History Comes to Life

Months of studying the early Renaissance has brought us to Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarotti. Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever finish. But then we have days like Thursday and Friday of this week, when my children's enthusiasm for the subject matter spills over, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Reading about all the sculptures and art led to this:

Why do I so often let the opportunity for times like this pass by? I'm thankful that this time I didn't.

One Thousand Gifts - 1079 - 1129

This exercise, this sacrifice of thanks, this daily offering back to Him what He has given so abundantly to me. Would you give thanks? With  me? (And if you get far enough, you'll even find photos this time!)

Three hard Eucharisteos:

   1079. Not having someone to cry out to - it pushes me to You...eventually.

   1080.Having my weaknesses right in my face to see every moment - it shows me my need for Your strength.

   1081. Loneliness - makes me value fellowship, community, moments.

1082. The Respect Dare.

1083. Oh, those sad, sad eyes.

Gifts behind a door:

   1084. No more loose Lego on the floor. (for now, anyway).

   1085. Outdoors, a big world, people to interact with.

1086. Gift time - unexpectedly available for other things.

1087. Tight squeezes.

1088. Regret over selfish words and actions.

1089. Hydro off.

1090. Hydro back on.

1091. Family games at the table.

1092. Cookie cutter sandwiches and homemade iced mochas brought to our room for lunch.

1093. Long conversations.

1094. Girls at La Roca.

1095. Boy on the end of the bed.

1096. Books shared by all.

1097. Shopping for a treat.

1098. Math on the stairs.

 

1099. Verses remembered.

1100. Delicious meal prepared by my Dear Man.

1101. Returning energy.

1102. Full day; peace-full day.

1103. Putting on patience and compassion and meekness.

1104. Giggles where there haven't been any.

1105. My (not-)full length mirror.

1106. Consistency and slow progress.

1107. Thunder, heavy house-shaking thunder that drives children to our bed.

1108. "Tina".

1109. Thanks.

1110. Drawer handles.

1111. A new shutterbug.

1112. Making a list together: passed 100 today!

1113. Friendships.

1114. Night sky.

1115. Help with the schedule.

1116. Mistakes that show I'm trying more things.

1117. Nothing is impossible for God.

Three white gifts:

   1118. Sheets: fresh and clean off the line.

   1119. A new notebook's pages inviting words.

   1120. Cabinet and drawer fronts in place.

Three things changed:

   1121. Fresh Start corner.

   1122. Visual reminders to pray.

   1123. My attitude toward a loved one.

1124. Whitened fingers.

1125. Calculations.

1126. Redirected thoughts.

1127. Resources from NA that meet needs here.

1128. So many people helping me sort out Sensory Processing Disorder.

1129. Hug-wrapped tears.

: :

Counting

Safely tucked away in January. If you have the desire to catch up with me, I welcome you to read on:

1030. Sleeping through the storm.

1031. Reminders to focus.

1032. Rabbit sheltered dry.

Three things blue:

  1033. Little man engulfed in my jacket checking on Cinnamon.

  1034. My favourite pen, almost out of ink...holding on!

  1035. Blue sky after grey.

1036. Return of loved ones.

1037. 2 Corinthians 3:17, 18: The glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror.

1038. Transformation into this same glory.

1039. Encouragement: 2 Corinthians 4:1 "Therefore since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart."

1040. A ride to the medical office for tetanus shot.

Three things found:

   1041. Clearer perspective.

   1042. My nephew's face reflected in my son's: some terrific genetic hide-and-seek going on!

   1043. Time uninterrupted to review a first assignment before submission.

1044. Pinecones to work as firestarters next winter: 2 bags full!

1045. Celebration of a 2-year old regenerated heart: Brown-Eyed Boy's heart birthday today!

1046. Your presence in the pain my friends are suffering.

1047. Longing.

Gifts before 9, before noon, and after dark:

   1048. 2 kg lost.

   1049. Oral narrations spilling from Little Man.

   1050. Info on Sensory Processing Disorder, unrequested, but much needed, in my inbox.

1051. Tears with My Girl. Tears for My Girl.

1052. Time with just one child.

1053. Time to write a long overdue letter.

1054. Progress with Club Bilingue preparation.

1055. Some concerns I carry were expressed.

1056. Re-matches!

1057. Fresh peaches, apples, plums - waiting to be eaten, waiting to be transformed into crisp.

1058. For immersion in Your Word.

Good moments:

   1059. Brothers playing Sorry before lunch.

   1060. Scrambling to set the noon-meal on the patio table in order to not have to end the game early.

   1061. Planning a scavenger hunt complete with map.

   1062. One scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Three gifts that might have never been:

   1063. My sons, in the years-long aftermath of post-partum depression, these boys, these treasures, these gifts we thought we'd never have.

   1064. A conversation long-awaited.

   1065. An interruption-conversation. It wasn't on my to-do list for today, but it brought out two hearts closer.

1066. Epic movie enjoyed as a family. Who knew history could be so fun? (Actually, WE did, but funny, I've never posted about it!)

1067. Every moment with the Ones I Love, even though I don't always like those moments at the time. 

1068. Two hours of letter writing.

1069. Family day away.

1070. "Someone has a birthday soon." "Who?" (This question from the one who's been counting down for more than 90 days!)

Three gifts from my friends:

   1071. God revealing His abundant love through them.

   1072. Hope in pain.

   1073. Staying connected despite distance of time and space.

1074. Sea glass that isn't.

1075. Breathing test that appears normal.

1076. Dreams of birthdays to come.

1077. Lavish love.

1078. Abundant blessing.

 : :

Lavish Love

Reflecting on the Lord's lavish love, His abundant, overflowing love. I sit, amazed at the immensity of generosity, and the tears begin to puddle in my eyes and make their way down my cheeks.  

These tears – what are they for? I hide myself to talk with the Lord, and He shows me this:

He doesn't just want to give a token to show His love. He wants to pour it out in abundance. He wants to bless us, to shower His goodness on us. He wants us to know that He cares about the hard parts and, rather than take them away, He shows His love in the midst of them. He wants us to know that we are not forgotten and alone. Sometimes He simply wants to smother us in love.

And He wants to use the Church to do it - the Body of Christ, privileged to participate in His wild generosity. 

But even more than all that, He shows me this: It wasn't about me or us or anything we do. It was all about Him, about giving me a clearer picture of the God who is bigger and fuller and more than anything I have yet understood. It was all about Him.

It's all about Him.

: :  

All this, from December's days, from the deep reflecting I've been doing after experiencing overwhelming generosity, and from trying to find words to express to the givers the way the Giver worked through them.

Two Days

They've backed out of the driveway, leaving a hole in my heart. Two days is all these two will be gone, but when they're ones buried deep in the heart, days might as well be weeks.

We've made the preparations: food in the fridge for us, in the cooler for them. They have the phone, we have Skype. All they'll need for the next two days really isn't much, not in a physical sense. But do they have all they need in their hearts? Do we? Do they know how much love is traveling with them? Do they know how many prayers are going up as they drive? There's no end to the wanderings of my thoughts as I follow them through images in my mind.

Two days. I can last two days.

: :

1021. One more morning together.
1022. Plans; imperfect, incomplete plans.
1023. Arms enfolding me.
1024. A break in the heat.
1025. Brown Eyed Boy's emerging sense of humor.
1026. Skirt from my sister, sent from 10,000 km away.
1027. Matching t-shirts.
1028. Black-out curtains.
1029. Shared embraces.

Gifts Like These

Gifts like these deserve to be remembered, shared, and most of all recognized. Thanks to the Giver for:

994. Insight to diffuse situations.

995. Time to catch up.

996. Truth pointed out in so many places.

997. You are not a God separate from Your creation.

998. I cannot consume You, cannot make there be less of You available for others.

999. In my bag: spoken words rediscovered.

1000. In my fridge: food for 20 ready to serve.

1001. In my heart: availability for interruptions.

1002. Reading: The Word

1003. Making: slow progress in respect, but still progress.

1004. Seeing: breakfast left on a boy's cheeks.

1005. Time given for transformation

1006. Arms around my neck.

1007. Kind words from 10,000 km away.

1008. Help with phone calls.

1009. Morning light and bird songs.

1010. "I look like you."

1011. Darkness falling as three sit, feet in the pool, heads bowed in prayer.

1012. Twenty-seven (or more?) years of written prayers, a corral for my thoughts.

1013. A little girl at a gate - more (not new really, but new to us) neighbours to meet.

1014. Sweaty boy-body, unable to sleep, sitting next to me looking at photos of Munich's Glockenspiel.

1015. Community-revealed truths.

1016. You tie everything together.

1017. Leftover smoothies turned to slushies.

1018. ONE cool room in the house.

1019. Time taken for reconciliation.

1020. The first things on the page: Praise and Thanksgiving.

: :

 

(I know this says 'Mondays', but I do mine whenever...)

993 Gifts

Days, months, years of counting gifts. Posting? Doesn't always happen. But it's time to recommence with a public daily, weekly, monthly thanksgiving to the Giver.

I look back to see when my last count was shared. April. April? Could it be? Eight months of keeping my gratitude to myself? When He has given so much?

So I begin with some catch up gifts, pulling out completed journal, reliving past gifts. This recap is more for me than for anyone else, and I have no airy notion that anyone is going to read all this!

619. A stopped tongue.
633. My Girl smiling.
639. Pulling together to do hard things.
655. Story time, just me and my Brown Eyed Boy.

Going through the days long gone, I rediscover this episode.

Having spent a morning schooling and an afternoon exploring a museum, a light house, and more, we knew the children were going to have a difficult long drive home. I challenged them to think of 20 gifts from the day before we reached El Refugio, and they came through with 23! Here are the gifts we found together, followed by my own from other parts of that same day:

664. A day out.
665. Sand.
666. Going fast over the wavy bridge.
667. Squeals of delight.
668. Time with friends.
669. Little Ellie.
670. Climbing on rocks.

671. Shells that look like ART.
672. Hot dogs.
673. A car.
674. Sunny day.

675. Skeletons.
676. Time together.
677. Spontaneity.
678. Thankful children.
679. Bathrooms close by.

680. Lighthouse.

681. Big waves.

682. Sunset.










683. Sand ridge.
684.Warm sweaters.
685. Fun.

and my additions:

686. Five on the couch with bowls of ice cream.
687. Boys in pajamas.










688. Clay nests drawn in notebooks.
689. A walk outside.
690. School in different guise.

691. Impromptu walk on the beach.

692. Glow-in-the-dark teeth.











693. Burning muscles.
694. Twenty (20!!!) gifts easily named, redirecting weary bodies and hearts.
695. Kiss on my elbow.

And now back to selected gifts...

705. Little tooth lost.
747. Every day with My Girl; that's more than 5000 gifts right there! (on the eve. of her 15th birthday)
756. Little hands scrubbing floors. "I need my cloth refreshed."
764. Love that oozes out through hands and fingers.
776. Chocolate letter M's, five of them!
793. Truth.
806. Curious George ears on swim-capped boys.
808. You, Jesus, are my Deliverer.
820. You make Yourself known to me.
826. Laughter in the house.
829. From writhing, wimpering, and moaning in pain to completely pain free in minutes for my Brown Eyed Boy.
841. Tears that are permitted.
867. You don't leave me to my own forgetfulness.
928. Tears don't last forever.
971. A wee boy who doesn't just climb into my bed but right on top of me!
992. Different ideas about ministry.
993. Unity even when we disagree.

And that brings us to yesterday.
Tomorrow a new day. A new challenge. A resurgence of  hope and joy and thankfulness!