- candy, costumes and chili at yaya's
- chicken dip during the UGA game!
- getting to trick or treat with Molly and kiddos...pretty much every part of life is just better with a good friend to share it with.
- new decor in our kitchen from Laura Lea (and how it matches our hearts and our colors)
- community and friendship at the scarborough's
- zoe's enjoyment of the swing
- so.much.laughter. "take a knee! good job."
- the games. especially the pantyhose face one. goodness. (and oh the laughter!)(again)
- the Kelly Family's generosity and the fantastic time Caroline had getting to see NEEDTOBREATHE (who knew it was all capitals and no spaces?! Caroline did.)
- hymn of heaven by Phil Wickham
- Phil Wickham playlists on repeat (thank you, God, for modern hymn writers and theologians)
- fresh griddle
- Kimberly's brain surgery went oh so well. hallelujah.
- getting to see the braves win
- shelley's building blessing - God's faithfulness is all over her, her business and her building
- portrait of the cash family (Jonas included) circa 2009 (right after Emma was born) by Ella Grace
- shared friendship between the walls and cashes for so many years.
- the way caroline quotes parks and rec
- fresh bag of venison jerky
- knowing Eli is having an amazing time at the twenty-one pilots show!!
- my apple slicer is home!
- cash kids' crests
- the connection our newest care team member has with mercy's Jamaican kitchen
- Zoe's big bubble bath at yaya's
- the loveliest of "just for dianna charcuterie board" with delightful company in a just right backyard. everybody needs a friend like Molly.
- the most DELIGHTFUL Dinner party
- how clean/tidy the carport is (I love it all over again every time I walk in or out)
- such rich and kind and meaningful words shared around the table
- nice mix of listeners and story tellers...laughter and tears....silly and serious.
- nick's incredible thoughtfulness and party planning
- God gave me my favorite weather on my birthday...cold for GA...gray (but not too gray)
- early morning run...AND a nice "lie in"...the best of the best.
- birthday messages from all of my siblings
- a whole box of blueberry cake doughnuts
- doughnut + coffee + porch (always thankful)
- the gift of stamps and notecards...feeding my habit/hobby
- "happy birthday" message from community group
- so much fun with party decorations and accessories
- sweet new neighbors. what an answer to prayers/hopes/desires.
- fresh flowers...and reminders all over the place of nick's love and care
- hearing an Australian accent in person again
- fresh package of sharpies
- treat basket is full to overflowing
- every emotional basket/tank is full to overflowing (except, ironically, not my gas tank)
- beloved tattoos (not real...yet)
- cherry coke in the fridge
- all the lights from the dash are corrected/settled/fixed
- the discovery of lemon hummus. wowzahs. i like it. (and realizing that some of the gifts of having a birthday would never be labeled as birthday gifts...but that's exactly what they are)
- that i get to live in Columbus at the same time as the faircloths
- tray of delicious delights. and a beautiful friend to hold it with.
- friends who show up for lunch with lemon pepper boneless wings
- an EXTRAVAGANT gift. and the ability of quite a few to keep it all a secret. SSI, we're coming!
- all the birthday app awards. what a time to be alive.
- free birthday coffee
- "I'm awkward, too" - comment from the older gentleman at the coffee shop (in response to my "sorry I'm awkward, sorry" gem of a sweatshirt
- God set aside a slinky for us/Emma at the dollar store. really.
- all the incredibly kind words to me/about me on nick's facebook and instagram posts
- reconnecting with Anna Marie (who was a part of Zoe's adoption) at the lifeline banquet
- being reminded again and again and again of the gift of Zoe/Adoption
- 2 desserts! (one for now, one for later)
- Emma is already working on Christmas presents for folks
- 10,000 reasons**
**insider information
this post is extra long partly because it's my birthday week and there are extra gifts aplenty...and partly because I realized this morning that I was very, very close to reaching 10,000 gifts on my thankful list!! I couldn't think of anything better to honor God with in celebration of the 41 years He's given me than to hit this milestone today! "Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find" - 10,000 reasons to worship and thank God, to bless Him, to honor our Father who gives and gives and gives. happy my birthday to you, God. :)
i first started my thankful list around 2003 (or maybe 2004? 2005?) when a precious Teen Advisor named Tahna gave each person in our growth group (small group bible study) a "happy book." she challenged us to write down things that made us happy through the week and to share them when we came back together....I did that very sporadically for a while and at some point it became a much more regular part of my time alone with God...I started looking for the gifts along the way (and numbering them) - and, since we so often see what we are looking for, there were plenty of gifts to be seen.
keeping a thankful list has been huge for me. i won't go into all the reasons why right now (or all the scriptural basis for gratitude!)...but i wholeheartedly believe that God has saved me from dark places and seasons of depression and has kept me from getting stuck - and the primary vessel He has used, other than His Love and Word, has been through this practice of looking for gifts and being grateful. it's all grace upon grace upon grace.
thanks be to God for His indescribable gift(s) - and thanks be to God that He receives my attempts to describe the gifts He has given me.
now to unwrap the next 10,000...
