counting my blessings. being a rebel.

• multiple conversations about thankfulness
• Aldi.  i just like it. 
• dining reward...got a whole lot of tasty food for $17
• practicing being a rebel

• military discount at Brewster's 
• plenty of cherry cokes and plates full of herbs during date night
• all the things around the house that nick has taken care of lately 
• this one:

• the way the guy at the Starbucks on Windy Hill in Smyrna interacts with his customers - with kindness, attention and an uncharacteristic awesomeness
• visiting with Katie!  (and the really cool playground!)
• the simple beauty of mac n cheese for lunch with a friend
• someone with a big platform is quoting me (not really!!  but it's something I've been saying for a long time)

• having the chase family visit for the weekend
• God's word is alive and rich and never disappoints.  
• delicious dinner grilled by nick, enjoyed outside
• beautiful day of hiking at FDR

• few moments by the fire
• meaningful conversations with our teenagers
• fun and fabulous time at the Jeeah's Hope Fall Potluck
• will's picture of Yaya taking our picture

• gourmet Italian lunch at the Robertsons
• the pool liner is in!
• laughing with Caroline about "this is the worst"
• 3/4 of my kiddos and 2 of their incredible friends in a lovely setting 

• the pilot wasn't running right...and then it was (and has continued to).  I think God fixed it. 
• how very much nick makes me laugh
• I got to see my dad (and lane!)! thankful for how his recovery from surgery is going 
• grandaddy's willingness to be in warrenton to help my dad

continuing to cultivate thankfulness

• lemon pepper wings that did not disappoint (from a dangerously close location)
• Sunday night cereal dinner
• fresh screen protector...and the scratches and cracks magically disappear
• such a sacred time at the Jeeah's Hope Breathe event

• coffee + snicker doodle + fresh morning + porch
• refill rockets for the stomp rocket launcher
• mason jar Thursday with the one and only Andrea Omojola
• phenomenal kids and incredible fun at the Riverwalk on a gorgeous afternoon 

• successful knee replacement surgery for papa
• getting to share the pumpkin painting with one of my favorite ladies 
• celebrating God's creation of Amanda...and Melissa...and Sally (soon)
• October. 

pouring out my praise

• listening to nick play the guitar and sing
• ocean breeze
• incredible white noise (the stove vent/fan)
• catching up with shelley in the wee hours of the morning (the running is just bonus) 
• it's really unbelievable how much the Lord loves us and what He has done to bring us near to Him. 

• things on I-75 could've been so much worse
• grace upon grace upon grace
• "i am set free....it is for freedom that i am set free" 
• such a refreshing walk with lauren
• delightful evening celebrating one friend while experiencing another friend absolutely ROCK her talents, gifting and passions

• the cookies molly shared with me. so good. 
• delightful double date at luke's pub
• anytime caroline comes and sits with me and puts her head on my shoulder
• nick's hardwork on our property...specifically spreading a ton and a half of gravel the other day
• loooots of time this week with this girl in my lap (she wasn't the biggest fan of us being gone last week) and all of her sweet and silly faces

• a week of really great cottage guests and easy turnovers
• emma's sweet and thoughtful text 
• eli's responsibility level
• jerry at frank's collision center.  he's a nice guy. 
• prayer of abandonment by charles de foucauld

           Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.

           Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all.
           Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.

           I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul;
           I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord,
           and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands,
           without reserve, & with boundless confidence, for you are my Father

approaching life with gratitude

• poets, painters and storytellers - what a great Clement Arts' event!
• addressing postcards and praying for jeeah's hope families
• friends who text to check in 
• caroline's fun and adventurous (and safe!) weekend in athens

• time away with nick.
• walking on the beach with nick
• sitting on the beach with nick
• throwing frisbee on the beach with nick
• reading on the beach with nick
• running on the beach with nick

• high functioning ice maker
• cooler bag for transporting cookie dough
• empanadas from the marathon gas station 
• sidewalk chalk reminders

• tasty cheese naan and butter chicken 
• so.much.sleep. 
• ella grace's text/words about my thankful list...such kindness and encouragement!
• such a good quote: 

• amy and yaya's willingness to take care of all things cash kid/home related so that we can be away
• "attend to the soil and the seed.  leave the degree of fruitfulness up to God." - lectio 365
• "we can receive the things we do not want - or give up the things we do want - if we have decided, by the grace of God, that we can trust God to take care of us." - dallas willard, life without lack
• "because your love is better than life, my lips will praise you." - psalm 63:3
• "hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love." - psalm 130:7

thankful list #546 (ish)

• the Getty's He Will Hold Me Fast
• encouraging text from lane to start my Saturday
• porch processing with Melissa
• new to us toddler bed that was easy to assemble (thanks to Emma and youtube) and a little girl who really enjoys it

• Crowder's God Really Loves Us 
• lots of dutch blitz with various members of the cash crew
• Listening to Lauren Daigle's Rescue with unborn babies/mamas trying to make decisions about their unborn babies in mind
• good reminders...and most likely these incredible folks have navigated paperwork and legal processes and menus and everything else in their second/third/fourth language.  I don't even have a great grasp on one language...much less multiple ones....

• amusing bumper stickers (too inappropriate to post here)
• the way God cares about us and the little things - like a crocodile xylophone
• a very full and filling Thursday
•  cards and a book and a girl working on school = waiting at mercy med isn't so bad

• flowers that last a long time
• strawberry blow-pops
• nick walking in the door with chicken wings
• Amy is here!!

continuing to count them

• all the kindness at the village foster care closet
• pizza with friends on friday night
• sunday lunch with yaya and grandaddy
• laughing to myself about "say you're in a baptist church without saying you're in a baptist church"

• everything went well for t-train's parents in the court session
• beautiful reunification (wish i had videoed that little girl running to hug her daddy)
• banana chocolate chip muffin making with AB
• sweet reminders of kindness

• realizing something that had been hurting is no longer hurting (in this case it was a minor physical hurt....but it's true of other hurts, too....)
• cracker barrel with yaya and zoe
• another beautiful breathe event
• cash sisters

• easy meeting with ms. jones from DFCS
• last minute airbnb bookings that fill up the calendar 
• lovely night at the sound choices banquet
• beautiful sites and sounds outside the convention and trade center

• fall weather!!!!
• waking up, running, showering, going back to sleep
• pool liner arrived
• zoe's and my version of won't he won't he won't he (in celebration of the omojola's reaching their adoption fundraising goal!!). (original version: won't he won't he won't he) 

thankful (full of thanks). grateful (full of grates?)

• beautiful rainy days. 
• the placement of the table that i picked up from the side of the road
• hours of sitting/being on the porch as a result of that table (me...zoe...emma...the cat...)

• TA staff and board dinner...so rich and real and enjoyable. 
• looking at how moses "sitting by the well" (exodus 2:15) lead to service...and lead him to his wife/family....
• quiet few moments and a peaceful path to walk on

• putting mail in the mailbox...i just love it. 
• caroline and emma's handshake (and booty bumps)(caroline's thing is having a special handshake with folks...if you want one, just ask :))
• clement arts advocates retreat (so many wonderful parts...including the picture above and handmade coasters by jason and delicious cake and coffee as an afternoon treat)

• jennifer's good questions...and how she really listens to my responses
• raisin bran crunch.  and how very good a bowl of cereal can be. 
• very familiar verse: Galatians 1:3 "grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus." in a different version = my favorite thing to pray over myself and others this week

• 2 new members of our care team
• yaya's willingness to chauffeur caroline as needed (didn't know i didn't know how to spell chauffeur until just now when i had to look it up)
• the most beautiful paper plate i've ever seen

• dancing and jumping and worshipping with AB and jacob and zoe
• little wednesday night treat from Mercy's Jamaican Kitchen (plantains!!!)
• knowing nick is having a really great time at CAFO