God's LOVE...

Today we met and the question was,
"Have you experienced God's love?"

HAVE you REALLY experienced God's love?

DO you experience God's love?

REALLY?

And of course, we chatted about the day we "met" HIM, that day where the blinders fell off,

and the light streamed through,

and we knew the love of Christ fully, completely.

But in the day to day, HAVE we experienced God's love?

Can we say that we have?

Do we really KNOW HIS love?

And I smiled, because I knew, just when.

Yes, I have.

Yes, I do.

My mind went back to 15 years ago.

Do you see him?

See his face?

See him looking at me?

The one in the corner.

That fresh, handsome face?

When I walked through the doors,

And started down the isle,

and saw that face...

I knew.
I saw His love, in his eyes.

Those eyes followed me all the way down.

They never wavered.

They never wandered.

They stayed right with me all the way down.

And I knew.

Those eyes have been with me ever since.

Through all the good stuff.

Through all the heartache.

All the illness.

All the joy.

All the tears.

They have never wavered.

They have never wandered.

And every day I look into them.

I know I am loved.

By the ONE who made him.

Just for me.

Yes.

I have REALLY experienced God's love.

Endless ways...Endless gifts...

71. his eyes

72.  his permanent smile

73.  Wedding photos that record the memories

74.  Monday afternoons with Patty

75.  Grandmas and Grammies and Nanas

76.  My favorite sweatshirt

77.  Birds chirping even though the winds blow

78.  last minute offers to babysit 

79.  Family Bible Study

80.  voice mails from my favorite buddies

Endless Gifts...

they keep coming.  everyday.  amazing.

51.  happy horn honking...

52.  that HE holds onto me...and not the other way around

53.  newlywed neighbors to remind me of the beginning

54.  another week growing with Li

55.  Kiki's "woooo hoooo!"

56.  poppafisherman's warm apple crisp and homemade ice cream....yum

57.  e-mail invites to dine...that pop up at just the "right" time

58.  the hope stored up in heaven...

59.  the coffee... that is "cafe," and the giggles that erupt

60.  the miracle that for some reason God made me the wife of poppa fisherman and the mama of FOUR yahoos...

Blessings in the snow...

As we are waiting for the snow...we are warmed up remembering all that HE had done...

41.  winter winds while safe inside

42.  Li's blanket, fresh out of the dryer

43.  home made laundry soap

44.  the calm before the storm

45.  movie night with the yahoos

46.  a fresh bowl of popcorn

47.  2nd chances

48.  Jeff's "hmmmmmmmmm" that makes my heart flutter

49.  Li's cartwheels

50.  Li's favorite song...over and over and over again!

Sacred Silliness...

We howl with laughter at the joke we just created.

No one else would understand it.

I think of it now and it makes me grin...to see him behave in such a silly way.

Just like him.

A full grown man, embracing the little boy that still flourishes inside.

That little boy drives me insane some days.  Ok...a lot of days.  And I sit now and wonder why?

That little boy brings me joy in the midst of such pain.

What a gift that grin is to me.  That deep, rumbling chortle that bubbles up from inside his middle aged belly.

Oh, I like him oh so much!

It still shocks me that he choose me to do this with...

live out the days,

worshiping God,

playing house with all these kids.

What a blessing.

I am so glad.  HE choose him.  For me.

Thousand Endless Gifts 11-20

Week #2 in our List of Endless Gifts...

11. pretty little notebooks to write our Endless Gifts in...

12.  friends to keep you on the straight and narrow...

13.  lunchtime hugs from hubby...

14.  my afternoon cup of pink milk...

15.  whispers shared between little people...

16.  whispers shared between myself and my little people...

17.  Kiki's kiss....mmmmwwwwaaahhh!

18.  old movies to share with old friends...

19.  waking up to those sweet brown eyes peering back at me...

20.  having them all come safely back home again...

The Thousand, Endless Gifts...

I stumbled upon this blog post by Ann Voskamp and have been smitten by her simple, warm, worshipful writing.  She has been compiling a list of endless gifts for two years now. Since it is the new year, I thought  we might join her!

Part of a prayerful, worshipful life is being thankful for all that He has bestowed upon us.  How much time do you spend reflecting on all that is good in your life?  Too often our minds dwell on the negative...and our words and actions reflect those dark thoughts as well. 

So we begin the new year, with a new list...of what we are grateful for...

A Thousand Endless Gifts!

1. crazy colored cozy socks

2. swinging in the hammock while reading a favorite book

3. the way Jeff says my name

4.  playful puppy dogs

5.  sleepy puppy dogs

6.  Mae's sweet voice singing thru the darkness from the back of the truck

7.  Mac's steady, reasurring presence

8.  listening to the little one learning new words

9.  my old NASB Bible, pages worn with tears and hope from the very beginning until now

10.  Celebrating the New Year with dear friends



Happy New Year, dear friends.




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