A Return

I have realized of late that I have been neglecting my spiritual discipline of thanksgiving. It's not Monday (my former usual day), but tonight I feel the need to put down in writing some things that I am most grateful for.

419. The newest Rose baby's approaching due date
420. My husband who never rolls his eyes at me
421. Snuggles with Ian and Emma
422. Riding lessons for the girls
423. Inexpensive antibiotics
424. Peas springing up in the garden
425. Getting to eat nearly every meal every day with the whole family
426. The success at the end of the year for my highschooler
427. Dishwashers
428. Whatever job God has waiting for Rob
429. Cool early mornings
430. The energy to complete one task this morning
431. The desire once again to say "Thank you."
432. A long talk with a dear friend

It's good to be back.

Two Weddings (sort of) and a Funeral...and a Birthday

"So, honey, I have a great idea for our anniversary!"
"Yes, what is it?"
"You want to go to a funeral with me?!"

It was a bizarre way to spend our ninth anniversary, but in one way it was also very beautiful. Wednesday we attended the funeral of a neighbour and a dear member of our community. Also in attendance was his wife of 52 years. We saw, that day, the end of a relationship. The next day we sat with a couple Pastor-husband and I are counseling as they seek to get married. Their story is just beginning. How amazing to watch God work through our whole human timeline.

And just as we celebrated the end of a life this week, so also we celebrate the coming into life of our little Grace girl. Emma turns 5 today and we are so blessed to have had her in our family for these years. Much to give thanks for.

384. Emma Grace Rose
385. Richard "Dick" Waite
386. Missing snakes
387. A new chicken run
388. Sprouts!
389. Church gathering for fellowship
390. Taking time to talk with a sister in the Lord
391. Answered prayers for said talk
392. Time with my highschool group to talk about God's plan for their bodies and relationships
393. Trip with the whole family to Ft. Ticonderoga
394. Mini-golf
395. New shoes for the kids
396. More thunderstorms
397. Freshly picked tomatoes

That's all for now!

Weathering the Storm

On Wednesday, Lord willing, Rob and I will have been married for nine years. That may seem unbelievably long for some; it's unbelievably short for us. We have been blessed with many things and frustrated by a number, too. In retrospect (all we have, really), none of our storms have been huge though at the time some seemed insurmountable. I was reminded of this earlier this week when we had a huge thunderstorm come through. It went on for hours and even after I couldn't hear the thunder anymore the lightning continued to flash. It was beautiful if a little frightening. Our marriage is something like that. Huge storms come through, frightening and beautiful in the growth they bring. Sometimes the flashes of those storms remain for years. By God's grace we have weathered our storms and by his grace we'll weather more. This week I'm grateful to God for many things. I'm also grateful to my husband for the many years of love and faithful service to me. What a treasure you are! (And yes, everyone, I'll tell him in person, too! I just want him to know that I want everyone to know!)

Thank you Lord, for:
371. Thunderstorms
372. The morning after a thunderstorm
373. Children's clipped fingernails
374. Children sitting still for said clipping
375. Pancakes
376. Family portraits
377. Village-wide yard sale
378. Great finds!
379. A neighbour going home to be with the Lord
380. Being able to apologize. Again.
381. Volleyball with church friends
382. Marriage
383. My husband

A Bit of a Fastball

So, for those of you who keep an eye on this blog, you might have noticed I didn't post on Monday. I meant to, I really did! This week I began helping to coach the "modified" (read Junior High) softball team for the local public school. The head coach is a member of our church and a friend and when I offered some assistance she said, "Sure. You've pitched before, right? You're the pitching coach. Oh, and get these girls in shape, too." So now I'm in charge of fitness and pitching! It's a fun challenge, but the biggest part of it all has been balancing all of my other responsibilities. I have realized that as much as I'm going to enjoy this season, I am NOT called to be a working mom! I miss my kids and yet I feel distanced from them by the time I get home. (I'm gone about two hours in the afternoon.) I don't feel like cooking dinner, doing dishes or laundry, or doing any of the other chores that I usually do in the evening. We'll get into a routine here, I'm not too concerned, but in the meantime I'm grateful for the lessons I'm learning: I'm a good teacher/coach, I prefer to teach/coach my own kids, I'm not called to work outside the home, and I understand a little more what Rob feels when he walks in the door at the end of the day. Perhaps I can show a bit more understanding, especially since he's taking over for me for those two hours I'm gone! Please continue to pray for me as I coach these 29 girls. They need so much guidance and I hope to show them as much of God as I can in the short time I have with them.

This week I am also grateful for:
297. Spray paint
298. Hard-boiled eggs
299. Homeschooling (Have I mentioned this one before? :) )
300. Facebook
301. Old friends
302. A sweet grace of dinner and an activity timing coming together
303. Sewing with Katie
304. Silence
305. Clean schoolroom (first time in months!)
306. Homemade pickles, applesauce, and yogurt
307. My own issues (as opposed to someone else's)
308. The family of the home where Ian was born coming to celebrate his 1st birthday
309. Feeling like the Love Dare doesn't have much for us to do!
310. First week of softball practice

Discipline of Silence

Whenever I am in a group, I have this dream: I will be the quiet, seeming-wise one, waiting for others to ask what I have to say. I will speak only when prompted by the Holy Spirit, only when it is really necessary. I will leave the group at the end of the time and all will wonder who that silent woman was.

I'll be really honest here. The last time that happened was at a friend's birthday party in Junior High. And I was only silent because I spent the party alone in a corner with no one wanting to talk to me. Not exactly the silence that attracts. No, all too often, I open my big mouth and blurt out whatever comes to mind. Thankful again for grace, God will sometimes use it for his purpose, but more often I wound, embarrass, annoy. Nowhere is this more true than with my husband. I usually feel like I'm justified in whatever it is that I have to say, but, oh, to be quiet and just wait for the Holy Spirit!

Last night I got a small taste of what that feels like. I had a perfect opportunity to "lay into" my sweet husband. He was most certainly in the wrong and I was, and still am, concerned about the consequences of his actions. But the Lord stepped in. He literally stopped my mouth. I was able to ask Rob for a moment alone to pray and journal and then continue the conversation. I'll admit that I had all sorts of choice words and self-righteous thoughts to share. Some of them even deserved saying. I found that I had no desire to say them though. They came to mind, but not to mouth. I am so grateful. My silence meant that I was able to listen, to work out, to love. All is mended, which might not be true if I had not chosen to be silent first.

A taste then, of self-(or God-) imposed silence. What a Lenten treat!

"Just" thanks

One of my writing teachers in college taught me that the best - and only - thing a writer can do is to show up to the page each day. Just start writing, he said. That is what I'm doing today. I can't think of anything profound, or even interesting, to share with you. I guess today is a reminder that I am keeping this blog as a record for ME, to remember what God has done in my life.

So today, thank you, Lord, for:
273. Heaven
274. Our new car
275. A wonderful day out with Rob
276. Our babysitters who left us with
277. A clean kitchen!
278. Boldness to speak to the Christian Ed. taskforce
279. The Peniel group
280. Tears shed
281. Sabbath rest

282. Exercise

283. Lost pounds
284. A good school day
285. The Greeks

May God show you his many blessings this week, also!

In Sickness and in Health

This has been a pretty tough week. Hard to find things to be thankful for when you're throwing up in the middle of the night. But there were. Isn't that amazing? Even in the feverish throes of a stomach virus, there is grace. There is blessing. Today's post will be short because I - we - are still recovering from a very difficult week, physically and emotionally. But I am grateful for:
230. Ian's 1-year checkup and a clean bill of health
231. Our sweet doctor who takes such good care of our family
232. More snow
233. A bittersweet time of anger, apology, healing, and growth with my little girls
234. My darling husband caring for me when I was sick
235. The rest of the family not getting my sickness
236. Valentine's Day
237. Being awakened early Valentine's Day by my girls with multiple handmade Valentines
238. Narnia
239. Good chats with one of my young adult ladies
240. Ian walking
241. New baby teeth
242. A forgiving husband who won't let me sleep "on the couch."

May you, too, find health in your sickness this week.

Rainy Day Musings

I have always loved the rain. What can I say, I'm a Washington state girl at heart. In college (in Washington state) I learned that the rain was one of God's ways of saying "I love you." I know that it rains just for me. Just to be told that I am loved.

Today was a rainy day. And windy, too. It literally blew our door off it's hinges! With all that love blowing around there certainly was a lot to be grateful for. And so today my list begins with:

186. Rain - lots of it
187. My husband who finds me beautiful
188. Past heartbreaks
189. A past redeemed
190. A new rowing machine (thanks Mom and Dad!)
191. A timely word
192. Fresh baked bread from...
193. A fabulous new bread recipe (http://www.peterandrewryan.com/baking/2008/11/european-peasant-bread/)
194. Our small town community
195. Emma, regarding taking turns for the new rowing machine: "Katie, the Bible says to let others go first and since I am an honest woman, you may go first."
196. My back porch/extra winter fridge
197. Ice skating with the kids
198. Katie working so hard and doing so well at ice skating
199. Katie working so hard at gymnastics with a good attitude
200. My Pastor-husband
201. Emma feeding her little brother for me
202. The trust of a wonderful young woman
203. A refresher course in geometry


Be thankful this week and enjoy the rain, however it comes in your life.