So many thoughts crowd my mind.  Worries seem to crowd the evidence of grace that sprinkles light on this hard rocky path that sometimes seems overgrown with thistles.  But in His word I find the strength to keep looking for the gifts.  Instead of sharing the worries, fears, I will count the gifts as I find them each moment.

counting the gifts # 1001 – 1026

A Pretty Swan Lake Villager

All day soaking slurpy rain
Curious chickens around my feet as I work
Mourning doves nesting in the spruce tree
Pikes Peak peeking through the clouds in the early morning, more snow!
Safe travel
Crickets at night
Soft clucking from chickens resting in the shade
Reminder ~ relationships
Goals make decisions easier
Helpful daughters
Home safe
A friend who just gives me a short hug while I cry my grief
Cousins from ages 6 to 16 who delight in one another
A zoo trip that met the interests of everyone
Sweetest of mother’s day emails from Beloved
 A new Compassion child in our family!  Chica’s correspondence child
 Routine & special weekend events helps me not be sucked into the grey cloud of grief
Sweet fellowship with my Lord in the morning
Watching the birds in the pinion tree, what a gift this tree is

Kata Division Medals

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

linking with Amanda

about the book

Petal Rose

Yolibel Carranza Chacon, Honduras

Chica and I are very excited to introduce you to our newest Compassion Correspondence child.  Notice the socks and dress on sweet Yolibel?  Chica did right away ~ God knows a kindred spirit for sure 😉

Will you join us in praying for Chica and Yolibel?    That a rich and encouraging relationship develops between these two precious children?  Thank you so very much!

This review is one stop on the Litfuse Blog Tour for Tricia Goyer’s new book, Beyond Hope’s Valley, A Big Sky Novel!

Welcome Blog Tour Visitors!

I did find the story rather predictable, but it was sweet and wholesome.  Philippians 4 tells us whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.  Goyer has written story that is lovely and pure, with what is honorable & true woven well in.

To continue on the blog tour, here.

•  Custom Amish Wall Hanging {You choose the colors!} 
• An Amish Doll {Sweet.} 
• Amish-made basket {It’s picnic season!} 
• Doilies, potholder and an Amish cookbook {All items form Bird-in-Hand, PA!} 
• Three book Big Sky Amish series {Be swept away by this captivating series.} 

This book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review by the Litfuse Publicity Group.

Petal Rose’s belt looks blue, but she is a PURPLE belt now 🙂  The rest of us are green/high green belts.

By Faith, Not By Sight, written by Scott MacIntyre with Jennifer Schuchmann

Book Description

A moving story of hope, faith, persistence and the power of dreams.

A piano prodigy, a nineteen-year-old college grad, a Marshall scholar, and an American Idol finalist. This guy had it made. He could sing.

He could ski blind. What couldn’t he do?

Even if you saw him in concert, you might not believe that Scott MacIntyre is blind, and you’d never guess that at nineteen, he faced a diagnosis that rocked his family and nearly took his life.

So how did he do it? How did he overcome the odds?

This is Scott’s story, but he’d be the first to tell you that it’s not really about him. This is the story of how God used a dedicated family, a selfless acquaintance, hardship, and a host of characters to give him life, faith, determination, and experiences most can only imagine.

Peek behind the scenes to see how he learned to overcome his disability, how he made it in the music industry, how he found the love of his life, and how God taught him that in all things, we can truly achieve our dreams By Faith, Not by Sight.

This book.  Wow.  This is one of the best books I’ve read this year, because of the many ways in which it spoke to me.  First it was the way Scott speaks through the book.   He gives so big a peek into his thoughts, his hopes, dreams, disappointments that I find myself cheering for him, wanting to encourage him to keep pressing on.

Next it is that GRATITUDE thing.  Ann wrote about it.   How giving thanks, makes the sweet days all the sweeter, and gives light on the darkest of days.  I find it in the pages of this book, as Scott tells his story, the places where fear and worry seem to have a right to take residence but he chooses to count. the. gifts.  and these words found on page 45 of my copy “Fortunately I never focused on that…I believed…”  Words of wisdom, don’t focus on whatever it is, maybe fear, maybe lack of approval, but what is it that you believe?  Remember it and believe it.

And lastly, another storyline I’m following over the years.  Those roaring lambs who step out there and let their lights shine.  They desire to be able to tell The Story, how it has become their story, they desire to be good role models and to encourage others.

The thoughts are rushing in my mind as I prepare to slip this book on my daughter’s bookshelf.  I know that in this review I haven’t communicate the best, but I do hope you will find a copy and read it.  It is worth your time.

Chopin

“>This book was provided to me in exchange for my review by Book Sneeze.

“…As I thought of each thing I was grateful for, ten more things would come to mind.  Grateful thoughts are like rabbits; they multiply like crazy.  …I felt like I could have sat there for another four hours and not run out of things to be grateful for.”  Scott MacIntyre, By Faith, Not by Sight

Over the weekend I reached 1000.  And that 1000th gift?  The realization that by counting the gifts, the easy, the delightful, and the hard eucharisteo that I have gained hope for the future.  Over the last 2 years or so of laying down the rails of thanks giving, I’ve adopted a habit that keeps counting on the hard days, on the days too full or so it seems, to write them down, but my mind keeps giving thanks.

There is the change in my thinking as the quiet habit of giving thanks reminds me to look deeper for the hard eucharisteo, the painful place where the Spirit works deeper.

“though…didn’t seem like a praiseworthy thing in the moment, I had to consider that perhaps in hindsight, as some later date, I would find a deeper appreciation for my current circumstances.  And if I knew that was a possibility for the future, I had to admit it was possible to be thankful in the moment.”  Scott MacIntyre

Here they are, all the way to 1000

no words needed

The much anticipated packet arrived
Butterflies in the yard
Time to talk in the morning, knowing the call
Baby ducks and sweet “big” girls
Yellow butterfly darting around the new life
Laughing cousin
Family walks after dinner
Gardening experiments
Growing onions
Stacks of books
Good friends, young ones, older ones, all of them
Text messaging, sometimes very helpful
Warm welcome
Peace during trial
Understanding husband
Birthday celebrations
 Afternoon nap time
Funny jokes
Kind neighbors
Healthy children