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!

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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 (16-20)

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 two-year venture from when I started last month!

1) Software
A slickly designed program that does its job well is a joy to use. One new addition to our lives as being a finance program called You Need A Budget. We have always been relatively careful of tracking our spending, but this program, coupled with its app formats, has made the process significantly better.

2) Hair
This one makes the list, particularly as I consider my three daughters: whether it is our oldest aspiring to outgrow Rapunzel’s hair or our second daughter running around the house with thin braids flying behind, or our youngest whose tousled wild “do” delights me daily.

3) Medicine
When our oldest daughter slept restlessly for weeks, while complaining of a stomachache, we searched futilely for answers. A couple supplements and medications have transformed her in a matter of days. Yay for drugs!

4) Fire
It’s April 18, and light snow is falling, in the latest installment of “the winter without end”. That said, our living room feels remarkably cozy – the fireplace certainly helps!

5) Harmony
Music inspires. Rhythm delights.  But there is something magical when two tones bounce beautifully off of each other. Be it voices or instruments, harmony strikes me as a most delightful of sounds.

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.]

Tuesday Trick: How to Make a Fire with Ice

In yet another effort to increase the regularity of my blogging, let’s initiate “Tuesday Tricks”, a weekly spot to share a handy (or downright bizarre) tip on some aspect of life.

To kick this thing off, let’s take a little survival secret, mix it with a bit of “redneck”, and add a pinch of “Is that for real?!”…