The Air I Breathe

#298 

The sky was majestic as we drove the 40 miles home from church yesterday. 

 God was exclaiming through the brilliant forms of the clouds billowing over our piece of the world, 

"Worship Me!"

"Worship My Majesty!"

I reach for my point & shoot camera and worship. 

Photographing is worship.

And as I worship... 

He is Exalted. 

 And the things of this earth...

 my life...

grow strangely dim...

As I worship. 

It's no longer about me.

It's about Him. 

And my deflated lungs are filled. 

He is the air I breathe.

Life in the Full. Here. Now.

   This is the very day God acted—
      let's celebrate and be festive!
   Salvation now, God. 

Salvation now!
      Oh yes,  

God—a free and full life! 

From Psalm 118 The Message

Today I'm in awe of God Who is abundantly generous in His Salvation giving!

Yes, He gave His son so that we could have eternal life, 

BUT

He also brings Salvation into every part of our lives; 

past, present, future. 

"Jesus came that we would have life and have it in the FULL."

John 10:10b

Salvation HERE. 

Salvation NOW.

#130. for life that comes out of darkness. 

#132. 2hrs, 4 minutes, and 47 seconds of skyping with sara.

#133. sweet talk with emilie in the sunshine (she has begun writing her own 1000 gifts)

#136. a long, good, nestled into him, fatherly hug from my f.i.l. dennis.  feels like home. 

 

#138 tea & scone date with the girls and their dear little friend, chloe.  she is such a joy!

#142. a stranger seeing in me what i do not see in myself. 

#147 puffy white clouds, "i see a bunny with floppy ears!" (emilie) 

#149. grateful to take noah to the bus and discover school had been canceled (i love having my boy home)!  

#148 celebrating my nephew's 3rd birthday

#155. visiting the happiest place on earth, oakdale ca. for the rodeo parade!

#156. my sister and i taking the kids to meet step-dad #6, larry; his delight in them and us. 

#157. after leaving larry's, emilie asked, "who was your favorite step-dad?" my answer surprised even me, "they were all my favorite in different ways."  crazy. wonderful.

#174. Darkness transfigures into light, 

Bad transfigures into good, 

Grief transfigures into grace, 

empty transfigures into full. 

God wastes nothing-

"Makes everything work out according to His plan." 

Ann Voscamp

to behold one more moment

"The listing of One Thousand Gifts 
has me always on the hunt for one more

and one more

-to behold one more moment 
pregnant with wonder."

Ann Voskamp

#54. lavender colored wild flowers framing the drive way.

#59.  josie crawls up on my lap at piano lessons- we rock together in the rocking chair as emilie and cathy (teacher) play.  josie whispers, "i need some love." (me too, josie).

#62. has God purposely slowed down my life so that my soul could realize it is full?  i would have been too busy had i been working/mothering/managing home/doing outside ministry- too full of busy, of needing to feel significant to give thanks for every little gift.  slowed down i have needed every. single. blessing. to satisfy.  and so i've looked.  looked and found.  "seek first" and found EVERYTHING that has been added to me-soul filling. Thank you God. 

#70. cyndi- beautiful. beaming. here. 

#73. emilie flying a kite. she looks like a little girl again running with the kite. 

#74. an "early day," before michael leaves for work- he places his hand on my sleeping head and prays over me silently. kisses me. walks out of the bedroom and we whisper "Jesus" to each other.  

#80. noah finds me, kisses me. "what's that for?" i ask.   "for your mouth," he replies.

#83. brushing josie's hair, then counting and matching our freckles which mirror each other. 

God's mystery.    

#117. relaxing on the back porch with my mom (who visited for 3 days); enjoying the cool spring air, green hills, and the children playing together. 

#125. For a nice 3 day visit with my mom: watching her delight in the kids, church followed by a fun breakfast outing, seeing her cuddle with and play "just dance" with josie.  my heart removing a few bricks from the wall i've built between us; allowing grace to fill the space between us bit by bit.

What are you thankful for today? 

Dipping My Heart in the Stream of Life

"All who are thirsty

All who are weak

Come to the Fountain

Dip your heart in the stream of Life."

  

"My soul thirsts for God,

For the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?"

Psalm 42:2

#53. Michael pulls me into him, wraps his arms around me, and says (as he has every morning for 14.5 years) "I'm so glad you're my wife."  And I believe him.

#51. The hum of the lawnmower. 

#44.  Enough $ for groceries.

#41. Time to refill. To listen to the wind howl outside, to read from the Good Book, to ponder, breath in and out, to be still and know that He is God. 

#39. That a freshman in college, Taylor, is not too old to play (build igloos) with my kids. 

#27. After 6 months, finished reading Little Women with the girls. The books ending is bittersweet- I am so grateful for this memory made with my own "Little Women."( A memory I set out to make when I read it in 1987).

#24. Noah's hand running through my hair as we prayed.

# 19 Josie nestled into me as I read. 

#10. Emilie and Josie squealing as they swing.

#8. Laying in the sunshine streaming through the window.

mama...

I'm beginning today.
Here.
Now.
Entering His gates with thanksgiving in my heart.
{God knows I need to get in there}.
To be in His presence.
In His fullness.
To live full.

Counting my 1000 gifts.

#1. Josie says "mama," and written on the palm of her hand a message, "I ♥ U." 

#2.  I'm reminded of words I read just last week, "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands" Isaiah 49. 

#3.Spring is here, and Spring. Is. Coming.

#4. My girls baking banana raisin nut bread; dividing the tasks as they kindly work together. The bread will be delicious, but not near as delicious as their sisterly affections are to this mama.

#5. An email sent from my boy today (who attends a digital middle school) which included "i love you mommy!!!!!!!" (that is a lot of exclamations, especially from a 7th grader). 

#6. That my husband is home today (power outage at work and nearby town due to storms).  Here to  share in the mundane, the necessary, the gifts.