For my birthday I asked Mark to finally get the ball rolling on transferring this blog to a book, so this very well will be my final post. (For Babci and Pepere, I'm hoping to get them set up with their own Facebook account so they can check in on our pics there.)
Regarding Facebook, though: I'm myself taking a mini-summer break from FB, but will try to log in only on Fridays this summer (aka "my Facebook Fridays")...I don't text for the reason that I feel like I see a lot of people with their noses on their phones, tapping away in all their free moments, instead of looking up. But, since I have had FB on my phone, I feel like I've been doing the same thing...a FB check here, a FB check there...anytime I have a free moment...instead of looking outward and upward, so this summer cut-back should help with that.
For the final post, I had to share the name of a wonderful book that has blessed me to pieces. It's by Ann Voskamp, and it's called, "one thousand gifts." I'd love to journal here the parts of the book that were my favorite, but literally every other page is dog-earred or has underlined parts in my book, so essentially I'd just be re-writing the whole thing here! :) I highly recommend this book, though. So, so beautifully written. I relate to this writer so well, in how she sees things...I think if she lived locally there is a good chance we'd be good friends (if she'd have me as one)!
The main ingredient in this book is about her learning (and teaching the reader) the art of Eucharisteo ~ giving thanks. In all things. Seeing the beauty amidst the broken, just like in the Eucharist~ His broken body and spilled blood for our new life. The beauty in the ugly.
She makes a great point in that the first sin, and the underlying tone in ALL sin, revolves around us "wanting more," the sin of ingratitude. Being ungrateful for what has been given us, and wanting something different, or, more. Instead of seeing and accepting (and thanking Him for) all things that are in front of us, we grumble, complain, wait for the next "good" thing, want more...and that we can train ourselves to see through a lens of Eucharisteo; thankfulness in all circumstances.
One quote: "I almost don't see it, but Paul repeats it twice in only two sentences, so I don't miss it: 'I have learned how to be content with whatevery I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.' (Phillipians 4:11-12)
There it is -- the secret to living joy in every situation, the full life of eucharisteo. Twice Paul whispers it: 'I have learned...' Learned. I would have to learn eucharisteo. Learn eucharisteo - learn it to live fully. Learn it like I know my skin, my face, the words on the end of my tongue. Like I know my own name. Learn how to be thankful - whether empty or full. Could the list teach me even that hard language? Over time? Gratitude in the midst of death and divorce and debt - that's the language I've got to learn to speak..."
The list she refers to is a list she gets dared by a friend to begin; a list of 1,000 things she loves. Daily gifts from God that He bestows. She adds to her list daily and over the course of writing the list of one thousand gifts, she learns to look for the gifts, the treasures, in the day to day, even in the hard, ugly times, and, by the end of the list learns what it really means to live a live of eucharisteo. Driving out the habit of discontent and driving in the habit of thankfulness in all things.
The book is powerful and gave me goosebumps throughout it. I decided to start my own list of one thousand gifts and will be daily working on it this summer. (The boys have little journals as well to jot down daily blessings, too.) I thought, to wrap up my blog time, I'd share the list I have so far. I started it on June 14th. And I have to say: it does remind me to look for the beauty in the moment...something that I feel like I have done already, (and which is why I like to capture random things on camera~ the snapshots fill my heart with the joy of the moments), but writing these gifts down daily is helping me become a better, more regular Thanker-to-the-Gift-Giver.
Enjoy.
1. Logan's toothy grin - a smile with one spot missing.
2. Dog-earring pages in a great book.
3. Comfy bed
4. Boys' dirty bare feet running through the yard
5. Cam reading me "The 3 Little Pigs."
6. Homemade bug-catchers - cups, saran wrap with holes, elastics
7. Bumblebees' pollen pockets
8. Dragonflies shimmering in the sun
9. Clematis winding around the lattice and railing
10. Clematis buds ready to open
11. Bandaids on skinned knees
12. Grader trucks grading our country dirt road
13. Swings calling for riders
14. Warm breeze blowing the sweet scent of flowers across the yard
15. Jagged edges of new adult teeth poking through
16. Freckles on Elijah's cheeks
17. A Northern Flicker flying onto a branch
18. Cedar Waxwings' buzzing in groups at the treetops
19. Butterflies on Catmint
20. Viburnum starting to bloom
21. Hollyhock standing tall without a stake
22. All the shades of green on the forest hillside - blue-greens, yellow-greens, brown-greens, forest greens all making a feast for the eyes
23. Tufts of ploom-heads on tall grasses, bowing and bending in the breeze
24. Grilled salmon and swordfish
25. God confirming words spoken to me.
26. The sound of flipping pages in Bibles in a room full of beautiful women seeking Him together
27. Aerobics class
28. My ponytail elastic collection at the ready on my van's blinker switch/handle.
29. The quiet clinking of ice cubes in my cobalt blue glass full of iced coffee
30. Goldfinches
31. Emerging strawberries in my planter
32. Mail
33. Sweet words spoken about my boys.
34. Flip flops and loose, cool, breezy skirts.
35. The fellowship of a group of bikers on the way up to motorcycle weekend.
36. Spiderweb lines shining in the sun
37. Perspective.
38. A woman with a breast cancer booklet on her lap at the lab...not alone...with her sweet husband by her side.
39. Airplane sound coming from somewhere high up in the blue sky
40. Fresh suet in the cages.
41. Sweet children's voices singing VBS songs on stage.
42. Homemade meatballs browning in a skillet
43. Toad in boys' gentle hands.
44. Clean laundry put away
45. Central air conditioning on a wet, humid day
46. Brothers who are best friends.
47. Pajama day at home
48. Days where a lot gets accomplished at home
49. Fish tanks cleaned.
50. The smell of bleach washing the whites.
51. Banana bread loaves in the oven.
52. His 1st canoe.
53. Merlot in bed.
54. Mark's bright smile.
55. Feeling proud of the boys.
56. Eli's first 1 mile race - 7min. 19 sec.
57. Mark's first adult 5K - 23.17
58. Our community
59. American flag waving proudly
60.Joy of the boys getting to "Dodge-Porch" it up with Dad.
61. Time with old friends as we celebrate Jerry's 40th.
62. Boys and girls giggling and teasing in the pool.
63. Mark and my hearts swelled with joy at Cam sitting at BCC with his "graduation cap" on.
64. Logan's silly-banded wrists playing the keys at his recital.
65. Elijah looking and acting like a gentleman at his recital.
66. Heart swelled with proud-Mama-joy.
67. Beautiful piano music wafting through the room.
68. Sunflowers in pots
69. Soft sunlight through large windows.
70. The proud relief on many faces after accomplishments.
71. Boys excited to see and hug their grandparents.
72. A grandson and grandfather sharing a love for fish
73. Brotherly love/friendship
74. Pizza el fresco.
75. Laughing hard with my best friend and sweetheart
76. Smiling at the boys as they play their made-up games in the yard.
77. Boom-wackers as swords.
78. Sleeping with the windows open.
79. Cool, breezy air with bright sunshine
80. The joy of getting my teeth cleaning done at the dentist alone at 8am.
81. Birdsong filling the air!
82. Goldfinches and nuthatches sharing
83. New blooms -asiatic lilies
84. Bible time out in this amazing air
85. Silly joy of boys over their electronic gadgets and apps.
86. Seeing the joy on Mark's face as he recalled how awesome his first trip in the canoe was with his trio.
87. Hummingbird wings...love that hum.
88. Watering the garden barefoot in the dewey grass.
89. The intoxicating smell of fresh morning air!
90. Dead little dried snake in the driveway - cool.
91. Hands gently holding
92. Sprinklers
93. Rough-housing boys before 7am.
94. Fresh "hot top" coat on the driveway
95. Pink toenails
96. Boys' water play "inventions" in the yard
97. New growth on the red maples
98. A little sugar in my coffee
99. Eli reading a whole book in one day
100. Trips to the library
101. Leaves grown in - privacy from the road
102. 5 beds made
103. Pink spirea flowers
104. Asiatic lilies; the red ones; in bloom
105. Quiet "chatter" of the hummingbirds as they buzz by my head
106. 2 red squirrels duking it out
107. Tomato flower blossoms
108. Finishing the book "one thousand gifts"
109. Sunscreening little boy necks.
___________
I hope that this practice makes me even better be able to worship the Giver of all gifts; that I will have an open hand to receive what He brings my way, all of it, and see and find the beauty that He's created and given in every day. As I look back here, too, on the blog, and read the random posts and see the pictures, I am thankful for this life.
Thank You, Lord, for all of it, and help me be a daughter who is always thankful and worshipful, in all things. Amen.
