Tuesday 30 July 2013

Gratitude, Day Six (26 - 30)

I'm struggling today, feeling disturbed by evil in this ol' world, and finding thankfulness being pushed away by that disturbance and by worry.  This list is just for days like this, I think, so I need to push on.  At this point reaching one thousand seems a bit like a pipe dream and yet I know it can be done!

I asked a friend to clarify about some destructive influences in extended family which have been the cause of family separation (for good cause.)  The clarification makes me feel a bit sick from the glossed over evil of it all.  No wonder God flooded the world at one time.  It's a wonder to me why He hasn't destroyed it all again before now.  It is His great mercy that has stayed His hand, I believe.  I don't even want to talk, or think, about some things and yet I know "There but for the grace of God, go I."  Thank you, Lord, for your amazing grace and great mercy!

26. God's mercy (I feel like repeating mercy, mercy, more mercy, and yet more inexplicable mercy)

27. Peace and calm for T through a very difficult meeting (thanking God for answering prayer!)

28. R's excitement over finally being able to learn a kick in karate that she's been waiting a lot time to learn.

29. That my old alarm watch is working again with a new battery

30. Social media that equals so many contacts with so many people

There's much more to be thankful for, but that's all I can manage today. :)

Sunday 28 July 2013

Gratitude Day Five

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!  It's a grey cloudy dreary feeling day and I don't feel well.  It is still the day that God made and I want to rejoice in it.  The more I learn thankfulness, the more peace and joy I find.  "The joy of the Lord is my strength" Nehemiah 8:10

Today I think I'll list gifts from childhood that I am and ever will be thankful for.

21. Kittens

22. Being raised in a Christian home

23. The freedom to roam some 300 acres with a lake to swim and canoe and fish

24. My animals - Valentine/Tiny, Black kitty, King, Sadat, Rosy, and all the others that weren't really "mine" but that filled my life with so much.

25. Morning Glories

I've been drawing/creating, and it feels amazing!  I haven't quite sunk completely into it, but nearly so.  These are a few of my pieces.  I've used pencil, crayon, marker, and ink pen with old book pages.



Gratitude Day Four

It was a beautiful day!  Went to church while bringing nieces to youth group.  Then we got frozen yogurt, since we had to go that way anyway.  Nice treat.  The weather has been good and relatively kind to my nerves.  There was a strange occurrence earlier here.  I went outside late (11pm or so) and there was a very loud sound coming from behind the shop, like some kind of machine.  I walked around front and could tell it was coming from the shop, but no lights were on.  I texted the house to ask, and J said nothing Should be running, and T was checking.  Turned out the belt sander was running, and had been for a while, since it was hot.  It's possible one of the girls left it going, but seems unlikely.  Will find out tomorrow (I think) if the one who was sleeping already could have left it going.  With some strange neighbors around here, one wonders.  Hard to figure how they could have come and gone without being noticed though.

On to gratitude -

16. Skirts on hot days

17. People watching

18. My chair and footstool!

19. The amazingly creative design of flowers (example below)
















The whole thing flowers, but I found that little patch flowering on top to be just splendid!

20. Being able to put my hair up on the back of my head, as I haven't been able to do since childhood, if even then.  It's an off-the-wall effect of one of my medicines.  I've always had a sensitive scalp, and putting my hair up anywhere but right on top of my head would give me headaches and general misery.


Saturday 27 July 2013

Day three on my journey of 1000 gifts

It's late and my eyes hurt, so this may be short.  I want to keep in the habit of posting daily, or near that, if I can though.

11. Friends, new and old - I have been gifted with so many precious friends!

12. Bright and quiet moonlit nights!

13. Grapes... they're just so good!

14. Medicines that help to keep my pain under control.

15. Electricity - The power was out for a while today and it was very hot.  I missed my fans a lot!

Had singles fellowship tonight and it was good!  Regret not saying hi to more people, but I enjoyed every minute.  The sermon (if that's what to call it) was good and thought provoking.  We signed up for home groups, which I'm not very happy about.  I think splitting up a singles group is counter productive, especially if you want good attendance.  It was a good night, regardless, and I think I'll just see how this first month with home groups goes.

I felt pretty in my Cambodian scarf. :)  I had planned to straighten my bangs so they wouldn't be frizzy, but with the power out, that didn't happen.  It turned out that my "frizz" looked ok though, and I got several compliments on my hair.  Got told I looked younger than my age too, which was rather nice... could have been flattery, but it's still nice and I believe it was sincere.

Thursday 25 July 2013

Day two of my gift list

The day is young, but I may as well start. (MY day is young, and doesn't start til kind of late.)  I already have gifts to be thankful for though.

6. Magnets!

I have used magnets off and on for pain, sometimes getting relief, sometimes not, sometimes adding to my discomfort.  Well, right now I have a shoulder impingement on my good side, which has been causing my whole upper body to ache and exhausting me, pretty much shortening every day.  One slight wrong movement causes sharp enough pain to leave me whimpering and trying to breath evenly, and I make wrong moves multiple times daily.  Last night I remembered magnets and again thought "What do I have to lose?"  I taped a couple of them on my shoulder before I went to bed.  I don't think my imagination is good enough to create the instant relief I felt.  It was like my whole body just relaxed a little.  I've been feeling much less exhausted by this shoulder since last night.  I'll have to wait and see if it lasts.

7.  Inspiration!

I struggle to hold on to the inspiration and drive to draw.  I have a gift.  I know this.  I often wonder if I am wasting this gift, which would be a travesty.  These past few days I've had Both inspiration and drive along with an innovative idea...  The proof's in the pudding, and the pudding is still in the making. :)

8. Minecraft.

I've avoided most video/computer games, but my eldest niece got me hooked on Minecraft and I really enjoy it!  I watched my nephews playing it for a long time and wondered what in the world they saw in playing with blocks on a computer game... then I got hooked. lol!

9. Nail polish.

I love looking down at my toes and seeing bright nails.  It makes me feel girly, and I like feeling girly!  Right now they are bright pink with flowers and sparkles. :)  Sometimes I enjoy doing my fingernails too, but not as consistently as my toes.

10.  T & J, for how they've taken me in, welcomed me, and treated me like family.  They never "disapprove" of me, or despise me for invading their space.  They make me feel useful, worthy, and loved.  My gratitude knows no bounds for God's provision in this, both physically and emotionally!

The heat is draining my energy.  For some crazy reason, this dryer heat out here seems to drain me more than the humid heat of SC.  I took some particularly pleasing flower pictures this week, so I'll share a few.



The Joy of the Lord is my strength!

Added - I'm praying today for an "adopted" cousin from childhood.  She is in the hospital in what appears to be dire condition, with some rare lung disease.  My heart goes out to her very worried family!

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Starting my own "One Thousand Gifts"

It's been nearly 5yrs since I posted on this blog.  I didn't think I would ever get back to it.  I've been wracking my brain though, trying to find a journal that I have around here somewhere, and then wondered why I wasn't simply using my blog.  If I find the journal, or get one, I intend to start a hand written list as well, but for now this is an excellent outlet

Recently two of my out-of-state sisters visited for a week.  One had read "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp http://onethousandgifts.com/  and wanted to share the DVD series with us (my mother, three other sisters, and me.)  I was quite moved by it and have wanted to start my own one thousand gifts list.  I think I will attempt to do that here while perhaps writing a bit more of my "tangled yarn" as I go.

So here goes -

1.  The first and always best and most amazing gift is the love of my Lord, my God, my Father in Heaven who sent His only begotten Son to die for my sin!

2.  A surprise gift, a handmade silk scarf from Cambodia!



















3.  A gorgeous bouquet of flowers from my sister's garden.














4. The desire to live again, despite the ongoing struggle with pain.

5. Inspiration for a new art project.

Much has changed in my life since I last posted!  I felt forced to move back to the rainy pacific northwest, though I didn't feel it was the best option for my health.  It has proven challenging to say the least.  God has worked out much good in it though, for which I am grateful!  I have made quite a few friends who I'd never have met without coming back here.  I still long for the relief of the South Carolina climate, but for now I thankful to be seeing the best in where I am.

I have not been knitting, which is strange after 5 or 6 years of going steady with yarn.  I'm sure it will come back at some point, but for now I keep busy with other things.  I play Minecraft.  I have been studying up on Beekeeping, in hopes of becoming a beekeeper.  I still listen to lots of audio books.  I do a little gardening.  I keep busy.

I hope to get in the habit of posting here regularly.