Weekly Gratitude Post

The original plan was to fly to the east coast for two weeks to visit our kids who live in Florida and celebrate our grandson's sixth birthday and then to drive to South Carolina to attend our oldest grandson's high school graduation and then celebrate our youngest grandson's third birthday. Shortly before we left, our soon to be six year old grandson Facetimed me and asked me to stay in Florida for an extra week. And so I did! We had a fantastic time! After all of the  celebrations and then five nights at a condo at the beach with our east coast kids and grands my husband flew home and went back to work while I stayed in Florida for another week! I have struggled with having my kids and grandkids so far away and the news that our oldest daughter and her husband and girls are moving to California to accept a new pastoral assignment hit me really hard-not because I'm not happy for them or don't think they are doing the right thing, but because in 2021, 2022 and now 2023 one by one each of our daughter's and their families, (all eight of our grandkids!), have moved from living close by to living far away! Three weeks away helped me to process all of this change. I still feel sad. I still miss being near my daughters and grandkids. But during my time away, God strengthened and fortified me to come back home, back to our pastoral post, back to where I belong. For that I give Him thanks and praise.

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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)

#16,991-#17,095

5-22-2023-

-answers to prayer for my nephew

-help with a little physical issue before leaving on vacation

-today's big list of pre-vacation to-dos all done!

5-23-2023-

-our oldest daughter and son-in-law's 25th anniversary

-our youngest daughter and son-in-law's 8th anniversary

-a friend who is taking us to the airport and watching our dog for us

5-24-2023-

-a safe trip

-a walk with my sweet youngest granddaughter

-an evening swim

5-25-2023-

-our grandson's sixth birthday

-baking his birthday with my youngest granddaughter

-monarch butterflies fluttering around the yard

-bowling and the arcade with the family

5-26-2023-

-"girltime" with my youngest granddaughter

-playing in the pool

-time in the Word and Prayer 

-N. taking care of things at home for me

5-27-2023-

-coffee and quiet time on my daughter's back deck

-a fun walk with my grandkids

-heart talks

5-28-2023-

-going to church

-lunch at my daughter's in-laws

-big hugs from my South Carolina grands

5-29-2023-

-playing in the pool with the family

-duck parents and their babies hanging out in the front yard

-my daughter's delicious homemade raspberry-strawberry crisp

-late night quiet time with Jesus

5-30-2023-

-listening to Sunday's service from home-so good!

-a little time with just the two of us

-praying with my grandson before bed

5-31-2023-

-a safe drive to South Carolina

-our grandson lost his two bottom front teeth after we left!

-our two oldest grandkids hanging our with Papa and me

-youngest granddaughter being so good for us on this two night adventure away from Mama

6-1-2023-

-a beautiful morning at the farmhouse

-working together preparing for our grandson's grad party

-strawberry shortcake!

-my daughter, grandson and granddaughter laughing together

-food, friends, family-a successful party

 6-2-2023-

-he graduated!

-a new red tricycle for our youngest grandson's birthday

-driving to the property to see the house our kids are building out in the country

6-3-2023-

-devotions on the sunporch of our vacation rental

-a fun afternoon at the resort waterpark

-my guy taking me to the beach and hunting for seaglass with me

6-4-2023-

-shopping with my two oldest grands

-listening to Sunday's service from home-a great message and great discussion!

-this wonderful time at the beach together with our east coast kids and grands

6-5-2023-

-God at work in hard circumstances in a loved one

-seafood dinner

-God's provision

-playing with the grands

6-6-2023-

-a fun morning at the beach with Papa and our 9, 6, and 4 year old grands

-followed by an afternoon at the pool

-celebrating our youngest grandson's third birthday (a day early)

6-7-2023-

-our youngest grandson who is three today!

-Psalm 71

-a safe drive back to Florida

6-8-2023-

-getting a pedicure with my daughter

-an evening swim

-my husband getting home safely

6-9-2023-

-morning quiet time by the pool

-2 Samuel 14:14

-the loveliest day at Talbot Beach

-capturing a little crab to show the kids and then letting it go

-dinner at our daughter's in-laws

6-10-2023-

-encouragement from the women at our church

- a sweet gift from my daughter

-trying a yummy new recipe for dinner with my daughter

-an evening swim with the grands

6-11-2023-

-God speaking to my heart during worship at my daughter's church

-my daughter's in-laws treating me to lunch

-my grandson holding my hand

6-12-2023-

-our oldest granddaughter-today is her birthday!

-my sister-today is her birthday!

-listening to my husband's sermon from yesterday

-going to St. Augustine with my daughter's in-laws

-a fun, delicious lunch at the Beachcomber

-a great State Park with a lovely beach

6-13-2023-

-a good night's sleep

-"I miss you" text from my guy

-our church's monthly women's gathering at home went great!

6-14-2023-

-a fun morning with my daughter's mother-in-law

-her sweet gift to me of a cute apron

-an afternoon at the park with the grands 

-a FaceTime chat with my oldest daughter and my grand girls

6-15-2023-

-my daughter saying she'll miss me when I go home

-a delayed flight but everything worked out with my connection and I got home safely!

-home with my guy

6-16-2023-

-my mama-remembering her on what would have been her 98th birthday

-a new plant for my new plant pot

-new sheets and bath towels 

6-17-2023-

-the yellow rose bush that I planted with my grandson just before he moved to South Carolina full of blooms

-the song, "Graves Into Gardens"

-a deep cleaned house

6-18-2023-

-my faithful, loving, caring, steadfast, patient, kind, strong, forgiving Father in heaven

-my dad

-my husband-Dad to our three girls and Papa to our eight grandkids

-our three sons-in-law

-a powerful message 

-lunch with our nephew and his family

-reading a good book

still following,

Weekly Gratitude Journal

As I was preparing this post I realize I didn't record a huge answer to prayer for one of my sister's grandsons that our family has been praying for. I just have to mention it since it's not in my list down below. I wrote it down in my journal today though. It's never too late to give thanks for an answer to prayer! There are so very many things to be thankful for, big and small, but in my opinion the greatest thing to be thankful for is God's love and divine intervention in people's lives. If you have loved ones you are interceding for, don't give up. God's persistence is greater than their resistance. Keep praying and keep giving thanks that God is always working.

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

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)

#16,949-#16,990

5-8-2023-

-God's help with the notes for tomorrow's meeting

-praying on FaceTime with my sweet grandson who is sick

-God's provision and care for us

5-9-2023-

-God's help and wisdom when I ask

-our growth groups praying for our grandson

-tonight's meeting

5-10-2023-

-a preventative check for skin cancer that went well

-new baby leaves on the fiddle leaf fig I thought I'd killed

-the trees full of birds singing on my walk today

5-11-2023-

-our second grandson is nine today!

-our third grandson who was so sick is much better

-God speaking very clearly and personally to my heart

5-12-2023-

-our firstborn grandson is nineteen today!!!

-a condo on the beach reserved for our time with our east coast kids

-a beautiful day off and a day trip to a new to us beach

5-13-2023-

-freshly mowed grass

-summer weather in May

-a nice long heart talk with my big sister

5-14-2023-

-videos from my South Carolina grandkids

-singing The Blessings with all of the mamas and their kids who were at church today

-my nephew and his family joining us for lunch

5-15-2023-

-a good follow up visit with my doctor-

I'm healthy and well, thank You, God!

-a freshly groomed pup

-our five year old grandson talking the waiter into free cake because 

"it's almost my birthday!" (It's ten days away.)

5-16-2023-

-God working out the details for loved ones I've been praying for

-making Joanna Gaines chocolate muffins to share with others

-lunch, prayer, planning and heart talk with a friend

5-17-2023-

-my almost six year old grandson asking if I can stay an extra week when we visit-(Papa said yes!)

-God's care and protection of my heart when running into an old friend who greatly hurt me

-God's care for me when I got so sick in the night

5-18-2023-

-our friend from Hawaii joining our growth group online for prayer

-a clearance sale windbreaker for our trip

-getting to be at our granddaughter's school concert

5-19-2023-

-our secondborn daughter-today is her birthday!

-irises in bloom in our backyard

-a caring friend

2-20-2023-

-a new summer nightgown

-a clean house

-my husband changing my flight so I can stay an extra week in Florida!

2-21-2023-

-our church family

-a friend's help weeding my front flowerbeds

-love and forgiveness

still following,

Weekly Gratitude Journal

Sometimes I have to look back through my gratitude journal to figure out where the time went. How is it already the ninth of May? I continually have good intentions to post more regularly and then this happens. Time has zoomed by and I can't figure out where it went. It's curious that I look in my gratitude journal rather than at my calendar. On the calendar are weekly and monthly meetings, and growth groups and leadership meetings and gatherings and dinners and birthdays and holidays. But in my journal are recorded sweet moments spent in the early mornings with my hot cup of coffee and my open Bible and journal, phone calls with siblings, FaceTime calls with grandkids, walks in the unpredictable spring weather of the Pacific Northwest, a Saturday afternoon spent with a friend, a pot of tea on a weekday afternoon and deep conversation and prayer with another friend, date days with my husband. In other words, recorded in my gratitude journal are both the ways I'm spending this one precious life God has given me and the ways God has met me and blessed me in the middle of it all. With that said, join me as I share some of those ways here with you. Today it's the past three weeks...

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

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)

#16,882-#16,948

4-17-2023-

-waking up to sunshine

-God's faithful provision and care for us

-good reports of what God is doing in our growth groups

4-18-2023-

-God is hearing and answering our prayers for a loved one

-our youngest grandson went from not talking to talking up a storm, 

seemingly overnight!

-getting a walk in the one hour it didn't rain today!

4-19-2023-

-a good report from my physical-thank You, Lord for a healthy body!

-phone chats with all three of my girls today

-a sunny evening after a rainy day

4-20-2023-

-a nice hot Venti Americano

-such good weekly prayer points and scriptures prepared by one of the women in our church

-tonight's Bible study was so good!

4-21-2023-

-Friday Date Day with my guy

-finding some new walking shoes that I needed, at a discount price!

-my hub's giving our pup a bath

4-22-2023-

-a sweet time of prayer and the Word

-a clean house

-tea and catching up with J.

-a phone call with my oldest sister

-our favorite muffins (with eggs-breakfast for dinner)

4-23-2023-

-a baby dedication

-a good morning in God's house

-Sunday afternoon rest

4-24-2023-

-a FaceTime call with my youngest granddaughter

-a successful gluten free cheddar garlic biscuit made for my friend who has celiac

-a delicious dinner, fellowship, communion, prayer and time of sharing at growth group

4-25-2023-

-lunch with our oldest daughter and her husband

-a beautiful, sunny spring day

-God working out what could have been a difficult situation in a beautiful way

4-26-2023-

God's abundant care for us

-a walk by the sea

-a phone chat and prayer with a friend

4-27-2023-

-a warm and sunny day

-sharing a pot of tea with a friend

-an encouraging and helpful call with a leader

4-28-2023-

-a slow, lazy Friday date day morning

-summer like weather

-dinner outside by the river

4-29-2023-

-a fun Saturday afternoon with a friend

-finding the perfect gift for someone

-this beautiful day

4-30-2023-

-Sunday morning Sbux in bed before church

-trusting God with life's unknowns

-walking our dog with my friend and her dog

5-1-2023-

-It's May!

-roast beef, potatoes, carrots and homemade sourdough bread shared with friends

-God's provision

-a bouquet of lilacs from our backyard

5-2-2023-

-my husband filling up my car for me

-buying and making some fun things in anticipation of decorating my grandson's birthday cake

-going to our eleven year old granddaughter's school concert

5-3-2023-

-a new journal

-lunch with a friend I've not seen in a long time

-God's comfort when I feel alone

5-4-2023-

-waking up to a thunder and lightening storm

-God speaking to me from Judges 2 and 3

-a kind and gentle phlebotomist 

5-5-2023-

-Facetime call with my middle girl and her two youngest boys

-sweet text from my oldest grandson

a lazy Friday date day with my guy

5-6-2023-

-good results of my bloodwork

-an especially sweet time in the word and prayer this morning

-a young man from church mowing our grass for us

-my guy bringing home dinner so I didn't have to cook tonight

5-7-2023-

-a great Sunday worship time, message and discussion

-a nice Sunday afternoon nap after waking up at 4:30 this morning for some unknown reason

-a Sunday evening walk

still following,