Multitudes on Mondays

I recently read through "One Thousand Gifts" for the second time. It was such a nice reminder of why I continue to write down the gifts. The author, Ann Voskamp shares how giving thanks slows down time, and that is what I am most thankful for right now. I feel like our days, weeks, and months are passing too quickly. Summer has been hurried. I want to slow down and enjoy the moments with my family. I don't want the increased pace of our soon to start school days to fly by like our summer has. I want to slow down with focus in order to have more JOY in our days and less stress. So I will continue to count and list the gifts, and actively pursue my God on this thanks hunt (as Ann calls it in her book).

Thank you Father for these gifts...

327) Playdate for children.

328) Organizing and planning for new school year beginning to come together.

329) Lack of discipline allows weakness to creep in. (A hard eucharisteo...lessons of grace learned).

330) Traveling mercies

331) Snuggling with children at bedtime.

332) Empty jars waiting to be filled. Reminding me how I should come empty of self to be filled by Him.

333) Little girls - telephones and giggles.

334) Green lollipops given at bank drive through.

335) Little boy stepping up to the be man of house while Daddy's gone.

336) Friends and food and books.

337) Son telling me, "Did you know there are six species of flamingos?" (love the JOY he brings to my life)

338) School supplies hiding in the closet.

339) UPS delivering packages two days in a row (school supplies).

340) Trying new recipe.

341) Lots of tomatoes for canning.

342) Temperatures cooling down.

343) Mercies that are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)

344) Bible drill with my boy.

345) Little girls singing together.

346) Quart jars filled with homemade spaghetti sauce.

347) Grocery shopping with little helpers - forcing me to slow down (a good thing).

348) Missing my husband (driving me closer to God to experience more grace).

349) Character flaws revealed - conviction (needing more grace).

350) Storms passing through - bringing cooler temperatures.

351) Husband on his way home!

352) Open windows and cool breezes on a Sunday afternoon.

353) Kids dipping crackers in tomato soup and slurping silly.

354) Sharing recipes - a language many women speak.