I have not posted on “Multitude Mondays” in a multitude of Mondays, but I’m back and thankful to be here. Life is good but life is busy. I promise I’ve been counting all along the way…and really can affirm that this counting grace gifts has become a habit. A good habit. A way to bring perspective to my day, even to my “situation.” Blessed.
130. I had a great checkup from my new young doctor, “Dr. Young.” I told him I wanted a young doc to get me to my senior years and his name was a plus! 🙂
131. Celebrating my youngest sister’s birthday April 8th. Peggy Jo was born on Good Friday back in 1966 when I was 8 years old…she’s a sweetheart.
132. Having all the pastors and their wives over to our home for a meal and sweet fellowship a couple of weekends ago…priceless, theraputic, and just plain FUN!
133. Celebrating my Dad’s 77th birthday on April 29th. “Captain Tom” is a Vietnam War Veteran, a retired Career Marine and one of the finest men I know. I love you Dad.
134. Surprising my sweet Mother-in-law with a visit! She was so excited and apologized for not having her “face fixed.” (Meaning no makeup…she is 88 years old – I love that!)
135. I have finished my quilt top! My bff Lanie and I are taking a quilting class on Tuesday evenings. We have so enjoyed our class, but the fellowship in the car during our commute to and from the quilt shop is an added bonus (we drive for over an hour to our class site). There’s nothing like good conversation with a trusted friend. We always get Starbucks on the way home!
136. On Easter Sunday our choir did the most beautiful music and at the end of the song, a HUGE banner was unfurled…it simply said JESUS. I got to “pull the cord” to unfurl it from the choirloft…it was WAY overhead…very high. I have never been so excited in my life as I anticipated letting it go at just the right time…and I am thankful to say it was right on time!
137. Purple Martin birds coming to live in the big birdhouses we have up for them! They are migratory and they found us! 🙂
138. Speaking of birds…the hummingbirds are back…I so love them!
138. Speaking of birds…the hummingbirds are back…I so love them!
139. A great harvest of snow peas from my garden – delicious.
140. Beautiful tomato plants in the garden now…pictures soon!
141. This visitor on my patio the night before Easter…I am serious.
142. This is my youngest grandson, Jackson. He loves being outside and this picture has brought me a multitude of smiles…that is his momma, my sweet daughter-in-law Erin holding the hose for him.
143. A letter from my Compassion son, Iduar. He was thanking me for his birthday money. He bought tennis shoes. Remember the perspective I told you that this counting grace gifts brings? A little boy that lives in Colombia bought tennis shoes and he was so grateful. Speak LORD.
144. Coffee on the front porch with my grandson Zeke. It was a cool morning and we had our “blankies” and our coffee. I love when he spends the night with me and Pop!
145. Beautiful roses in my garden. My favorite of all is “Mr. Lincoln.” Smells divine.
146. The joy of praying for my dear friend in the fellowship of pastor’s wives, Lisa McKay, who weathered a tornado in the crawl space of her new home with her husband and four children. They are well and are ministering to their community in northeast Alabama. Go here to keep up with her. She is a treasure.
147. The joy of babysitting my little grandgirl recently, Miss Madie Ruth. She will be ONE YEAR OLD tomorrow and we had her birthday party this past Friday evening with a big family BBQ planned by my son and his wife…her parents. The weather was perfect and it was so much fun to be together to celebrate her life!
148. Rocks! Yes, rocks! Rocks to line my flowerbeds. Nice big beautiful rocks from “the Stone Mart” in town. They are beautiful and I plan to do a post soon about my garden because it is a work in progress and it is my happy place.
149. My husband and I took Dr. Robert Smith of Beeson Divinity School (Birmingham, AL – Samford University) and his wife Dr. Wanda Smith out to lunch last Sunday. It was pure JOY to sit with them and receive the wisdom they spoke into our lives. We are on “this side” of a rough season in ministry, but God is faithfully teaching us, and we are receiving all He has for us.
150. We have blueberries on our farm and the earliest varieties are bearing now. They are HUGE (that is a quarter next to the blueberry I picked this evening). I had the best time teaching Zeke which ones to pick! He kept saying, “don’t pick the green ones Gran Jan…they will hurt your belly.” 🙂
151. Celebrating Mother’s Day this past weekend with my boys and sweet daughters-in-law and grandblessings and then having my Mom and sister and her family for Sunday dinner yesterday. Besides knowing JESUS, being a Mom & Gran Jan has brought me more JOY than anything I’ve ever done!
152. The joy of singing a solo in church yesterday with the most wonderful choir in the universe! The song is “Saving Grace.” The second verse always *blesses* me so:
In this life before me, there are trials I must face.
But God has given all I need to finish out this race.
So when the earth’s foundations crumble,
there is refuge in His Hand,
and I will rest in this assurance,
that by His grace alone I’ll stand…
Yes indeed, by His grace alone I’ll stand!
For ALL is GRACE – to Him alone be ALL glory!
i just love these, jan and i love you. miss madie ruth looks like her gran a bit. oh, those blueberries….they would make such divine jam.
blessings to you, my friend. we need to have a chat about december soon. i know it is a long way off but i like to begin planning and praying early.