Five Blessing Friday--Hooray!

2 Corinthians 4:15-18--The Message (MSG)
^13-15We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise.

85.  YOU, my readers, are a true blessing and gift.  (and a comment would be wonderful gift as well, hint, hint ;-D.

86. What a gift it is to have my own home to take care of, clean and decorate. Thank you Lord for my little nest!

87.  It isn't every family that has a Fairy Princess!

88. Giving away a dresser to someone who has never had one and didn't even know what it was used for.

89.  For Jesus, my Cornerstone, "the Peg on which all hope hangs, the Bow that wins the battle, the Ruler over all the earth." (Zach 10)

90.   A wonderful visit from Penny, Mike & Cuki!

^16-18So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

Five Blessings From a Late-summer Thunderstorm

Last week, while sitting on my "porch of praise" I was blessed by a big, loud, blowing thunderstorm.

80. Rain, pouring down, sweeping in sheets across the avenue, darkening the sky, but brightening my day.
I love thunderstorms.

81. Thunder-- rolling, rumbling, crashing, electrifying the sky.

It is beautiful and powerful and awesome~

Just like the Lord God Almighty!

82. Curb-side creeks flowing down, washing clean the streets and sidewalks.

83. Rain pitter-patter pounding, soaking flowers, fruits and veggies, bring life to dry ground.

84. The fragrance of rain-washed freshness, fills my heart and lifts the spirit to the all powerful~

Creator God

Who rains down all good gifts

Onto all His children

Simply

Because

He loves us.

And just when you think it's all over

Ka-BOOM!

One last shout-out from God, it's the Rain-giver's exclamation point.

Thank you, Lord, for these showers of blessing! All creation is telling Your glory.

Five Gifts Friday

"Brightly colored sunsets, majestic mountains and shining seas,

and fragrant fields and fresh-cut flowers

are not even half as beautiful as a soul who is serving Jesus out of love,

through the wear and tear of an ordinary, unpoetic life."

Frederick W. Faber, Streams in the Desert.

Watching from my porch of praise I see blessings galore parading down my avenue.

76. Children skipping, running, walking to their future at the school around the corner.

77. Beaded hair-dos, bright new clothes and happy back-to-school grins.

78. Bittersweet hints of August slipping away in the coolness of a morning breeze.

79. I am a child of the Creator God,

Favored by the Father,

Loved by the Lord of Life.

80. Yesterday I answered this question "In God's heart, I am..."

with this photo.

Now it's YOUR turn. Just fill in the blank:
"In God's heart, I am _________..."

http://youtu.be/mnQvp8_41Uo

Five Blessing Friday.

I LOVE this prayer from David, the man after God's own heart:

"Satisfy us in our earliest youth with your lovingkindness, giving us constant JOY to the end of our lives." Psalm 90:14, Living Bible

After a frazzled, stress-filled week (mostly due to ME) I have been asking God to open my eyes to his mercy and grace. For me that's a prayer He always answers. Here are some of my rainbow of "Joys" this week:

66. JOY--sweeping the floor, dusty with the tracks of happy feet of my wonderfully grand-nieces & nephew & grandchildren PLUS my sister. What a blessing to relive the fun of watching races, playing games together and yummy root beer floats!

67. JOY--Washing the dishes from the abundant food we have each day here in this country. Please remember Somalia in your prayers AND don't forget to give.

68. JOY--Thank you Lord that you don't love me "because..." You simply love me. (idea from Cec Murphey and Dt 7:7-8)

69. JOY--Indoor plumbing, showers, feeling clean and smelling good.

70. JOY--"Negative feelings are only emotions; negative feelings are not reality."* Thank you Lord that negative feelings pass quickly.

By the way, the colorful text is because JOY is just too wonderful to be only one color!

*Cecil Murphey

Five Things Friday

Ooops. I got so busy with my job working on the Quad-Cities Christian Writers Conference last week that I forgot all about Five Things Friday. The first time I remembered it was sitting in the morning session listen to the great Mike Brewer speak.

To make up for forgetting, this week I think we need at least two lists this week. And as I'm writing I'm also learning more about how the things we love are truly gifts from God given to reveal to each of us how very much He loves us. I'm just finishing up Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts, and going deeper and deeper into the idea of thanks for the gifts God so freely bestows.

What blessings come from counting our blessings!
I challenge you to join me and Ann and so many others. Open your eyes, begin counting the gifts that God is giving to you.

Five Gifts

• 26. Serving the QCCWC, amazingly talented, giving people, getting to spend time and serve God's Scribes, Apostles of Ink, and other servants of The Most High. I’m overwhelmed that God would use me to be a part of this wonderful blessing. ( I think I just had the spirit of my new friend, Gail, overtake me!)


• 27. A new sister and friend in Dr. Gail Hayes, Lioness for the Lord & Daughter of the King.


• 28. The delicious smell of Amaretto coffee wafting through the house—yum.


• 29. The tree budding outside my bedroom window. We moved it last fall and didn’t kill it! Hooray!


• 30. The power of written words to move the heart and change lives.

And Five More Gifts


31. Bright orange tulips in my yard 32. Papa Goose fasting while guarding Mama Goose noshing.

33. Mama Goose sitting on her nest.

34. Glowing green buds bring life to dead red sticks.

35. Promises of strawberry sweetness

Five Things Friday

Five Things I Love ( and five ways God loves me)

One of the best things about my random blog is that I can change what I want, when I want. As of today, I'm going to start a new numbering system. I've been reading "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp and she has inspired me to continuously keep track of the number of things I've "loved" on this blog. One more thing I'll mention that I love is that I'd already started my Five Things Friday with things I love BEFORE reading Ann's book.

Since this is my fourth list of "Five Things I Love," I'm starting with numbering with "16."

16. Knowing I'm not the only one making lists of things loved, blessings continuously bestowed.

17. Grand-grandson Nicolas Craig Fendley, born March 27, 2007. Happy birthday on Sunday, Nickerbocker!

18. Unexpected generosity inspired by unexpected patience.

19. The many, many lessons learned from the life and ministry of Ron Dunn, a great man of God and preacher. He first opened the first door to learning "...in everything give thanks..."

20. Grand-granddaughter Naomi Jean Smith, born March 28, 2008.
Happy Birthday on Monday, dearest Naomi!

I love to invite you to start your list today. It's easy.
Just determine to open your eyes to the wonders of love that surround you each moment of every day. Find the meaning in the mundane, the beauty of the present and the joy in the common.