my God is so big...so strong and so mighty!

• "may the Holy Spirit have entire possession" - andrew murray
• getting to see aletha (love how last minute plans worked out) 

• freshly painted fence
• incredible kids (not all are pictured) on a shady (in the best of ways) playground 

• emma's first volleyball game
• this beautiful girl is 17!!

• singing "my God is so big" with little emma and ms. molly
• lovely flowers for no particular reason

• watching ducks waddle
• first day of school after school treats at yaya's

• God's kindness through a stranger named Daryl at Sam's...he really saved my entire morning
• all went well for the first day at calvary for emma and first day of fall semester at csu for caroline

• nick's grilling skillz
• golden (17 on the 17th) birthday lunch for caroline

• really good ice in the church kitchen at the volleyball game...don't mind if i do. 
• the way aunt amy shows up for my kids

• eli's diagrams for zoe
• clean car! 

taking time to see the quiet miracles...

• easy peasy trip to the dentist
• "take time to see the quiet miracles that seek no attention." - john o'donohue
• orientation at calvary - walking in what we know the Lord has led us to for emma!

• sheffield's...able to work the car in, no charge to fix it
• amy was able to pick up nick from the airport
• helpful hands working on breath prayers

• yaya's help with the certificates (sometimes a little help is what's needed!)
• good run/walk around heath park
• candy salad 

• coming home to dinner fixed
• caramel ribbon crunch...always welcome. 
• "...the Lord is thinking about me right now." - Psalm 40:17 (such an incredible thought - He's thinking about me...wonder what His thoughts are towards me...i love that He lets us ask Him.....)

loving kindness all over the place

• walking on the beach with my dad
• rainy day starbucks outing (thanks, wil!)

• friday night's dinner - sharing gratefulness about our vacation...so special, sacred, sweet (can this please be a new tradition?!)
• one last beautiful st. simons sunrise 

• easy peasy pack up saturday morning
• emma + friends + christmas in july saturday night (+ EK's pizza dip!!!)
• the pantry is the cleanest it's been in a while (didn't intend to clean it...but one thing led to another)
• good reminder: 

• beautifully restful sunday afternoon and evening
• unexpected el carrizo date with nick
• 2 kids wearing impact t-shirts

• the grocery fairy visited everbe (who is also the gardening/weeding fairy, the cottage fairy, the pool fairy, the cat feeding fairy...she's quite the fairy)
• girls with great taste in backpacks 
• crepe myrtle blossoms!

• cityscape youth leadership retreat!!! 
• ministry happening at first tuesday 
• yaya and zoe's delightful evening with ms. victoria mitchell

• dinner with 3 delightful ladies!  
• beautiful sunset
• the gift ninja's sneakiness

 

thankful list...vacation edition (volume 2)

 a few more pictures this week (and they are even pretty much in order)

• "He fills my life with good things." psalm 103:5(a)
• easy peasy rehearsal in the lovely (laura) lane chapel 
• beautiful sunset at epworth (even more beautiful to me: the 3 teenagers and 1 five year old that i get to call my children)

• pretty pretty fingers and toes
• hawaiian tropic sunscreen
• being with my sister on her wedding day!

• so many incredible people who traveled all kinds of distances to be here to celebrate - so cool to see some of the lives amy and wil have impacted (and that have impacted them)
• meme made it! 
• lovely wedding for Wil + Amy (i like that officiant)

• sweet conversations with folks at the reception (so cool to get to say "i've prayed for you!!" or to hear someone say "i've prayed for you!!")
• "blessed are the flexible for they will not be bent out of shape." -mama lou
• mid-reception nieces and nephews (+ shane, honorary nephew) uno playing

• "in yourself you do not have the strength or the wisdom or the ability to accomplish the task to which you are called." - every moment holy 
• God is so faithful. so faithful. 
• pre-church dolce dough donuts (sweet mama's officially has competition)

• double dose of church
• the way caroline cares for zoe
• St. Ignatius' Prayer of Indifference:

• molly's generosity to take care of all things everbe while we're away 
• just right after dinner bike ride (really thankful for the way SSI sidewalks are bike friendly...not lots of bumps or jumps!)
• kids (and young adults) building castles together

• paddleboarding to/with the dolphins
• bike ride to get sweet mama's (kind of always wanted to do that!)
• more incredible sunrises (gotta get my fill for the year)

• so easy to get a new tent
• scruffy is such a good dog!
• yaya's awesomeness.

• the card from the blood pressure thing worked!
• braves on at the beach
• papa with some of his girls

• trash fairy and laundry fairy and dishwasher fairy 
• plenty of hot water and good water pressure
• nick's beach stylez charcuterie

• plenty of good books to read
• cherries
• pretty decent news about the pool liner 

thankful list...vacation edition (volume 1)

my apologies for a pretty serious lack of pictures....

• when there's peace and calm and you know it's straight from God
• getting to see topanga!
• marshall's help with our alternator
• southern soul brought to us on the beach
• whole lot of skittle skatter

• 9:53 departure 
• getting to be at the beach with my family (favorite place, favorite people)
• all around the table eating crab trap
• all around the table eating papa's fried chicken
• lane's heart to serve and see people happy
• pretty pink sunrise(s)

• best blt (- the l, add some cheese) i've ever had...thanks, yaya
• yaya's question on the porch
• peaches. corn. peanuts. tomatoes.
• tent on the beach (and the various people who set it up and take it down)
• sunrise run with the one and only caroline cash
• such an amazing bicycle riding teacher

• chloe + zoe
• tejin + cantaloupe
• the teenagers' omelette making skillz
• zoe on the beach ALL day...lotsa days
• buffalo chicken dip. 

lots of VBS thankfulness...and a few other things.

• suzanne's ideas and encouragement
• libby's awesomeness...so incredible to see people using their gifts and talents (she was just one of about 40 VBS volunteers!)

• lunch with the wells
• zoe's helpfulness and all around agreeableness during VBS set up

• random teenager who helped me SO MUCH in the sam's parking lot - God has repeatedly used people to bless me in the sam's parking lot through the years!
• new dryer!

• cash kids serving and loving and giving at VBS...willingly and joyfully.
• a great 3 nights of VBS!!!! friends to share it with! positive, enthusiastic volunteers! lots of joy, love and jesus shared!

• yaya's chapstick (and her willingness to share)
• all the bible study copies got made

thanks giving. giving thanks.

• lots of time with all 6 cashes at home
• table full of college students
• cottage guests that have served as missionaries in West Africa and had a son who got stitches on a Mercy Ship!
• a silly kitty surprise in the back seat. 

• non-anxious presence podcast from John Mark Comer
• "God, is there anything you want to ask me now?"
• tuesdays that feel like saturday and thursdays that feel like tuesday (and thursday all at the same time). 
• fun questions:

• "Come to a place where our love and joy do not rise or fall based on what does or does not happen." - ignatius
• it's easy to be around aiden
• nick + tim + fireworks
• beautiful girl and her butterfly...and a sweet time at the park

• life giving and meaningful conversations on the porch and in the driveway this week
• all went well for the faircloths in costa rica
• "i want and i choose what leads to God's deepening life in me." - ignatius
• a call back from someone interested in being a table host!