a gift heard, a gift held, a gift hoped for

271. A song my mother sang to me when I was little: You are My Sunshine

272. Each of my sweet babies for the first time.

273. My heart to be reconciled, once and for all.

There you have it, a full month dedicated to giving thanX in all circumstances. A month dedicated to marching around those walls of adversity with joy and thanksgiving. I didn't always succeed but in the end, through tears, frustration and pain, I know my God is with me. I know I have so much to be thankful for. I made it through, another month. I survived, again.

Now, in April, the month to celebrate; the resurrection of my Lord and Savior, my youngest's birth--who has been an immense joy & blessing to my life, and my own birthday.

3 gifts uncovered

268. the joy of writing IN a book, over what is already written.

269. using colored pencils to color.

270. working on creating an art journal...finally.

3 gifts of His Promises

265. He will never leave me, no forsake me. Deut. 31:8

266. He has a plan for my life, to give me a hope and a future...Jer 29:11

267. If I ask, it will be given, if I seek, I will find, if I knock the door will be opened to me. Matt 7:7

3 gifts entwined

262. my heart, to another

263. the hearts of my children to their family

264. the trunk of my ficus tree.

3 gifts redeemed

259. My soul

260. My marriage, @ least two times, resulting in the birth of my amazing children.

261. other important relationships.

3 gifts almost done

256. Sammy's Alice in Wonderland inspired quilt. I started it a few years ago & ALL it needs is to be quilted.

257. A blanket of crocheted squares, all the squares need to be assembled. I was blessed to find bags of them at the thrift store for a a steal. They are lovely but tedious to assemble.

258. A blanket of crocheted octagons. Again, need to be assembled.

A gift sung, a gift written, a gift painted

253. Amazing Grace

254. A poem my mother wrote to her kids, which we read at her funeral.

255. The picture of Mickey Mouse my daughter made me, in art class, cause she knows I love Disneyland.

3 gifts spoken

250. I love you
251. I forgive you.
252. I missed you.

3 gifts found in women today

247. the ability to offer comfort in hard times.
248. empathy just when you need it.
249. perseverance.





 

3 gifts found in his word

244. Encouragement!
245. Identity
246. Hope





























 

a gift salty, a gift sweet, a gift just right

241. I love ritz crackers.
242. apple cinnamon tea
243. peanut butter cracker sandwiches

3 gifts that made me laugh

238. every time Kurtis "hides", as if we really can't see him.
239. being on the trampoline
240. when Kurtis retells a siblings story as if it happened to him.

3 gifts eaten

235. dinner with my brother and his family every Saturday night.
236. my home-made from scratch muffin recipe
237. the recipe I found online for ginger strips

3 gifts red

232. my vintage velvet coat.
233. my favorite flats
234. the purse in the same shade as the flats....ALL of these from the thrift store.

a gift turned, a gift folded, a gift hung

229. the pages of library books.
230. my favorite table cloth when it's in the hallway cupboard.
231. the large star hanging in my living room, from a memorable trip to S.F.

3 hard Eucharistos

226. finding joy in the midst of trials.
227. tears of sorrow that can only be experienced because they are rooted in love
228. thoughtfulness of friends during trying times.

3 gifts given away

223. a crochet blanket with purple striped hearts.
224. wonderful hand-me-downs that keep my family well dressed.
225. cards of encouragement in the mail.

3 gifts found in silence

220. the alarm on my watch
221. prayer times
222. reading a good book

3 gifts round

217. my wedding ring
218. home made bagel pizzas every Wednesday night
219. the tires on my bike that have not gone flat since last summer

a gift in wind, in water, in white

214.leaves that fall slowly from trees.
215. a warm shower
216. snow

3 gifts read

211. short stories written from classmates
212. modern short fiction
213. the Psalms

3 gifts in Christ

208. peace that passes understanding
209. fruit of the spirit
210. unconditional love

3 gifts carved

205. the floral motif on a chair of a fictional story I wrote.
206. Willow Tree figurine that I found at the thrift store.
207. Willow Tree trinket box.

3 gifts loud

202. my car radio when I'm feeling down
203. my toddler when he gets excited
204. my dogs when they are guarding our home

3 gifts found in the kitchen

199. my antique O' Keefe & Merrit stove
200. having a window over the sink
201. stainless steel-easy to clean-countertops.

There is so much to be thankful for in life, each and every day. Won't you join me in counting 1000 gifts to be thankful for this year?