I haven’t posted in a while.

We have been on vacation as a family. Taking a much needed break, we headed south to a cooler climate. Yes, you read that correctly. While we were in Florida, temperatures in the Maryland area were above 100.

Thank you for sticking with me and being patient.

::

This week a friend of mine’s church posted this on facebook:

‎”What if you woke up tomorrow with ONLY the things that you thanked the Lord for today?”

What would you be left with?

Would you still have a house? a bed? a pillow? your children? your pet that leaves all those tumbleweeds of fur?

Would you still have that wall that has spaghetti smeared on it? Would the rowdy kids who did it still be part of your life?

Would you still have that floor cluttered with lego? or that bed with the sheets that need to have a date with the washing machine? For that matter, would you have a washing machine to put them in? What about what is lurking under the lid?

Would your kids still have clothes? You know, the clothes that are overflowing their hamper onto the laundry room floor, that seem to be coming from some sort of underground spring that belches dirty soiled clothes by the minute.

As I close my eyes and cringe against the loud rumble of the truck jake-breaking its way down the hill in front of the house we currently occupy, I am reminded to give thanks for my hearing… that I can hear them.

Because it means I can also hear my children whisper “I love you” and I can hear my husband whisper “you’re beautiful”.

And even though a few minutes ago all I heard was one child arguing with another… I could hear it.

What do you need to be giving thanks for today?

::

881. children’s laughter and giggles while we all try on silly hats

882. he wanted to build fun memories into their lives

883. their heart’s compassion for children they have never met

884. with God at the center, friendship is a strong 3-fold cord

885. a home that welcomes us…

886. with hearts….

887. and arms, wide open…

888. so full of love for Him…

889. and us.

890. soft breeze, cool on hot skin

891. the gift of time… to see over time… how good friends have grown in the LORD

892. watching him, now leading a full choir of 18, and the congregation in worship filled songs

893. and singing solo hymns of invitation to the hearts of His people

894. a sermon of encouragement, of trusting God, delivered straight from the heart of God, through a humble pastor, right into our hearts

895. a game of trivial pursuit…

896. so much laughter

897. a week twoo weeks of living with “Lucy and Ricky”

898. crystal clear water where it comes forth from the depths of the earth

899. spring fed river

900. … and it’s too cold for gators

901. tubing on the Ichtatucknee River

902. we all had a blast (even the smallest ones)

903. floating  by snow white cranes tending their nest

904. huge wood storks flying low over head

905. snorkling in the spring fed pool…

906. checking out the variety of fish

907. spanish moss lazy draped over boughs bending low

908. arching trees making tunnels over watery paths

909. the bravery of even the smallest, facing the river and its passageway into the unfamiliar, the unknown, and adventure

910. flash of blue jay

911. Big dog in a little body, Hanna the Westie

912. wind creating ‘waves’ across the tops of the corn standing tall

913. “and we are his congregation”

914. God’s timing on posting this

915. encouraging comments when God knew I needed to hear them

916. my hearing

917. the washing machine

918. the wood floor under my feet at the moment, cause in two months it won’t be

919. the fuzzy rug my feet are resting on… well, THAT will still be under my feet… somewhere…

920. clothes

921. the two fur babies we have that leave all those fluffy tumbleweeds of fur

922. the house, the bed, the pillow

923. the rowdy kids

924. that she has a wall that can have spaghetti smeared on it

…. and she is still smiling!!! Love you Ang!!

925. floor, lego, and sheets that need laundering

Linking up with Ann today.

*****