06 September 2009

Traveling Through Thanksgiving

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(inspiration and logo from Holy Experience)

Begin by thanking Him for some little thing,
and then go on, day by day, adding to your subjects of praise;
thus you will find their numbers grow wonderfully;
and, in the same proportion,
will your subjects of murmuring and complaining diminish,
until you see in everything some cause for thanksgiving.

~ Priscilla Maurice


So true! I started this journey and continue down a path of joys much greater than I could have expected. Around another bend in the road and everyday blessings come into view...


256.

Continuing to enjoy my new love for cooking
with a new recipe for which I did not have enough soy sauce,
BUT scrounging through the pantry,
there was just enough left-over soy sauce packets from Chinese take-out
for what I needed.
Sometimes,
just gathering what we think are just the scraps from life
is just what we need,
it is enough.


257.

Hearing my seven year old's laughter
and seeing his dancing eyes
as he reads out loud to me about a mischievous monkey
that reminds me a lot of him.


258.

Relief.
I'm finishing up dinner
LATE (it's almost 7:00!)
and daughter enters the kitchen
just as I am pulling out the corn on the cob from the fridge saying,
"OOHH! Corn on the cob! I love shucking corn. May I?"
May you?! YES!
And I... stop to breathe.
Suddenly, the late time doesn't matter.


259.

The first day to turn off the AC
and open up all the windows.
Fresh breezes and naturally scented air
fill our house.
What a pleasure.


260.

Peeling sweet potatoes as Bach plays in the background.
You haven't really peeled potatoes
until you've done it with Mr. Bach. ;)


261.

Twelve year old daughter draws a cross
in her sweet potatoes at dinner
and asks me to take a picture.
Jesus just keeps showing up in our lives
in the most unusual and most mundane ways!


262.

Can I say that if I did love things,
I would love my tumbler?
It goes everywhere I go
around the house and in the car...
Ice water, the drink of champions!


263.

Pretty things
rescued from a college dumpster
after seniors graduated and left campus
like this bright electric blue cardigan
with shell button.


264.

Sink full of messy dishes yet to be cleaned
towards the end of a tiring day
means that tummies are full of yummies
What is a cause of grumbling becomes a cause of gratitude.
What is ugly is beautiful.


265.

It's gone!
I open the pantry to find the recycling bin
has already been taken to the curb by my husband.
That's almost as good as flowers and chocolate!


266.

Teasing words of seven year old brother to twelve year old sister:
"So, how would you like to mow the lawn?"
Her reply:
"If I did it for the glory of God,
I would learn to enjoy it."
Wow. Truer words were never spoken.


267.

The ability to laugh out loud at myself.
In the middle of a day when I was befuddled
by the tyranny of my to do list,
at wit's end to know what to do next, I...
alphabetized our videos.
You know, that incredibly important,
not to mention urgent,
task that must be done before all others!
I managed to stop myself before doing them all
and have a good giggle at my creative combination of
procrastination and compulsivity.
(Tell me you've done this kind of thing, too, please!)


Such is one page of the travel log of those in the gratitude community.
Join the journey here. Happy trails!
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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Everything looks delicious- We are truly Blessed to be able to have food in such abundance and for the Love of family and MOST Of all for the LOVE OF OUR LORD Jesus Christ


Angie

Anonymous said...

"choosing crumbs instead of the feast"--that is a sermon in itself--thank you

Anonymous said...

*beautiful bread
*love Van Gogh's :Starry Night:
*for the reminder to make life REAL.
Giving thanks with you today...
Maria

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your great list. I loved the sink. The ugly-beautiful. I am looking for it around me now.
Cherry Blossom

Maria said...

I enjoyed your new list of wonderful gifts... what wonderful reminders they are for me as well ~ Maria
ps. I especially like the cross in the soup ~
... and the kindnesses of your family~