A Thousand Thanks

As forecast...a look at our first swim of the season. The Good Doctor was still in Winston-Salem on Mother's Day, basking in the glory of a successful presentation for the First Annual M. Madison Slusher Lecture...and also basking in the wonderful preaching of our old pastor, Reggie Kimbro, at Grace Free Pres.

Our dear Starnses let us join them at Little Tokyo hibachi for lunch and then let us join them at their neighborhood pool for our First Swim of 2010. Well...it was the first swim of 2010 for The Three...not for me, of course. The water is still way too cold. But I had a lovely visit with Heather.

54. The First Swim of the Season

 
55. Lunch with sweet Loleeta on Monday, who always knows the right thing to say. Maybe it's because she is "quick to hear and slow to speak." Thank you, Lo.

56. Airplanes...it's a long way to Winston-Salem in a car.

57. Time in Winston and getting to see old friends. There is something special about the friendships that begin and grow during residency...the Good Doctor likened to the bonds that form between soldiers in the trenches during a war.

58. Faithful, skillful practice administrators who are willing to trade places with me on plane trips.

59. The sounds of boys talking and laughing in bed...way after lights out...waiting for their daddy to get home and kiss them.

60. Adoption. At the alumni dinner after the eye meeting Friday, and here at home, we seem to be increasingly surrounded by families who are adopting children. I am thankful for them, and for the way it reminds me that I am adopted into God's family...co-heirs with Christ. Amazing love, how can it be?

The Day After Mother's Day

I'm just going to go ahead and say that I'm probably not going to post my Thousand Thanks today. I want to add some photos from our First Swim of the Season (which will be Number 54), but my camera is in the car and my camera battery is in the house...somewhere.

We had a great Mother's Day...in spite of (or because of?) playing single mother for the weekend while the Good Doctor remained in North Carolina. We were not as late for Sunday School as we usually are. We heard a good sermon on Psalm 117. We ate lunch with the Starnses at Little Tokyo (a whole hibachi table to ourselves!). Then we swam with them at their neighborhood pool, coming home tired and a little sunburned. It was good.

Number 55 will probably be lunch with Loleeta...that's where I'm heading after I run a couple of errands.

Thanks Anyway

I am gulping back tears. Knowing that today is the day for counting blessings and feeling like I don't have time, I am NOT thankful, I am overwhelmed...there is too much to do, too much expected, too many needs...stupid stuff, things that shouldn't have to be done, it's not fair to be asked. Feeling pressed and pushed and victimized.

And then I read this...

She says she teaches a home-school preschooler co-op. She says she began counting 1000 gifts.

She says she gave all her preschoolers their own gratitude journals. I swallow hard.

Last week she called four-year-old J. to come with his journal and she'd record more of his gifts for him. They sit down. She looks across the table at this little man.

"So, what are you thankful for today?" Teren asks J.

"I'm thankful that it's not my birthday," says J.

My eyebrows shoot high. Really?

"That's exactly what I did when he said that," Teren laughs, gorgeous sky.

"So I clarified, 'You don't like birthdays, J?'"

And J says, "I love birthdays. And I haven’t had one in a long time."

Then why would he.... ?

Teren leans across the table to me and directly lays the little boy's words into my hands.

"I’m saying thanks anyway.”

That story is from Ann Voskamp's blog, www.aholyexperience.com. Her post from today, May 3, 2010.

And I am as seared as she was.

And I know it's not going to help get the bugs identified. It's not going to get K-group dessert made. It's not going to get Ella's birthday presents bought or the cupcakes made. It's not going to get the bags packed for Winston-Salem, or the milk bought, or the laundry folded, or the Mother's Day gifts bought and mailed. But aren't these things part of God's plan to make me and mold me? To give glory to Himself? So surely it will help my heart

to say thanks...

48. For the science teacher who gives too many assignments at the end of the year.
49. For those bugs that I can't, and the book can't, and the web can't identify.
50. For the huge pile of unfolded laundry on the counter in the laundry room.
51. For needing to be in three places at the same time.
52. For thin, grey hair and crow's feet and a sore knee.

And...

53. For Dr. Davis, who reminds and reminds and reminds us that God is our God. He can never be anything less than our God. He is not ashamed to be called our God.

A Thousand Thanks

I know how awful this blog looks now. I tried changing the design template to give myself room to make the photos as big as they could be. But it's kindof ugly. I'll probably change it back soon. In the meantime, I am so very thankful for

36. The safety of all Yazoo Peasters during the tornadoes Saturday.

37. Breakfast for supper.

38. My mother, of whom pancakes always make me think. (Take that, grammar police!) She makes the best pancakes; and she will make them for my children for three meals a day, if that's what they prefer (and they often do). One of my favorite memories is of her cooking pancakes at the old house in Yazoo City (the babies called it "Mom L City") with a toddler September Baby sitting on the counter nearby, helping her flip them and then eating them warm and spread with plum jelly.

39. The other folks on the pulpit committee.

40. A new Amelia Peabody book last week and a new Mary Russell this week!

41. Del Sol Mexican Restaurant.

42. Naps...oh, wait, I used that one last week...so...

42. Natural gas and really hot water...as the song says, "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."

43. The appearance of the first tree frog on our big front window.

44. Sarah, who likes to clean things out and who came to help me clean out the carport today. (Isn't this beautiful? The children wanted to eat in there!)

45. The first snow cones of the season.

46. KaBoom Bowl Blaster Foaming Toilet Bowl Cleaner.

Look what it does! It really does foam!








47. This...

A Thousand Thanks

I began this list on Monday (honestly!) but never had time to upload photos and finish it until today. Today I have time because I am at home. I am at home waiting for the man from Willmut Gas to come reconnect our natural gas, which was disconnected yesterday due to non-payment. I am so ashamed. And this time, I can't even blame Harry Potter.

So...I'm here. But I can't (won't!) take a shower. I can't make spaghetti sauce. I can't dry laundry.

But I CAN play here and praise God for his goodness.

24. Pizza delivery, when the stove isn't working (see above).

25. Curly, long, thick, dark eyelashes...like their daddy's.

 
26. Fields of red clover.

27. Siblings playing together.

28. A diligent boy who does his work without being prodded...though it tends to make me a lazy mommy.

29. Baby kittens cradled on my babies' chests. (Thank you, Bentons and Lucy, for sharing!)

30. Abundance and bounty.

31. Forgiveness for not being thankful enough...and for not using the bounty wisely.

32. Sunday afternoon naps.

33. This reminder from Ann Voskamp of A Holy Experience (aholyexperience.com):

"Remember that there is but one difference between us and the soil under our feet, under our plowshare, under our food... One difference only between the dirt in my hand and my hand...

The breath of God."

34. And...OH! PRAISE GOD! The Willmut Gas man who came when he said he would!

35. My dear, dear college roommate and enduring friend Mary Beth, whose birthday is today.

A Thousand Thanks

Monday? Again? Good grief. And, honestly, this is the last time I am going to comment on how quickly the weeks fly. From now on, I'll just plunge in with the list.

18. Reconnecting with old friends...even without Facebook. (Thanks, Cindy!)

19. Traveling mercies.

20. For fishing and catching big(ish) fish

and tiny ones.

21. An important goal made on a gorgeous spring day.

22. The third generation of friends with whom to celebrate it.


23. A beautiful week of spring days.

A Thousand Thanks

Again, it is Monday. Doesn't it come around quickly? The day I have designated to add to my list of things for which I am thankful. And not just any Monday...

11. Easter Monday. The first day after the resurrection! Imagine years ago, how word was spreading...rumors? No! Real! Praise God. The "first day of the rest of Jesus' life" in which sits our Heavenly Father's right hand where He intercedes for us, loves us, saves us.

12. Sweet fellowship and succulent food with friends after church yesterday.

13. The silliness and high spirits of boys out of school. Boys who will still sit on my lap.

14. Madras patchwork shorts on a lanky, long-haired 12-year-old boy. Even though he'd rather be wearing gym shorts.

15. A pick-up truck for the Good Doctor, finally!

16. A boy daddy who will let boys burn boxes just for fun. (And it cleaned out the carport!)

17. Corrective lenses and ophthalmic technology.