hoping the thankfulness will help

• more kids accepted Christ sunday night at LIFE
• meaningful connections in the kitchen at CS
• concession stand cheeseburgers. made & served with love. 
• Zoe's first soccer game!

• a whole afternoon's worth of lemon pepper boneless wings
• weighted blanket
• when the price of anything goes down
• creativity with the bird feeder and watering bowl

• lots got done in the bottom of the third building tuesday morning
• caroline is so capable (had to have a tough conversation and she did it!!!)
• always good to talk to lane
• the loveliness of the breathe gifts (God's provision)

• such a special breathe - meaningful connections, heartfelt sharing, hope & encouragement (and tasty butter bar things)
• gina came by!
• driveway walking
• processing things with folks after tough conversations

 

sweet things.

• the guy on the motorbike slowed down when he passed to create less dust on mountainbrook
• the life, joy, love, friendship, family and all around wonderfulness that this picture encompasses

• so much good stuff in "life of the beloved" 
• the sweetest kitten in our lives - the ebert's nola (short for granola!!!)

• zoe's thoughtfulness and generosity to bring nola "stripes" to play with (and keep!)
• lovely touches to a pretty ordinary chicken soft taco (and a faithful friend to share lunch with)

• fun & meaningful MomCo kick off
• sidetrack coffee in opelika.  the kindess is astounding. 

• delightful date night
• mornings on the porch with this precious one

• precious pink packet of powerful promises
• just the right prayer for just the wrong circumstance. 

• a gardenia for nick
• peacocks showing up all over the place

• comfy overalls (that get lots of compliments!)
• ALL that nick did to make Sunday at success (and not just the volunteer hospitality room!).  He's SO GOOD at his job. 

• slowly but surely making more and more connections with our neighbors
• lovely prayer/lovely song
  

 

begatting gratitude

• an hour & a 1/2 with jen talking about being God's beloved
• "what fascinates me so much is that every time we decide to be grateful it will be easier to see new things to be grateful for.  Gratitude begats gratitude..." - henri nouwen 
• 48+ hours of zoe and jo! 

• emma's happy heart (and how much she loves lilies)
• representing Jeeah's Hope at CCC + homemade muffins + familiar faces
• little chess action

• date night. always thankful. 
• sweet moments with zoe + school
• 6-7

• b' fast with hannah banana.  IHOP coffee is GOOD. 
• coke + slim jims + cheez-its (with extra salt)
• zoe  + grace + bubbles + sunday afternoon

• football season is upon us!!  chicken + fries + kumps + UGA win!
• nick's orange justice dance
• unexpected varsity lunch with yaya

gifts from the week.

• porch time with jesus, jess ray and henri nouwen
• a note not-so slyly slipped through a handshake 
• such a beautiful zinnia

• learning all the brain rot lingo (and making emma laugh)
• SUCH a good monday! 
• celebrating jo & sarah with popsicles and a playground!

• walks with nick
• wednesday's "classroom" in the backyard
• bookmark from gloria (and learning i was saying isaac wrong this whole time!)

• the way the house smelled this morning...the combination of coffee & thieves was just right
• when helping/serving is a joy and not an obligation
• morning views

• both of us showing up at panda express 
• chocolate cake and pecan pie and rice krispy treats
• finding the 2 of them like this...him reading scripture to her first thing in the morning

• fried chicken and pineapple sandwiches (and telling people about pineapple sandwiches....really didn't realize that they're not a thing for most people!!)
• i love having my family in our home
• some of my favorite people gathered around the table to celebrate Papa's birthday!!

• feels like fall 
• bottled coke! treat tuesday!
• TRUTH from the Jesus Storybook Bible

• sharing with friday friends.
• jonathan and katie's potato salad
• they won the tournament!! (thanks to jenny k. for sending pictures and videos!!)

2x2

• .40 off each gallon of gas (is there no "cent sign" on the keyboard?!)
• celebrating caroline!! (& that her friends celebrated her with post-its and dinner and all sorts of wonderful things!)

• healthy birds leave the nest.  2 flying back to college....
• pretty toes

• instagram and the peeks it gives into college life
• eli is literally being prayed over. 

• henri nouwen's "out of solitude" (and the pages of notes in my journal)
• such a perfect sabbath setting

• thursday's pace was better than tuesday and wednesday's
• splashes of soozi all over the place

• seeing the Body of Christ come around the Barkdulls
• lilies & sparrows...and considering them. 

• no line, no waiting at SB
• just right liturgy (again)

• voice texts from logan
• gift baskets from eden...what a delight to pass them out....

songs and scriptures and such.

• jess ray's psalm 19  and lilies and sparrows
• the ivy plant is now eli's 
• kids in the driveway running and walking and doing all sorts of wonderful things with me

• "...set their hope in God and not forget the works of God..." Psalm 78 (around v. 7)
• SSI sweater/sweatshirt 
• the "God i trust You" coffee purchase

• enough places for all the people to sleep
• aaron got his license!!
• watercolors on a monday morning

• tasty cheeseburger at the volleyball game
• 4 people offering to serve in hospitality at CS!
• breakfast picnic (and kids leading themselves in prayer)

• well timed power outage 
• the hokey pokey (and other fun ideas for teaching zoe things)
• yes. this: 

• the right liturgy at the right moment....God helps give the best resets
• juice in the fridge from caroline
• how, in just the right beautiful hands, a plain piece of paper can become a piece of holy encouragement and truth

• "He will make you strong and give you peace." Psalm 29:11
• much needed and much appreciated date night...so thankful for nick. 
• it all went according to nick's plan at the clingstone game - got the jerseys!  had a great night!!

• sweet time at evangel's playground (x2)
• serve day was a success (so thankful for toni!)
• blessing bag decorating and note writing on a saturday morning

on and on and on

• sharing the pause app (10/10 highly recommend)
• a team of 3 for jeeah's hope! laura lea is a lovely addition.
•  a whole host of folks ready to help

• celebrating molly!
• cool weather in august (!?!)
• jason MADE eli a cajon

• sweet little conversations with neighbors of cityscape
• caroline is here! love hearing about camp.
• sister nails

• popcorn and cookies and such
• "do you mind if i do the dishes?" -abigail (nope...don't mind at all)
• fun little fish thing

• jess ray's MATIN albums
• even when things are messy it's an honor to be a part of people's lives
• good sportsmanship after a rivoting game of skyjo

• gracie's family's kindness to caroline
• having eli and logan around
• treats at open house or verification or whatever it's called when we got emma's schedule at calvary

• great first day for emma and abigail
• all things eden church...especially dinner saturday evening
• gift basket from eden!