Thankful Tuesday...only 3 days late!

Soooo, I really wanted to be good about posting on Tuesday's the things I am grateful for AND I actually did have them ready to go on Tuesday due to some rare alone time at Panera, but alas, the transfer from paper to the computer did not happen... But better late than never so here goes the Top 20 things I am thankful to God for this past week: 1. Smell of a freshly shampooed and soaped child 2. Quiet time at Panera by myself after a long week 3. My ever cautious, rule following son coming out of his room after nap saying, "mommy, can I come down?" 4. Alea falling asleep in the van less than a minute after a Jester Park outing, head hanging way down 5. Mickey taking care of me after I fell running 6. Nice lady giving me a bandaid so I could run two miles home w/o spreading blood all over Ankeny 7. Garage sale deals, example an Old Navy winter coat for Ev for $5! 8. The way Alea gives kissers 9. 2 sets of intact, loving grandparents for our kiddos 10. Much needed rain 11. 2 friends telling me they see my spiritual growth, it is all God, but I love how God is changing and molding me! 12. Old friends and new friends 13. The new homeschooling group at my church 14. Fresh blueberries on my oatmeal 15. Mickey tearing up while watching Courageous,love his sensitive heart to God's call on his life to be a father 16. New opportunities 17. When my 2 little ones are cuddling together on my king sized bed 18. Grilling out and eating outside! Less for me to clean up! 19. 4 bathrooms to clean...wanted to complain about this the other day but thought that people with no bathroom at all wouldn't mind cleaning 4! 20. God is teaching me more and more everyday, I feel His pull on my life in ways I never imagined. There you have it! Come back this coming Tuesday and I encourage you to take some time and give thanks! Psalm 107:1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.

Thankful Tuesday

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp is a book I have read recently and a book that has significantly impacted me and hopefully will eventually change me... (it is hard to change life long ingrained attitudes!) I will write more about the book and what it is about another day, but for now, a short synopsis and some giving thanks. The main idea from this author is to experience the true joy that God wants us to have, we have to CONTINUALLY give thanks... That when we focus on all the "gifts" God has given us and gives us daily, we can then let go of the sadness, stress, and stuff that ultimately gets us nowhere. This author hits it hard too, she has been through some stuff that would not make it easy to be giving thanks. So that is it about the book for now, I would highly recommend it and will review it fully in my next post. But as a tired momma who needs to go to bed,I want to list some things I am thankful to God for this past week.. 1. Putting on pjs and washing my face after a long day 2. Watching Evan, Isaac, and Solon run around the park, just 3 lil boys without a care in the world 3. Friends who sacrificially bring a meal/food to help our family out 4. Movie night in the basement with smiling excited kids 5. A hot sweaty 4 mile much needed prayer run 6. My Titus girls 7. A church family giving abundantly to a missionary family leaving our church 8. Looking forward to my kids being in my cousins wedding 9. Playing words with Friends with my mom 10. Ev saying to me while hugging his sister, "I love her." 11. My dishwasher! 12. A great GI doc for my lil girl 13. Making the bed 14. Coffee ( can I list this several times?) :) 15. Hosting the Wilson's, missionaries from Hungary who have blessed us more than they can imagine 16. Watching Esti and Eliza Wilson dance ballet in our living room to classical music never having taken lessons 17. Eating a catered lunch from Panera via my pastors wife Judie with her, PJ, and some missionaries while kids napped! 18. Blue skies 19. Giving sandals to Ev's lil buddy Isaac and seeing his face light up when we gave them to him 20. Being encouraged and blessed by Zsofi Wilson during some one on one time while kids are sleeping That is it for now but more lists to come! It was fun to think about all the good gifts God has given me just in the past week, this list doesn't even cover it. Sure, there have been some stressful and hard things on there too but that is the point, why focus on those? I feel more at peace than I have all week after sitting down and really counting my blessings.. Try it, you may just feel better too! Thanks to the book for this idea and to my friend Erin who is also counting her blessings on her blog. James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.