Blessings in Best Buy Day # 25 of Thankfulness

Each person has a story to tell. 
The fabric of their life woven together. 
Some of the stories we know. 
Others lie buried deep within. 
Sometimes our lives intersect. 
A chance meeting. 
Social Media. 
Strangers become friends. 
Blessings given. 
Aching hearts touched. 
An artist. 
Reached out. 
She touched two mama's hearts. 
Cousins; gone way too soon. 
She gave.
Part of her story. 
Helping to bring warmth to our story. 

In Best Buy we meet.
While I wait for phone's to be switched over. 
While my heart breaks because my texts from Elijah are gone.
I receive a gift. 

A Portrait. 
A work of two years. 
A heart that gives. 
And now when death knocked on my farmer's sisters door. 
This artist painted all her love into a gift. 

I do not know what God has in store for my life. 

I do know that I am humbled and in awe of his amazing grace. 

I sometimes feel the burden of all He has asked me to carry is

 too much, too soon. 

Too much grief all at once. 

Yet who am i? 

Psalm 8:4

what is mankind that you are mindful of them,

 human beings that you care for them?

I will focus on walking a path of gratitude. 

A path since the police drove away from our home with the news that my first born son had journeyed to the arms of Jesus. 

My steps began with thank you for this home, and kept on as I praised God for the water for the shower and the towels. 

I put one foot in front of the other with my heart held by the 

One who created me. 

And so on this Thanksgiving Eve, I will continue to give Praise to God and thanks for his indescribable goodness.  

30 Days of Thankfulness~

I am thankful for:

new friends

the grace shown through another's amazing talent

meetings in Best Buy

a sister in law that teaches me so much

an afternoon spent with my kids

a treat with the kids on a refilled Starbucks card

baking and cooking for Thanksgiving

Rachel and Ella helping my farmer

Rachel and Ana helping me clean this big old dusty, dirty farmhouse

Loki getting stronger each day

the opportunity to serve in Haiti

supplies already coming in

the warm weather

our farm boy and all his antics, smiles and help

I am not going to lie. 

Thinking about spending another Thanksgiving without 

my boy is heart wrenching.

Knowing that my sister in law will spend her first 

without her boy deepens the grief. 

But knowing how much we are loved by our friends, this community and our Father in heaven spurs us on. 

I have said many times in this blog. 

Our job is not done yet. 

There is more for us to do. 

I eagerly await the work that needs to be done. 

Through it all I am changing. 

I pray with all my heart that I am becoming more like Christ.

We all have work to do. 

You can make a difference. 

Starting right now. 

Have you invited someone to Thanksgiving dinner? 

If dinner is too much. . . ask them over for dessert. 

Reach out beyond your comfort zone. 

Share the preparation for the meal. 

Work in community.

Do not wait for someone to reach out to you. 

Be the first to reach out. 

Blessings on this Thanksgiving Eve. 

Hebrews 13:12

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Through the Music Day #12 of Thankfulness

I clean up the kitchen. 

Last nights mess. 

Not even the current chaos. 

There is a presence in this place. 

A peace. 

Remembering in the pain. 
It's grip strong today. 
I play music.

Beautiful.  

(Pandora is a wonderful thing.)

The urge to call my mom strong. 
To talk about holiday plans; and a list of so many other things. 

The music plays on

It soothes my being. 

I recognize the melody and style. 

Both favorites of my mom. 

Interesting how that song, played by that accompanist would come on at this exact moment. 

I move through the tasks of tidying up; my heart filled with gratitude. 

I may have lost much in a short amount of time. 
But I had much to lose. . . and for that I am grateful. 

~ 30 Days of Thankfulness~

I am thankful for:

 my mom who filled our home with a great love for many things

music that stirs the memory like no other

a family that grew up with music

the memories of holidays filled with joy and excitement

knowing that God holds all these things 
the ache that will one day be taken away
a view of open land and a gorgeous mountain
children who know the meaning of work
the opportunity for my farmer and kids to go to Haiti
this practice of digging into gratitude
the unseasonably warm days and bright sunshine
hanging clothes to dry in November
a freezer full of summer
baking
the first sip of the mornings hot coffee 
the quiet before the farmhouse stirs


May this day hold for you much gratitude. 
A lightening and surrender of the burden you carry. 


1Thessolonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances; 
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

I Really Don't Want to Write this Post Day #3 of Thankfulness

The day is beautiful. 

Picturesque. 

Warm. 

Colors spectacular. 

It is easy to step into Praise. 

To give thanks for all. 

But what about the hard times? 
Those days when you can hardly breathe. 

I really don't want to write about this. 

I don't want to be uncomfortable. 

How does the gratitude work when your 

son resides with the King of Kings?

When you watched your mom struggle with 

every breath her last weeks on this earth. 

When your spouse is diagnosed with cancer. 

When the finances are so bad you can barely hang on. 

When two of your friends head on ahead of you to meet Jesus. 

When you get the news your nephew now too resides with the King of Kings. 

When moment after moment the hard knocks on your door. 

How does the praise work?

How do you crawl out of bed to face a new day?

Zechariah 4:6

So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:

'Not by might nor by power, 

but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.

It is not by our power we do these things. 

It is by the power of Christ in us. 

By the surrendering of our will. 

To be held captive by Him. 

We can't do it. 

I know I don't want to. 

Can you praise him for the difficult things? 

2 Peter 1:5-7

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love

I am working on this. 

These are hard things. 

My flesh wants answers and to understand. 

My spirit needs to yield. 

I can not see the whole picture. 

There is a plan. 

I just can not see it. . . yet. 

I am able to praise him in the storm. 

To live fully for him. 

Praising him for the storm. . . I am working on that. 

~30 Days of Thankfulness~

I am grateful for:

learning how to Praise Him for the storm

praising him in the storm

the ways in which we have grown since Elijah's home going

for the people we have met along this journey

dr's and nurses who work so tirelessly with cancer patients

a community that never lets us go

a display in the sky of God's never ending promises

3 days in a row God sent a rainbow as we celebrated Micah's life

for a sister in law that grieves displaying amazing grace

for hot coffee and time to ponder the hard

Won't you join us in 30 days of Gratitude? 

Jump right in. 

Let us know how it is going for you.