In the last couple of weeks, I have been meditating upon thoughts of thanksgiving. I have been especially aware of blessings all around me this last week... gifts from my Father above. As I've been mentally taking note, I've given up on trying to scribble them all down as I think of them... too many, at all points during the day. Here are a few quietly whispered "thank yous" to Adonai... for His vast outpouring of love and mercies. When I take the time to notice, my spirit does sense His hand on my life, His fashioning of my days, calming of my soul... may I live in these realizations of His Presence~ fuller, slower, less of rushing off to the next thing.

Truly, He is immense, and leaves me speechless... one moment pouring blessings to the next, gifts heaping upon gifts. Life is full... without even trying. He is Rest...

I am thankful for...

64. sleeping in on rainy days

65. flannel sheets and pulled shades

66. rumbling box fan and the pitter-patter of little feet

67. hearing a busy shuffling outside the bathroom door, giggles and an explosion of "Surprise" and proudly uplifted giftbag as I open the door, "Happy Birthday Momma" sung gleefully through the brightest of smiles

68. my Chris's sense of humor

69. his love, and the way he says "I love You" when he calls me during the days

70. his words thoughtfully written on a perfect card

71. the way my son always draws a heart with an arrow through it next to his cursive signature when signing cards

72. my daughter's honesty as she writes in her journal

73. her creativity and zeal for life

74. our family's love... cultivated, sacred and shared.

75. Open windows in the Spring and Fall

76. my heavy suede jacket that my sister gave to me, all well worn and perfect for Autumn days spent outside

77. slow roadtrips through these hills of TN

78. stopping to meander through old shops along the way, enjoying Chris's company and that he loves it as much as I do.

79. comfortable jeans that fit just right

80. a new shirt in my favorite color, sky blue

81. Eternity~ my husband's favorite perfume

82. comfy white tennies

83. flip flops and toe rings

84. wearing Chris's flannel shirts

85. freshly laid eggs for breakfast

86. the sour sweetness of my morning lemonade (freshly squeezed lemon with raw apple cider vinegar and honey in cold, filtered water)

87. coffee with cream

88. lazy mornings watching the old b&w cartoons with my kids

89. that my kids like the old b&w cartoons

90. early morning quiet, when everyone else is still asleep

91. hanging laundry on the line, and its crispness when taken down,

92. the wind swirling, wrapping itself around me...

93. freshness in the smell of rain, a soaked ground and wet leaves

94. a car that's running good (still)

95. our friendly neighbors

96. having a house, our home, and the refuge it provides within

97. Chris's thoughtfulness in occasionally asking me if I'm happy, and telling me that he is

98. warmth and familiarity felt while snuggling on a cushy couch with Chris and our children, thick socks and sweatpants, legs sprawling and arms tangling under the blankets, watching and discussing movies, playing games, letting the world go by without us for awhile

99. baking chocolate chip cookies for my birthday, at my son's suggestion

100. the way my daughter measures the ingredients so very carefully, choosing to help me rather than watch the movie, grooving as she works to the jazz music dancing in our ears

101. the sincere praises of the family as they trimphantly dip and munch warm chocolate bites, hot chocolate...

102. sharing a blessing and plates at the Olive Garden, green salads with onions

103. chocolate mints

104. the moon rising, smiling down upon us as we travel

105. my Grandma's voice, sure and strong

106. my Mothers' prayers, lifting us up when we don't even know it.

107. my favorite blue and green turquoise earrings that look like little globes set in silver, and the turquoise bear necklace, birthday gifts from Chris, which he bought for me during our first dreamy trip out here to NE TN, where we hid away in remote cabin on a mountain three years ago.

108. My Beloved~ Dreams we share, the way we know eachother's thoughts, and finish eachother's sentences... his faithfulness, his strong arms around me, his breath beside me in the dark, our marriage bed, his steady ways, likemindedness and comradery in convictions and passion.

109. Soft and cozy, warm sweaters

110. walking through the mall with my family, with us all linked together as we naturally hold hands in a way that I could not have understood 15 years ago... and would have mocked.

111. that my heart is not full of the rebellion and bitterness that it was then.

112. memories of living close to the road, the train rumbling past our dark room in the night, bellowing its familiar warning into the stillness... shaking our little house, with my sister and I snuggled close in our shared bed

113. a childhood of adventure and intrigue

114. sketching my imagination

115. soul healing

116. freshly sharpened pencils and clean, white paper

117. the smell of tobacco burning in a pipe

118. thick beards on the weathered faces of men whose eyes shine with laughter

119. the crackling of leaping flames, a fire in the fire pit

120. snow on the groud, crunching beneath my feet, sleds and snowballs, wet gloves, socks hung by the fireplace, hot chocolate and marshmallows

121. Carefully handed to me, a cup of herbal tea my daughter brewed for me, sweetened with too much honey, in the new over-sized chicken mug she bought me for my birthday~ with her own money saved up.

122. Love letters my children write to me

123. evening rituals, requests for nightly lullabies and laying in the dark singing to those who love me unconditionally (and like my singing voice), just glad to be together, another day closing.

124. heat radiating from wood stoves and baking biscuits

125. home-made fig preserves, from Grandma's fruit trees

126. sitting around the table with family, bowed heads and hearts

127. Grandma's gravy over biscuits, she sitting in her chair, watching the news, across from Papaw~ always, their generosity, hospitality

128. home-made peanut butter ice cream and fish fries, with french fries and family

129. Aunt Ann's seven layer salad, her artistic talents

130. Mom's paintings on the wall, inspiring, stories of their childhood, so fascinating to me, family reunions, my siblings' children, blonde hair, black and red hair, and glowing cheeks, time passing and returning.

131. Papers in heavy baskets

132. bruised herbs between my fingers, lingering scent

133. flowered curtains, and freshly painted walls.

134. Holly hobbie and

135. scented candles

136. dried flowers from years of bouquets, glass hearts with long stems

137. satin ribbons recycled adorning freshly cut braids, flaxen, chestnut and golden hairs on the bathroom floor...

138. sharp scissors.

139. Quiet of staying up late alone, or with Chris, private pleasures, still moments.

140. simple FOLK music, acoustic guitar and violins, earthy voices, harmonica keeping time

141. coffee stains and smile lines, Dad coming home

142. getting ready to go out

143. clean floors, freshly mopped floors

144. painted toe nails

145. plush bath robes

146. antique dressers with beveled mirrors

147. deep bath tubs

148. big brown eyes peeking out from behind bubbles, hair swirling in the water

149. pony tails and jean over-alls

150. rope and tire swings

151. straight rows in the garden

152. waiting for and watching the deer together, rabbits bounding to and fro

153. tree forts

154. two-story houses with glass door knobs and creaky staircases

155. old porches

156. spider plants and ferns

157. the morning dew

158. begonias and pansies in planters

159. fresh thyme and oregano

160. heavy marble mortar and pestle

161. cold-pressed EVO and fresh squash from seeds we planted.

162. The joy of cooking with friends, family, comparing and learning new recipes

163. spontaneous picnics outside on a blanket, under the apple tree

164. watering our garden

165. gathering apples and peppers

166. walking down to the creek with Chris, and the kids

167. a new day, and another, beginning again

168. dreams that awaken and inspire, trembling expectation

169. a good story, a living book

170. learning from others, discoving new-to-me truths

171. how the seasons change, but stay the same, more noticeable to me every year, awareness that grows, ebbs and flows, Life cycles.

172. generations before me that have brought me here...

173. legends of those who walked this ground in ages past, remembrances that challenge my ways.

174. Our son~ with his goofy grin, perceptive soul, forgiving nature, strawberry-golden hair, blue eyes with sincere intents

175. seeing him engrossed in the pages of a book

176. the breakfasts he cooks

177. his gentle way with little children, like his Father, his desire for us to have more children...

178. the faith that I hear in his prayers, trembling voice as he prays for others

179. his love of nature, and tendency to find quiet places "just to think".

180. Thank you Father for giving him to us, before we knew how much we needed him, our son.

181. His brotherly love towards his sister

182. his love for animals and desire to be a good man.

183. I'm thankful for how he's been able to learn to ride horses well

184. for friends we have who love him, and teach him wonderful things that we couldn't offer

185. community

186. seeing him excel at something that he loves (riding horses) and win blue ribbons and Grand Champion at a large competition.

187. how he likes to write thank you notes

188. and reads his Bible each evening in bed (his idea)

189. how he hugs his sister after a squabble

190. how he (usually) listens to me reading aloud to him

191. how much he loves the baby we lost, hopes for another, prays for others

192. how so many of his mannerisms remind me of my youngest brother...

193. my three brothers, beautiful and each so different, reminding me of our father...

194. Newness of life, the way that the crocus and daffodils curl out from under the snow in Spring

195. honey bees buzzing busily in the meadow

196. wildflowers

197. black dirt

198. earthworms

199. worn garden gloves

200. gardening tools to use

201. our old apple tree blossoming in all her glory.

202. Our daughter~ her comradery and inspiration, her nurturing way, meticulous drawings, fancy letters and colorful personality

203. her exuberance as she plans our menu for visiting friends or family, or excitedly dawns "her best dress" for our Sabbath meals, carefully setting our table, relishing the beauty and ceremony, asking to light the candles and wear the scarf, and "Momma, don't forget to wave the candles..."

204. hearing traditional Sabbath blessings sang in Hebrew by a friend

205. my daughter's love for the language and desire to learn Hebrew

206. her initiative to get things done, which moves me.

207. I cherish memories of long nights that I've comforted her after nightmares, tending her fevers, singing in hushed tones together

208. holding hands and knowing glances

209. teaching her to be a better wife and mother than I, imparting patience and femininity

210. seeing that her strength is greater than mine

211. praying protection over my children, and knowing He listens.

212. long, flowing skirts, lacy cotton shirts with princess sleeves

213. bare feet

214. strappy sandals

215. heavy buckles and leather fringes

216. Rolling down hills in tall, cool grass

217. rock collections

218. seashells

219. and riding bikes down dirt roads

220. long hair braided

221. tiny glass beads strung with bells

222. poetry read aloud, over and over again

223. polished silver and porcelain plates

224. tiny tea cups

225. hand-thrown earthen vessels, glazed in blues and grays

226. the smell of linseed oil and turpentine, blank canvas, visions of grandeur

227. sunlight streaming through sheer curtains dancing on the summer breeze

228. listening to the clock tick-tocking in the silence... time passing

229. icicles growing upside-down

230. evergreens and holly berries, vibrantly red against an otherwise muted winter's pallete.

231. Perfectly unique snowflakes.

232. A summer etched in our family's collective memory... abandoned unity solidified, nights of camping-out, journeying down new roads, between homes, states, our existence like a single knot on an infinite string. Breakfast on shaky tables, lunch packed in a cooler, sleeping bags, motel beds and dinner on sticks, roasted over camp-fires, our family sharing a single, small tent, listening to the tap, tap of the raindrops outside, feeling eachother's warmth, melting into slumber together, the comfort of shared dreams, morning light and woodland noises, breathing in the fresh, green air, flashlight journeys and inchworms saved... reading the map, meeting surreal characters, seeing the inked lines materialize before us into road signs and new horizons.

233. Homeschooling with our children is a tremendous gift... is there any other way, choice, but to live together each and every day, to learn and grow in love... with time unfettered. Not for us.

234. We've always had what we needed, and more. The lean times have enlarged our table, plenteous has been our legacy thusfar.

235. Our wondering together over our wandering heritage, history, mountainous microcosms in everyday miracles.

236. God's Word stored up in my heart, which gives me faith to pray. Life is rich.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,
"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father"? Or again,
"I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son"? And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
"Let all God's angels worship him." In speaking of the angels he says,
"He makes his angels winds,
his servants flames of fire." But about the Son he says,
"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy." He also says,
"In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end." To which of the angels did God ever say,
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet"? Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

~ Hebrews 1.5-14

237. a Sabbath rest....

It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

~ Hebrews 4.6-11