Endless Gifts

His gifts go on, even though I am not recording them.

Today I am thankful for:

69.  salt
70.  a teacher who is helping me so much
71.  cool water
72.  the delicious sound of pasta boiling on the stove.

Sights, sounds, smells

66. A well-traveled boy safely returned - a glad sight for this mother's eyes.

67. The sound of a spoon digging into a piece of watermelon.

68. The heavy fragrance of the gardenia bush in bloom -

perfuming the evening air.

69. Small sister's arm around the shoulders of the returning brother.

Evidence of His Love

The brilliant reds and greens of fresh cherry tomatoes.

Beauty in an ugly corner.

Translucent beauty.

Fractals - in a vegetable (Romanesco cabbage)!

For more information about the math in this vegetable, try this very educational site from the UK.

Snapshots on Sunday

More reasons to be thankful:




60. A tray of empty cocoa mugs - evidence of family story time.





61. Crooked candles on a simple cake.

Giving Thanks

It has been a long while since I wrote of things for which I am thankful. God's gifts are so many, yet I have found it far harder than I expected to cultivate the attitude of thanksgiving I had envisioned. Today is Ash Wednesday and though my background is not liturgical, I feel led to attend to the season of Lent this year, much as we spend December in increased attentiveness through Advent.

As I focus on the life and death of Jesus in the next 40 days, I hope also to focus more on thankfulness, including these:

55. The scent of tomato plants in the garden

56. The sour-sweetness of the first ripe tomato

57. Little girl arms wrapped around daddy's neck - welcoming home

58. A favorite salad - enjoyed only once a year here

59. Small hands gathering beans

Unreliable internet in our remote place prevented me from posting this yesterday, and from adding the photos I would like to share.

Gratitude goes on . .

52.  Little girl's giggles as she discovers the joys of planting beans.

53. Hard work well done.

54. Learning together.

Thankfulness

So many things to be thankful for, yet so few written down.  Here are a few from today:

49. Companionable silence

50.  Holding hands

51. Today's sermon

Of highlights

47. A patch of blue in a clouded sky.

48. The dull clouds, framing the blue, highlighting its beauty.

Just a thought - when clouds crowd the sky of my day, threatening to obscure His light, do I see only the gray, or do I look for the brightness of his Glory breaking through?

Lord, let me always see the obstructions and encumbrances of this broken world as frames to highlight your grace, opportunities for your beauty to break through.

Photo courtesy of FreeStockPhotos.com

Gifts

44. A child's hand holding mine.



45. The sound of their laughter.

46. A safe journey.

Thank you, Father. What grace you bestow.

in a day

40. A day to be reminded . . .

41. . . . of hands . . .

42. . . . and feet . . .



43. . . . and purpose.

It's all grace, all from his hands.


Photos from a clinic I was able to attend.

. . . and giving . . .

37. Tea to sooth a sore throat.

38. A dry day. (Laundry, and other things, drying)


39. The love of a brother. (Wonder Boy and Princess Grace share a towel after playing in the rain)

He gives . . .

33. The night-song of cicadas and crickets.

34. Hymns to sing, a little off-key, with the children.


35. The roof, our monsoon playground.

36. Rain pounding on our corrugated aluminum roof: the music of the season.

Grace that keeps giving . . .

32. The sweetest pineapple EVER!

33. A friend to look after things while we are away.


34. Reading Runaway Bunny with Princess Grace on my lap.

35. A new generator - keeping us cool this evening.

36. The certainty of knowing that HE knows, even thought right now, nothing seems clear to us.

always giving . . .

29. The smell of rain.

30. Fresh pasta, ready for dinner.

31. Lychees!

continuing on . . .

24. Our restful Friday Sabbaths in our "other home country."

25. The momentary flash of pink in the early dusk clouds - relieving the mundane-ness of washing dishes.

26. An amazing sunrise today, noticed by The Scholar alone; perhaps painted by God's hand for this child alone.


27. The helpful spirit in Wonder Boy as he crouches and crowds to help Daddy install some new shelves.

28. Six small hands eager to help with some painting.








It's all about Him . . .

His endless gifts . . .

20. Freedom to study history - so that we never forget the mistakes of the past.

21. Freedom to worship - may we NEVER take it for granted.

22. The excitement of a child as he learns something new.

23. Books

gifts

16. The Scholar's comment: "I'm going to see if I'm needed in the kitchen."

17. BEAUTIFUL roses from dh. Just because.

18. Laughter over kitten's cherry-tomato soccer game.

19. Grandparents.

wonderful gifts . . .

13. Freshly grated coconut - still on the tree this morning - ready to be toasted! What a glorious smell!

14. Feather pillows.

15. Air conditioners on the hottest day of the year so far.

His Gifts

just keep on coming:

10. Morning sunlight streaming through the kitchen window.

11. The sounds of birds lifting their songs of praise at 5 am.

12. Little girls' pigtails!

the list continues . .

5. Princess Grace asleep with her no-longer-lost favorite toy.

6. Books that encourage.

7. A "Mommy's day off".

8. Husband's kindness to give it.

9. Sermon podcasts.