Luke 24:13-32
This is Jesus heartburn(I have to credit Dallas Willard for this term!)...31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Monday, November 29, 2010

576. new feet
577. the simple ask...I want to read
578. resolution
579. new ceilings
580. the possiblity of a french silk pie blizzard in 2 months
581. a fixed toilet
582. purse shopping tomorrow

Friday, November 26, 2010

491-536. The 45 precious children whose birthday's we celebrated today.
537. Watching the staff get so excited about a PARTY!
 
538. Shoe shopping...



 
539. A BIRTHDAY PARTY!
540. Our babies survived the party chaos...
541. The future pastor
542. Beautiful Girls.
543. Fine bobos.
544. Helpers to cut the cake.


545. Mother and child
546. Auntie Patricia

547. Fruity drinks and Isatu


548. Surviving shopping in ton
549. Avoiding a fight because I didn't give the crazy man at Lumley a visa
550. reading a book for a 2nd time and finding out that i totally missed the point the first time.
551. Staff prayer in the afternoon
552. new socks
553. walking a mile to get new socks
554. the same 6 imodium pills in my purse as a month ago!!! (that means I haven't used any this month! WOW!)
555. reunions
556. saying no to buying things that I don't need because you can still shop online from Sierra Leone and that's bad when all 5 seasons of House are on sale!
557. BBC radio
558. sharing food
559. finding the right fabric
560. strawberry, kiwi, banana crystal light
561. drinking 1.5 l of water today!
562. a nice bed with a mosquito net to sleep under
563. aloe vera
564. passing 200 cars stuck in traffic and still making it safely home
565. God's protection everyday
566. 3 more packets of candy corn
567. dreaming up a Christmas pageant for the kids
568. hip, hip, hooray
569. at The Covering we pray for each on birthdays...and God's gifts are enough
570. hearing the kids sing, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made!" with extra enthusiasm
571. hearing the kids sing a song from CEF (I remember it from backyard Bible Club) "I am inright, upright, downright, outright happy all the time!)
572. Watching Mohamed and Daniel counsel a mom who misses her children
573. Aunty Marie baking 4 cakes from scratch
574. cold coke--a gift from Rema
575. a family that loves me...you all looked so cozy in your turtlenecks and sweaters yesterday...I miss you!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

472. visits from Julia
473. kind words spoken
474. Love never fails
475. Il Divo Christmas CD
476. a yam and a bag full of oranges
477. "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree...they will flourish in the courts of our God." (Ps. 92:12-13)
478. a Christmas Card in the mail
479. watching the kids share their lunch with strangers
480. books read over skype
481. older sisters who translate stories for their brother
482. diligent care of our sick ones
483. NPA back on
484. a peaceful neighborhood
485. the simple "have a nice day"
486. counting blessings...I'll get there by Christmas!
487. healthy days
489. Osh ya
490. Lynnay and Lynae!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

462. little boys eating with forks and knives for the first time
463. intent eyes watching every move
464. the Word of God spoken at training this morning
465. knowing what 11 million in cash looks like
466. taking to Kj, Lydia, Lydia, and Anna
467. the bat that managed to get in the house also managed to leave the house
468. email
469. clean water to brush my teeth
470. Praise Him, Praise Him all you little children...God is Good, God is good!
471. 60 years of marriage

Monday, November 22, 2010

452...

452. the beach!
453. sand between my toes.
454. long talks about living life in W. Africa
455. talking with my parents over skype
456. "we are standing...good morning Auntie Cari, good morning friend!"
457. taking time to be really grateful
458. a fantastic dinner
459. Aunty Marie having school with the toddlers...fly, fly, fly
460. road construction (praise God in everything) rsght
461. "God isn't nice. God isn't safe. God is a consuming fire. Though He cares about the sparrow, He rarely dotes or pampers. His main business is not ensuring that you and I get parking spots close to the mall entrance or groceries on sale this week. His main business is making you and me holy."

Saturday, November 20, 2010

444...

444. the sound of children giggling outside the door
445. when God answers a prayer before you really even ask it
446. the humility of knowing that I will never be able to carry a 5 gallon bucket of water on my head
447. the reminder of ALL that I take for granted
448. a day set aside to rest and reflect
449. the chance to cook my own food
450. free books
451. The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. Proverbs 10:28

Friday, November 19, 2010

421...

A thumbs up from Victor

Um...CUTE!

So sweet.

Abubakkar!

Starting to feel better!

Play time!

Cheese Ball.

Sweetness!

Take my picture!

Pose for the camera.

A nice moment.

Joy, Joy, Joy!

Fun with Uncle Daniel

Pile on Aunty Jessie!

My buddies.

School time!

New Friends.
Mary smiles! WOW!



Sunset off the balcony!

Can you believe how good God is?!?

WOW!

Kj...this one's for you...it crawled into my shoe and I stepped on it BUT I didn't scream!
You'd be proud of your Aunty Cari!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

401...

401. my calculator is back on my computer...it works again!
402. a BEAUTIFUL sunset tonight
403. Olu
404. hope
405. Oral Rehydration Solution...thank you Anna, those little packets saved the day yesterday!
406. it's always July
407. a pink car...which I am not going to buy but tempted me for a moment
408. the quiet one who just comes up to hold my hand
409. little ones who fall asleep in my lap
410. a new aunty whom Lucy adores
411. Moses making faces to respond to questions
412. Katija tricking the caregivers into feeding her 2x
413. spending a few hours in the babies room
414. substitute teacher aka Pastor Daniel
415. God asks for praise not perfection and gives grace not a grindstone
416. gifts from upcountry
417. surviving big falls...Jessie and I have both survived one now
418. weird bumps sometimes just disappear on their own
419. new shoes for everyone!
420. time

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

376...

376. Benadryl
377. "so come and rejoice! what was lost is found." I love this song
378. finding the kids washing the walls...they drew all over them with crayon and had to clean them so they don't do it again.
379. watching them have SO much fun washing the walls...Pst. Daniel turned it into this great game
380. having semi-clean walls at the center again
381. watching 15+ kids hoover around a children's Bible for an hour
382. hearing one of the quiet boys (Ibrahim Kanu) point at the pictures and tell the stories to everyone else
383. the walk to the center...a great time to pray and look at the ocean
384. the girls plaiting my hair...OUCH! but they had so much fun
385. finding explainations for why I am soooo tired all the time
386. sharing
387. it's Tuesday already
388. new matresses
389. learning humility
390. time to just be with the kids
391. the hopefilled look in their eyes everyday when they know sponsors are calling
392. the strangeness of this place wearing off
393. good news from across the ocean
394. long emails from good friends...makes me feel like I am not missing out on everything going on at home.
395. 1 Cor. 3:18 "And we with unvieled faces all reflect the Lords glory, are being transformed with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
396. practical jokes...today one of the boys put palm oil all over his hand (it's bright orange) and then came to me pretending he was wounded...he thought it was soooo funny when I wanted to rush him to the hospital...he proceeded to show me his "wounds" over and over!
397. fresh fruit deliveries to the front door
398. a simple day
399. "wash your body everyday, eat good food, wear clean clothes, drink clear water, get plenty of exercise and sleep well" our preschoolers have been singing this song for weeks...it's so cute.
400. prayer...he's the only one who really, really, really understands

Monday, November 15, 2010

351...

351. that I haven't gotten a parasite (that I know of) yet
352. Mohamed's gentle way of breaking up fights
353. Aunty Marie...she made 3 little girls and 2 big girls feel like princesses tonight...
354. she made deviled eggs!
355. one of the girls singing loudly about Jesus in a taxi with a Muslim driver
356. having someone care if we are out past dark
357. PZ
358. buying pampers on the side of the road
359. Regina's laughter when her icecream on a stick fell a part
360. "Tomorrow there is no school, so will you come play with we?"
361. the HUGE fish we saw while driving by the beach today...God makes some strange looking creatures
362. a new baby in the family
363. the glowing smile of a new mom who just got the she has been praying for
364. pre-made child-sized African outfits
365. large "rodents" under the table, tickling my feet
366. that I was not the only one sweating this morning in the babies room! the place warm!
367. watching the little boys play football in jerseys that completley swallow them up
368. peaceful, dreamless sleep
369. washing my feet after a walk in town
370. watching Osseh get interviewed by a journalist about the road conditions...it's on record: the police don't do their jobs...I hope he doesn't get a ticket tomorrow!
371. Christmas music in the car
372. seeing the Christmas "store" (aka one woman on the sidewake with Christmas items) open for business
373. talking about Shenge
374.  an un-known national holiday tomorrow
375. Uncle Andrew and Aunty Jessie...the game ends in a tie! maybe, just maybe the teams are even this time around.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

326...

326. Nkkya...some sort of peanut, cassava, sugar power...so sweet
327. 2 Chronicles 20:21 Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever."
328. Supprise 4 stick winners
329. dinner on the patio, overlooking the ocean...and having it paid for!
330. ice cream on a stick.
331. WAWA...West Africa Wins Again! what else can you say when someone is pushing a taxi the wrong direction down the middle of the street?
332. Laughter with new friends
333. "Aunty Cari is my best friend!" Kadiatu
334. Sore losers who get coaxed to play again
335. that the electrician lives next door
336. prayers lifted in the Name of Jesus
337. carrots, carrots, and more carrots
338. 2 whole days without coke
339. that God gives me ideas in the middle of a "sermon" and it changes everything
340. the TRS thanksgiving Psalm...we wrote it today we'll share it next week:)
341. patience
342. the Kj is not here to see me freak out over the crazy bugs...although I would love to have her see all of them! (Kj, do you want pictures?)
343. video skype with Mom and Dad
344. groundnut soup with fish balls
345. getting fish balls without bones this time
346. find and extra 100
347. mornings
348. for long talks in the girls room
349. for Aunty Bintu
350. "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” King Jehosaphat prays...

Saturday, November 13, 2010

301...

301. funny, akward emails
302. not getting pulled over by the police for having too many people in a taxi because I'm white...the taxi driver was so appreciative of my skin color today!
303. breakfast...pancakes, crepes, and eggs
304. less things to complain about
305. cold water
306. indoor waiting rooms a the hospital
307. Doctors, nurses, adminsitrators who leave behind nice, clean hospitals in Europe or America to serve desperate, poor people in Africa...
308. One in particular...I watched her scurry around the building for 3+ hours today, non-stop...everytime I go there I see her running here and there...she must sleep well at night
309. long conversations walking down the hill to Lumley
310. A ride back up the hill from Lumley
311. the fan by my bed
312. friends who reach out to ask how I am doing
313. Sundays
314. watching little boys enjoy icecream...which can be bought in small plastic baggies on the side of the road
315. moments of clarity
316. wet wipes
317. the way that everyone greets everyone when walking into a room...even strangers.
318. the way strangers gather to comfort each other in a loss
319. tears, because life is so precious and sacred
320. that Jessie never mentions that I stink...even though I KNOW I do
321. the special bread that is sold out of the trunk of the "special" car...and that Abdul knows the dealer
322. Abdul and left over apple cobbler
323. top-up
324. today we went in the opposite direction as traffic...and it cleared before we had to return
325. snow in MN...sorry, I know you all are complaining about it and I would be too if I were there but seriously, I miss it!

Friday, November 12, 2010

276...

276. that I live in Freetown and not Kono
277. when God keeps me awake for a few hours at night to tell me what He needs to say
278. falling asleep waiting for Jessie to make a Scrabble move
279. "WooooIe! This is so good I could slap someone!" Charles
280. a-digitty-diggity-a-y...a new language?!? is it real
281. Dear Lord, did you know there are HUGE lizards here...like 5ft long!?! do I have to be grateful for those? they have poisonous saliva!
282. finting superman underwear in the bale
283. watching Osseh and 8 women sort out the underwear
284. that Jessie reminds me to take my medicine everynight...I'd die without her
285. the Jesus film comes in Krio
286. picking out a new dress styles with Pastor Daniel:)
287. apple cobbler
288. Eh!
289. no school tomorrow
290. 5 year anniversaries
291. sisters who leave to comfort a sister in crisis
292. a shared donut with Umaru
293. a FAITHFUL provider
294. the possibility of finding joy in each moment
295. finding treasures in the garbage
296. online magazines...I seriously just got one called Conversations: A Forum for Authentic Transformation...this month is about Contemplation and Action...thinking it was created for me...but that would be kinda egotistical to think that a bunch of really smart people published a jornal for me
297. Tuesday is a national holiday of some sort
298. volunteers
299. one fallen leaf
300. Jesus knows....

Thursday, November 11, 2010

251...

251. facebook chats with Susie
252. a brother who can fix my computer problems!
253. my mom, she's the best and I miss her
254. "that is not a car, that's me and my wife!"
255. new wigs that make school field trips extra exciting
256. people who donate blood...here you have to buy it
257. new shoes
258. free music!
259. the possibilities of new friendships and new guests
260. flushing toilets--they flushe everytime this week!
261. starbucks coffee packets
262. coming home to find my flipflops have been scrubbed clean
263. security lights...actually remembering to turn them on before being asked (no, Andrew, that hasn't happened yet but I'm working on it:)
264. someone to talk through the panic with
265. Maligie's mischevious smile and his ability to miss nearly everyday of school...hmm:)
266. gentle reminders that this is in GOD'S HANDS and I am not responsible for even a fraction of it
267. "I am not an immigration officer...I'm doing their job!"
268. learning ALL about surnames
269. large bags of rice
270. stickers
271. "Please sleep with us here tonight!"
272. shouts of excitement over new laundry bowls
273. more shouts of excitement over new mops
274. movement...slow but steadily...there is forward movement
275. "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trail you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you be overjoyed when his glory is revealed". 1 Peter 4:12-13

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

226...

226. “This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving… makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.” ~Matt. 10:32 MSG
227. listening to Christmas music with Jessie...such enthusiasm! such joy!
228. bales of underpants...seriously, we bought a bale of underpants! like 2000+ pairs WooHoo!
229. learning to play the dancing foot game
230. having the children share their sweets with me...they want to know if I like the same things they do
231. the way Mary snuggles into my shoulder when I pick her up
232. the dazed look on the boys faces when they get up from their naps
233. brave mothers
234. offers to take us to the beach for a day away
235. cucumbers and tomatoes for dinner
236. sudden down pours
237. jokes about wetting the bed
238. lunch time--watching the children thoroughly enjoy every bite
239. reminders that what seems so insignificant can be significant
240. Osseh's excitement over finding me a car
241. "today I am going to learn to play volleyball"
242. a broken heart that drives me to prayer
243. bread and peanutbutter
245. garbage theives
246. "for the love!"
247. lighting flies on fire
248. "aunty, do they sing songs in America?"
249. "Mohamed, do you have 12 children now?"
250. my backpack that my sister-in-law bought for me...it has a rain cover...I needed that today!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

201...

201. finding fantastic quotes: “The Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth. He needs his brother as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
202. friends who are bearers and proclaimers of God's salvation in my life...because so often I am just one step, one choice away from disaster.
203. splashes of color in the midst of chaos
204. Chinese road construction companies...they work FAST
205. beautiful purple fabric given by new friends
206. games you can play with just your hands
207. Kj singing to me from +8000 miles away
208. shopping for shoes while you wait for the doctor
209. learning to ask more questions
210. podcasts and spending an hour with some really wise people
211. ibprofen
212. skipping grades in school
213. "Aunty, send for me green creme." What!?!
214. coleslaw for Maligie and the patient man who prepares it and sits next to him until he eats it all
215. nights that cool off
216. "Look at me, Aunty Cari, I am a LUCKY woman!" Geraldine
217. late night conversations
218. Isatu's quiet hellos
219. A day for quotes...The true inner life makes the active life burn forth and consume everything. It makes us find Jesus in the dark holes of the slums, in the most pitiful miseries of the poor, in the God-Man naked on the cross, mournful, despised by all, the man of suffering, crushed like a worm by scourging and crucifixion. Mother Teresa
220. sunglasses
221. umbrellas
223. fine black skirts
224. spinach
225. FRESH COCONUT! the second gift of the day.

Monday, November 8, 2010

172...

holy experience


172. And I thank GOD for Cari! Beautiful, intelligent; willing to give all for Jesus and the children. Amen. :)...thanks mom!
173. sports bras
174. new biscuits with yummy chocolate inside
175. Jessie's treasure chest
176. girls nights
177. movies
178. facebook chats with my Melissa
179. watching my girls become little girls and chase a red balloon down the beach
180. fresh crab in the baby room
181. Freetown Supermarket!
182. Crystal Light packets
183. Popcorn
184. 5 men working late to figure out what is wrong with our water
185. eating peeta (aka pizza!)
186. peanut butter
187. small Dauda falling asleep with his head in my lap
188. sand between my toes
189. falling asleep in the taxi
190. the snooze button
191. Jordan...'cuse he makes Jessie happy and that makes me happy
192. Quami!
193. sunshine
194. chameleons
195. noisy peacocks because they work better than an alarm clock and there is no snooze
196. Laughing Cow cheese
197. SOAP!!!!
198. "send for wi big, big turkey that will feed us all"
199. trees in the sand
200. finding money you forgot you stashed

Sunday, November 7, 2010

142...

I had the kids help me with some today...i hope that's not cheating:)

142. I want to thank God for giving me a spiritual heart. A heart of love. Fallah
143. I love apples. Cats. Suwaju
144. I love Jesus. I love God. Chicken! Melvin
145. I just want to thank God because he has given me the knowledge to draw. Douda
146. I love you. Shoes! Amidu
147.
 148. I love my aunties. I love apples. Isha
149. I thank God for my life. Saffinatu
150. I want to thank God for coming ot the Raining Season. I want ot thank God for healing my heart and have a good mom and dad and wise borther and sister. Sam
151. Sweets! Abubakkar
152.

153. A home. Joseph
154. I thank God for my life. I give thank to the Lord for my toys. Umaru B.
155. Square. House. Yusufu
156. I want to thank God because he have brought me to Christ and be a part of TRS and my life. Fatmata Sia Andipor
157. I thank God for my life. Lucy
158.
159. Jesus me love. I love Jessie. God love. Rock. anonymous
160. I thank God for his goodness upon my life because he have taken me from Egypt and come with me to the Promise Land. Isatu K.
161. Fish and Milk and Chairs. I.B.
162. I thank God for my life. I thank God for this day and daily bread. Betty
163. I thank God for my cup is full. Adamsay
164. I thank God for the good he do for me in my life. I love God so much. Jesus love me. Rugiatu
165.
166. I thank God for what he do for me. Kadiatu
167. Milk. Moses
168. Football. Square. Apple. Desk. Beans. Amara
169. I thank God for what he do for me. Abdul
170. I love Jesus. I love God. I love Mary. I love Joseph. I love Peter. Mohamed K.
171. I thank God for evey single child at the Covering. God has made each one so special and I love them all. Aunty Cari

Saturday, November 6, 2010

126...

Saturday, November 6th
126. my momma!
127. a shoulder to cry on.
128. rice and beans
129. new pictures of my beautiful nieces...they make me smile
130. clean swept steps
131. reminders that God chooses me, even when others don't
132. "what do you do to make your skin so white?"
133. escaping reality, even for a moment.
134. hugs
135. Christmas preparations
136. a beautiful quilt, sown by friends and family, with prayers in every tie.
137. a day to rest and think
138. being missed by the kids and having them send their regards
139. love
140. Sierra Leone, it's here I get to live out this dream and experience something new and different everyday...and it makes all the longing and

Friday, November 5, 2010

101...

101. short-cuts to Lumley that don't turn out to be very short or easy
102. that I only slipped once on the shortcut to Lumley but managed to stay upright...that's right people I didn't fall down, this is a rare occasion for me and should be celbrated...most days the ground really likes me and I find myself hitting it hard.
103. rows and rows and rows and rows of fabric stores
104. matching African dresses...Jessie and I are going to look so fine...the children will too!
105. longing for home--it means my heart knows it is loved there
106. small hands pulling my hair
107. that I have hair on my head at the end of each day
108. cancer free
109. bug spray
110. triple word scores in scrabble
111. getting a bill for 2.5 million and being able to pay it...being a millionare
112. amazon.com (and no I did NOT spend 2.5 million there!) and that's self-control that I am also grateful for
113. http://www.aholyexperience.com/ (she helps me see God in the everyday) and http://rachelheldevans.com/ (she makes me think) and http://stuffchristianslike.net/ (he makes me LOL)
114.  riding the big green bus into town
115. malaria pills
116. silence
117. security guards
118. telling 2 children Happy Birthday today and realizing they didn't even know that today was a special day
119. watching the girls talk to Uncle Andrew
120. Isaac...I can't believe he's 9 mnths old already
121. a fine house to live in
122. a Friday night with nothing to do (ok, that's stretching the gratefulness thing a bit far!)
123. HOPE
124. a slow pace of life
125. rediscovering who I am

76...

Thursday, November 4th, 2010
76. school bells=excited children
77. miracles...God's protection of the unborn and his compassion on a broken, precious teenager
78. forgiveness and the hope that it will come soon
79. my Anna, who inspired this list...I love you!
80. a home large enougth for 84+, will walls that ring with laughter
81. young girls with loooooong stories about grief and fear but in the telling their eyes are filled with hope and light
82. gentle reminders everyday that the LORD is sovereign and he is NOT in a hurry...he knows the perfect tension between rest and work; between running and crawling; between moving and waiting
83. glasses
84. wearing flipflops in November
85. patient friends
86. a God who finds lost things...we are hoping you can find this one for us before next Thursday
87. school art projects
88. Kushe
89. bales of underwear!
90. marble cake
91. calculators
92. emails from my momma
93. orange juice and doughnuts
94. seeing the ocean from my bedroom window
95. aunties who buy extra clothes to give to our children
96. trees
97. chacos
98. learning how to be with God instead of do for God
99. rest
100. that God restores, transforms, heals, and mends broken hearts...there is one that I am praying for and I am glad to know that my Pappa God is right there when I cannot be...He does a better job than I anyway

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

51...

51. water, precious water coming up the hill, through the pipes, and into the house!
52. water!
53. letters from my Grandma Stella, SENT IN THE MAIL!, written in her beautiful script reminding me of home and love
54. Osseh, who worked hard, even on his Birthday, to make sure the water made it.
55. my SP gals, who pray me through everyday.
56. giving a 1st birthday cake (in his entire life) to a 41 year old!
57. fans
58. nurses
59. pampers
60. having 7 older children pile into the office after school and tell us about their day
61. the ability to give out loans for bags of rice-provision
62. photographs, i can stop and look at their faces
63. scrabble...i won the game last night, there will be a rematch soon
64. giggling toddlers
65. rest time
66. volunteers
67. aunties who know how to plait
68. nail polish
69. couches
70. hugs from Adamse
71. sons who take care of their sick mammas
72. co-workers gathering together to help pay funeral costs for a father who died
73. locks
74. hearing please and thank you (ya & tanki)
75. making through another day.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010
26. music to soothe, inspire, pray with and worship to.
27. skittles...YUM!
28. water packets and kids who share
29. duct tape
30. taxi drivers who LOVE Americans
31. news from friends
32. bibs...because Lucy spits all her food out to smile when I enter the room
33. big, fluffy clouds
34. plumbers and electricians
35. flip-flops
36. unexpected visitors
37. familiar faces in the crowd
38. blogs that make me laugh and remember not to take life so seriously
39. sunsets and time to watch them
40. Krio lessons
41. grace
42. stores with prices printed on the stickers
43. clean laundry
44. hand sanitizer
45. 8 hrs of sleep
46. slow healing of deep wounds
47. rice
48. I am never alone..."I will never leave you or forsake you!"
49. color
50. nursery school teachers

Monday, November 1, 2010

Gratefulness

holy experience


It's November! And it's 90 degrees outside and it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving is just around the corner. But I am ready for some thankfulness and I am going to attempt:) to make a list of 1000 things i am thankful for by Thanksgiving (or Christmas).
Thanks to my sister Anna for putting this on her blog to challenge me!

Monday, November 1, 2010

1. thunder...and that when you are wearing a red shirt when it thunders, it will not come down and get you!
2. funny, quirky things that the kids say (if you kill a spider you will wet the bed)
3. snuggling with sweaty children.
4. text messages from Mike
5. skype
6. peanutbutter cookies with m&ms
7. reminders that I am a child of God
8. Jessie
9. books
10. pens
11. popsicle sticks in envelopes that help us help the kids behave!
12. pringles
13. clean water to drink
14. Mamba Point
15. Footballs
16. Crayons
17. breeze off the ocean
18. flashlights!
19. night time devotions...LOVE the sound of the kids voices floating across the hill
20. candles
21. Lucy's laughter
22. the way Mary rests her cheek on her foot (you've got to see this, the girl is soooo flexible, i'll get a picture soon!)
23. pepper...he wakes me up every morning
24. bats and lizards! Seriously, they eat the mosquitos
25. Hugs from Aunty Marie