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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Thursday Thanks (46-50)

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!

I missed it last week altogether, as I was too busy aging by a year!

Back to being grateful!

1) Sheets
With summer officially here, we recently changed the sheets on our bed to something other than flannel. I visited this page to find a local laundry mat so I can get my sheets cleaned. Whether it’s laundry days or seasonal changes, why do I so love the feel of clean sheets?

2) Bikes
Beautiful weather and city street construction have give me multiple reasons to love riding my bike to work lately.

3) Spurs
I haven’t cared so much about sports series as I do about the NBA Finals, in I-don’t-know-how-long. The Spurs knocking out the Heat would be a thing of beauty. Love that team!

4) Theology Books
Studying for a lesson series on the Holy Spirit, I was blown away by portions of writing from Gordon Fee and Clark Pinnock. Crystal-clear language about beyond-description truths — these are marvelous to me!

5) Exact
That’s the brand name of Superstore’s razors that I have recently begun using. The quality seems great, and they’re a fraction of every big-brand version of I’ve been scammed into paying for. Cheap and smooth — that’s how I like to be!

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Thursday Thanks (41-45)

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!

I missed it by a day this week (again), but surely there’s no expiration date on gratitude!

1) Amazon
Tomorrow, we are having birthday party number two for our youngest daughter. We ordered gifts on the mega-website a couple weeks back, and they arrived this afternoon – as on-time as one could hope! (No drones were involved in this delivery.)

2) Parents
My folks spent a couple hours with our children this afternoon, freeing my wife and me for a couple errands and an afternoon walk in the park. Yay for loving parents and wonderful grandparents!

3) Heat
The above-mentioned walk was our way of enjoying the most full-blown summer day of the year so far. What a treat!

4) Frozen Green Tea
Tim Hortons also played a role in the afternoon pleasures, providing the liquid refreshments to go with the sweet company.

5) Ballet
I cannot say that this art form is among those which I appreciate most, but this weekend marks our first recital experience as parents. Our two oldest daughters will play Dr. Seuss-related roles in the year-end performance further for their dance school. Should be sweet!

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Thursday Thanks (26-30)

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 would take me two years to complete!

Monday is nowhere near Thursday, but I’ve fallen a post or two behind, so I’m doing what I can to gain on any missed opportunities for gratitude!

1) Knives
My kitchen work is limited, but among the pleasant experiences of preparing food, I might count using a high-quality knife near the top of the list. There are few things as frustrating as using a poor knife to cut, chop, or peel. But a knife that does its job excellently – that is a form of culinary contentment I can grasp.

2) Swings
This afternoon was pleasantly warm, enough so that playtime moved out into our backyard. Three girls and two swings brought all forms of laughter and giggles. It’s amazing how much fun can be had in the to-and-fro rhythm of a swing!

3) Pepperdine Bible Lectures
As I mentioned earlier, I spent last week attending this annual event about I heard much over the years. Now I know what all the fuss is about – beautiful location, encouraging crowd, and top-notch content. I will definitely plan another trip some year.

4)  Friendliness
Today a repair man came to make some changes to our cable and Internet services. This young man was highly capable at his job but even more so, he was exceptionally friendly. Such people bring a smile to my face and a prayer of gratitude to my lips.

5) Toffifee
I am not a big chocolate fan, but some time ago, my wife gave me a small box of this usually-limited-to-Christmas treat. I can’t be certain, but I may have loved her even more than usual in that moment!

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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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