1,000 GIFTS, #786 to #799

It has been a wonderful long 3-day weekend filled with time at home, time in worship, time with family, and time with friends.  Those gifts are all wrapped up in my list this evening...

786. Three-day weekends with Monday's off. Grateful.

787. Celebrating my oldest son's birthday. He's a fun-loving, passionate preacher - but he was sweet enough to wear this "chick-fil-a hat" for his children. My husband and I met Jeremy and his family for lunch on his birthday last Wednesday - August 29th.  Fun times.

788. Counting one of my life's greatest JOYS and blessings, being a mom. I've been one for 31 years now...and I'm grateful for my two boys, two daughters-in-law, and precious grandchildren.  I love being a mother.

789.  And I LOVE being a grandmother too, this is my oldest boy's boy. When he came running to me at Chick-fil-a last week and gave me that big hug I thought my heart would burst open. God's grace.

790. Getting ready for my fall garden planting this morning, and I found this praying mantis on my lemon thyme...he really struck a prayerful pose for me, now didn't he?

791. Homemade tomato pie - my husband loved it and it blesses me to cook for my happy hearty eating family.



792. I've spent a lot of time in my sewing room this weekend and made four "burp cloths" for my little Emery...September is her birth month!  Can't wait to meet her. Won't be long now.

793. As my husband, youngest son and youngest grandson were leaving church Sunday, they were playing the "one two three jump" game and I grabbed my iPhone and snapped this picture...THREE GENERATIONS leaving church together. Thank you LORD.



794. Ann Voskamp - who is the inspiration behind 1,000 Gifts, retweeted a tweet of mine last week and it just made my heart happy. She wrote a beautiful post on marriage...you can go read it here.

795. I love fall the best of all and I'm making a cute little fall jumper for Miss Madie Ruth...complete with a fall scarecrow. This applique was 25 steps and I had a lot of fun picking out the colors and fabric scraps to design it. 

796. A little hummingbird flew into our garage and I was able to hold her while she caught her breath - then she zoomed away...and I caught my breath. I loved that.

797. Sending a quart jar of pickled okra to my mother-in-law because I know she loves it and making it for her brought me a special joy.  She's been such a good role model for me all these 35 years I've been married to her baby boy. 

798. Breakfast is my husband's favorite meal of the day. We enjoyed good conversation this morning over delicious jalepeno cheddar sausage made at a local shop called M & T Meats.

799. My daughter-in-law Erin is great with child and we are counting the days to Emery's birth later this month.  She and Jonathan have prepared the most beautiful room for this baby girl...I am so thankful for my boys and their wives - they are great parents and it brings me such JOY to know my grandchildren are being raised up in love and being taught the ways of Christ.

My grace gifts lists have a common theme - faith - family - friends. I am thankful for the joys of simple living and counting these gifts makes me realize even more that my JOYS are those simple treasures of daily living. I am very thankful and counting my blessings makes me even more aware of how blessed I am.  It's a good discipline and it will keep your mind and heart focused on what really matters...faith - family - friends.

God is Good,

JAN 

1,000 GIFTS, #711 to #728

Was it only just last week I was so excited about a week off to slow down? Well...my heart is FULL to overflowing from the JOYS of last week's slower pace. We enjoyed a simple staycation, a stay-at-home vacation, a concept I highly recommend...so restful for both body and soul.

711. So thankful for a wonderful service of patriotic music and powerful preaching at my church. I'm thankful to be an American citizen. Even with all the issues in our land today, there is still no place I would rather live as I sojourn this Earth...I'm praying for our country in this election year. (Daniel 2:20-23)

712. My friend Lanie and I had a "sew-in" last Friday. She brought her machine and several projects over and we also made dresses for our granddaughters. We laughed like only friends of many years friends can do. It was a day of JOY and soul therapy too...bonding and sewing and quilting.

713. Thankful to God for granddaughters. Lanie and I both raised sons, and now she has two granddaughters. I have one granddaughter and one on the way...God's wonderful gracious grace. Here are the dresses we made on Friday...complete with monograms.

714. And here is my sweet girl in her dress...my daughter-in-law Carrie sent me this picture just this morning...touched my heart.

715. A trip to the Farmers Market with my daughter-in-law Erin for fresh vegetables to "put up" as we Southern women call that process. We blanched butter beans, zipper peas, and crowder peas for our freezers. Hard but fulfilling work. I loved spending the day with her and one of the reasons is because...

716.  ...she left Jackson with us to spend the night and we had such a wonderful time with him. He is our youngest grandson, reminds us so much of his daddy at that age.

717. Here he is on the front porch with Pop, watching down the road for his mommy and daddy to come...

718. Can you see why he reminds us of his daddy at that age? Herein is proof...

719. Time with my parents without the rush of a work schedule...we spent a day going to the local peach packing sheds and enjoyed fresh peach ice cream too.  I love my parents. Did you know the first commandment with a promise in God's Word is found in Exodus 20:12?  Honor your father and mother...


720. Garden time. Enough said.

721. An entire day spent with my husband...shopping, eating out, uninterrupted conversation, reconnecting. So sweet and so important for good marriages.

722. Praying daily for a missions team from my church in Ukraine. I love these folks - every one of them. They are gathered here on their way to the airport in the wee hours of the morning last Friday. They are awesome people on mission for Jesus. As our Pastor, Dr. Perdue says, his desire is that the sun will never set on the ministry of our church as we serve globally. We also have students in South Africa as well as down the street from our church this week, serving in a trailer park conducting Backyard Bible Clubs. I LOVE MY CHURCH FAMILY...

723. Celebrating the JOY of my spiritual birthday - July 7th. Reflecting on the day the Savior reached down for me...I.HAVE.NEVER.BEEN.THE.SAME. Half my life I have known Him. And Hallelujah, He's known me since before there was a me. (Psalm 139:16)

724. I know I often mention my fondness for sewing and embroidery, but I am especially happy to share these "crab shirts" I made at the request of my daughter-in-law Carrie for my grandchildren and some of their friends for a beach vacation. I loved doing this for them. I asked my daughters-in-law to save all the shirts I am making for the grandchildren because I think it would be fun to make a quilt out of them all one day...can we say Memory Lane?

725. Be still my heart. My little yet-to-be-born granddaughter's first of many monogrammed gifts from Gran Jan. TIny little Emery, we are praying for your arrival to the family in September. Can't wait to meet you...

726. The JOY of a rare opportunity to attend our son's church and hear him preach yesterday morning - a message from the fifth chapter of Mark where Jesus delivers the man possessed by demons. Jeremy made a strong, clear biblical application and this momma's heart was deeply moved and thankful.

727. My daughter-in-law Carrie's pot roast dinner on Sunday. Family around the table is one of God's sweetest gifts in my life.  

728. One of my favorite delights from last week is this picture I took of an old fireplace out in the middle of the country. My dad stopped to let me get the picture (that in itself is a gift too). I can't help but wonder about the family that lived here long ago and the hands that built that fireplace.

What am I building that will stand the test of time? Am I investing in the lives of others for eternity and for Christ's Kingdom?  God help me to see past the busyness of daily living that can so easily distract me from my true purpose here...

Jan

1,000 GIFTS, #615 to #638

Multitudes on Mondays (and knowing that His Grace abounds every other day too). Just keep counting...just keep counting...just keep counting...

615. Mercy - His Mercy. Mercy that triumphs...still relishing the Bible study on James

616. Granddaughters...turning two. TWO years of Madie - of JOY. A Gift from His Hand.

617.  Grandsons...turning two. TWO years of Jackson - of JOY. A Gift from His Hand.

618. Praying and believing God for a special word and then when my Pastor gets up to preach and reminds us that "the Power is in the Word," and then being blessed as God delivers that special word to my heart.

619. Anticipation...

620. Delight...



621. My oldest son and his children, (my two oldest grandchildren) came and stayed with us for a week while my daughter-in-law was out of the country visting her sister who is a missionary. He shared at church that Sunday that "you always need your mom."  It was Mother's Day and I was blessed by that.

622. Getting to hear my son preach the Word. I can't adequately convey what that does to my heart. It stirs me up and I'm thankful for the grace that abounds in our lives.

623. Especially thankful for my mom and my two sisters who are also moms...

624. Picking blueberries and eating them right then...

625. The Super Moon this month.

Psalm 8:3-4, Amplified Bible

3  When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established,

4  What is man that You are mindful of him,
and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?

626. Dusk, my favorite time of day. This evening was especially nice with a cool breeze and these two to enjoy the pond with us...

627. The Garden...for me, it is always the garden, and only because of the Master Gardener who makes it grow, and that He knows my name...

628. Sod...yes, sod for my garden. It was a gift to me and I am very grateful to my hard-working husband who has built my dream garden for me.

629.  Dirt roads in the country...

630. Praying for a little girl not yet born as I sit to work on a baby quilt for her. She is a long-awaited, much prayed for baby girl...due next month...always in His time.

631. Seeing my Dad get much joy from restoring a farm tractor, and much more importantly, seeing him grow in his faith. Zeke had to try out the tractor too.

632. Thankful for a husband who knows how much I love to see the birds come to my feeders.  He took this picture of a goldfinch through our kitchen window and sent it to me...JOY

633. It's fence painting time at the farm. The wood has now cured enough to receive the paint...it is a process - just like everything, it takes time (Ecclesiastes 3). Thankful to our son Jonathan for his help.

634. Last day of preschool - seeing my son Jeremy with his son Zeke...stirred memories of my boys and their JOY at the last day of school...

635. Eight years of marriage celebrated by my oldest son and his bride, Carrie. Thankful for their commitment to each other and to their family and their ministry. 

636. When the weatherman says "scattered showers," I always hope that the scattered showers water my flowers...so thankful for the random rain and a quiet evening at home.



637. These old-fashioned reseeding petunias had their beginnings in my maternal grandmother's garden. I am grateful for a gardening Granny who passed her love on to me.

638. On this Memorial Day Monday I am very grateful for a day set aside to honor our fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives. I was raised in a military family with a Dad who served 3 tours in Vietnam. We live in a military town and are blessed to see and worship and fellowship with living heroes.  With all the problems that abound, I'd still rather live here in America than anyplace else I know. This picture was taken just this morning here at our farm. Those are my father's flags. He is a living hero too.  

Blessings,

Gran Jan

1,000 GIFTS, #509 to #523

 

As I begin this second half of counting His gifts of grace all around me, I've thought about this journey that was begun last February. I'm not the same person I was, all glory to Jesus. I have been stretched in my faith and I wouldn't trade the lessons learned for anything. I absolutely love this season of life I am in...

509. The deep contentment that comes from a long, steady marriage. I love what my friend Beth Moore has said before that applies to this joy:  "a long walk of obedience in the same direction."  That long walk of obedience can apply to many areas of our lives...by God's grace.

510.  The joy of family. I love Saturday morning breakfasts with everyone around the table. There are four generations here...my parents, me and my husband, my sons and their wives and our grandchildren. I was sitting by my mom and Zeke before I stepped away to take this picture...

511. Impromptu gatherings. This Valentine's night supper last week at a local pizza restaurant was so much fun. I love my boys and their wives & the grandchildren so much - thankful to spend this "day of love" with them for a meal.

512.  Kissing Cousins. Sweet Madie grabbing a kiss from sweet Jackson... She had just told me to "take her picture."  These two grandchildren are 2 weeks to the day apart in age. JOY!

513.  Blueberry pancakes are always on the table. Looking forward to June when our blueberries are in season again.

514.  Today...a holiday from work called "President's Day," is so welcome to me. I am committed to pray for this election year as we seek a new President. This scripture from Daniel 2:20-22 comforts me in these days of uncertainty in our country...

Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

For wisdom and might are His.

And He changes the times and the seasons;

He removes kings and raises up kings;

He gives wisdom to the wise

And knowledge to those who have understanding.

He reveals deep and secret things;

He knows what is in the darkness,

And light dwells with Him.

515. Late afternoon sun breaking through the clouds.

516. When our former minister resigned (December 2010), our church went through an interim time in search of a new senior pastor. [I wrote about our new pastor in this past last November.  We are so blessed by the awesome expository preaching of our pastor Dr. Jim Perdue. He is a shepherd to us.] Before Pastor Jim came, God blessed us with a wonderful interim pastor - Rev. Joel Southerland. We honored the Southerland family at church yesterday and then had a big old churchwide fellowship last night! EVERYONE was talking about the sweetness of the Spirit in our midst. This is Brother Joel & his precious wife Sherryde. God blessed our hearts with this couple and their girls Savana and Mikayla. They will always be part of our lives as they were instruments of love and healing in our church. We love y'all.

Wall to wall fellowship at SBCWR...

517. Sweet Miss Madie and her Hollywood entrace to the family breakfast this past Saturday...this girl does not meet a stranger.

518. Jackson loves loves loves tractors, big trucks, motorcycles, anything with wheels. This is my Dad's big John Deere out in the hay barn. They stopped there on their way out this past Saturday. Jackson has to see the moo cows and chickens...and the tractors.

519. My best friend Lanie is making a quilt called "What Cancer Cannot Do." I wept tears of joy and thankfulness to God when she showed the finished quilt top to me last week. This is the quilt label...how I praise God for sparing her life. (Teal is the color for ovarian cancer.) She encourages all women to have their annual physicals. That is when her cancer was discovered.  One of the quotes on the quilt top says, "Cancer cannot destroy friendship."  Amen my sweet friend.

520. Right now as I type this, there is a big fire in this new firepit my husband purchased. It has 3 Willows Farm cut out on the rim in two places. We love living in the country with redneck firepits made from big old recycled propane tanks...we are going green here at the farm.

521. My oldest son Jeremy and his wife Carrie took their two children, Zeke and Madie, to go see Memama Morton this morning. She is their great-grandmother and my precious mother-in-law. She will be 90 in June and is the matriarch of our family...a godly woman who has taught me so much. I love her dearly. We enjoyed a long visit with her this past Friday evening.

522. For some reason my 3 grandchildren love my pantry. Maybe it's the Spiderman and Dora snacks that I keep there. :)  

523. I love to browse seed catalogs and think of the delicious fresh vegetables we will enjoy from my garden this summer.  In fact, I need to head outside now and PRUNE back the rosebushes and crepe myrtles. 

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post - I wouldn't take anything for the journey of my life this past year, the PRUNING has been hard, but oh so necessary for growth. Thank you Jesus.

 John 15:1-2 (Amplified Version)

I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.

Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing]

 He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and

 repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit,

to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.