Every Day of The Year- Three Forty-Eight thru Three Sixty-Five

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1: 9-11


Monday, June 20th

348) An outdoor grill- First of all, don't you just love the taste and flavor of grilled food? Meat, vegetables, fruit, marshmallows... they all are so yummy straight off the grill, but I do have another reason for counting a grill as a blessing. The temperatures in Albuquerque are on the rise; the storm clouds are rolling in- bringing some additional humidity but, as of yet, no rain for this side of the mountain. It's getting hot and while our swamp cooler does a wonderful job taking the edge off, it just can't stand up to the outside heat plus heat from an oven/stove. So not only do I enjoy the tastiness of grilled food, but the grill also provides us with an excellent way to cook our food without heating up the house. Double blessings!


Tuesday, June 21st

349) Polite words- Please, thank you, excuse me, I'm sorry- such simple, little words and yet what a huge impact they can have.


Wednesday, June 22nd

350) A balloon catcher- Today was a morning of errand running. I knew it would be hard on our daughter, but there was no getting around it. Needless to say, it was a wonderful surprise when an employee gave our little girl a balloon at the first store we visited. That balloon kept her entertained for the next few hours as we continued our shopping. At the very last store, She lost hold of the balloon at the cash registers and we watched as it drifted up to the ceiling. The balloon had a long string on it, but it was just beyond my reach. A lady and her son noticed what happened and the next time I turned around, this little boy (probably around five years old) was handing the balloon back to our daughter. With the help of his mother, they had reached the string and retrieved the balloon. They didn't have to do that, and that is what made it so special and sweet.


Thursday, June 23rd

351) Fellow at-home cake decorators- As I really start the work on our daughter's birthday cake, I am so thankful for the guidance, encouragement and materials from other at-home cake decorators. Their insight and support has given me confidence that I can bring my vision to fruition.


Friday, June 24th

352) Two years- Two years ago, a little girl came into this world, and for two years, she has been a blessing to our little family and many others. Two years is a short time but in that time, she has made such an impact. She is smiles, laughter, joy, silliness, curiosity, spunk, sweetness, and love. How blessed we are to have her in our lives.  Happy birthday, darling girl!

353) Two years ago- It's hard to celebrate our daughter's birthday without thinking back to the day of her birth and all the events that led up to it. Those events and the timing of it all is a blessing I still carry with me. I lived with my parents from the fifth month of my pregnancy until two weeks after our daughter was born because of Drew's training schedule and the dilemmas it could pose for my delivery. Drew was scheduled to complete one training on the 13th of June and had to report to his next station by the morning of the 27th. I wasn't due until the 30th. All of that meant that Drew would only be with me for two weeks- week 38 and 39 of my pregnancy- and there weren't too many who expected I would naturally go into labor before my due date. We may not have expected it, but there were several who were praying for just that to happen. I am so thankful that Drew had the chance to be there for the labor, delivery and trip "home" with the newest member of our family. We had some time together as a family of three from the very beginning and that was and remains a blessing!


Saturday, June 25th

354) Celebrations- We had a little birthday party for our daughter tonight. Looking back on this party, I can say it was a perfect celebration, not because it went perfectly but because it's not the details of the party that make it special; it's the reason for the party and she is awfully special.  I may not have walked away from the party looking like the perfect planner or hostess. We may have had decor that couldn't withstand the withering heat or wind gusts. There may have been some undercooked- then overcooked- brats, some delays, some unexpected mishaps and some ice cream that more closely resembled a shake, but, in the end, that's not what I will remember. I will remember that we shared with friends and family in order to celebrate our daughter's second birthday. I will remember the fun and excitement our little girl had leading up to and during her party. I will remember the very blessing of these years with our daughter and this time with some of the people who love her and want to help us celebrate her life. No matter what comedy of errors may happen, I hope I always remember to cherish the celebrations in our life for they are a reminder of the good and many blessings God has given us.


Sunday, June 26th

355) Grass- Have you ever thought about all the things grass does? Grass is green and lush, bringing some of the first signs of spring and the renewing of our natural world. Grass carpets a harder surface, providing us with a soft place to land, sit and/or play, and grass holds down that earth thereby helping to eliminate erosion and dust storms. I have always appreciated grass for its greenness and all that represented, but now I also see what a common, everyday blessing it is.


Monday, June 27th

356) Vacuum attachments- While I have always liked having vacuum attachments to help clean the furniture and edges of the room, I have found a new appreciation. Vacuum attachments help me with my bug phobia. They have provided me with at least a little freedom from depending on Drew to clean up dead insects.  With their help, I can stay at arm's length and still take care of encroaching bugs.


Tuesday, June 28th

357) Swamp cooler- After living in houses with air conditioning (refrigerated air), last summer with only a swamp cooler seemed terrible. As the temperatures rose, it just didn't seem like the swamp cooler helped much at all. However this year, I am noticing just how much I appreciate our swamp cooler.  After spending a morning in 90+ degrees, It's wonderful to come home to a cooler house.


Wednesday, June 29th

358) Similarities- There are some moments and situations where I am just not looking for advice or answers; I just want someone who can empathize and understand. Best of all is when that person understands because they have "been there, done that" and are living proof that you will make it through as well. That's what I needed today and that is exactly what the Lord provided! Thank you, my friend, for listening, understanding and sharing your own similar experiences.


Thursday, June 30th

359) Collision of events-  As our daughter has gotten older and more independent, I have questioned myself more and more. Parenting is such a huge responsibility, and the thought of facing that challenge- in the years to come- alone and in an unfamiliar place because of our military life left me with lots of doubts. Could I really do the job of an Army wife and mother? Did I have the inner strength?

After this week, I have more of an answer. Drew has been away for a training, something that if fairly rare for a platoon that is on secondary. Added to that is the fact that it would seem when our little daughter woke up on her second birthday, a "two year old" switch was flipped. Her strong-will, curiosity, independence and mischievousness has ramped up a good two or three notches from anything we have experienced thus far. I felt overwhelmed by some daunting challenges that all collided this week, and when put together, I found myself in uncharted, unfamiliar waters. However time has passed and as I look back on the week, I have an appreciation for all I have experienced and more confidence for all that lies ahead for me. This journey, as mother and Army wife, will be physically, emotionally and mentally challenging at times, but I have confidence that I can do it- not through my own strength but by relying on the Lord. That confidence is a blessing and the events that led to it are a gift from God.


Friday, July 1st

360) The big picture- Sometimes I get bogged down with the little details or the hard moments in my day and I can forget the bigger picture. Our little two year old is a sweet, loving, fairly obedient child; she also is very curious, quite independent and strong-willed. These days its this second set of traits that leads to trouble, particularly her strong will. Lately we have experienced a few times when our sweet little girl decides to "dig in her heels" and tries to exert her will over ours, no matter what the consequences. We have used a variety of disciplinary and corrective measures, but in these few situations, she seems unphased. In these moments, I can feel like I am failing as a mother, but it is also in these moments that I most need to remember the big picture. Our little girl has a very sweet, loving, obedient disposition more times than not and that didn't just happen by accident. We still have a long ways to go, but we are on a good path.


Saturday, July 2nd

361) Hugging Daddy- Drew came home today after being away for training for the past week. Our little girl was at the door to greet him as he walked inside. Seconds later, she was in his arms, hugging him with all her might. As I watched, I was nearly overcome with emotions; it was such a wonderful thing to behold.


Sunday, July 3rd

362) A little hand to hold- As our daughter and I walked along the sidewalk the other day, I looked down and saw her little hand nestled in mine. It was a beautiful and sweet sight. There may come a day when it's embarrassing for her to hold her mother's hand, but for now, she loves it and so do I.


Monday, July 4th

363) Freedom- On this Fourth of July, my thoughts are taken to a few summers past when I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Romania. On that trip, I saw a very different society and had the chance to hear first hand what it was like to be a Christian in a Communist country. Although Communism had fallen, many whom I served alongside were old enough to remember the ostracism, shame and hardships they faced during its reign. My eyes were opened then to what a privilege and blessing it is to live in a country where the freedoms and rights of an individual take precedence. I could merely list some of our freedoms: religion, speech, right to assembly, right to bear arms, but that doesn't really do justice to all the freedoms, and the subsequent side effects, we have been granted in this country. No matter how you look at it, we, who live in this country, are truly blessed with the freedoms and rights accounted to us in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

That is not the only freedom I celebrate on this date. Eighteen years ago, I received an even greater freedom- one that transcends this world and gave me a freedom I could never earn, achieve or otherwise possess. On this date, I was given the ultimate freedom, freedom from the guilt of my sins, the punishment for those sins and an eternity apart from God. "He whom the Son sets free is free indeed." John 8:36

Happy Independence Day!!


Tuesday, July 5th

364) Food varieties- I love trying new foods so when we move to a new location, I do look forward to tasting the local cuisine. New Mexico definitely has their own flair and today I found a new food favorite- calbacitas. Yum! This is one vegetable side dish that will be on our dinner table even after we have moved again. It's just another reminder of the blessings that can come from the Army life- not only do I meet lots of interesting, caring, amazing people, but I also get to learn about new foods and take the recipes with me!

365) Counting my blessings- I now have one blessing for every day of the year. I never thought I would make it this far as I have never been very faithful with journaling, etc. However as I look back, I can rightly proclaim that this process, this concerted effort to count and recognize the daily blessings in my life, has blessed me in incredible ways. I am thankful that I didn't give up or tire of the effort but have pushed on and seen so much of what the Lord has done for me, my family and this world. I am truly blessed beyond belief!