More gifts

-
And the list goes on...

6. light in my pastor's eyes
7. a chorus of believers
8. sun streaming
9. birds chirping
10. dogs wrestling in the front yard
11. the alarm clock
12. scripture in my pocket
13. waterfalls
14. sitting in my spot on the couch
15. steam rising off the plate at dinner prayers
16. stories of praise!
17. the smell of onion and garlic sauteeing
18. kids making scienfic predictions (unexpectedly)
19. kids loving books read aloud
20. feet walking while I pray
21. kids seeing there reflection
22. laugher
23. a noisy house
24. chaos in the gym
25. smiles on their faces
26. on your mark, get set, go
27. children calling, "Mrs. Lilley!"
28. divine energy
29. a student walking in her walker
30. perfectly timed help
31. second hands
32. stories of praise of my kids
33. chacos and ice cream in january

I have loved making this list. It constantly is forcing me to s   l   o   w   down and ask, "In this moment, regardless of my feelings, what I am thankful for?" Things I am normally not thankful for, I realize... I should be.

Ugh... the alarm clock... NO, I have awaken another day to LIVE!!

I just want to be warm inside... no I LOVE watching my dogs wrestle in the yard. Look at them go!

It's so crazy in the gym... just LOOK at all the smiles and LISTEN to all the laugher!

What do I need to do next after dinner?... STOP, just SMELL the incredible garlic and onion and savor the moment.

It's amazing really. I have so much to be thankful for.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On choosing to be fearless and strong

-
Image
That night I hardly slept. I tossed and turned and dozed and dreamt. Most of my dreams consisted of being late or forgetting something. I had the same kind of jitters I have before the very first day of school every year. Only this time- it was before my very first triathlon. I had prepared as much as possible. I printed the course maps and drove them in advance. I bought some needed tri gear. I watched youtube videos galore about transitions and swimming techniques. I made this fancy training plan with pretty fonts and didn't stick to it a single day. But six out of seven days of the week this summer, you would find me running, biking, or swimming- simply not on the day it was scheduled though. There's something humorous about this that would make you tilt your head in a "huh... really?" kind of way if you've known me for over ten years. After posting the I-crossed-the-finish-line pictures on social media, one of my dear high school friends captured it w
Read more

"You make my dreams come true"

-
Did you sing that line in your head when you read the blog title? That's what I was singing... Anyhow, I am so thankful for our community. I am really experiencing true community at DCF the way I have never experienced before. Some of these thoughts have come about because I am excited to be a prayer partner and a part of the food team for the new film that our pastor has written and is directing. Filming starts tomorrow! I was telling Aaron how neat it is that our church body has been so supportive in helping him raise money, volunteering their time, and giving him time away from speaking for the next few Sundays so he can focus on the film. I said, "Wow, filiming starts tomorrow. It's like a dream come true," (at least, I am assuming so...)  He said, "Yea, they [dcf] really rally around people dreams. Like our house and helping out with that." It sounds cheesy at first to "rally around people's dreams", but on the other hand that is communi
Read more

On sabbathing and first Fridays

-
The sun is streaming in the windows. The dogs are playing next to me. I am drinking a delicious strawberry ale. I've got my new trendy glasses on. It is Friday afternoon of my first week of school and I, by miracle of miracles, have energy to spare. And yet, it is both a miracle and the product of a string of conscious decisions. We have grandly titled this year our "Year of Sabbath." We have purposely said no to things, stepped down from things, and thankfully finished some things- like being Teacher of the Year and Aaron's grad school. Some weights feel lifted. So I went to work each day and  I came home each day and I loved loved each day. Wednesday, we filled our house with about 22 people and we ate around a table, laughed, shared stories, and prayed to our good, good Father. Thursday, a dear friend who has moved away came over for dessert and we shared about life. We say "yes" to people, to rest, to a peace filled home, to abundant room for time
Read more