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Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 280: Today, I am grateful for more.

We spent time in the brief letter of Jude today. It is the last little book before Revelation. It is short.  It is packed full. It is from Jude (Judas) the brother of Jesus which makes it even more interesting. 

Jude offers clarity and warnings. I might have to spend the week re-reading it. One of the first things to jump out at me this morning in The Word was the word "more." 

Our society is addicted to "more." It is in the magazines and tabloids all of the time. Wealth never satisfies. It only seeds the desire for "more." Solomon in his wisdom begins by pointing out in Ecclesiastes 1 that all of this "stuff" we accumulate is meaningless. It is relationships that give life meaning. Not stuff. 

As we witness the desperation of those suffering from Hurricane Helene, we are equally reminded that the simple necessities that sustain life are just that... necessities. Water, food, and relationships are necessary for life. All three. They are simple but they are what really matter. They make a life. They sustain life. 

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy. Bethlehem means "House of Bread" and Jesus is called the "Bread of Life" (John 6:35,51). He is the "Living Water," too (John 7:37-38). 

Jude's letter is clear in his directions to those who seek to follow Jesus. 

"May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love." Jude 1:2

More and more... ever building the warehouse up. 

"More mercy." Toward each other as Christ demonstrated even when paying the price for our sins. 

"More peace." Peace is better than war. Make peace whenever possible. 

"More love." Love is a noun and a verb. Walk in love. Be examples of mercy and peace in fulfillment of the instruction to love our neighbors as ourselves... all of them. 

Today, I am grateful for more.

Amber Waves of Grain

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 279: Today, I am grateful for the amber waves of grain. 

It was a great day to head back home to the farm for an afternoon in the combine. I must say, "buddy seats" have come a long way since I was little. It was a quick trip over and back, but so worth it. 

There is something about harvest that is absolutely captivating. Spring is a time for hope. Harvest is a season for celebrating the blessing of another year and another crop. The sights, the sounds, the smells, and so much more. Time flew by so quickly. 

“When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands." -Deuteronomy 24:19

We do not take the blessings of the dirt for granted. 

Today, I am grateful for the amber waves of grain. 

Mornings, Miracles, and Second Chances

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 278: Today, I am grateful for mornings, miracles and second chances. 

Rise like the sun and give thanks for mornings, miracles, and second chances." -Mary Davis  

I love this quote and the warm colors in the art. I do love mornings. Lazy ones are my favorite, but even on the regular days I recognize the gift of a new day. Miracles and second chances abound. The ordinary is extraordinary.

This morning, my shower was hot. The internet made the morning news accessible. The power went on at the flick of a switch. My morning beverage was hot and comforting. Tomorrow will most likely be a repeat of today. It is quite humbling in light of the current situation on the East coast. Our lives can change in an instant. 

As we see and hear the stories of the communities and families impacted by Hurricane Helene, the nation is brought to its knees. From sea to shining sea, communities are praying and acting. Communities and churches are sending resources and manpower. We can pray for the first responders, National Guardsmen, and others who have the skills and feel the call to go. 

This was my verse of the day:

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring." -Proverbs 27:1

My "Earworm" has taken to singing an old hymn I have not heard in years. How many songs do we have tucked away in our memories that pop up at just the right time? 

"Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; Weep over the erring one, lift up the fallen, tell them of the Lord, the mighty to save." 

As a nation already in crisis, this natural disaster reminds us to keep our eyes focused on the one who provides. He sees us in our trials. He doe not abandon His children. 

Today, I am grateful for mornings, miracles and second chances. 

Old Photographs

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 277: Today, I am grateful for old photographs.

This photo goes back to 2007. How time flies... and drags on all at the same time. Today, My heart is with Timm and family as it marks a year that DeAnn breathed her first breath of Heaven.

I've been looking through her 40th birthday celebration. Timm sent Jill, Kim, DeAnn, and me to Schaumburg for the weekend. He totally surprised her. And sent us armed with gift cards to eat at her favorite places. It was my first Portillo's trip. 

We did the "Mission Impossible" theme and she was truly surprised. Timm rocked it!

We were silly and the laughter never stopped. We acted like girls. These pictures bring back the memories like they were yesterday. Old photographs do that. It makes me understand why painting portraits was so important to people before the invention of the camera and photography. The people we love... the ones woven into the fabric of our lives... can be gone in God's timing... but our hearts are never ready. 

Going through old photographs, I was reminded of the length, depth, and breadth of our friendships. She was one of my first new friends when Chase started Kindergarten in 1996. I was pregnant with Walker. 27 years of PTO, Picture Person Art Adventures, scrapbooking, birthdays, weddings, funerals, her grandbabies, Wednesday night chatting after church, loving Jesus, New Year's Eve shenanigans, savoring her caramels, and watching our children grow into adulthood. What a journey. What a friendship. I am grateful for the photographs. 

Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times." 

She did. We did, too. Love never dies or is replaced, it just lives in a different space. 

Today, I am grateful for old photographs and sweet memories.

A Quiet Life

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 276: Today, I am grateful for a quiet life.

When I think about it, I lead a fairly quiet life. I have plenty to do every day. I do not remember the last time I felt bored. My life is filled with ordinary tasks repeated often. Routines provide us with comfort. Favorite places and spaces feel like "home." A quiet life is a good thing. 

"Give me a quiet life. One where I can hear the trees rustling in the wind, raindrops on the windows, pages of a book being turned, coffee being brewed, and the heartbeats of the ones I love."  

Let us find joy and contentment in the ordinary. In a blink, things can change. 

My heart aches for the families in the southeast part of our nation who are suffering from the effects and aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Nature can turn fierce and destroy lives. Homes, roads, bridges, and businesses can be gone in the blink of an eye. Lives can be lost just that quickly, too. The death toll is rising. 

The stories where there is distress, but no rescue is available are the hardest to watch and hear. I thank God for the first responders, volunteers, and military men and women stepping up and stepping in to fill in the gaps. Sometimes, waiting is the only option. Sometimes, there is no easy answer or quick fix. 

Today's gratitude is not meant to be flippant or dismissive in light of the devastation and suffering happening a day's drive away. It is exactly the opposite. In light of how quickly life can change, I want to be sure to pause and recognize the simple beauty in our ordinary days.  

We can pray for those in the thick of the rescues and recovery. We can pray for the families of the missing or known dead. We can pray for the  brokenhearted to be comforted and for simple things like fresh water to be restored. 

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." -James 1:27

Today, as we contemplate the blessing of a quiet life, look for places to reach out and help. 

Heartsong

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 275: Today, I am grateful for my heart song.

"I've realized the most important luxuries in my life are family, slow mornings, home-cooked meals, evening conversations, being in nature, and expressing myself through creativity." 

When I read this quote, it struck me that it could be summed up in fewer words. I rarely opt for fewer words, but this is "my heart song." It is the things that matter. The ones that strike a chord deep inside of us. 

A long time ago I heard another quote, "A friend knows the song in your heart and sings it back to you when you forget." 

What are the things that make our souls sing? Find them and exercise them. Practice them daily. Now that the boys are men, I miss evening dinners around the table we shared when they were still under our roof. Those days were exhausting at times, but precious. Anytime we gather around a table to share, it feels like something special. 

In the autumn of the year, many hearts turn to thanksgiving. Making gratitude a daily practice is good for our souls all year long. Time spent being intentionally grateful is never wasted. 

"I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;  before the gods I sing your praise;" -Psalm 138:1

Today, I am grateful for my heart song.

Meet the Needs With Beauty

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 274: Today, I am grateful we can meet the needs of our beloveds with beauty.

"Today when you nurture, love, and meet the needs of  your beloveds with beauty, it will make a different in how they face their whole day." - Sally Clarkson

Who are our beloveds? That is a question we must each one answer for ourselves. My thoughts go quickly to the ones who make my heart beat. My family, my friends who are like family, and the precious souls God has placed in my path for daily relationships, even if it is only for a season. 

Years ago my dear friend, Kim, introduced Jill and I to a group of ladies where we were the "youngs" and they were the "olds." They named the group, not us! We were in our 30's and 40s' when they were in their 70's and 80's. We ended up going to lunch together for a precious season. They made us feel young and beloved. Judy and Mercedes were something else! They were vibrant women fully into their senior years. They both appreciated the finer things and things of beauty. We delighted in their company. 

Mercedes had a rule. She was not a snob, but she only dined in places that set a table with cloth napkins. Thinking of it now, I wonder if any establishments continue the practice. We dined together at The Creve Coeur Club one time and another at an inexpensive family restaurant. It wasn't about the cost of the meal. It was about the cloth napkin requirement. The cloth napkin was recognized by Mercedes as going the extra mile in hospitality. 

My Sister-in-Love Jennifer and Cousin Angie have me hooked on vintage handkerchiefs. They are an inexpensive, but fun find at the Third Sunday Market in Bloomington. Like the cloth napkins, they seem special. They are perfect for happy tears at a wedding and sad ones at a funeral. They "do the work" with beauty.  (I do prefer modern disposable tissue when there is illness present.) 

Many years ago, my friend Cindy gave me a long handled bamboo spoon. It was before bamboo spoons became popular. Cindy knew I loved making soups and it was the perfect spoon for the job. I use that spoon almost daily and think of her often. It has a simple design that is practical and beautiful. 

"Let all that you do be done in love."  -1 Corinthians 16:14

Everything. Nurture not just with love, but with beauty. Go the extra mile when you can. Sprinkle the glitter. 

Today, I am grateful we can meet the needs of our beloveds with beauty.