Complete Refreshment

Family vacation is halfway through, and there is more to be thankful for than words can express.

Though cell service and internet were not available in our cabin or in many of the areas we visited, there is incredible gratitude for the absence of distraction and greater opportunity for connection.

Being surrounded by beauty and nature and fresh air and peaceful quiet brings refreshing and rejuvenation that cannot be found anywhere else. My husband put it so well to say that even though we have not lived here for 14 years, our current home hasn’t always felt like ‘us.’ Don’t misunderstand - we are beyond blessed by the people we share life with and we know without a doubt that the relationships God has given cannot be replaced - but this environment...the mountains, the trees, the water...this is who we are.

Many other things come to mind from the past few days as well...

376. Children who travel well.

377. Being adventurous together.

378. Hiking and exploring and discovering and experiencing.

379. My own inability to describe the matchless beauty of God’s creation.

380. A humbling realization that He crafted such beauty for our enjoyment.

381. The smell of nature that refreshes and revives.

382. Turning a corner to discover the breathless sight of a mountain-trapped lake reflecting the cloudless sky off of it’s waters.

383. Feeling at home in a small cabin surrounded by trees and mountains.

384. ‘Oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ and ‘wows’ from the back seat while navigating winding roads and witnessing God’s handiwork around every corner.

385. Numerous requests to get out and explore - and the freedom to say yes.

386. Pine trees and waterfalls and rock cliffs and mountain carvings.

387. Clouds that float below mountain peaks as storms roll through.

388. Blue sky and sunshine amidst the rain.

389. Driving beneath a breathtaking rainbow as it stretches from the lake to the mountains to bring a perfect conclusion to our stay in the Black Hills.

390. Wanting to do it all again.

Celebrating Fathers

Celebrations are a favorite in my book - the more reasons to celebrate, the better! And Father’s Day is no exception. What a perfect opportunity to stop and remember the gift of a Father, the blessing of a Daddy...what better way to truly see the reflection of our Heavenly Father than to experience His love in a family where we can know acceptance, grace, compassion, forgiveness, and understanding firsthand?

There is nothing sweeter than to ‘overhear’ stories being read with silly voices and bedtime prayers that follow, to watch life experiences being shared and lessons being taught, to witness wrestling matches and tickle fights, to be in an environment overrun by giggles and swallowed up in hugs. There is no greater joy than watching the love of my life fall head over heels in love with his sweet princesses and form deliberate and unbreakable bonds with his young men. Nothing melts a Momma’s heart like seeing sweet little hands held safe in a Father’s strong grip, like knowing the adoration in her precious children’s eyes as they look up at their hero, at her hero, their Daddy.

Happy Father’s Day.

371. A Heavenly Father who allows us to see glimpses of His great love every day in such a great variety of ways.

372. An earthly Father who loves and cares for me and my family.

373. A partner who is as imperfect as myself and yet embodies forgiveness and desires to grow with me into the spouses and parents God created us to be.

374. An incredible man who is never afraid to have fun with his children, to be himself, and to put his family first every day of his life.

375. A day to stop and remind ourselves of the countless ways we are blessed by the amazing people in our lives.

A Question to Answer

Blog has been silent for a while after succumbing to this family's crazy summer schedule. Ball games and late summer nights have left little time for this brain to process life's details, and a question is stirring within that the mind just can't shake.

Is it worth it?

Writing is therapeutic for this soul, but it takes time, and shouldn’t any free time be invested in my husband and children? They are without a doubt my greatest treasures, but in order to blog, time must be taken from one or the other. So...is it worth it?

Blogging began after a stirring within to slow down and take note of the little things in life, the blessings that get missed when life goes by too fast. Reading an amazing book (one that has yet to be finished because it’s that good) brought realization that taking note of gratitude, stopping to count blessings, produces incredible joy within. Joy has definitely been experienced in recent months, along with an amazing sense of peace that cannot be expressed with words. So it is true that gratitude produces both joy and peace, as is promised by our Creator.

And yet the question remains - if blogging is not a part of daily life, is growth still taking place? Writing every day was meant to create a habit, a consistent practice of noticing God’s goodness all around me, picking up on things that had been missed before. Has the goal been met, or is it a lifelong process that needs constant nurturing?

The soul concludes that counting blessings is not a goal to be met, but rather a continual exploration of the depth of the love of a Father who provides such a great variety of gifts for His children to discover throughout their life on this Earth.

Going deeper in relationships requires time, and if there is true value to be found in a growing relationship with Christ, if it brings positive change to the quality of this life for both myself and my family, then blogging should continue.

So, being such a creature of habit, a decision must be made. How often do thoughts need to be recorded in order for growth to continue? In truth, there is enough going on in this mind to keep the fingers typing for several hours a day. This is clearly too much, and a balance must be found - for me, a boundary must be created in order to protect the valuable time for cultivating the other relationships in my life - the tangible blessings that are being counted every day.

For now, it is certain that the amount of time since my last blog was too long. It is evident that joy is not running as deep within as it used to; peace is in shorter supply these past few weeks. Recording thoughts of gratitude is a necessity, and one that will definitely be continued for the benefit of myself and my family.

And so the list goes on...

361. 14 years of marriage to an amazing husband - a perfect partner for me even when life is far from perfect.

362. A lazy and beautiful summer evening together to celebrate.

363. A ‘Hole in One’ in mini golf! (Never mind the fact that my incredible husband got TWO of them!)

364. Witnessing a husband’s growth as he continues to share the Word with the elementary students of our church during the weekend services.

365. Praying with children whose hearts are stirred by God’s truth.

366. Leading children in worship and listening to their sweet voices sing praise to God without reservation.

367. Hearing my own children break out in songs of praise at home or in the car.

368. Studying the book of Daniel as a family and making new discoveries together.

369. The unfolding of my sweet daughter’s prayer life.

370. The trust of my oldest child in sharing the intimate details of her incredible experience at camp - and the fact that she wanted to tell Mom first.

A True 'Gift of God'

Nothing overly deep or spiritual to share tonight, just wanting and hoping to continue this journey of journaling, needing to record gratitude, ensuring that precious blessings are not forgotten.

Today gifted this tired Momma with the sweet treasure of an unexpectedly pleasant attitude. This from a son who often battles with anger, disrespect, and deceit - totally catching me off guard.

Numerous conflicts with younger children in the morning hours gave way to the realization that the oldest son was strangely calm. Even helpful. Help turned to encouragement and blossomed into pleasant conversation apart from conflict - exactly what has been the desire of this heart for so long, to enjoy time with my son without fear of when the fuse will blow, when the switch will flip.

Great joy abounds after witnessing such a blessed event, and words of thanks have been spoken, both to my son and to the One who is most certainly helping him find victory over these challenges that he has faced for many years. These lips have uttered many a prayer for him, most often simply asking for God to keep tugging at his heart - to help my son see what God sees, the treasure that He has created.

Today was a stepping stone, a glimmer of hope that anger will NOT win out in my son's life, that he will truly see the goodness around him and that he really can allow the possibilities within him to become realities as he furthers His relationship with His Creator.

Reality reminds that every day will not be as positive, but there is still such incredible joy as hope is revived and worry is diminished.

And thanks is given for the unwrapping of a gift given nearly 11 years ago.

351. Watching him get lost in a book and share excitement about his journey through the story.

352. Listening to him dream as he explores the drum section of our local music store.

353. His expressions of thanks to Mom for purchasing a music book that was 'perfect' for him.

354. Seeing him drop everything to chase his sister's windswept balloon across the parking lot.

355. Hearing a stranger compliment him on being a great big brother during said balloon chase.

356. Truly agreeing with said stranger.

357. Accepting his persistent request to push the grocery cart and watching with pride as he maneuvers the increasing weight without complaint.

358. Numerous moments of simple compliance with first requests.

359. Sharing in his excitement at the unexpected discovery of money between the pages of a library book when he is working to pay off a debt.

360. Mothering a maturing young man who is, as his name reminds, a gift from God.