My Multitude Monday #33

#375 a husband who delights in finding ways to surprise me
#376 a little boy who can play with Legos for hours
#377 another successful pregnancy check-up
#378 finding out next month the baby's gender!
#379 days when the weather is too nice to be productive
#380 blooms on the trees
#381 having family over for dinner and nothing going wrong
#382 crossing more items off of the home's "To Do" list
#383 my life - I never would have imagined that I would be blessed to have all that I do
#384 drinks served in Mason jars
#385 Christmas lights strung around the screened porch
#386 a new (to me) laptop, free of charge

My Multitude Monday #32

#365 backyard fire pits
#366 sitting outside at night with a mug of cider
#367 fire-lit games of Rummy
#368 a little boy who wears himself out running outside
#369 dinners eaten on the porch
#370 new shows on Netflix
#371 three celebrations for the big 3-0
#372 income tax returns
#373 setting up the clothesline again
#374 hanging the ferns back outside

My Multitude Monday #31

#354. a peaceful Christmas
#355. a sweet husband who manages to surprise me
#356. a little boy who directs me to open the presents for him because I'm faster at it ;)
#357. a talented hubby who fixed the Christmas tree star that is older than me
#358. a rug for our completed outdoor porch
#359. getting out maternity clothes
#360. clearing out the guest bedroom to convert it to a nursery
#361. the feeling of satisfaction as bags of things are loaded up for Goodwill
#362. browsing baby items online
#363. my hardworking husband who used his Christmas break to redo the kid's bathroom
#364. the " 's " at the end of kid's :D

My Multitude Monday #30

#342. two lines
#343. a shocked husband
#344. e-mailing and calling family
#345. posting FB pictures
#346. finally using a shirt bought 2 years ago
#347. buying an updated "What to Expect" book
#348. making plans
#349. talking baby names
#350. planning nursery decor
#351. knowing that my life will never be the same
#352. tears of gratitude and joy
#353. a near-continual prayer of "thank you, God"

My Multitude Monday #29

#330 friends who call at just the right moment
#331 brown bread with oatmeal covered crusts
#332 holiday tea in china cups
#333 turkey sandwiches made with pieces of turkey - not lunch meat
#334 gingerbread houses
#335 rooms illuminated solely by Christmas lights
#336 joyous announcements
#337 passing on to others
#338 handmade presents
#339 Christmas cards in the mail
#340 hot chocolate stirred with a peppermint stick
#341 Christmas countdowns

My Multitude Monday #28

What does it mean to give thanks - in all things? The Bible speaks of giving a "sacrifice of praise." WHY is that important?
If we only praised when things were going our way, our praise would be hollow. Yes, give thanks when blessings come, when you are happy. But it's easy thanks. God doesn't want us to do just the easy stuff. Easy stuff leads to no growth.
Giving thanks in the midst of a storm is hard. When things refuse to go according to plan, giving thanks goes against all human nature. When all you want to do is cry out, "WHY?" giving thanks can seem cruel. But give thanks anyway. When you give thanks for what you do have, and you stop focusing on what you don't have, it can change your mood and your outlook on life.
Right now, my hopes are once more crushed. Once again, I am reminded that there are things in my life that are beyond my control. With that in mind, I give thanks:

#319. wrapping presents
#320. meaningful Christmas presents
#321. stuffed shoe boxes without an inch to spare
#322. wood fires
#323. fall afternoon walks with BB
#324. Playdoh
#325. Kleenex
#326. free music streaming over the internet
#327. strawberry butter cream frosting
#328. I am not in charge of my life - because I don't think I would do a very good job
#329. Grace - both given and anticipated, someday

My Multitude Monday #27

#305 the anticipation of Christmas
#306 easy access to the Word of God
#307 down comforters
#308 reds, golds, and oranges decorating the backyard
#309 an extra hour of sleep
#310 belly laughs
#311 the end pieces on a loaf of bread
#312 old sweatshirts worn year after year
#313 planning Christmas crafts
#314 scarves
#315 comic books
#316 my new favorite breakfast
#317 freedom to vote
#318 a little boy who adds "forgive me for what I did bad and help me do what is right" to his prayers, without prompting - although we do talk about this all day ;)

My Multitude Monday #26

#290 guardian angels while driving
#291 teeny-tiny trick or treaters who can barely carry their buckets
#292 wiggly baby cheeks
#293 new music for my iPod
#294 cool night air
#295 progress made on the porch project
#296 a husband who is willing to spend his free time on our house
#297 excitement over a new month
#298 cartoons enjoyed as a child and finding them as good as remembered
#299 a new Jan Karon book
#300 the first blank page of a new paper journal
#301 breakfast in bed for no reason
#302 grandparents who spontaneously take their grandson for outings
#303 the feeling you get when you're done dusting a room
#304 BB mondegreens

My Multitude Monday #25

reflections after a weekend spent serving at a retreat...
#281. the privilege of serving others
#282. the blessing of fellowship with believers
#283. the gift of laughter
#284. turning acquaintances into friendships
#285. deepening existing friendships
#286. joy that can only come through freedom
#287. communion with believers
#288. being surprised by other's generosity
#289. my own bed and hot water for my shower :)

My Multitude Monday #24

#269. a closet that can hold both summer and winter clothes
#270. adding another blanket to the bed
#271. fleece pajama pants
#272. perfect weather for yard work
#273. a friend's upcoming wedding
#274. Cracker Barrel
#275. father-son fishing trips on a Sunday afternoon
#276. technology that enriches education
#277. an upcoming trip with family
#278. decorating my house for fall
#279. fried apples with oatmeal topping
#280. DH's freshly shaved face ;)

My Multitude Monday #23

#258 fall rains that bring cooler temperatures
#259 homemade presents for family and friends
#260 crafting with my best friend
#261 early morning quiet
#262 last year's fall clothes seeming new again
#263 husbands who wash dishes
#264 a son who obeys the first time (sometimes)
#265 soft bedsheets
#266 the plink of coins in our Christmas jar
#267 a mantle decorated for fall
#268 the Law that shows the need for Grace

My Multitude Monday #22

#237 a safe trip to the mountains with family
#238 a fun trip to the mountains with family
#239 rolling views at sunrise
#240 porch swings
#241 a cup of coffee steaming in the morning air
#242 jacuzzi bathtubs
#243 big country breakfasts
#244 late-night games around the kitchen table
#245 apple picking
#246 biting into an apple fresh from the sunshine
#247 apple cider
#248 local bar-b-que places tucked away from the main drag
#249 put-put with the family
#250 mining for gemstones
#251 preschoolers who'd rather play in the water than mine for gemstones
#252 barrels of candy at country stores
#253 finding Christmas presents early - and on sale
#254 planning next year's trip
#255 driving home
#256 unpacking new treasures
#257 sleeping in my own bed

My Multitude Monday #21

I'll be honest; today finds me in an unthankful mood. Today I need to look for the gifts more than ever. So today, while I am struggling, I am thankful that:
#225. I am redeemed
#226. My sins are not only forgiven, but forgotten
#227. God doesn't grade sins according to how "bad" the sins are
#228. I didn't do anything to earn my salvation
#229. All have sinned - so no one person can judge
#230. If I confess my sins, He is faithful to forgive
#231. God convicts me of being prideful
#232. God forgives me for being prideful
#233. There is always hope for new beginnings
#234. God has used my past to give me my present
#235. God will forgive me again, even for the same sin
#236. There but for the grace of God...

My Multitude Monday #20

214. lesson plans prepared ahead of the school week :)
215. only 117 days until Christmas
216. Javachip ice cream
217. a friend's potential good news
218. local farmer's market
219. pink watches
220. 20% off total purchase coupons
221. giant bows on newborn heads
222. blue-green and brown country eggs
223. new windows for our house
224. green apple shampoo

My Multitude Monday #19

#206. new school books
#207. on-line shopping
#208. the coming end of August - good-bye, heat!
#209. big-boy beds
#210. freshly sewn hems
#211. family passes to local museums that are good elsewhere
#212. the comfort of a daily routine
#213. strong coffee on too-early mornings

My Multitude Monday #19

#198. a new school year
#199. beating DH and BB at bowling
#200. looking at other people's wedding photos
#201. a girl's night out with my youngest sister-in-law
#202. DH's overtime being finished for the time being
#203. saving almost as much as I spent while grocery shopping
#204. kisses for no reason
#205. learning that I need less, and not more

My Multitude Monday #18

#187 Sunday coupons in the newspaper
#188 the fact that Summer's heat won't last forever
#189 homemade quilts
#190 the whistle of the tea kettle on the stove
#191 Earl Grey lattes at Starbucks
#192 falling asleep after a good day of hard work
#193 listening to my son sing songs he's made up
#194 the future being in God's hands and not my own
#195 wooden toy blocks that provide hours of enjoyment
#196 a well-stocked freezer and pantry
#197 opening a jar of applesauce canned last Fall

My Multitude Monday #17

176. watching a fireworks show from my own backyard.
177. lightning bugs
178. knowing that the end is in site on a long project
179. cheesecake
180. an unseasonably cool Saturday, perfect for working outside
181. a husband who remembers gift ideas made in a passing comment
182. the backyard pond, completed
183. wrought iron porch furniture
184. outdoor ceiling fans
185. a little boy too excited to sleep
186. family and friends coming together

My Multitude Monday #16

165. neighborhood swimming pools
166. ice cold Coca-cola on a hot day
167. tomatoes still warm from the sunshine
168. fish swimming in the pond
169. two houses to visit on father's day
170. surprising DH with his father's day present
171. late night movie nights with hubby
172. candy found on clearance
173. my 8th wedding anniversary tomorrow
174. BB's upcoming sleepover at my parent's house
175. no school for at least 3 more weeks

My Multitude Monday #15

On a day when I'm not feeling thankful, when I know that this is precisely when I need to give thanks the most...
155. stepping stone walkways
156. patios near a shade tree
157. my son's will - it exasperates and frustrates me, but I would rather have a child who questions and tests instead of one who meekly obeys
158. knowing that God is not finished with me yet - because there is clearly so much left to do
159. plans that actually work out according to plans
160. experiences that keep me humble
161. Mountain Dew
162. afternoon showers that cool the heat and leave the evening smelling clean
163. craft projects
164. ceiling fans that make the "energy efficient" setting on the AC bearable