801

It's hard for me to believe, but as I logged in to blogger tonight, I saw that yesterday was my 800th post...making this one my 801st.  Wow.  Kind of crazy to think the last 5 years of my life have been largely documented on here, in roughly 800 posts!  For better or for worse, I hope to give the gift of my words and thoughts to my children someday. I hope they can say that they knew me well because we had a wonderful relationship, but as they grow older and wonder what was running through my head when I was in their shoes, maybe this blog will put the pieces together for them :)

Anyway, moving on...

I mentioned awhile ago that I recently read "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp and what a transformational gift her writing has been to me.  There aren't too many books, besides the Bible, that I've given the label "life changing" to, but hers is one that I just might catergorize as exactly that.  Since I've read it, I can't stop thinking about it.  I'm comfortable praising her and her book because more than anything, her writing points me straight to Jesus and that's the reason it's life changing.  It's largely about being thankful and living a life of true gratitude for the many gifts, big and small, that the Lord bestows on us.  Stopping to see the simple things, and even the hard things, that are straight from the hand of the Lord for us.  Sometimes to correct, sometimes to teach, but sometimes just to purely bring delight into our world because He loves us.

And yesterday I found myself looking around, taking in some gifts from the Lord...

Gifts like my $20 (brand new) Craig's list kitchen sink...

And a trio of bring blossoms to smile at me while I work.

My favorite handsoap, a simple treat in the midst of busy days.

A full carousel of coffee, waiting to be brewed in my morning cup.

A girl version AND a boy version of our favorite Bible storybook, tucked away for after dinner reading.

Freshly steam-cleaned furniture, restoring life to a well worn chair.

Pictures of my kiddos, under my favorite lamp that I bought in college. 

A bowl of plump, black grapes waiting for little fingers to devour.

Four places at our table, four lives in our home.

It's truly a gift to count your blessings, a discipline to stop and consider what the Lord has done for you.

Sometimes the Lord works in big, visible ways that are hard to deny, but often He's at work in smaller ways that all too often go unnoticed or unappreciated. 

Today, on this 801st post, I'm taking the time to say...

Thank you Lord, for the gifts of this day.