Thursday Thanks (81-85)

fiveEach week (I aim for Thursday), I’ll use this space to list five things (items, experiences, people, whatever) for which I’ve been recently grateful. Consider it my “blessings count”. Ann Voskamp’s famous challenge to list 1000 gifts seemed daunting — I’m committing to 500, a task which will take me two years of weekly posts to complete!

As a child, I heard a story about a tortoise who won his race. I’m on that pace, trying to be equally persistent.

1) Travel
Last weekend afforded me the chance to be part of a conference in Toronto with a number of other pastors from around the nation. It is a real treat to see new places and take in new experiences.

2) Hugs
Our three little girls love to snuggle, and this Dad loves that they do!

3) Ribs
A recent meal with friends provided me with a menu that included BBQ ribs. And I needed little drive to place my order!

4) Basketball
Last night I played competitive basketball for the first time in nearly a decade. I was thrilled at how fun it was, sobered by how below-average I am, and alert to how many very sore muscles I had this morning.

5) Painting
Next week, I’ll spend part of day painting what will become a prayer room in our church. There is a special pleasure to the task of putting fresh colour on walls. Looking forward to it!

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  • Did any of this week’s list especially strike a chord with you?
  • What’s one thing you’re particularly grateful for this week?

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Thursday Thanks (76-80)

fiveEach week (I aim for Thursday), I’ll use this space to list five things (items, experiences, people, whatever) for which I’ve been recently grateful. Consider it my “blessings count”. Ann Voskamp’s famous challenge to list 1000 gifts seemed daunting — I’m committing to 500, a task which will take me two years of weekly posts to complete!

Some holiday time put blogging off my radar for a couple weeks. Back at it!

1) Mountains
Part of our vacation was spent in Glacier National Park. Not a hard landscape to take — beautiful!

2) Friends
The other part of our vacation was spent visiting special friends in Manitoba. Some friendships are especially valuable, and one just has to treasure them. And we do!

3) Worship
Glacier National Park featured time at a Family Camp, and I was reminded how powerful it is when God’s people gather to worship honestly and openness. Heaven responds!

4) Bargains
I’m a deal-hunter, there’s no denying it. There’s a special pleasure about getting a great price on something you’ve been needing. Makes me smile!

5) UsedRegina
There’s another special pleasure to using a local website to get rid of items you no longer need. I’m going to purge my storage spaces and make some extra money? Yes please!

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailYOUR TURN: Your input makes this post better!

  • Did any of this week’s list especially strike a chord with you?
  • What’s one thing you’re particularly grateful for this week?

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Back at It

Some time ago, I entered a block of vacation time. In my eagerness to “take off”, I neglected to let you know! 😉

I will touch on some of the details of holidays in tomorrow’s Thursday Thanks. For the moment, just allow me to state…

I-am-Back

Thursday Thanks (71-75)

fiveEach week (I aim for Thursday), I’ll use this space to list five things (items, experiences, people, whatever) for which I’ve been recently grateful. Consider it my “blessings count”. Ann Voskamp’s famous challenge to list 1000 gifts seemed daunting — I’m committing to 500, a task which will take me two years of weekly posts to complete!

Here are the most recent entries on my list:

1) Camp
Much of the past week was spent at Bible Camp with 22 teenagers. The rest of this list will likely feature facets of that wonderful experience.

2) Fire
There is something special about a campfire — I could simply watch one for hours. Add in calm nights, special songs, heartfelt prayers, and the gathering of friends — that’s a pretty special time — night after night after night.

3) Prayer
One activity at camp involved prayer stations. I’m always amazed at how quick-to-engage the teens are in these very focused times that inevitably provide one of my camp highlights.

4) Sun
I’ve been helping at camp nearly 15 years straight. We’ve never had a rain-free week… until this year. Sun, sun, and more sun. I nearly forgot where I was!

5) Leaders
Perhaps the key ingredient to a successful camp is the team of leaders. And this year’s was wonderful: filled with friends that I enjoy and folks who did their jobs so well, while loving the campers in some really sweet ways. Well done!

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailYOUR TURN: Your input makes this post better!

  • Did any of this week’s list especially strike a chord with you?
  • What’s one thing you’re particularly grateful for this week?

[You can subscribe to this blog via RSS or email, in the upper right corner of this page.]

Gone Camping

gone+camping

Within the hour, I am headed out of the city for a week at a Bible Camp that is very dear to me, I packed everything I needed, including the tactical flashlight amazon. Part of the beauty of the week is a fast from the Internet and from text messages.

See you on the other side!