One Thousand Gifts {3}

Continuing this list of God-whispered blessings in Orlando, Florida.

53. A warm rain falling over us at the pool
54. A father thinking the mayo was free at the grocery
55. Rain droplets on the screen in porch
56. Squeaky shoes on the gym floor
57. The phone ringing and talking to hubby
58. Dark clouds rolling through the sky followed by pure blue sky
59. A warm gentle breeze
60. Soft tissues to blow my nose
61. Children chasing slimy lizards by the pool...and catching them too!
62. A rainbow assortment of flowers
62. Palm trees swaying the breeze seemingly singing "hosanna"
64. Children's laughter over the small things
65. The imagination of a child...and watching them play pretend
66. Finding money that you forgot you had

One Thousand Gifts (2)

Day 2 of pondering what I am thankful for...

22. A yummy, easy dinner (manicotti) that makes all kinds of leftovers
23.  Easter Candy
24. Resurrection Easter Eggs
25. Students recovering from flu-like illness
26. A God who hears and answers prayer
27. The opportunity to share the Gospel in Chapel tomorrow
28. The privilege to serve and grow God's kingdom
29.  A direct line at hubby's work to chat with him
30.  A loving mom to talk with on my commute
31. A baby grand piano in my dining room
32.  A new thermostat (and I won't have to remember to turn down the heat!)
33. I found my I-pod today! And it still works!
34. Clean towels. 
35. Red fancy plates to eat on
36. A cell phone that still works even if I drop it and it falls apart. :)
37. A kitty who sits quietly and looks out the window all night.
38. A suitcase to pack.
39. A new doctor.
40. Flowers starting to grow in my classroom.
41. A doctor willing to switch medication.
42. A doctor who isn't OK with me having migraines.
43. 48 plastic easter eggs for $1.97 at Walmart.
44. A parent who sends in 12 egg cartons to help with a class project.
45. Tickets purchased for 2 Vacations in 2013 with hubby. 
46. A front and a back porch.
47. A heater/air conditioning unit on my back porch. 
48. A blue sky.
49. New sidewalks on our freshly paved street.
50. Restaurants within walking distance.
51. The color pink. 
52. Chocolate. Sweets. My Food Pyramid is a little inverted this week. 

Over and out.

One Thousand GIfts

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Reading through One Thousand Gifts right now by Ann Voskamp.  Feeling VERY challenged during this dreary week in March to come up with one thousand things that I am thankful for.  The goal: to have blogged and listed 1000 things that I am thankful for/have blessed me by the end of April.  Here. Goes. Nothing. 

1.  Glimpses of sunshine over the past 3 weeks (even if it doesn't last more than a few hours!)
2. Gift cards for a much needed oil change.
3.  A husband who has a job and works very hard to provide for me.
4. A job that I love with 15 students that have stolen my heart.
5.  An adorable fur ball named Lacy who sleeps with me when Joe works late.
6. Fresh fruits and vegetables to eat for lunch and dinner.
7. A healthy body.
8. A doctor to go to when the body isn't feeling healthy.
9. Glasses and contacts. I seriously would not be able to drive without them.
10. Speaking of driving, a car. My little Nissan is the bomb (dot) com. 
11.  My house. Which is also warm. 
12. Heat. And the money to pay for the bill. 
13. Even though our hot water heater will die in the next 4 months, HOT WATER! :) 
 14. My yard. That I can hopefully plant a garden in.
15. Friends. Especially the kind that bring you Coke from McDonalds or call and ask you to dinner. 
16. My washer and dryer work swimmingly. And my clothes are clean because of them.  
17. My garage door has an opener.  All I have to do is push a button. Awesome. 
18. A dishwasher.  Seriously, this is our first good one and I LOVE it.  We are good friends. 
19.  Food to cook.  Even though cooking is not my favorite, we have never gone hungry.
20.  Our next door neighbors, who will invite us over at the last minute for dinner...when they had just gotten back from vacation themselves...
21.  My bed...which is currently shouting my name.  

Happy Monday to you all! :)

A little getaway...

Halfway through the dreary month of February, I got to take a three day hiatus to Marco Island, FL.  My mom and grandma went for 2 weeks and invited me to come down for a few days in the middle.  We had a great time and was the perfect way for me to spend my 3-day weekend! :)  With the craziness of life and busyness of school, I had no idea how badly I needed to get away and gain some fresh perspective.  I guess sharing life for three days with older, wiser women will do that to you...

 My mom loves shelling out on the beach and had quite the finds before I arrived! 

 Due to rain throughout my visit, we went to play BINGO in the lobby...if only we could have won some dough!

 Sharing dinner at the Pelican Bend restaurant in Isle of Capri, FL. 

 The sunset.

 Shelling before I had to catch my flight.

Oh the seagulls.

I am so grateful for the time I was able to spend with my family and for the stories and vision we share together.  Here's to a new yearly adventure...right mom?

Seasons of Life

January, February, and March can be challenging months around these parts.  It's easy to contract cabin fever (as well as the flu), easy to feel lonely, bored, or just to have a case of the blahs.  It's even more easy for me to become narcissistic, selfish, and to become wrapped up on my own little world.  In fact, often I let my circumstances control how joyful I am.  At church today, I was reminded of the broader picture.  Though my circumstances may sometimes feel bleak, Jesus has proven his great love for me and I need to rise up and share this love with others.  This song, He is Faithful by Jesus Culture spoke to my heart today and I hope it ministers to yours as well. 

He is Faithful by Jesus Culture

I have heard a sound coming on the wind
Changing hearts and mind, healing brokenness
I feel a generation breaking through despair
I hear a generation full of faith, declare

And our song it will be
Out of the darkness we will rise and sing

He is faithful, He is glorious
He is Jesus, all my hope is in Him
He is freedom, He is healing right now
He is hope and joy, love and peace and life

I have seen a light like the break of dawn
Giving blind men sight and letting lame men walk
I see a generation with resurrection life
We are a generation filled with the power of Christ

He has paid the highest price
He has proven His great love for us
We will praise Him with our lives
And proclaim our love for Him