I am thankful to the Lord, my God, for:
December
- celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ
- lovely, though unseasonable, weather for the Christmas holiday and travel
- phone calls with our absent children and their families
- spending the day with our local family
- a child's wonderment, excitement and love
- lunch with family and a jigsaw puzzle
- spotting Jupiter in the sky (the heavens declare the glory of God!)
- adding autumn leaves to the compost pile
- cookies and seasonal desserts
- rain after a very long dry spell
- The Chief's birthday
- new reading glasses
- finishing a special quilt
- a glorious sunset
- Thor, our cat, watching squirrels through the window
- talking with our daughters by phone and text
- our evening trip to the zoo for the "safari lights"
- s'mores around a fire on a chilly night
- anticipating the celebration of the birth of our Savior
- an answer to prayer for a friend
November
- the sun shining through stained glass
- warm, fuzzy socks
- seat warmers in the car
- a pile of dry leaves
- jars of home-canned vegetables
- grandchildren
- chicken and noodles
- pumpkin bread
- autumn rain
- falling leaves
- lunch with the kids
- sleeping in a bit
- a warm cat on my lap
- Vivaldi's Four Seasons
- a gorgeous sunset
- family around the holiday table
- phone calls from those far away
- help in the kitchen
- planting spring bulbs
- the first Sunday of Advent
October
- rain after a long period of drought
- a cold front and relief from the oppressive heat
- safe travel
- our grandchildren's birthdays
- a visit from a friend who moved away
- sleepovers
- little boy imagination
- chalk drawings on the patio
- squirrel antics
- falling leaves
- being able to help when life happens
- fall weather - finally!
- a good sermon and old, familiar hymns
- phone calls with family
- family birthdays
- more birthdays for friends and family
- that our son is back home and healthy again
- prayer warriors
- a good night's sleep
- getting back to normal
- raking up fallen leaves and twigs for the compost pile
- cooler weather
- pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread (baking season!)
- my coworkers
- neighbors
September
- safe travel for family members
- rainbows and sun dogs
- rain in our forecast after a long, long dry spell
- cool mornings on the patio
- cat snuggles
- our grandson's birthday
- adapting
- new neighbors
- periwinkles
- knowing that God's plan is perfect
- summer thunderstorms
- new beginnings
- sunflowers
- air conditioning!
- the last of the ripe tomatoes
August
- sunflowers
- red, ripe tomatoes
- sweet strawberries
- lunch and a movie with the Chief
- the whirr of the cicadas
- visiting family
- friends
- air conditioning
- summer rain showers
- hummingbirds at the feeders
- we've visited all of our children in the past month, and all but one of our grandchildren. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to travel, for meals shared around a table, for memories and jokes and love.
- summer rain showers
- ginger and turmeric for pain relief
- the garden is still lush and green even in August
- discovering "lost treasures" (ie decluttering)
- strawberry runners
- energy and motivation to keep going
- early mornings before it gets hot
- morning shade in the garden
- ingenuity
- hummingbirds
July
- a quick trip to visit our oldest daughter
- hugs from our great-grandson
- cooler weather
- strawberries and tomatoes from the garden
- our resident hummingbirds at the feeders
- safe travel
- visiting our family
- God's guidance
- prayer and assurance
- following His will
- freedom
- those who served to preserve that freedom
- those who gave their lives to depend our freedom
- Jesus Christ, who gave His life for me, even me
- memories of family celebrations in the past
- those who served to preserve that freedom
- those who gave their lives to depend our freedom
- Jesus Christ, who gave His life for me, even me
- memories of family celebrations in the past
June
- my dad. He's been gone several years now, but I still miss him greatly
- my husband, who has been a great dad to our children
- our son and sons-in-law
- all the father figures and mentors who have helped out along the way
- safe travel
- air conditioning
- cool mornings
- a health improvement
- fireflies
- a visit from our granddaughter
- homegrown strawberries
- our flock of hummingbirds
- a good hay year
- our old horse Splash
May
- our military, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice
- strawberries from the garden
- volunteer tomato plants
- deer in our horse pasture
- sunny weather and the mud drying up
- safe travels
- breaks in the spring rain
- no tornadoes this spring
- hummingbirds
- the first strawberry from our garden
- my work family
- long evenings
- connecting with some old friends
- lunch with family
- rain watering the garden for me
- my mother, grandmother and grandma
- my daughters and daughter-in-law, the mothers of my grandchildren
- a lovely warm and sunny day spent in the garden
- hummingbirds at our feeders
- my black cat keeping me company in the garden
- the creek running high after rain
- strawberry blossoms
- our livestock guardian dog howling back at coyotes
- this year's first foal in our neighbor's pasture
- a good morning spent in the garden
- our livestock guardian dog howling back at coyotes
- this year's first foal in our neighbor's pasture
- a good morning spent in the garden
April
- overnight rain
- the greenhouse protecting my plants from a late frost
- bird songs that I haven't heard for many months
- the horses losing their winter coats
- the barn cat keeping me company as I work in the garden
- a graceful deer standing in the road
- the morning song of the birds
- the first asparagus spear
- daffodils
- spring rains
- apple blossoms and redbud trees
- lovely weather
- working in the garden
- keeping in touch with friends far away
- hugs from our grandson
- Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross, for each and every one of us
- redemption and salvation
- spring flowers
- swallowtail butterflies
- family, both here and gone
- the greenhouse protecting my plants from a late frost
- bird songs that I haven't heard for many months
- the horses losing their winter coats
- the barn cat keeping me company as I work in the garden
- a graceful deer standing in the road
- the morning song of the birds
- the first asparagus spear
- daffodils
- spring rains
- apple blossoms and redbud trees
- lovely weather
- working in the garden
- keeping in touch with friends far away
- hugs from our grandson
- Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross, for each and every one of us
- redemption and salvation
- spring flowers
- swallowtail butterflies
- family, both here and gone
March
- getting through a hard week
- the prayers of friends
- grace and understanding
- a day spent in the garden
- taking our grandson to the zoo
- a family blessing
- finishing the greenhouse
- golden daffodils in bloom
- spring rain
- honey bees
- lovely spring weather
- an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings
- warm, sunny days
- flowers on the new blueberry bushes
- the lilac bushes swelling with leaf buds
- the prayers of friends
- grace and understanding
- a day spent in the garden
- taking our grandson to the zoo
- a family blessing
- finishing the greenhouse
- golden daffodils in bloom
- spring rain
- honey bees
- lovely spring weather
- an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings
- warm, sunny days
- flowers on the new blueberry bushes
- the lilac bushes swelling with leaf buds
- tiny henbit flowers blooming in the yard and bees buzzing around them
- green grass in sheltered places
- doing chores without a jacket
- green grass in sheltered places
- doing chores without a jacket
February
- warmer days
- and warmer nights
- cozy evenings
- a favorite book
- waiting for spring to arrive
- the warmth of the sun
- the quietness of snow
- our barn cat's morning greeting
- the smell of hay
- birds at the feeder
- Salvation through Jesus Christ
- the Holy Spirit to guide us
- family and friends to support us
- dogs that love us
- the opportunity to slow down and enjoy the quiet moments, snowbound
- water trough heaters to keep livestock water above freezing
- warm shelters and deep bedding to keep livestock warm
- extra feed and hay
- hearing from our children this weekend
- watching a video of our youngest granddaughter's first dance recital
January
- a home to shelter us
- a furnace to keep us warm in winter
- food to eat
- family to support us
- prayer
- all parties walked away from our son's car wreck
- our surviving mini goat kid
- chocolate cake
- a January day in the 60's
- my birthday
- the quiet after several days of high winds
- cutting open a new bale of sweet-smelling hay
- figuring out a "techy" thing
- smooth, rich chocolate
- direction from the Lord
- seeing a beaver in the pond down the road
- emails, messages and real letters
- a friend's healthy new baby
- ice cream
- videos of our grandchildren
- rain, not ice, on New Year's Eve
- our power came back on after just a few hours
- our grandson's funny quips
- good hay
- a new year
Silver Sunday
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
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