1,000 Gifts {Apr 5th-Apr 14th}

First of all thank you to those of you who commented on my last post about being in a 'funk'. I SO appreciate your kind words and responses! The funny thing is, it's not hard to pinpoint the reason for my funk - I KNOW these things happen when I'm feeling far from the Lord. Which is certainly not HIS fault, as HE loves me deeply and NEVER strays from my side - indeed it's always ME who falls away and selfishly spends my time pursuing what I want while leaving HIM out of things. Anyhow, ironically that day I had a few minutes of quiet and I sat and read Ann Voskamp's post for the day and was blown away at how perfectly timed it was. You can read it by clicking the link above, but basically she is talking about how to raise grateful kids - funny thing was that I felt *I* needed the message more than my KIDS did! Funny how God always knows what we need to hear when we need it, right? He knows me so well. I noticed too that my list of 1,000 gifts had been pushed to the wayside and I hadn't counted gifts in a few days. Her post also reminded me the importance of giving daily thanks and “Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to subjects in the other experimental conditions.” So on I go ... pressing forward, ever grateful ... * a nice visit from my Canadian relatives that I hardly ever get to see * seeing them made me miss my Dad since my Uncle is his brother and reminds me a lot of my Dad * a fun day consignment shopping with my girls for summer stuff * carpet cleaner, rubber gloves, a bandana for my nose and disinfectant ;) * field trips with friends * sunny days * the girls playing outside more

* a great {new to me} desk for FREE

* getting my seeds in the mail

* garden planning

* making pudding with Joy * playing basketball with my family * dinner together around the table * playing Qwirkle together * seeing the first signs of spring * forsythia FINALLY starting to bloom * neighbors coming out to work in their yards * chalk drawings on the driveway * a nice, big, paved drive which is great for the kids to play on * blowing bubbles * a 2 yr old's squeals of excitement over seeing the bubbles and trying to catch them * pink Converse on a 2 yr old - so cute! {and yes, with chalk on the pants!}

* going outside to do my run without having to wear 5 billion layers

* the grass getting greener by the day

* the warmth of the sunshine - it's like a balm to my soul - kinda like the SONshine is, ya know?

* flip flop weather

*finding healthier recipes for things I like

* springy stuff on the driveway

* learning to love fish

* fragrant daffodils

* new growth every where I look

* our Made to Crave Bible study group - it's wonderful to meet with people facing similar struggles and gain encouragement from one another!

* inventive little girls creating their own rope swing

* and the mud cakes and other such things they create as well ... =)

* that "our children are learning more than academic subjects in the home. They are learning at a young age that their brothers and sisters are their best best friends." ~~Tom Eldredge

{One Thousand Gifts #536-570}