Crank up the volume and do the Gratitude Dance

What do you know, I have pondered and procrastinated long enough that another anniversary is upon me, a couple actually.

There are some in the blog-o-sphere who mark 100th blog post by listing one hundred somethings. This note marks my 100th post as well as the 4th anniversary of my youngest daughter Laurens homegoing.

4 years ago today was the last time I hugged my girl, said 'goodbye', 'be safe' and 'I love you'. If someone had told me 4 years ago those would be some of the very things I would be most grateful for, well I am guessing I would have argued the point. If you understand nothing else, know this: God heals us-time doesn't. I for one am so glad He did.

“You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.”– Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Below is the top 100 things I am most grateful for today. These are not in order or particularly profound, they are just my current 100 pulled from my life long gratitude list. At the end (if you make it that far) please share something you are most grateful for. I am not asking you for 100, but everyone should be able to share at least one thing, right?.

One Hundred Things I am Grateful For Today

1. Saying "I love you" as Lauren left that last evening.
   
2. Being forced by circumstances into confronting my daughter about the state of her relationship with God, a horrid yet wonderful experience.


3. My Heavenly Father's ever present love and comfort whether I always feel it or not I know He is with me.


4. That my God is not finished with me yet - He loves me too much to leave me as I am.


5. My renaissance man husband who's favorite date includes the two of us completing a home project together, all by way of several trips to Loews, Home Depot and a hot dog stand.


6. Gods amazing grace


7. Baby grands: old, new and on the way!


8. Color, and eyes to see it's many hues


9. My family, ALL of them: In laws, Outlaws, nuts and bolts!


10. Hugging my girl the last time I was with her


11. The power of prayer and the warriors who are faithful to pray.


12. Star filled skies


13. Shore lunch


14. Laurens unemployment during those weeks leading up to her death, time and experiences we would have missed were she gainfully employed like the last 8 years of her life.


15. My mother, without whom I would be a much different person.


16. Forgiveness


17. Learning to play golf at 50
    
18. My church family.


19. Extended family and friends that live lives filled with Jesus.


20. Grandparents, aunts and uncles that gave me unconditional love and a glimpse of my Fathers love for me.


21. Bible Study -I just love Bible Study!


22. Music. All kinds of music.


23. Lessons learned on the field trips of my life.


24. Pretend picnics with the grands


25. Real picnics with the grands


26. My returned sense of smell and the scent of those I love. - who knew?


27. My husband singing any time any where - the best!!!


28. My children by birth and marriage - a most blessed woman am I


29. The tunes my grandmother whistled


30. The sound of my son singing and playing guitar


31. Family Holidays and Reunions
    
32. Technology that connects and reunites almost anywhere, I just love it - well except for the parts where it breaks down or gobbles up these communications!


33. The way God brings things around full circle until we 'get it' and can use what we've learned to help someone else.


34. The delight catching fireflies brings


35. The sound of children's laughter - Can there be too much of such a good thing?
    
36. Wiffle ball games in the backyard


37. The Word and the many love letters my Heavenly Father has written me.


38. Air conditioning on these Hotlanta days and toasty fires when it cools down.


39. Memory and memorization! My brain has been an especially big mess these last 4 years, but alas, it's all seems to be coming back to me now.


40. The guilty pleasure of a good book and a hot cup of coffee


41. Saying bedtime prayers with the grands


42. Libraries - the sanctuary of my youth - back when it was Encyclopedia Britannica instead of Internet search engines!


43. All the good a little fleece can do


44. Photographs, without which I would be relying on memory alone (see #39)


45. This country where I can live, pray, worship and blog freely.


46. The men and women who serve, have been maimed and died to protect such freedom


47. Reverend Frank Rodgers and some of the most valuable things he brought into my life


48. Revelations and simple truths revealed through a child


49. Harmony- singing and living it
    
50. Tears


51. Joy in my sorrow


52. Angels seen and unseen


53. Many amazing and gifted teachers throughout the years


54. The wonders and glories of nature that call out to God with every sunrise and thunderstorm.


55. Our home sweet home


56. Waking to a chorus of birds singing out our window


57. The endless opportunities to bring help to someone in need


58. Bible Gateway Online


59. Answered prayer


60. Having my grand babies tell me a bedtime story


61. Poetry, like music-a gift from God that helps me speak when simple words are not enough
    
62. Road trips


63. Holding hands while we pray


64. Mountains and rolling hills
65. Breakfast of little boxes of cereal with the grands
    
66. My brothers, all six of them


67. Dancing with my sweetie


68. Car seats and child safety laws - how did our kids survive childhood?


69. Saved boxes of notes, cards and letters given to me by my children and grandchildren
    
70. Living in the now even as the past and future try and run me over
    
71. Spell chick check, 'nough said


72. A cool dip in the pool on a hot day


73. Illness- it reminds me to be grateful for my health


74. The plenty we have financially


75. A roof over our heads, food in our belly and clothes on our back


76. Snowfall: any time, any where


77. Playing games with my baby grands


78. Cozy, soft beds with freshly laundered sheets
    
79. Walks on the beach - the sand between my toes


80. Spring in full bloom


81. Trips to amusement parks and water parks with the grands


82. Watching hummingbirds fight over the feeder


83. Laughing with friends until my stomach hurts and my face aches
    
84. Holding the hand of those dearest to me


85. Blooming Red Bud trees in Spring


86. Laugh lines


87. Peace in a storm


88. Hot showers on cold mornings
    
89. The rippling sound from the creek after it rains


90. Mulligan's


91. The Siesta's, you girls are the real deal


92. My baby grands singing and praising God in the back seat


93. A drawer full of warm socks for my forever cold feet


94. Carrying sleeping children to bed


95. The warmth of the sun on a chilly day


96. My sweetie reading to me - especially at bedtime
    
97. Smiles on the grands faces after an evening of swimming in the 'hot pool' followed by chocolate cake - 'This was the best day of my entire life' as one put it.
    
98. Praying myself to sleep


99. For the most dear friends a gal could have. These folks make me laugh, cry and praise God all in the same moment. They are there for me on all occasions: listening, sharing and praying. Whether they have walked in my shoes are not, makes no difference - God only knows how grateful I am for you all.
100. 
     And lastly, in honor of these anniversaries please watch this video, crank up the volume and where ever you are...Do the Gratitude Dance!!
     
     
     
     
     

Care to share something you are grateful for?

Banana, Bologna and Peanuts

Back in the old days when I was a girl, summers and other holidays were often spent with my cousins - usually by way of some very patient and loving grandparents, aunts and uncles. These visits were often planned far in advance but just as many times, they were not.

A favorite 'stay over' maneuver was to wait until all the adults were clustered together hugging and saying good byes. We children used this time to stowaway, curling up on various car floor boards, our cousins topping us with their coats or feet in hopes no one would be missed us until we had traveled too far down the road to turn back. Since there were so many in my family we had an advantage over our cousins as one or two of us could make a break for it and often go unnoticed.

Bare in mind, this was long before car seats and seat belt laws - when kids rode wherever there was room or their parents allowed them to. There were 7 kids in our tribe and we sat just about everywhere but the luggage rack.

Often times, when we encountered passing cars gawking and counting heads, nothing tickled us more than to bob and weave enough to throw off any accurate tally. Understand this was before portable DVD players, we took our entertainment where we could get it.

While our stowaway schemes often failed, more often than not the attempt opened the door for family members to invite my brothers and I to stay with them a few days or in some cases weeks.

I remember these visits fondly as some of the richest and best of times of my childhood.

This summer our blond baby grand from St. Louis has come for a visit, a 3 week visit to be exact. Her stay coincides with Mr B's annual Canadian fishing trip and we could not be more thrilled. We are a little more than a week in and the girls and I have been having a blast!

As a rule, there are not many rules...well except maybe the one about not using the words banana, bologna and peanuts and truth be told, that rule is being broken every 6 hours or so.

Anyway, we have put away most of our 'to-do' lists, letting many household chores slide while meeting our primary daily goal: Fun, fun and more fun!

According to my girls...

So far, so good.