How To Measure The Span Of A Life

"Today you are you!  That is truer than true!  There is no one alive who is you-er than you!"  Dr. Suess

 I wonder if Mr. Suess realized he nailed the truth each one of us needs to hear, especially as we celebrate another birthday.

Friday marked the twenty-eighth anniversary of my twenty-fifth birthday! For those of you that don't want to take the time to add, that's fifty-three candles! My sweet, loving and thoughtful daughter-in-law knew so many candles were NOT necessary, and instead gave my granddaughter a #9 to push down into this rich, chocolate covered cake!  No regrets here.  It was so moist and delicious.

Monday, beautiful Monday!

Oh, to jump right in with my list of gifts of Gratitude...

#72~ the beauty of Mother's day flowers unfolding for an entire week.  Glorious. 

#73~Crinkleroot:  the mountain man, guarding the entrance to the garden.  Also a gift from my first born son. 

#74~one single pea growing...from the death of the flower, the fruit is born.  So, too, we bring forth much fruit as we die to ourselves. 

#75~pedals stretching heavenward, longing to be nearer to the Sun, or perhaps the Son. 

#76~Bert's discovery of chimes in the Garden of Eden...He loves to go to the garden with me, then he'll turn and give me that, 'May I touch it, please' look.  When I smile, he knows he has the go ahead.  Brings me much joy to share this place with him.

#77~

#78~my sister, Karyn Walker and her daughter, Emily, creating as only they can, a French wedding shower menu and decorations for my future daughter-in-law. This world truly is a better place because they simply...are!  (She is a local artist, who's dedicating some or her sales to go for an orphanage in Haiti!  Check out her website by clicking her name.) 

#79~only six days before my girls arrive, along with their parents and we spend a week together, me basking in the love of God by the touch of pudgy fingers, giggles and tea parties.

Just look at those precious faces...go ahead, cry with me...they're priceless. 

I cannot wait.

They're driving from Dallas, where her hubby's sisters live.  Please pray for safe travels for them.  They arrive on our son, Daniel-Paul's, twenty seventh birthday.

Party time!~

As I prepare for their arrival, I am reminded over and over that this life is a breath.  Each moment counts, and for those of us that call Jesus our Lord, we are living in eternity right now.

Make the day count. 

Find that place where you can hide away from all distractions (even if it's only a few minutes at a time!) and drink deeply of His love.  He is your portion.  He'll fill the empty places with Himself and then you can leave there, ready to be poured out as wine to make those around you happy!

Join me in community here:

Counting my gifts

Gifts given can bring delight, and sometimes they can undo the emotions...in a good way.

Like yesterday morning before church, sitting in my garden, talking to Daddy and listening and then, there it was, suspended right in front of me--
#53~ a hummingbird.  Made me cry.  There was no time to grab the camera.  He flew away too quickly.  A gift that felt like a kiss on my cheek, unexpected.

#54~And then the night before that:  walking around the amphitheater at Sea World, snapping pictures of Jeremy Camp and shuffling to the music (even though I'm not a Jeremy Camp fan--I went for Shane and Shane!) when my heart, for the first time in my life, truly ached to be in heaven.  That, too, made me cry.  I longed for home.  REALLY longed. 

#55~answered prayers almost forgotten about

#56~bees

#57~climbing back into bed and warm sheets still!

#58~the sound of ticking clocks









#59~laughter when my son decides to work at my desk and I look up to see this:

I named him Edward for the day!

#60~

#61~ blueberry muffins on steroids

 #62~good graffiti-is there such a thing?  The gift was that I was just snapping things on our way down the road and didn't see what I got until I uploaded it.

#63~spotting this small, yet huge gift tucked behind the petunias.  The new seeds are a bonus.

#64~pretzels and Bananagrams with Caleb

#65~ science experiments from treetops

#66~my best friend and his love for me.

In community with Ann over here:

Thanks on Thursday!

There's something about the spring breezes and open windows that makes me want to play in dirt and bake more...I have no ida what it is, but I am grateful.

I began this post, along with two more, almost two weeks ago.  Sometimes, I freeze.  I think to myself, 'you need to sit down and jot your thoughts.'  But then interruptions come, my mind goes blank and that clock across the room just keeps ticking away.  The longer it ticks and I wait, the harder it is to write.

I hate that.

So, for the few minutes I have, I will jot.  I mean joy.  Joy about that great things in my life:



the beans growing like weeds in my raised bed.



cooler weather in March, a definite gift.

a dancing sparrow, bounding nearer and nearer me last nite as I sat with Love  reading at a Starbuck's.

my dad as excited about fishing today as a child on Christmas morning.

my Love building me a beautiful trellis, remade from a divider he made me last year.








Unfolding of beauty, one petal at a time...and heavenly fragrance.

children I photographed on Kite Day at my church.

These are just a few of the many things I've been thankful for in the last two weeks. The list has gone to #103 and as it climbs, my heart has been enlarged with joy for all He is and does in me and my life.

Late but not too late.  Join me in the Gratitude Community over here:

Oh, to live deeply in the moments...

For eleven years, the hand-made Styrofoam ball Nativity set has journeyed with us.

For the first time since they were unwrapped by pudgy little fingers on Christmas in 1999, baby Jesus is receiving fresh hay...grass grows for the manger; seeds planted from kind acts.  So many more seeds need planting for his bed to be full.  We have time.

In a heartfelt cry of gratitude, I shout my thanks:

~celebrating my mommy's 82nd birthday, delighted to be in her company

~a Christmas party where I received a Mannheim Steamroller CD I'd wanted forever~

~moments of tender affection

~an afternoon spent alone with three little onesI love dearly

~the sentries that stand guard, seen and unseen

~glimpsing His peace on her face as she dreams!



~one last week of seat work

~library videos to watch over vacation

~being able to live in Texas, yet fond memories of living on the 102 acre farm and the beauty of snow EVERYWHERE--but just Christmas time; not for six months-not good memories! 

~being able to pray on the phone for my dear friend Nancy's daughter in NY, taking her boards today

~preparing to burn wood in the fireplace as the temps drop

~tickling my boys

~one boy deciding to write in cursive on his own!

~wisdom from above to counsel a friend and his brother during a conference call while the little children played quietly under my feet

~gazing on His nature and the brilliance only drawing me nearer His heart

~receiving compliments

Have a great week as you prepare daily for His arrival and His return!

Join me over here:

He turns our sorrow to gladness, always.

December has arrived, the garland is hung from the beam along the ceiling of the livingroom and Christmas lights glimmer in the dark of night like stars twinkling in the heavens. 

This has been a tough week for our family.  A stomach bug hit us hard. 

Thursday afternoon, I hit the couch and didn't move all evening.  Then, Friday morning, dad went back to bed and didn't get up until 11 p.m. when he asked us to take him to the ER.  So, Love and I sat with him until 2 a.m.  He stayed in the ER until Sat. evening when we picked him up.  He's much better today. 

By Sunday afternoon, mom began with the chills, and everything she'd eaten came back up and out last night and this morning.  How grateful I am that dad is well again because I could not have taken care of her by myself.  I'm not 'nurse' material.  My stomach gets way to queasy by certain smells.
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"Adversity introduces a man to himself." ~Author Unknown

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As I reflected on this past week, a deeper truth emerged:

Sickness is self-pity's cousin...and

Caring for someone sick is revealing. 

These times of intense serving have shown me that I cannot do anything without His power flowing through me and also, that I'm not a hero. I don't need a big pat on the back. 
 Each of us is told to pick up our cross and follow Him. 
Yet, I've had to check myself several times to be sure that I wasn't looking for that pat, comment, thank you, whatever.  
At times, I was. 
'Does anyone notice what I do, Lord?  Do you?'  'Why did dad have to take these two different meds and fear overdosing right before I walk out the door for church?  Now I have to stay home and babysit...' 
*sigh*
The answer came as I fell asleep the other night.  He woke me as I heard myself praying in the Spirit and then when I asked for the interpretation, He made it very clear: 
'Don't complain, I see what you're doing.' 
Ouch, but so tenderly that I quickly repented and fell asleep, knowing I was forgiven.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hence: 
"Multitude Monday--His Gifts To Me"


~after five days of intense adversity, He has made Himself known to me, despite the enemy's attacks.

~ I have joy, expectation for the new day and confidence in His ability to straighten out any/all the crooked places in me.

~sun beams every morning on the couch as we read His Word together

~anticipation of His birthday

~being well again

~seasoned love under warm blankets late at night

~Christmas music on Pandora

~'Thing 1', as my brother-in-law calls the twins, helping with dinner

~'Thing 2' setting the table alone so brother can help mom

~Love working another job during the holidays

~a boy's joy calling gramma in NY to find out how to make Christmas bark...mmm, delicious!

~lavishing a friend on her birthday with lots of sewing stuff

~a Family Thrift store with great buys for boys that won't/can't stop growing so fast

~generous boys sharing their 'Bark' with their egg customers, our neighbors!

~dad completely recuperated

~mom resting peacefully this evening

~quiet nights to ponder and think

~declaring His Word--His joy is our strength and we will not look at what we see---over dad's front door car locks getting stuck (it was so strange!), driving home holding the doors closed, and waiting to see what He'd do...He gave dad the answer and it was fixed! 
Glory to God.

~plenty of food to enjoy each night

~dinner every night together

~sweet sleep

Have a great week! 

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Why not join me over at Ann's corner...drop on by...