Count Your Blessings

When I count my blessings

These people,

Plus many others,

Are on the list.

My father – who taught me about hard work.

My mother – who taught me about faith.

My brother – who taught me to laugh.

My sister – who taught me what it means to honour your parents.

My extended family – who taught me the more family members you have, the more love you have.

My husband – who taught me the meaning of unselfishness.

My three grown children – who taught – and continue to teach – me more than I could ever teach them.

The friends I’ve known for years…

The friends I’ve met recently…

The friends I’ve never met in person…

All my friends – who’ve taught me my heart can hold great joy in ever-increasing measure.

If you’re reading this and don’t see yourself listed, know this: I am thankful for you too.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY

My Abba Father, my Saviour, the Holy Spirit – from whom all blessings flow.

 

Good Night

My day was great

And with that said,

It’s time for me

To go to bed.

Springboards

Many simple things

Help me reach new heights,

Act as springboards

As it were.

Clean dishes.

Folded laundry.

Supper cooking.

Coffee with friends

Or family.

A good book

Or two or three.

Check marks on my To Do list.

Favourite TV shows.

A good movie.

Caramel macchiato.

Caramel cheesecake.

Caramel fruit dip.

(Do you sense a theme?)

Making someone laugh.

Encouraging a friend

Or family member

Or a stranger

For that matter.

Nothing fancy.

Nothing grand.

Just my springboards.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness (Colossians 2:6-7 NIV).

Gliding Kind of Weekend

It was a gliding kind of weekend,

Deep thoughts were put on hold,

I watched a little TV

And succumbed to signs of cold.

I put pizza in the oven,

Some fish and French fries too,

Roast beef, potatoes, carrots

I made to feed a few.

The pile of dishes mounted,

The cobwebs grew some more,

The dusting, it was bi-passed,

As were the sinks and floors.

Vegging was my mainstay,

Why worry and why fret?

The work just waited for me,

Not letting me forget.

And now the week’s before me

Six days to do my work,

It’s time to quit my gliding,

No longer will I shirk.

I’ll start my dormant engines

And head toward the skies,

I’ll strive with renewed vigor

To venture forth and rise.

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised (Hebrews 6:12 NIV).

Everyday Blessings

Everyday blessings

Everyday reasons to fly…

Husbands and holidays

Sons and silliness

Daughters and daytrips

Family and friends

Autumn and opportunity

Possibilities and potential

Acrylics and abstracts

Coffee and conversation

Work and words

Blogs and books

Exercise and energy

Cider and siestas

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17 NIV).

A Great Honour

There they sit

Poised

Waiting for inspiration.

My fingers

Rest on the keys

Waiting for some epiphany

To send them flying.

And then

A pause.

I stop to chat

At length.

First with my son

And then with my daughter.

I love these times.

As a doula-in-training

I’m overwhelmed

When I witness

The arrival of a new life.

And though they’re grown,

It still blows me away

That I have

Three grown children.

I want the best for them.

Not wealth.

Not fame.

Not recognition.

But the wonder

Of knowing

They’re on

The Right Path.

Fulfilling

That for which

They were created.

Not some fatalistic inevitability

But a divine purpose.

Their own special place

In the universe.

And the epiphany?

Maybe there is none.

Not tonight anyway.

But there is the knowing

That one of the greatest joys

Of my life

Is the honour

Of being called

Mom.

The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful! (Proverbs 23:24-25 NIV)

The Simple Things

It’s simple things that make me soar,

The everyday of life,

The dishes washed, the laundry done,

And being David’s wife.

It’s morning talks with Sar and Nate

And emails from my son

Who’s miles away at college now,

Working to get done.

It’s reading books and lifting weights

And messaging my friends,

It’s rainy days and nice warm drinks

While learning odds and ends.

It’s helping teach the moms-to-be

About the things that count,

And being there when Baby’s born,

The challenge to surmount.

It’s writing words upon the page

And in the blogosphere,

It’s helping shine another’s words,

Making them more clear.

So simple things will make me soar

Important every one,

I’ll seek to shine through every day

Until my life is done.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV).

Fly with a Buddy

They say it’s wise to

Swim with a buddy.

I say it’s also wise to

Fly with one.

Usually

It makes the journey

More enjoyable.

The shared joy and excitement

Lift us to newer heights.

If one of us begins to

Lose altitude

The other can

Encourage and strengthen

So we can again

Soar above the clouds.

It’s wonderful

To turn to our traveling companion

And say

Do you see that?

Today

I was reminded that

Putting our goals out there

For our friends to see

Holds us to

A higher level of accountability.

Enjoy the flight, my friends.

And remember

To fly with a buddy.

Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together (Psalm 34:3 NIV).

Wrong Way

Thanks to Phil Callaway for updating his Facebook status and giving me today’s topic…

Phil saw six Canada Geese

Flying north.

They migrate in the fall.

At this time of year

They’re supposed to fly south.

When geese fly

The wrong way

We scratch our head

And smile.

But what about me?

What happens when I

Fly the wrong way?

That’s not so funny

And it happens all too often.

I’ve been taught

Many, many lesson over the years.

But have I really learned them?

I look at my life

And realize

The answer is yes.

I’ve learned some of them.

Others I haven’t.

Some wrong turns

Are clearly marked.

Others

Are not as obvious.

And I must

Seek more wisdom

And additional instruction.

If I take short hops

In the right direction

It will become

More and more clear

Which way I should go.

And if I

At times

Get turned around

I have to change directions

And again head South.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV).

Award Winners

The Criteria: The Liebster Blog Award is meant to showcase bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers. This is all done in the spirit of pay-it-forward.

The Rules: You must mention and link to the person who awarded you the Liebster and mention 5 other blogs with fewer than 200 followers you think worthy of the Liebster.

My thanks to Lisa and Marcy over at http://girlswithpens.com for honouring me with this award.

And now it’s my turn. And the winners are…Drum roll, please…

Jan Cox for her Under the Cover of Prayer blog. Jan is a godly woman devoted to prayer. She and a number of contributors approach the subject from many angles at http://underthecoverofprayer.wordpress.com/

Beka Fox for A Blog by Beka. The evident joy she receives from being a wife, mother, and photographer make this whimsical blog one of my favourites. Check it out at http://www.bekafox.com/

Dixie Phillips, children’s author, co-worker, and wonderful lady shares her insights weekly at Writing for Little Ones…http://www.christianeditingservices.com/writing-for-little-ones.html

Janet Sketchley reviews books on Monday, shares brief devotional thoughts on Wednesday, and shares her Friday Findings…well, on Friday. When she listed free2soar as one of her favourite blogs, I was over the moon. Check out God with Us: Finding Joy at http://janetsketchley.wordpress.com/

I’ve had the privilege of knowing Darlene Turner for a number of years now. I’m very much looking forward to the release of her first novel. She takes time away from polishing her manuscript to share many personal and helpful insights on her blog: http://dreambelievefly.wordpress.com/

I wish I could give more than five awards, but those are the rules. Sigh! Again, I want to thank Girls with Pens. This was fun.