Gifts of Thankfulness----Oh So SWEET!

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones--Proverbs 16:24.  

A short, midweek, get-a-way to Baltimore's Inner Harbor, allows for some much needed down time. As friendship is shared,  and pleasant words exchanged...
my list of thankfulness is growing, and with it, plenty of sweetness to go around. 
550.   The lights and sights of the harbor by night. 

551.   Purple dragon boat rides in the harbor by day. 

552.   Hotel vending machines at midnight because the packed box of snacks isn't accessible.   

553.   Conversations highlighting personal growth and rewards, through the rigors of ministry. 

554.   An open-mindedness----- no, it hasn't changed "who" or "what" we are, but rather has shaped "how" we respond to the world around us. 

555.   Moments in life that keep us real...keep us grounded  (usually the less than perfect & humbling).

556.   Savoring "good food" moments in Little Italy (pizza and pastries and gelato galore)      

557.   $6.00 worth of cinnamon Jelly Belly's, oh yeah!

558.   Favor upon a daughter's honesty at a concert ticket booth (not during this trip, but worth noting).  

559.   Kodak moments that define a summer lived to the fullest.                                 

560.  Camaraderie with other pastor friends and their families.

     Pleasant words are a honeycomb--sweet to the soul and healing to the bones---speak them often.   And every now and again, on the way to 1000 gifts of thankfulness --- eat your dessert, FIRST! 

                                                      CRYSTAL

Unplanned Gifts!!

UNPLANNED GIFTS 

You don't have to know me well, to know I AM A PLANNER.   Planning has been a vital component in multiplying my joys and dividing my sorrows, for the better part of 40 years....and although I won't be  changing that anytime soon, I have a growing appreciation for the UNPLANNED. 

   Most recently, it was physical discomfort and dental necessity that required Sarah to have 4 wisdom teeth extracted.   Although she might have chosen to script her very first college spring break differently, it was the slower pace of recovery, the beauty of springtime and choosing a thankful heart  that yielded "unplanned" additions to our list of 1000 gifts.  

210.  Sleeping with the windows open and white sheer curtains blowing in the breeze.

211.  Curling up on the couch for 4 hours and watching Gone With The Wind.

212.  Taking the entire day off to make sure she ate her applesauce and stayed pain free. 

                                                                    

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217.  An uneventful course to recovery. 

218.  Matt's first baseball game of the season. (a win)

219.  Sitting in the sun and working in our flower gardens.  

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221.  Quality time teaching my 18 year old daughter there is more than one way to dry clothes.  (see picture)

Actually, hanging the clothes out to dry, was her idea.  

222.  Blaring music and singing in the car (kids with parents)

223.  The greater gift is that they still love to do it at age 15 and 18.

224.  That feeling of total contentment, special memories made, even while packing to take Sarah back to  college.

Planned or otherwise, gifts are all around.

CRYSTAL

To Love and Be Loved

As my "1000 gifts list" continues to grow, I am thankful for the gift of LOVE.....the kind of love that never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

1 Corinthians 13:7

The red roses and chocolate covered strawberries reserved for days like these, makes that 1000 gifts list too.  (smiling)  

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We were all there for one reason...To celebrate our love (ok, and maybe a good Italian meal too).  Valentines Day 2012 marked 22 years since our first one together.   We shared reflections and endearments before shifting our thoughts to so many of those around us.   Couples from every conceivable walk of life filled the tables.  From one end of the restaurant to the other,  I couldn't help but wonder, "what was their story?"    Did love flow easily or require great effort?  Was it intentional and celebrated or did it require sacrifice?   I know our story includes all of the above.  I know God's story includes all of the above.   What about your story?  
Whether Phileo love (brotherly love) or Eros love ( intimate or romantic), it is   Agape love (Christ's love) at work within us  that makes our stories possible.... makes our stories beautiful.  In loving and being loved, may we have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high and how deep HIS love really is.    Ephesians 3:18  
                                                Crystal