Happy Sigh

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

Today is Friday. It has been a fun week.

My birthday. My son's birthday.

Today is sunny, after all the rain.

Things are good. Happy sigh.

Some days I stare up into the heavens... I really see the beautiful sky and puffy, cotton clouds .I watch the stars sparkle.

I really look at my half made bed with the beautiful white quilt.

I really feel the arms encircling me in a hug.

I really taste the orange and jasmine green tea.

I really smell the lavender in the dryer sheets.

I really hear the laughter.

Some days my senses seem so alive. I wonder what I'm like on most days? Are my senses dulled to the world around me? Am I on autopilot that I can't really appreciate what it is that I have?

I long to live this life...my life...with my eyes wide open. Open to all there is. All the things to be wildly thankful for.

As one of my favorite authors writes, "Life is not an emergency". Yet, so many times I choose to live the opposite.

Why do I rush through my days? What am I racing headlong into? So busy, doing what? Don't have time?

I need to live.

Now.

In this moment.

**********

Do you ever find yourself wanting to slow down? Do you ever take the time to just stop what you are doing, and give thanks?

Related articles

• Sigh... I need to search out some fun. (lettersmith.wordpress.com)


• A Mystery Solved (zulkey.com)

The Barns Of NorthWest Ohio

Sun bleached.

Rain beaten.

Utilitarian buildings

that are beacons

to the farming way of life.

Barns standing

over the years

as a reminder of those

that work the land

and raise the animals.

Strong. Sturdy. Dependable.

Though my family does not farm, we are surrounded by those who do.

I am thankful for them.

Each day, I am reminded more and more of God's grace.

Wonderful. Amazing. Grace.

I have much to be thankful for...we all do.

I continue with my list of thanks, my eucharisteo, to the One who gives the moments. Each one a gift.

#350 laughter

#351 time spent with the ones I love

#352 contentment

#353 family

#354 deep conversations

#355 warm chocolate chip cookies

#356 non-busy Friday night

#357 Saturday afternoon

#358 my son cleaning the kitchen for me

#359 soft cats

#360 bedtime

If you want to learn more about Eucharisteo, click on the Multitudes on Monday graphic on my right side bar.

Related Articles

• Eucharisteo (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• The Grace of God defined...from the King James Version of the Bible (ptl2010.wordpress.com)


• It's All Grace (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• eucharisteo... (beautyrescued.com)

In The Rearview Mirror

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

In chapter 8 of One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp says, "God reveals Himself in rearview mirrors. And I've an inkling that there are times when we need to drive a long, long distance, before we can look back and see God's back in the rearview mirror...Maybe sometimes about as far as heaven ---that kind of distance."

Wow. That statement rocked me. Hard.

I've thought about this a lot, long before I read Ann's words. She just reminded me of it.

In my own life, I can look back and see all the ways that God has loved and provided for me. He has shown patience with me, and forgiven me.  During the good days...and also in the days I slogged through the muck.

It's all His grace.

Looking back...

Both the wise decisions I've made and the poor decisions...consequences I suffered.

People I've lost...tears I've shed. New friendships and relationships.

Drawing close to Him...Him drawing even closer to me.

My life glimmers in the mirror. School, Family, Career, Marriage, Motherhood, Friendships, Homes, Widowhood, Death, Dating, Remarriage, Blended Families, Resigning from teaching, Home School, New House, Moving, Job Loss, New Job.....

The small decisions of the every day, the big decisions that change a life, the happy, the sad, the silly and the profound. All the things that knit together to make my life.

It is when I look in my rearview mirror that I realize God was there.

He's always been there..... It was me. I was the one driving blind.

I must keep my eyes open to see Him.

I'm continuing on this journey, to thank Him in the daily grind. To live fully...right where I'm at.

# 196 It was only the basement that flooded during this rainy weather. It could have been worse...and it wasn't.

# 197 My husband who is good at fixing stuff, in the now muddy and soggy basement. He's trying hard to get this done.

#198 Warm socks on a cold floor.

#199 Conversations with my children.

#200 Letters from the heart.

# 201 Warm quilts

# 202 My favorite wing back chair to read in

#203 An extra spoonful of sour cream

# 204 My son making dinner

# 205 Kindness

It's all eucharisteo to... Him. It's all grace to me.

(Click the multitudes on Mondays --One Thousand Gifts graphic on the ride side of my blog...if you want to read what others are saying!)

Related Articles

• Wwjd? (curlers.wordpress.com)


• Wheels: OnStar-Equipped Rearview Mirrors Will Be Sold at Best Buy (wheels.blogs.nytimes.com)


• Ford to Install Rearview Cameras by End of 2011 (fool.com)


• Rearview Mirror Reflections (pttyann2.wordpress.com)


• Love in the Rearview Mirror (moinarc.wordpress.com)

Basements Shouldn't Be Swimming Pools!

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by pennacook via Flickr"][/caption]

This morning I got up and went about my regular Saturday morning routine. I noticed, while in the kitchen, that the water pressure seemed sort of weak. I told my husband. He went down to the basement to check the pump.

Splash.

He found out that our basement had nearly six feet of water in it! Good grief.

It continues to rain. And the entire area is under a flood warning. The ground is saturated.

So is our basement.

What a mess.

Sigh.

I decided that I could worry and be upset about this whole occurrence...

It certainly would be easy to get angry...

But....I've been disciplining myself over the past several weeks.

Daily eucharisteo.

Giving thanks.

Is today's mess frustrating? Yes.

A pain in the neck? Definitely.

It could have been worse.  But, it wasn't.

Thanks on the good days. Thanks on the not as good days.

Each day there are things to be thankful for.

Related Articles

• The Right Way To Tackle A Basement Waterproofing Job (mydecorarticles.com)


• Paris+Rain+Kids #1: What to do? Try the Pool - Paris, France (travelpod.com)


• Solving Water Problems (billwandsnider.wordpress.com)


• Rain, Rain, Rain... (hehettie.wordpress.com)


• Water, water, everywhere... (gatehouse13.wordpress.com)