Today's gratitude . . .

Today I am so grateful, my eyes opened to the blessings all around...

21.  Friends not seen in so many days, still encouraging, still loving

22.  The rich layers of God's word, so many still waiting for me to discover them

23.  A book a praise, given by a sweet friend

24.  Hard work and sacrifice

25.  New opportunities placed in my path by His hand

26.  The doubt that keeps me seeking Him

27.  The warmth of my home, repelling the cold of this world

 28.  Women, 113 dear women, gathering this past weekend to pray and praise and learn and laugh

29.  A pastor speaking biting truth, challenging we who are stagnant

30.  Fresh flowers

More Gifts...

Offering gratitude today for...

11.  compassion expressed

12.  a husband who loves me on the bad days

13.  gray sweaters and gray socks and gray shawls...

14.  cabinets overflowing with food in a world overflowing with empty stomachs

15.  the tug on my heart to help fill those empty stomachs

16.  a daughter's laughter

17.  toes touching under warm blankets

18.  the longing in my heart for more

19.  precious wise women in my church family, wrapping their words and their prayers and their weakening arms around me

20.  Ann's book

A Word Fitly Spoken...

A bit of needlework stitched long ago...

The day could have been marred by contention

by strife and conflict

by division

But these simple words were spoken again and again

washing over the hearers

"...what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice

to love kindness 

and to walk humbly with your God?"

Micah 6:8

These words

from ancient days

rang true in this time

bringing peace

uniting hearts.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

Proverbs 25:11

Gifts...

And this day, I begin my own journey of gratitude.  Offering thanks for...

1.  warm woolen socks on a cold January morning

2.  beans simmering in the crockpot

3.  white linen tablecloths in the midst of Winter's darkness

4.  creativity given by a creative God

5.  angels in leather, arriving unexpectedly

6.  rest

7.  a moment of illumination while mining in the Word

8.  Scarlett curling her furry self beside me

9.  Tom's arm around my waist, singing hymns of praise in worship together

10.  the regretted words that sent me back to the true Word, searching, seeking

2011: the year of . . .

Welcome to the year 2011!  The year of . . .  what?

Many of the bloggers I follow have adopted words for this new year:  the year of HOPE, the year of HERE, the year of PATIENCE, the year of JOY, and so on. 

As I thought about what word I might like to live out this year, so many came to mind:

The year of ORDER (where is the thing I'm looking for right now and where do I put the thing I've just stumbled upon that I was looking for last week?)

The year of JOY (mine seems to come in spurts these days, like mustard from an almost-empty squeeze bottle)

The year of LOVE (I have not loved as I should, or as I would want to be, or as He has loved me)

The year of PEACE (3 jobs among the two of us in jeopardy in 2010, 2 new careers begun, ill health and dis-ease in our family, the urgent overtaking the important at every turn... I want peace)

But instead I chose to go to the Source, not the symptoms.  This year will be the year of PRAYER.  Of course, I pray.  When I think to.  When I have time to.  When I need to.  But were I truly honest with myself, I have a critically anemic prayer life.  Through prayer (conversation and relationship) with the Master of Order, the Joy-giver, the Lord of Love, the Prince of Peace, all these things will be added to my daily walk.

Pray with me, won't you?  May the path to our prayer closets or prayer corners or prayer chairs be well worn this year!