Weekly Gratitude Journal

To be completely honest I should change the title of these blog posts to "Occasional Gratitude Journal." I still write daily in my actual handwritten gratitude journal. Posting it to my blog weekly started back when I began that habit. Ann Voskamp used to have a weekly blog link-up where we shared what we had written in our gratitude journals on Mondays. I wanted to continue doing so even though her weekly link-up stopped years ago. But in the past few years, after I felt the Lord prompt me to prioritize my in real life relationships and responsibilities over my online writing, well, real life has truly preempted my writing on here-yes, because of being busy, but also because once you get out of the habit it's difficult to get back into it on a consistent basis.

I really did have a lot going on the past six or seven weeks since my last post. For the purpose of not making this post too terribly long I'll finish posting February's gratitude journal entries today and then post March's next week-I hope!

In February we had a quick trip to Orange County, California for the dedication of our friend's new church building and the ordination of two other friends. Immediately after that, we had a family reunion with my siblings and their spouses and I prepared and hosted the meals for that at our house. And then immediately after that,(!), I stayed at our oldest daughter's for six days with our two middle granddaughters while my daughter and her husband took a pre-anniversary trip to Hawaii. Add on top of that all of my "normal" responsibilities of full time ministry and you can understand how I got so behind on posting here. With that said, here's the rest of my list of February's blessings!

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

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)

#16,656-#16,731

2-6-2023-

-receiving a kind thank you card in the mail

-a nice walk without getting rained on!

-a dear friend's delicious soup recipe for dinner tonight and shared with a young man from church who's here fixing our thermostat

2-7-2023-

-phone calls with my sisters

-the super helpful staff at our local paint store

-a beautiful evening walk

2-8-2023-

-a FaceTime chat with my granddaughter

-a phone call from my oldest brother

-beautiful blue sky with puffy, cumulus clouds

2-9-2023-

-tea, deep conversation and prayer with a young woman from church

-the time to take a walk in a full, busy day

-good teaching and good discussion at tonight's Bible study

2-10-2023-

-videos of our youngest three grandson's via text

-a fun afternoon and evening with our eleven year old granddaughter

-a successful Night to Shine at WCC

2-11-2023-

-a productive day of chores

-flowers from my guy

-and a YUMMM bowl for dinner!

2-12-2023-

-meeting J's parents

-a Super Bowl party with our church family

-watching All Creatures Great and Small with my guy

2-13-2023-

-God's help with notes and plans for tomorrow's meeting

-"I miss you, Nana and Papa" text from our granddaughter

-facetiming our youngest granddaughter

-an evening walk

2-14-2023-

-a sweet card and gift from my guy

-work going better for our granddaughter

-a day at home of baking and worship music

-a text from our oldest grandson

-our five year old grandson singing, "God is Gonna Finish Just What He Started"

-the good work God is doing in the women of our church

2-15-2023-

-our second born granddaughter is 14 today!

-a nice long chat with our oldest granddaughter

-hugs and I love yous from my guy

-a birthday dinner for our granddaughter 

2-16-2023-

-the Holy Spirit praying through me, teaching me, guiding me

-family reunion preparations completed

-help with our yardwork

2-17-2023-

-a 40% off sale on the new pants I needed

-a safe trip to LA

-our friend watching our dog for the weekend

2-18-2023-

-God's care and provision for this trip

-a lovely drive down the PHC to Dana Point

-dinner with my big brother

2-19-2023-

-God's amazing provision for our friend's new church building

-our wonderful CWBN family

-getting to be at our friends' ordinations

2-20-2023-

-breakfast and wonderful conversation with our friends before flying home

-a safe trip home

-our home!

2-21-2023-

-a safe trip for our daughter and grandkids to Asbury

-all of my siblings and spouses together

(me and my siblings)

-communion and prayer together followed by a fun game and lots of laughter

2-22-2023-

-my sister helping me make breakfast

-snow all day long!

-feeding my family

2-23-2023-

-an older couple in our church helping one of our young couples 

who were stranded in the city due to snow

-sharing stories of God's mercy and grace in our family with my siblings

2-24-2023-

-our daugher and son-in-law getting a flight to Hawaii after yesterday's cancellation due to snow

-my oldest brother's words of love and appreciation for our family

-an unexpected gift from my siblings

-roads clear enough for all of my siblings to make it home safely

-my oldest brother able to catch a flight

2-25-2023-

-a nice long phone chat with my granddaughter

-God's promise to finish what He started

-Mt Hood and Mt St Helens with a fresh coat of snow

2-26-2023-

-God's Word to our church

-a happy engagement in our church

-a fun afternoon with our two middle granddaughters

2-27-2023-

-my husband! Today's his birthday!

-talking to my girls on the phone

-a birthday dinner for Papa with our granddaughters

2-28-2023-

-our oldest grandson only needs laser treatments, not more surgery 

(on his facial scars from his accident)

-snowdrop flowers in my backyard

-my Visionary Leadership Team

still following,

Weekly Gratitude Journal

One of the extra blessings God gave us when our daughters got married were their in-laws. Our middle daughter's in-laws have passed away, but both our oldest and youngest daughters hit the jackpot when it comes to great in-laws. It's a real blessing to share grandchildren with people that love and serve the Lord and are amazing grandparents. 

Our youngest daughter is married to an only child. So since her in-laws are retired and their only son and their only grandchildren moved to Florida last year it makes sense that they have decided to sell their home in Oregon and join them in Florida! They are having a brand new home built and will be moving in just a couple of weeks. I'm happy for them and also for our kids and grandkids to have one set of parents/grandparents living near them. 

When our kids were here visiting from Florida they helped pack the moving pod for my son-in-laws parents. I helped watch the grandkids while they packed. Then we all had a big fourth birthday party at our house for our granddaughter followed by a lovely weekend with my daughter and grandkids staying with us while our son-in-law went to the little cabin on the Umpqua River with his two best friends. (Yes, our daughter's in-laws will be keeping their family cabin in Oregon. 😊) All too soon, Monday came and we had to say goodbye, not just to our kids and grandkids but to my son-in-law's parents. The last couple of years have had altogether too many goodbyes in them! But there's always something to be thankful for, like two more good reasons to visit sunny Florida!

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

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)

#16,607-#16,655

1-23-2023-

-the antique mirror of my dreams for free by the time the vendor reduced the price and I sold the mirror it is replacing, etc.

-Matthew 17:5, John 17:23 

-a beautiful time of connection and praying for one another at tonight's growth group

1-24-2023-

-baking for my grand babies who are coming to visit from Florida

-praying with my husband

-such encouraging reports from all the growth groups

-a beautiful sunset on my walk

1-25-2023-

-an answer to prayer

-a fun day playing with my grandbabies

-my granddaughter's huge grin and my grandson's big hugs

-an adventure walk in "the woods" (near our oldest daughter's church)

-cousin time for the Florida grandkids and the Oregon grandkids

1-26-2023-

-a whole day with the grandkids!

-"Nana, tell me a funny story....tell me another one."

-two fed, bathed, happy grandkids snuggled in our bed

1-27-2023-

-our youngest granddaughter's 4th birthday

-homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast

-my granddaughter and grandson helping to decorate her birthday cake

-a houseful of family celebrating together

-our Oregon granddaughters having a sleepover with their Florida cousins

1-28-2023-

-cousins having so much fun together

-"mantime" for our five year old grandson and Papa while the girls went shopping

-time with my daughters and granddaughters

-baths, books and songs with my grandson and granddaughter before bed

1-29-2023-

-my husband playing the keyboard and leading in worship-

(he used to do so of necessity, but now it's a rare treat)

-a powerful message

-the grandkids feeding our nephew's chickens

1-30-2023-

-one last morning with the Florida grandkids and our daugher before they go back home

-a quiet evening with my guy after the  full and happy days with the grandkids

-the amazing relationships God is building in our growth groups

1-31-2023-

-a quiet morning in the Word

-our home

-texts with my granddaughter

2-1-2023-

-February 1st! "Love Month"

-knowing that God is hearing and answering our prayers

-feeling better after another cold

2-2-2023-

-a sweet time of prayer

-God's provision in the little things

-a beautiful reminder in our Bible study on what it means to be redeemed

-hope

2-3-2023-

-Friday date day with my guy

-our middle daughter getting involved in ministry again

-being certain that He Who began a good work in us will complete it

2-4-2023-

-a brunch meeting with Natalie and Desi

-pink and white tulips

-my sweet five year old grandson's amazing brain

2-5-2023-

-coffee and quiet time before heading to church

-God is doing amazing things!

-my grandson shouting "I love you, Nana!" when his mom was on the phone with me

still following,

Weekly Gratitude Journal

Yesterday was busy and full in the best kind of way, prepping and cooking for a church related gathering at our home. Most weeks this is the case, there's a growth group or a leadership meeting here. With two of our daughters and their families living on the east coast now, our house is all too rarely the place for grandkid sleepovers and family celebrations. I'm thankful that we have church family that still fills it up with food, (always food!), fellowship and connection. Today, however, our youngest daughter and her family are flying in from Florida and our house will be the place where our youngest granddaughter has her fourth birthday party this week. Today I'm doing some baking in preparation for their arrival. I often joke that feeding people is my love language. I used to mourn as a little girl that my mama wasn't more fluent in speaking her feelings or generous with her cuddles, but if anyone spoke the love language of acts of service it was my mama. How healing it was for me to realize this as an adult. To see her delicious meals, breads, cookies, cakes and pies and the beautifully sewn clothes she made us as her way of saying I love you was a lovely epiphany. I'd like to think I'm pretty fluent in speaking words of affirmation and love and generous in loving touches and spending quality time with others, but more and more I find myself speaking mama's native love language tongue. Thank you, Mama, for teaching me that feeding people truly can be a most beautiful love language indeed.

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

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)

#16,583-#16,606

1-16-2023-

-a lovely winter day

-an afternoon outing together

-a beautiful sunset on my walk

-Matthew 13:1 "Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea."

1-17-2023-

-my daughters and sons-in-law

-God's continued intervention in a loved one's life

-a great evening with my Visionary Leadership Team and Growth Group Coordinators

-friends who pray with me

1-18-2023-

-coffee and a treat and a talk with my eleven year old grandgirlie

-getting to see my oldest daughter at her job, 

meet her co-workers and I also got to see a dear spiritual daughter

-going out to dinner with my daughter and granddaughters

-hope in a situation that's heavy on my heart

1-19-2023-

-a long awaited Christmas gift card purchase

-a friend bringing me tea and rubbing the knots out of my neck when I had a terrible migraine

-it worked! my headache is feeling better!

1-20-2023-

-Facetiming with my South Carolina daughter and grandkids

-lunch and a movie with my guy for Friday Date Day

-a bit of antiquing too!

1-21-2023-

-a chat and prayer with my granddaughter

-another college football offer for our oldest grandson

-a good Saturday getting things done at home

1-22-2023-

-God speaking to our church so clearly

-God's mighty presence and the power of His Word

-snuggles with my guy

still following,