching a movie on the laptop with K.
189. A church community that does life together
191. Divine weapons that have the power to demolish strongholds
192. A gift of 4 precious hours
193. Watching the day fade into dusk
1/14/13
194. Watching Miss America with K and our running commentary. . .sarcasm is a gift
195. Seeing my kids respond with maturity to disappointment
196. The learning of patience through a testing toddler
197. Freezing rain that makes every twig, leaf, and blade of grass look as though it has been encased in glass. Beautiful.
198. Room time
199. Godly examples
200. Difficult moments that later make hysterical stories. Guess this is called perspective.
201. Not having to make difficult decisions alone.
202. Watching Brennen play the drums for praise team
203. Gifts used in service
1/16/13
204. When K and I are in a goofy mood at the same time. I can guarantee this would NOT be on Stephen's or Brennen's gratitude list.
205. Dinner out with all 4 of my siblings
206. Sushi
207. When my mom makes me dinner
208. A great hair day
209. Hobby Lobby's amazing 1/2 off sales
210. Lunch with a friend I haven't seen in way too long
1/22/13
211. Horses with thick, fuzzy, winter coats
212. Show choir concerts
213. Road trips through the country
11/23/13
214. Silas scribbles
215. Laughing with girlfriends
216. Standing on a warm heat vent with bare feet
217. A clean house
11/24/13
218. Humprey's Grocery and Meat Market
219. Finding a hot wing recipe that Brennen loved
1/30/13
220. Chinese food with the fam
221. When Brennen says, "You want to go thrift shopping today, mom?"
222. Much needed rain
 |
| So happy to need these for chores! |
1/31/13
223. Visits from friends
224. Listening to Si sing and play in his bed when he is supposed to be napping
226. A husband who is great at problem solving
3/24/13
226. 6 kiddos - all sleeping soundly
227. Weakness that reveals His strength in my life
228. A kitchen table stuffed full with people at supper time.
229. Uncertainty that reminds me to abandon all control to the only One who had it all in the first place.
230. Weird weather! Who doesn't love a snow ball fight on a 50 degree day, made possible only by the 17 inch, late spring snow storm?
231. Girlfriends who pray you through meltdowns
232. Wisdom that was obviously not my own
233. Sharing your heart with someone who really gets it!
234. Hope
235. Watching Silas line up his blocks in a precise little line
4-8-13
236. Riding alone in the car with the worship music cranked
237. Beautiful spring mornings with the windows open - making housework so much less of a chore
238. That "Aaaaahhh" moment of silence once the kids are out the door for school.
239. Laughing so hard that you're not sure any more if you are laughing or crying.
240. Kids looking half terrified/half elated as they careen down a 200 foot zipline.
241. Peonies just starting to push through the earth, and the appearance of Herons heralding Spring!
242. Phone calls from friends just checking to make sure your sanity is still intact.
243. A good cry when you really need one.
244. My dishwasher!
245. Spring rain to make the grass seed grow.
5-1-13
246. Flowers pushing through the ground and the anticipation of the coming color
247. Days warm enough to bathe horses
248. Big, giant Afros!
249. Flip Flops
250. Josie Gwin's breakfast burritos. . .happiness inside of a tortilla.
251. That a person I am lucky enough to see once a year can remain one of my dearest friends
252. Watching a horse choose a child
253. The Ranch, full of running, yelling, laughing, playing kids again each Spring
8-19-13
254. Sending my daughter to college with great sadness, but not fear because I know the amazing woman she is in Christ!
255. A rainbow of living color under my roof.
256. Braided leather
257. The smell of the barn. This is not wierd.
258. Small victories
259. The sweet smell of Si's head after his hair is washed
260. Ho tea on a sore throat
261. The fascinating way language develops in kids
262. Worship in a stadium with 1000 other women
263. Bare Feet
264. Quality sarcasm.
8-23-13
265. People who genuinely love my kids
266. Amazing staff and volunteers
267. Rare August days cool enough to require a sweatshirt
268. Seeing Si running to greet the kids when I pick them up from school
269. Surprises!
270. Days with no homework
9-13-13
271. First colors of fall - Blue skies and green-gold corn fields
273. Mercies that are new every morning
10-16-13
274. The first fire of fall in my fireplace
275. Moments of connection
276. Carving pumpkins on a gorgeous fall night
277. Kierra coming home for a visit and seeing this amazing woman where my little girl used to be
278. A husband who serves
279. Miraculous faith in a dear friend's life. The display of His splendor.
280. Manequins that help me learn to corn row like a boss!
281. Opportunities to persevere
282. The peace of obedience ot the point of abandon
283. Francis Chan
284. New opportunities
285. Mamma's afghans
286. Selfless volunteer
287. Crossing things off of my to do list
288. Glimpses of normalcy after a season of upheaval, change, and chaos
289. Ciona's ability to make us all laugh. That girl is just funny!
290. The way the birds all take off and move together in flight as they flock in autumn
10-17-13
291. My mom's wedding band - found with a metal detector in the back yard after being lost for TWENTY YEARS!!! And her gifting it to me.
292. Exploring!
293. Dogs that are best friends
294. A big bowl of brightly colored fruit
10-18-13
295. Heartland Marathons
296. Familiarity
297. Answered prayer
298. Circles of yellow leaves spread on bright green grass under shedding branches
10-21-13
299. A new Fair Trade store in Springfield!
300. Being trusted to keep a secret.
301. A sense of accomplishment
302. Mom's spaetzle and beef tips. No one makes gravy like that woman!
303. A day home in p.j.'s
304. The smell of cut wood
305. Purpose
306. Tim Keller
11/15/13
307. Watching the
kids experience something for the first time.
308. Forgiveness and
second chances
309. Easy friendships
310. Struggles that
cause me to press into Jesus
311.
Blogs
11/19/13
312. A free load of
firewood
313. Finishing a long
procrastinated project
314. Finding the
perfect words
315. The joy,
triumph, sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of memorizing an entire book of Scripture . . .one year in the
making
316. A 10 year old
boy, a fantastic imagination, and Spider Man, Iron Man, Captain America, and
Hulk figurines.
317. Bare feet in front of the fire on a cold night
11/20/13
318. A dwindling 'to
do' stack
319. The anticipation
of K coming home for a visit
11/21/13
320. God's
sovereignty
12/15/13
329. Giant horses and bitty kids
330. Christmas traditions
331. Faces and fingers smeared with homemade icing.
332. A homemade pot of anything on the stove in the winter
333. The annual tree hunt.
334. Bundled kids
1/5/13
335. The way Si calls the Minions from "Despicable Me" Minions "Mimis"
336. Words from friends that penetrate my heart and build me up in Christ.
337. Margo, Edith and Agnes.
338. Advent
339. The coziness of being home with nowhere to go during a snow storm.
340. A new fair trade store in Springfield!
341. Their Sumatra blend coffee.
342. How Si backs up to Charlie and plops down hard in his lap because he wants to snuggle
343. Snow. On my birthday.
January. January is the last time I added to this list. Almost a year. Choosing gratitude in every moment. . .why is this such a challenge?! Well, at least this will be as easy as pie...plenty to write about when it's been almost a year.
11/30/14
344. Gratitude refreshed
345. A house full of community
346. Nostalgia - man the older I get the more common this emotion becomes!
371. Fiction worth indulging in
11/27/13
321. The way babies
sleep all sprawled out
322. Working from
home in front of the fireplace
323. That McDonald's
adds the cream and sugar to the coffee for me
324. Unexpected
adventures through Chicago with K.
325. Village.
Discount. Outlet. If you don't know what
this is, I am SO sorry.
326. Teachers who
brag on your kids.
327. Teachers who
still love on and invest in your kids
even when they are struggling.
328. Wooden spoons12/15/13
329. Giant horses and bitty kids
330. Christmas traditions
331. Faces and fingers smeared with homemade icing.
332. A homemade pot of anything on the stove in the winter
333. The annual tree hunt.
334. Bundled kids
1/5/13
335. The way Si calls the Minions from "Despicable Me" Minions "Mimis"
336. Words from friends that penetrate my heart and build me up in Christ.
337. Margo, Edith and Agnes.
338. Advent
339. The coziness of being home with nowhere to go during a snow storm.
340. A new fair trade store in Springfield!
341. Their Sumatra blend coffee.
342. How Si backs up to Charlie and plops down hard in his lap because he wants to snuggle
343. Snow. On my birthday.
January. January is the last time I added to this list. Almost a year. Choosing gratitude in every moment. . .why is this such a challenge?! Well, at least this will be as easy as pie...plenty to write about when it's been almost a year.
11/30/14
344. Gratitude refreshed
345. A house full of community
346. Nostalgia - man the older I get the more common this emotion becomes!
347. An incredible Ranch staff and Board of Directors
348. Clean Scans
349. Moments of perspective that allow me to see growth out of struggle.
359. Boots
360. How much my kids love traditions
361. A good debate
362. Having K home this year and working at the Ranch!
363. Walking through a struggle with friends
364. A bag with a really great print - for free!
365. New pillows!
366. The amazing opportunity to be at LSCA this summer!
367. That our life looks absolutely nuts outside of the context of Christ
368. A COMPLETED RANCH OFFICE!!! Django loves it too.
Whooeee, it's been too long. Not because it is November, but because I need a serious restart in my perspective. Five a day. I can do this.
11/27/15
369. This incredible, beautiful, blessing of a new property
370. A ridiculously amazing staff to work, play, and retreat with
371. Fiction worth indulging in
372. Beauty in every direction.
373. The cozy feeling of a warm house when the wind is blowing hard and cold outside.
374. Homemade pancakes
375. The relaxing sound of rushing water in a hot bath.
379. Bright, mismatched dishes on open shelving
11/28/15
380. Bedhead on a toddler
381. Homemade alfredo sauce
382. Kids home from school/college
383. ELF!
384. High/Low at the supper table
11/29/15
385. An unexpected gift from a giver who doesn't even know us and could not possible imagine how much her extravagant kindness impacted and blessed me in the midst of a really difficult time.
386. This:
387. Sitting next to the Christmas tree with the lights off
388. Listening to Brennen play
389. Burlap ribbon, an old wash bin, and a beautiful old farmhouse. I love this home.
11/30/15
390. The smell of pine when I walk in the door
391. Date night with Charlie
392. Fat Willy's cheese sauce
393. Christmas music on the radio
394. Dry Shampoo!
12/3/15
395. Relentless joy, peace, and purpose that doesn't change with my circumstances
396. Christmas classiscs (Rudolph, Frosty, Elf)
397. Willow's beauty and smarts
399. Amazing volunteers who make the Ranch what it is
400. Floors that don't show a lot of dirt. :P
12/12/15
401. Cabot sharp cheddar cheese and homemade ranch on a salad
402. Mornings.
403. An INCREDIBLY RARE night and morning with NO KIDS. So. Stinking. Beautiful.
404. Watching Brennen dance
406. Sushi!
407. Evergreens
408. A really 'soft' horse
409. The best dog on the planet.
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