Weekly Gratitude Journal

Let’s begin at the beginning. On December 15th we got our puppy, who is a very good dog, but gets terribly anxious and motion sick in the car and anxious about being left alone at home in her crate for very long. Then on Dec. 29th my husband and I began a long bout of tag team flu that still has us dragging. Underneath all of that has been latent heaviness in our hearts over the upheaval in our family with the cross country move of two of our daughters and their families. Let’s just say we’ve both been sad, sick and housebound! 

Last Friday, (the first chance the two of us have had for a normal day off in way too long), my husband had a friend watch our puppy and we drove to the beach. I'm very thankful that my husband always knows when I need some sea therapy! Our expectations about the weather being decent in mid-January on the Oregon coast were low, but we thought at least the drive would do us good and a bowl of clam chowder for lunch sounded good, too. I felt as if God smiled on us! When we arrived the weather was sunny and mild with no wind! After lunch I was able to take a walk by the sea. I found myself asking God for a confirmation that He loves and sees me by having me find a piece of sea glass. I've lived near the Oregon coast my whole life and have only found three pieces in all these years. Just moments later I saw something buried in the sand. 

When I picked up this heart shaped piece of seagrass of palest blue I knew God was telling me, “I love you. I see you.” So many significant encounters and deep heart talks with God that have happened in my life have been by the sea but to have such an obvious personal physical reminder of God's love and care for me was mind-blowing. I am so very, very thankful.

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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)

#15,254-#15,305

1-1-2022-

-a new year!

-my grandson tell me, "I love it when you sing, Nana. I love you!"

-God confirming my word of the year to me

1-2-2022-

-all of the help to make church happen when my husband was sick

-lunch with friends

-naps for everyone at our house

-a movie, snacks, laughter and giggles before bed with the grands

1-3-2022-

-my husband is on the mend

-praying with a young mom

-our daughter and son-in-law safely completed their drive to Florida

-our brave grandson facing his fear about the hair clippers at the barber's

1-4-2022-

-a fun morning making homemade play dough with the grands

-prayers for us as we go through the sadness of our kids' move

-oldest granddaughter is here for a week's visit!

1-5-2022-

-a safe flight for our grands and their other grandparents to meet our youngest daughter and our son-in-law at their new home in Florida

-laying in bed watching "When Calls the Heart" with my oldest granddaughter

-a good report about tonight's meeting at church

1-6-2022-

-making homemade bread and spaghetti and meatballs with my granddaugher and her friend

-adjusting to life with a dog

-a FaceTime call with our grands to show us their new house in Florida

1-7-2022-

-my husband tidying the house for me so I can rest 

-my sinus and chest congestion breaking up

-Papa taking our granddaughter out for breakfast

-the sound of our granddaughter and her friends playing games and laughing

1-8-2022-

-a day in bed watching movies with my granddaughter because we both have colds

-encouraging texts from a friend

-relistening to sermons

1-9-2022-

-good worship and word 

-my grandson trying to hug and kiss me via FaceTime

-feasting on take out chinese food

1-10-2022-

-God's care and provision for us

-going over my notes and remembering what God has spoken to us this past year

-God's Word

1-11-2022-

-our granddaughter got safely back to K.C.

-our home

-appliances to wash and dry our clothes

1-12-2022-

-God speaking clearly to me from John 14:27 (the Message Bible)

-finally getting out for a few hours after being cooped up with sickness and bad weather

-God's love and delight in me even in my weakness

1-13-2022-

-God ministering to me through His Word and communion

-finally writing a blog post

-easy but yummy potsticker soup for dinner

1-14-2022-

-my husband getting a friend to watch our dog so we could go to the beach for the day

-a beautiful sunny, mild, wind-free day!

-a piece of palest blue, heart shaped sea glass

1-15-2022-

-God's presence with me as I clean and do chores

-a freshly bathed puppy

-sugar free vanilla pudding eaten warm-comfort food!

1-16-2022-

-being able to gather online when sick

-a unexpected lunch with old friends

-God's patient reminders of His love for me

-my husband's love and care for me

still following,

Weekly Gratitude Journal and My One Word for 2022

“ARISE [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you–rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭60:1‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

 I’m a big fan of choosing one word as a spiritual focus for the year and have been doing so since I first heard of the concept in 2011. As each new year approaches, I pray and ask God to show me what word He has for me. Sometimes I know the word months in advance. This year it wasn’t until New Year’s Eve that I knew that my word for 2022 was to be ARISE. As I’ve mentioned here, 2021 brought a lot of changes in our family. Our oldest granddaughter turned 18, graduated, and is now in the adulting stage of life. Her brother is 17 and right at her heels. These changes were expected. But what I didn’t expect was the cross country moves of our two youngest daughters and their families and missing out on being near as the littlest grandchildren, ages seven, four, two and one, are growing up. It’s not how I pictured my life being and I struggled all year mourning about it. It’s time for me to ARISE. 

@ediewadsworth wrote on her Instagram account recently “Choose to accept the life you have and from a place of gratitude and love change what needs changing…right now, today, you are creating with your thoughts, feelings, words and actions the life you will have.” 

And so, I am choosing to accept my new normal and arise from mourning over what I cannot change and choose to change what I can. I'm asking God to show me His will, ways and purposes in all of this as I do believe that God promises in Romans 8:28 that all things are working together for my good. Meanwhile, I've been quiet on social media since mid-December. I wanted to enjoy time with my grandkids before their move, then came the holidays, then came a lingering bout of some sort of awful non-covid type flu that my husband and I took turns with and then our oldest granddaughter came to see us for a week before her internship at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City begins this week. 

I decided that to catch up here with my gratitude journaling, I'll finish out my 2021 list on here today, and post the beginnings of my 2022 gratitude journal next week. And, perhaps, Lord willing, I'll do a bit more writing in the new year.

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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)

#15,187-#15,253

12-13-2021-

-God's help with an overwhelming to-do list

-encouraging texts from a friend

-God's reminder that I am known and understood by Him

-a call from my youngest girl and a FaceTime call from my middle girl 

12-14-2021-

-sweet moments with my grands before they move to Florida

-God showing me clearly how to bless the ladies of our church

-a beautiful evening at our Christmas tea

12-15-2021-

-You are the God Who Speaks

-a good talk with my oldest granddaughter

-help from a friend

12-16-2021-

-morning coffee after a very short sleep (we got a new puppy!)

-God's amazing provision for our church

-taking the dog out to go to the bathroom and seeing the bright, almost full moon shining through an opening in the cloudy sky

12-17-2021-

-our middle daughter and son-in-law's 21st anniversary!

-the new puppy slept better!

-laughing together about the puppy's antics

-going to our grandson's adorable preschool Christmas program

-the way our youngest granddaughter likes to cup Papa's face in her hands

-God's provision to buy tickets to go to Florida for our youngest granddaughter's upcoming birthday

12-18-2021-

-listening to Handel's Messiah while baking

-texts with my siblings

-texts with my daughter's sweet MIL

-my husband and his dog, Sal

12-19-2021-

-snow!

-beautiful worship and a profound word to meditate on

-a Christmas gathering with our kids and grandkids (the one's still nearby that is)

12-20-2021-

-fun time with our two middle granddaughters

-a friend's encouragement to keep moving forward

-a fun evening with our growth group

12-21-2021-

-the shortest day of the year, (this means the days will start to stay light longer!)

-Christmas cards finally done!

-Facetime calls with my grandkids

12-22-2021-

-having friends over for breakfast

-our puppy is super calm (except about riding in the car)

-a hot tea from my guy

12-23-2021-

-good news about our granddaughter's internship

-a walk around the lake

-dinner at a favorite Mexican restaurant

-snuggling together and watching, "Going My Way"

12-24-2021-

-homemade cinnamon cranberry bread toasted and smeared with marmalade

-taking the dog on a walk around the park together

-baking more bread to give away

12-25-2021-

-thank You, God for sending Jesus!

-Facetime calls from our South Carolina kids

-our grandkids enjoying playing with our puppy

-dinner and games with our youngest daughter's family and her in-laws

12-26-2021-

-Christmas brunch and communion with our church family

-putting way the Christmas decor and decluttering

-relaxing together afterwards

12-27-2021-

-our granddaughter got accepted into the internship

-facetiming our seven year old grandson who showed us he put together the radio kit we bought him for Christmas

-a new teapot

12-28-2021-

-free online Bible study tools

-Trader Joe's roses

-God's provision and guidance

12-29-2021-

-our middle daughter checking on us

-God's provision for us

-a negative covid test

12-30-2021-

-a sweet morning with the Lord

-my beautiful new book about Maine

-additions to our church family

12-31-2021-

-the view of the backyard, trees and sky out our bedroom window

-Edie Wadsworth's words that brought me full circle back to something God had spoken to me

-Lamentations 3

-texting with my Visionary Leadership Team

-sweet days with our four and two year old grands before their big move to Florida

-watching New Year's Eve fireworks out the window with my grandson

still following,

Weekly Gratitude Journal

I love Christmas! I love the Reason for the season, Jesus Christ. I love Christmas music. I love Christmas decorating. I love Christmas baking. I love gift giving. I love Christmas get togethers with family and friends. I get as excited about Christmas as a kid. But this year, our youngest daughter and her family are moving clear across the country right after Christmas. (Just a few months ago our middle daughter and her family moved across the country as well.😢) Because of this there's a lingering sadness mixed with the joy of the season. The past few days some stress piled up on top of the sadness and I forgot to verbalize my praise and thanks to God and instead my mind was focused on being separated by distance from my daughters and grandkids as well as the long list of to-dos I was facing. Sitting down to type this post and re-reading this past week's list was a much needed reset of my mindset. And for that, I am thankful.

***************************

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)

#15,163-#15,186

12-6-2021-

-Ann Voskamp's Advent book, The Greatest Gift

-a refreshing walk

-my brother coming to see me

12-7-2021-

-God's grace and help to get things done

-spending a few hours with my daugher and grandkids

-my nephew-today's his birthday!

12-8-2021-

-listening to worship music as I walk

-a good phone chat with my brother

-a friend to talk to

-my Visionary Leadership Team to laugh with, plan with, pray with

12-9-2021-

-a cup of tea and chat with my friend

-God speaking to me through His Word

-family photos from my daughter

12-10-2021-

-catching up on sleep

-finding exactly what we needed for an upcoming event

-a yummy date day dinner out

12-11-2021-

-a beautiful homegoing service for a dear one in our church family

-our church's volunteers

-an encouraging word and prayer

-a fun FaceTime call from my youngest granddaughter

-a sweet gift in the mail from my middle daughter 

12-12-2021-

-a beautiful time of prayer and intercession together

-God growing our church

-a big answer to prayer

still following,

Weekly Gratitude Journal

I woke up this morning to the sound of the rain outside. It was tempting to stay inside where it was cozy, dry and warm, but eventually I donned my yellow rubber raincoat and headed outside for my walk in spite of the rain. It actually felt refreshing, not just to my body that had been a bit too sedentary over the weekend, but even my heart and mind felt more at peace by the time I finished my walk. While I didn't feel like walking due to the bad weather, I ended up benefiting from going on the walk in spite of my feelings. Similarly, sometimes we just don't feel like giving thanks. But when we take note of our blessings and give thanks to God in spite of "not feeling it,"  it benefits us. It refreshes our spirit and reminds us that, no matter what we are going through, no matter how we feel, there is always something to be thankful for.

***************************

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)

#15,138-#15,162

11-29-2021-

-a good night's sleep

-a friend from church praying for me

-a good walk

-our growth group

11-30-2021-

-flowers from my husband

-God's help and wisdom when we ask Him

-a week night date with my husband after not getting a date day for a couple of weeks

12-1-2021-

-It's December!

-an encouraging zoom meeting

-Christmas shopping

-a fiery sunset that had even the other shoppers stopping to take notice

2-2-2021-

-talking to my brother on his birthday

-God answering prayers

-Tim Smith's song, "I look to you"

2-3-2021-

-a really good night's sleep

-Friday date day

-a foggy morning

-a tiny green hummingbird sipping from a pink fushia

 that was growing in a flowerpot outside of the store

-a special time with our granddaughter to celebrate her tenth birthday

2-4-2021-

-my husband gifting my oldest daughter and I with tickets to Handel's Messiah

-good conversation with my girl during our evening together

-He shall reign forever and ever!

2-5-2021-

-our church family willingly volunteering to help for an upcoming event

-God's care, provision and answers to prayer

-Sunday afternoon rest

still following,