Common Grace

I'm thankful for common graces turned extraordinary

Like

Collies
Coffee
Pajama days
Rainy days and warm blankets
Pumpkin spice candles
White Christmas lights
Music that feeds my soul
Autumn
The way the trees on our street turn red and yellow and orange and purple
Journals
Hosea 2:14 and Psalm 145
Game nights that last till one in the morning
Swing dancing
Friends
Friends that call just because they miss you
Friends that tell you to come to swing dancing even though you don’t know what you’re doing
Surprise visits from friends that live on the other side of the country
Spur of the moment hikes with my brother
The way my Dad understands me
Long morning talks with Mom
The steadfast love God has for me. I can’t understand it.

In Your Presence

The fulness of Your grace is here with me
The richness of Your beauty is all I seek
The brightness of Your glory has arrived
In Your presence, God, I'm completely satisfied

Lift my heart and my hands to show my love ~ Divine Romance, Phil Wickham

Some days (ok, let’s just be real - most days) I can be so very distracted I don’t even realize it. Cares, anxieties, desires surround me before I recognize I’m caught up in them.

I am thankful Jesus steadily whispers His presence in my soul. I’m thankful He’s tuning my ears more and more to His voice. I’m thankful for the way He satisfies me. I’m thankful He makes me rest and restores my soul.

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after;
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. Ps 27:4

Restless

On the bus somewhere in Suva, Fiji

"Don't look now 'cause I can't escape ~ I get so restless"

Today I want to stuff my backpack with a few necessities and hop a plane to somewhere I’ve never been.

Merry ...

Typically, I insist no mention of Christmas can be made until after Thanksgiving. Ask my family. But this year? This year as soon as November first hit the calendar Christmas music was heard coming from my room, hot chocolates were made, and I’ve been secretly plotting how I can get my hands on some of the Christmas lights stored up in the attic. And guys? This weekend it snowed in the mountains! SNOWED! Go make me a snow angel or build a snowman.

So for Thanksgiving, I’ll be thankful for Christmas.