Blessings Counted

161.  living in America

162.  visiting Ira's family

163.  routines

164.  feeling refreshed from church this morning

165.  good, dear friends of many years

166.  extended time spent with said friends

167.  the joy of new friendships

168.  kindred spirits

169.  reading aloud to my children

170.  stunningly amazing cloud formations

171.  sun rays peircing the sky

172.  rainbows

173.  God's promise represented by rainbows

174.  my children understanding said promise

175.  the life found in scripture

176.  fresh inspiration

177.  simplification

178.  order

179.  meals planned

180.  second chances

181.  mericies new every morning

Daybook ~ May 30, 2010

Outside.....it is dark.

I am thinking.....how blessed that I am that so many brave men and women chose to defend my freedom.

I am wearing....a black shirt, tan pants, and sandals.

I am creating....routines.

From the kitchen.....spaghetti sauce and pasta.

From the learning rooms.....the learning rooms are very quiet!  I do need to familiarize myself with some of our new curriculums.

I am excited about.....seeing more of our family this week.

I am reading....The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane with the kids.

Memory Verse....O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

You know my sitting down and my rising up;

You understand my thought afar off.

You comprehend my path and my lying down,

And are acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word on my tongue,

But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

You have hedged me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is high, I cannot attain it.

I am fixing to....do our bedtime ritual (I treasure this time so much!).

serendipity ~ spring edition

During the past couple of months we celebrated Easter, E began attending Keeper's at Home, we went to see How To Train a Dragon with my mom and sister, began learning the music and motions for this year's VBS, the kids began a card ministry to our senior adults at church, Ira and I got re-certified in infant cpr, the cousins spent time together, my FIL began helping me build my guitar, I experienced Mother's Day sweetness,  E had piano recital, our nephew graduated high school, M celebrated her 9th birthday and we celebrated Petecost during children's
feature at church!  Precious Times!

Endless Blessings

134.  the hope of summer

135.  a respite from normal school schedule

136.  performing the motions to vbs songs

138.  crisp new t-shirts

139.  coffee brewing

140.  a new devotional

141.  my husband's compassion towards me

142.  mercies new every morning

143.  bedtime stories

144.  meeting a friend for lunch

145.  prayer partners

146.  delighting my children

147.  meals in the freezer

148.  neatly clipped nails

149.  peace

150.  rest

151.  well composed words

152.  rituals

153.  daily provision

154.  clean surfaces

155.  newborn life
156.  forgiveness
157.  dreams
158.  new textbooks
159.  accomplishing goals
160.  my camera

freezer cooking

In March I completed my first attempt at freezer cooking.  This is otherwise known as "once-a-month" cooking.  Meal planning is an area in which I am trying to improve.  This is my game plan for meals this month:

(4) Pizza Kits
(2) Taco Kits
(2) Beef Stroganoff (complete)
(2) Chinese Dumplings (complete)
(2) Asian Chicken in marinade
(2) Honey Mustard Chicken in marinade
(2) Southwestern Chicken in marinade
(14) individual Chicken Pot Pies
(2) Stir Fry Chicken Kits
(2) Ground Meat bags
(1) Meatloaf (complete)
(1) 3 Bean Chili (complete)
(1) Spaghetti Kit
(1) Lasagna Kit
(3) Grilled Cheese Kits

Some of these items I made in March and some are new to me (like the marinades).  As for meals to fill in around those I plan on doing are breakfast type meals and pasta salads, both of which come together quickly for me.  There are several really good blogs out there that go into all the specifics of this type of meal management.  I'll let you know how it turns out!

I Could Not Ask for More

I dream BIG.  I am always open to changes in my self, how I manage our home and our homeschool. I dream of adopting again.  I dream of getting involved in other areas of ministry.  I DREAM.  Dreaming is good.  However it often leaves me re-evaluating my effectiveness as a wife, mother, teacher, Christian, homemaker, friend.  Over and over again.  And this re-evaluation often casts the illusion that my current life is not as exciting or fulfilling as it could be.

This could not be more wrong.

I am living all the dreams I have ever had for my life.  That is the truth.

I wanted to have living, breathing peace with my God.  I do.

I wanted to feel free to worship God.  I do.

I wanted to be happily married.  I am.

I wanted to be a mama.  I am.

I wanted to bring a child into our family through adoption.  We have.

I wanted my children's hearts to be tender for God.  They are.

I wanted to foster parent.  We are.

I wanted to feel free to be myself.  I do.

So, quite literally, I could NOT ask for more in my life.  Dreaming is nice, but not to the extent that the reality of the treasures present in my life is distorted.  I am LIVING my dreams.  And it is all because of God.  God is good.  So good.

Blessings Counted

116.  another day of life

117.  my husband's kind words

118.  that my children care about my opinion

119.  twilght

120.  windows open to fresh air

121.  having mental and emotional space

122.  children intent upon their journal drawings

123.  children fresh from a bath

124.  when my girls feel beautiful

125.  the pride in my son's eyes when he knows he's done a job well

126.  quietness

127.  soft clothes

128.  daily provision

129.  revisiting cherished passages

130.  the feel of the guitar strings under my fingers

131.  the smell of my guitar

132.  the deep, deep comfort of roots

133.  mountains and mountains of laundry, folded and put away

May the love of God touch each of us so deeply, daily, that even the most humble acts of our lives are alight with His glory.