The Gifts On Our Thankful Tree

We have created some sort of thankful tree for several years now. The children write what they're thankful for on leaves and we hang them on the tree. This year Heath and I joined in. For this Multitude on Mondays post, I will share the list of gifts our family wrote down.

#446-484

Home ~ Holy Spirit ~ a backyard to play in ~ friends ~ mom ~ candy ~ food ~ milk ~ fun family time ~ fried chicken ~ stores ~ movies and popcorn ~ coats ~ forgiveness ~ house ~ God and ~ family~ hot husband ~ trails ~ Nikki's love ~ lunch ~ nature ~ toys ~ medicine and doctors~ cake

~ Christ ~ peanuts ~ The Bible ~ warm drinks ~ water ~ hot chocolate ~ drinks ~ laughter

~ Sissy ~ clothes ~ dinner ~ mom and dad ~ apple cider ~ breakfast ~ brothers and sister

I think we were thirsty one day when we wrote down things we are thankful for. Did you notice how many beverages were listed?

I won a copy of "One Thousand Gifts" last week over at "Uplifting Words."Please take a moment and visit "Uplifting Words" because you will be blessed and encouraged if you do. When I left a comment for a chance to win I began praying about who I would give the book to if I won. I can't wait to receive the book in the mail so I can mail the book to a friend of mine as a gift. Speaking of gifts..."One Thousand Gifts" would make a lovely Christmas gift. I would recommend it to anyone who desires to walk closely with the Lord and truly live out 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - to be joyful always, pray continually, and to give thanks in all things.

Now that all our leaves have been removed from our thankful tree, we have transformed it into a Jesse Tree as we do our Advent devotional readings to keep our hearts turned to Christ as we prepare for Christmas. Ann Voskamp has a free download for all her subscribers.

Continuing to List the Gifts

386) New shoes for all three children.

387) Son wanting to read a book to me because he thinks I'll like all the similes and metaphors in it.

388) A husband who holds me accountable.

389) A husband who tells me and shows me his love.

390) Shop vacs and sump pumps.

391) Rain slowing down.

392) The land of the free and brave.

393) Kids who make me laugh.

394) Running in the rain.

395) Apologies and forgiveness.

396) Remembering September 11th. This is painful, but necessary so I will not forget.

Multitudes on Mondays ~ Continuing to Count the Gifts

Thank You Father, for these gifts...

379) Slow Saturday Morning

380) Singing "In Christ Alone" with my daughter while cleaning the bathroom together.

381) Habakkuk

382) New meds and tests and waiting...

383) Foggy morning

384) Time to slow down, rest, enjoy family.

385) A husband who encourages.

Are you a gift list maker as well? Have you joined the little community over at A Holy Experience? If you're not a gift list maker, I would like to encourage you to start. This little act of jotting things down as a way of counting blessings has helped me shift my focus from myself to my Savior and it has made a huge difference in my heart and my home.

Multitudes on Mondays

Thank you Father for these gifts:

364) Homemade Bread

365) Homemade Butter

366) Seeing love displayed in "sickness and in health" in a couple I love dearly.

367) New school year - new beginnings

368) Cool breeze flowing through open windows.

369) Kids who show their Momma grace.

370) Playing ball and laughing together.

371) Husband fixing my broken sunglasses.

372) Encouraged to see two teens living for Christ.

373) A friend wrestling with God.

374) Week #1 - DONE!

375) Little boy progressing in his math lessons.

376) Payday Friday = family time, grocery shopping, and eating lunch out!

377)Happy children because they get to stay up late on Friday night.

378) Peace that Christ gives.

As I take time throughout the week to make my thankful list, it brings such joy each week when I sit down to type them all out to share on my blog. It's like giving thanks a second time and this constant reminder that my God is good and loving gives me immeasurable peace and joy. It causes me to pause again and bend my knee and humbly offer this thanks to Him once again.

Multitudes on Mondays

Today we will be kicking off our 2011-12 school year. I will be teaching a 4th grader, a 3rd grader, and a 1st grader. I am praying and asking the Lord to order my steps this year, to help me live Scripture out loud in front of my children, and for our entire family to grow closer to Him. I want to relax, slow down, focus, give thanks, and experience JOY like never before.

I am continuing to list and count the gifts of grace God gives, and here is my list of thanks - my offering to Him.

355) Husband home

356) Books that encourage and challenge.

357) Lower humidity

358) Candle that smells like pancakes

359) Husband who goes to Sonic to get me a drink because I just mentioned at 7pm how much I wish it was happy hour.

360) Family together at lunch time.

361) Little girl - my workout buddy

362) Praying husband

363) Learning to shift gears when plans change

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.

Multitudes on Mondays

317) Birthday celebrations (for Heath)

318) VBS Lessons

319) New faces at VBS

320) Little boy wearing Daddy's shoes as he goes out to get the mail.

321) Safe travels to Canada.

322)Safety on work crews while in Canada.

323)Provision - good crew and good encourager

324) Family time in MO

325) Everyone under one roof again

326) Celebrating T's 10th birthday!

Summer has been one whirlwind of a season for us. We are thankful for all the Lord allowed us to do, His provision and watch care of our family. We are also thankful to all be back home together. However, Heath leaves Wednesday for another mission trip. The children and I are staying behind and we'll be praying for Him and the team as they go and help a church up in Maine reach out in their community. Our family is beginning to get back into our rhythm and home routine and it feels nice.

Thank You Father for these gifts...

297) Pantry to store food (I have been using boxes since January 2010).

298) Baby watermelons beginning to grow.

299) Slow morning

300) Extra family time as we celebrate the 4th of July.

301) Little boy teaching me about fish.

302) Snuggling on the couch at the end of a "funky" day.

303) Little girl and piano lessons.

304) Rest

305) Husband helping with supper on piano lesson afternoons.

306) Soft, gentle rain

307) Friend's colorful flower garden

308) Arriving at piano lessons on time - no construction detours

309) Friends - conversations, food, and laughter.

310) Tennis for Kids - DONE!

311) Praying husband

312) Pastor who was transparent as he preached.

313) A church with many on their knees

314) Friends to help me (a decorating challenged woman) put together my VBS classroom.

315) A husband who helps with laundry

316) Expectancy and Excitement!

Not giving thanks speeds things up, increases stress, and quite frankly, makes me one yucky person to be around. I feel like my world is spinning so fast and I just want to hit the pause button so we can slow down. I didn't post my list of thanks last week because I only had a few written down and before I knew it the week slipped away from me. Nine days passed without me writing down one single gift in my journal. No wonder I am overwhelmed, wound tight, and feel like I'm going to explode with busyness and the stress it brings.

"Wherever you are, be all there" is only possible in the posture of eucharisteo. I want to slow down and taste life, give thanks, and see God. ~ From Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts

Father, thank you for these gifts. Thank you for showing me how great my need is for You and how much better I see you when I slow down, taste life, and give thanks.

290) Kids and tennis

291) 1 Corinthians 1:4 - Comforting others with comfort we received from Him.

292) Fresh cut daisies

293) Plans to travel home.

294) Fresh raspberries

295) Encouragement from others

296) In my difficult thanks I am shouting, "My God is still good!"

A List of Gifts...

Thank You Father for these gifts...

278) Only having to clean up sticks after the storm. Our trees are all standing.

279) Little boy who can complete LEGO sets on his own.

280) Cool breeze coming through open windows.

281) Porch talks with husband.

282) Catching lightning bugs with little girls.

283) $1 movie tickets.

284) Listening to your children to talk to their Pa Pa on the phone.

285) Need new transmission in our one and only vehicle - opportunity to trust God for His provision.

286) Gentle rain.

287) Playing cards, watching movie, and going on a walk with my little girl.

288) Sick husband - time to rest

289) Watching children bless their Daddy.

Giving Thanks...

Thank You Father for these gifts...

263) Slowing down for two weeks before the summer madness begins.

264) Laughing with friends.

265) Little girl cracking an egg all over the floor - laughing as we clean up/

266) School year completed - testing and evaluation all done!

267) Enjoying a slower pace for a couple weeks.

268) Little Girls playing with baby dolls.

269) Summer reading

270) An encouraging note from my husband that made me smile.

271) Daisies starting to bloom.

272) He is my hope - my anchor (Hebrews 6:19).

273) Growing watermelon vine and baby zucchinis appearing.

274) Hearing the breeze move through the trees and birds singing.

275) Freshly mowed grass.

276) Church family picnic - fun, laughter, and making memories.

277) Protection in the storm.

A Growing List of Thanks

Thank You Father for these gifts...

249) Seeing a friend smile after seeing her cry five days before.

250) Air conditioning

251) Seeing things grow in our container garden.

252) Husband home after a long day.

253) Chatting with a neighbor.

254) Transplanting

255) Baby woodpeckers in our tree.

256) Helpful little girl.

257) Children who love me in spite of all my imperfections.

258) The peace that comes when my mind is fixed on Him - no matter how many times I need to refocus (Is. 26:3).

259) Following through on a commitment made - JOY!

260) The entire house sleeping until 8:30 am on a Saturday morning.

261) All five of us partaking in the Lord's Supper - realization of prayers answered for the salvation of all my children. Thank you, Lord!

262) Sunday afternoon play date for the children.

Adding More Gifts to the List

Thank You Father, for these gifts...

241) A friend who will pray for me over the phone.

242) Victory over lies.

243) Working in the yard together.

244) A new bird bath for the garden.

245) A slow paced weekend.

246) Ice cream cones and the park.

247) Little girl asking, "Mommy, how was your day?"

248) Little girl going forward in church to tell everyone she asked Jesus to come into her life!

Giving Thanks in All Things

Last week was a rough week. It was a major battle within the confines of my mind. I do not feel comfortable sharing all the details, but with that said, I have been clinging to 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that says, "give thanks IN all things..." (emphasis mine). I am reminded that I do not have to give thanks FOR the trials, but I can give thanks IN them. I give thanks because I know who the Lord is and I know His faithfulness. Dwelling on His character, giving thanks and praising Him is what keeps me humbled at His feet and focused on Him. I have a choice to make every single day, and I am striving to make the right choices - to be joyful, pray without ceasing, and give thanks no matter what the circumstances may be (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Thank You Father, for these gifts...

229) Libraries, parks, and ice cream coupons

230) Hummingbirds

231) Planting vegetables and flowers

232) My encouraging husband

233) Trustworthy and faithful God

234) Daily bread

235) Knowing God is enough. He loves enough and gives enough. He is sufficient in all things.

236) Even in the midst of hurt, You still give hope.

237) Sunshine after many days of rain.

238) Butterflies, hummingbirds, robins, cardinals, and finches - just a few things I enjoyed seeing while enjoying a cup of tea outside this morning.

239) A slower pace

240) Little girl's fever - gone!

More Gifts to Share

217) Gaining health and strength while losing pounds.

218) Nature walks

219) Warmer weather brining neighbors outdoors more.

220) Women to pray and study God's Word with.

221) Planting flowers and vegetables.

222) A family that makes grocery shopping fun.

223) Children running and playing in the yard with friends.

224) Memories - thankful for memories made with my mom that I can share with my children who have no memories of their Nana Norie.

225) Squirrels hanging upside down from our bird feeder.

226) Birds flying, chasing, perching, eating, and chirping.

227) Celebrating birthdays with friends. Bounce houses, silly string, cake, and lots of noisy children.

228) Phone conversations with sisters.

Keep Thanking God

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 is one of my favorite passages. This is how the Contemporary English Version Translates it:

¹⁶Always be joyful ¹⁷and never stop praying. ¹⁸Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.

So here is my list of thanks to share this week as I "keep thanking God..."

206) Shop vac to clean up rain water in my basement.

207) Towels to dry off little boy's mud puddle splashin' feet.

208) Things planted last year coming up again this year!

209) Wind blowing to dry up water.

210) Piano teacher.

211) Hugs that don't want to let go.

212) Little girl praying for her Daddy's safety as he drives away in heavy rain.

213) Weddings

214) Gardening

215) Heart Beauty Talks with my girls.

216) My AWANA T&T girls - They bless, encourage, and challenge me!

To read more gratitude lists, click over to Ann Voskamp's "A Holy Experience."

More Gifts

Thank You, Father, for these gifts...

183) A friend trusting enough to ask me to intercede.

184) Watching children blow and chase bubbles.

185) Hugging a friend who's still alive even though doctors said she wouldn't last this long.

186) Pandora radio

187) Warm drinks on cold and rainy days.

188) Bird watching with my boy.

189) Movie, popcorn, and giggles with my children.

190) A friend who challenges and sharpens me. A friend who still loves and encourages after sin is confessed to one another.

191) Box of Repentance

192) The Last Supper

193) Prophecy fulfilled

194) Choir

195) Laughter

196) The Cross

197) Message through song.

198) Shopping for food with my family.

199) Still a sinner - Christ died for me.

200) "Jesus, you left wonderful and glorious Heaven to come down to our terrible and sinful world and suffered so much." Part of K's bedtime prayer on Good Friday.

201) Rain and sunshine all in one day.

202) Fellowshipping with friends together all afternoon.

203) Watching children drop their papers in our box of repentance.

204) Worshiping a Risen Savior.

205) Encouragement

List of Thanks - Spring is the theme

I am thankful for the giver of this list. "Every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17).

175) Laughter and giggles that make gloominess disappear.

176) Playing at the park.

177) Exploring the woods in the Springtime.

178) Bursting colors from trees and bushes.

179) Freedom to study Bibles in public.

180) Waking up to bright sunshine and bird songs.

181) Playing games together as a family.

182) Slow family time. Much needed and I'm grateful.

Click the graphic above to read more from this community of gift list makers. This is a community where we all give God the glory for all His gifts and call them grace.

Late Thanks

Even though I normally post my list of thanks on Mondays and link up over at A Holy Experience, I still wanted to take a moment and post my list today (even if I am a little late).

168) Seeing teenage girl rewarded for hiding God's Word in her heart.

169) Shopping with my two little girls.

170) Trees swaying in the wind.

171) Homeschool Mom's Support Group!

172) First bouquet of daffodils.

173) Little girls' tight hugs that delay Daddy leaving for work.

174) Time with friends

More Gifts

Thank you Father, for these gifts...

151) Library story time

152) Baking birthday cakes

153) The smell of baked sweet potatoes

154) Daughter's birth, six years ago

155) Birthday cake and candles

156) Snow on 3/30

157) God's Provision

158) Daddy and children laughing as they watch old classic cartoons together.

159) Seeing snow in April (a first for me).

160) Snow in April - a reminder that God is in control.

161) Smiles and laughter over a few April Fool's Day jokes.

162) Conviction - even though it hurts. I know it's for my growth and His glory.

163) Friends gathering around our table for a few hours - eating, talking, and laughing.

164) Sleep - good sleep

165) Time with my girls and time with my boy. Time is my love language.

166) Surgery, therapy, and walkers all helping someone precious come back to worship.

167) The power of renewing my mind (Romans 12:1-2). VICTORY in Jesus!

Each Monday a community of gift list makers share over at Ann Voskamp's "A Holy Experience." To read more click over today and be blessed and perhaps inspired to start naming your blessings, one by one.