November 2, 2009

Gratitude Monday – 1,000 gifts…..

81. Walking on a perfect fall day

82. The brilliant red, gold, yellow and orange of fall trees

83. The sound of water falling

84. The crunch of gold and yellow beneath my feet

85. The excitement of a child catching a fish for the first time

86. The friendliness of a dog

87. The sweetness of a puppy

88. A beautiful park close enough to walk to

89. Looking forward to the holidays

90. A young girl’s beautiful voice praising God

October 19, 2009

Abundance on a Monday – 1,000 gifts continued

68. Colors and how they can bring pleasure to my soul

69 The smell of meat cooking with garlic and onion

70. The crunchy goodness of an apple

71. My warm, cozy bed at night

72. The sound of our son drumming around the house

73. Watching our son’s band perform their show

74. The way my body feels after a workout

75. The beautiful colors of the fall leaves

76. The power of God’s Word to meet my need at any moment

77. Good news

78. A good, belly laugh

79. A good cry

80. Looking forward to time with family

October 6, 2009

Gratitude Monday…1,000 gifts continued…

57. A hot shower on a cold morning

58. The soothing warmth of a fire in the fireplace

59. Being hugged by someone who loves me

60. Apple Cider Vinegar (trust me on this one)

61. The wonderful memories I have of our son as a baby, toddler, child…priceless.

62. Hot chocolate

63. Chocolate anything!

64. A good night’s sleep

65. Finding something that was lost

66. Taking communion at church

67. Watching my husband and our son build a close bond

September 29, 2009

Give Me This Water!

Give me this water!

Water that quenches my thirst.

Water that gives life.

Give me this water

Water that fills the deepest longings of my heart.

Water that washes away all my sin.

Give me this water, Lord.

Water that will save my soul.

Water that gives everlasting life.

Please, give me this water, LORD!

So, that I will never thirst again.

 John 4:15

September 28, 2009

Gratitude Monday – 1,000 gifts cont……

45. My son’s beautiful smile

46. Ann Voskamp’s  blog

47. Hope restored

48. Receiving forgiveness

49. Wise instruction

50. Having my eyes opened to truth

51. My husband’s warm embrace

52. Family coming to visit

53. A friend’s welcoming smile

54. Being able to give to those in need

55. God’s truth that sets me free

56. An afternoon substitute teaching  job – my morning is free  : )

September 21, 2009

Gratitude Monday – 1,000 gifts cont…

32. My son marching and playing his drum in the band

33. A cold drink of water

34. Finishing a job

35. A warm coat on a cold day

36. My cat’s soft fur

37. The sun rising every day

38. My next breath of air

39. A hug from a friend

40. A Godly heritage

41. Knowing about Jesus since the cradle

42. Singing praises to God

43. The miracle of a newborn baby

44. Little girls dressed up in their Sunday best

September 19, 2009

All you can eat pancakes

Need something to do today? Come see the Pancake Man and have all you can eat pancakes and sausage with clowns, face painting, and carnival for life. To benefit A woman’s Touch Pregnancy Counseling Center. At 2700 Arboretum Drive in Bellevue off of 370. Adults 5.50 kids 4.00 fam max 25.00.  Fun time!

September 3, 2009

Amazing Hope available as download

My books Amazing Hope and Butterflies, Biscuits and Rain are now available as downloads (cheaper plus no shipping costs) at this address: http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?search_forum=-1&search_cat=2&show_results=topics&return_chars=200&search_keywords=&keys=&header_search=true&sitesearch=lulu.com&q=&fSearch=aken&fSearchFamily=2&fSubmitSearch.x=16&fSubmitSearch.y=9

Plus they are both still available in print form at this address and at Amazon.

FYI

September 1, 2009

I want to be the greatest!

     At times, each one of us wants to be the greatest, the best, the most loved, the most popular, the fastest, smartest, most beautiful… on and on. Just like the disciples, asking Jesus, “Who then is the greatest…”  Matt. 18:1   It is so human nature to want to be the best. To want everyone to like “me” the most. To have everyone sing my praises. I know I fall into that temptation. I want everyone to like me. To think I am great. What did Jesus say to them? “Whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” v. 4 Jesus isn’t looking for “the greatest” . He is looking for the humble heart. The one who is willing to lay down their life to serve Him. We are at our best when we forget ourselves and focus on how we can serve others. Help me Lord to be as humble as a child in your sight. Forgive me for so often thinking of myself. Help me instead to focus on You.

August 25, 2009

One thousand gifts cont…

 Well, I haven’t been remembering each Monday to continue the 1,000 gifts but here are more…

21. God’s incredible patience with me.

22. Freedom to worship God openly.

23. The full use of my hands – an incredible creation.

24. My home – just what we need.

25. My husband saying, “I love you” every day.

26. My son’s sense of humor.

27. Having a cup of specialty tea in the morning.

28. A good book to read.

29. Getting a call for a job.

30. Our moms, dads, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins – a thousand gifts by themselves!

31. My sister’s knowledge of health and natural healing. (she is a naturopath)