point of view

This year I missed Canadian Thanksgiving but celebrated American thanksgiving with friends today.  I don't know if that means I'm acclimatizing or what.  Actually, I was just told by one of my Canadian cousins that I'm developing an accent =) This was a bit of perspective that helped me today.   As I give thanks for God's admonitions that are for my good  because He loves me, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on some of the things I have had to be thankful for recently. 3898.  "The Old Rugged Cross" and the unique way singing harmony allows you to simultaneously listen and agree. 3902.  Bubbles over the street 3938.  Apologies 3952.  Roommate laughter 3968.  Instagram squeals from the niece 3975.  Waking to the sound of rain 3979.  Irrepressible birdsong 4076.  Another free trial version of Photoshop 4086.  Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow 4095.  Stocking pigs and a...

It's been a really long time since I did a gifts post!  Since last spring, in fact...  Here are a few from here and there. #3516  A Mom phone call #3535  Christ, today #3539  "I trust you" #3551 A spontaneous trip to WaWa exclusively for gummy worms #3573  My brother & his girlfriend sitting together in church and the text he sends to his friend's mom "It's official" and her phone isn't on silent #3589 Opa Brink and his "coffee klaar?" #3628 Rippled plains #3634 Evenings of Dutch Blitz and laughter #3635  That precious weight and the privilege of soothing a frightened baby back to sleep #3636  Making dinner with the shelter ladies #3638  Being asked to paint a quilt square for the quilt that kept her hands busy and her resolve strong #3640  A sweet girl playing Veggie Tale clips again and again and again #3641  The impossible conversation that happens  #3643 So much...

Just a few more gifts from my list.  Since I'm trying to be inspired to write a fundraising letter.  =) #3407  A wonderful lady who calls me "Little sis" #3416 Someone at church who perseveres in trying to make conversation even though I can see it's difficult #3422  The carriage house (student center) at school with the morning sun streaming in #3447 An early morning walk to wake myself up after a late night studying! #3448  "I will wait on Your name, for it is good." (Ps 52) #3451  My papers submitted, even if they were terrible     #3460  Emails from my youngest brother, who promises to teach me some self-defense when I come home #3461  Sharing a story that shaped me #3464  Friends who feed me dinner #3467  A Starbucks gift card from my Dad!  #3469  An old friend visiting, and time to be still #3475  A conversion story and the story-teller's joy ...

A few more highlights from my gift list: #3303 "Freedom", my word for 2014 #3314 Seeing my sweet cousin's face, even if it's over Skype #3317  Wind-chime chorus on my street #3321 Unexpectedly discovering a kindred spirit #3323 Facebook messages all full of wedding plans #3327 Breadsticks from the Olive Garden  #3330 How you know, when you walk in the door at CCEF, you will be kindly treated no matter what you're there for #3332 Thabiti Anyabwile and new crochet stitches at unearthly hours of the night #3334  A classmate who cleans the snow off my car for me #3340 "Speak Oh Lord" in church #3344 The mechanic telling me I'm "quite a lady" just because I drive stick and change my own tires...  lol #3347 The sweet lady in the grocery store who finds and returns the shopping list I dropped #3352 Being trusted with a dear friend's struggle ...

This has been a gratitude-filled fall if Thanksgiving dinners are any indication - I've had three =)  One Canadian celebration with family, since I was home for the wedding on the same weekend, one a few weeks later with fellow Canadians in the area (and some additions), and one American thanksgiving with other homeless students.  All of them were lovely, although of course being home with family and having family from the states made the first one very very special.  In the spirit of the most recent one I thought I would share a few more "gifts" from my Ann-Voskamp-inspired gift list. I'm going back to the wedding but there are so many I can only share a few or you'll be here all day!  3034.  The moment I saw Dad walking towards me on the street in TO, new beard and all (I love my Daddy, I can't even express how wonderful a moment like that is)  3036. Heidi surrounded by wedding things 3037.  A peaceful and lovely lunch with Heidi, aunts and Oma...

Some of the 'gifts' from my gift-list , as of late.  Also some random pictures of life since leaving Canada, in no particular order.     2932. Linda's sweet cards, one for each day of my first week...  And another to be saved "For a sad day" 2934.  Discovering the park up the road with Heidi 2935.  Stringing pearls together....  =)  (There will have to be a follow-up photo of our creation sometime!) 2936.  Sharing a coke with Heidi before she got on the bus 2937.  Becky's fresh bread 2940.  Finding the little Saturday farmer's market at the end of the road (complete with 10-year-old busker, cafe, and train station) 2942.  Audrey Hepburn movies free online =)  2944. Whipped cream in my coffee 2945.  The AOC songs ripped from youtube on my mp3 player 2946.  A sweet "do-not-open-until" card from Heidi to help make my bi...

...of color, blessings, love, pain, longing, hope, joy, gifts 1255.  Korean birthday cake 1271. When my car stereo actually works 1287. Little boys under the table 1289.  Choruses of "I love you"s 1298.  How our family always asks how things went 1301.  Grocery store guys giving away carnations 1303.  Laughing babies on youtube.com 1316.  Learning about holy anxiety 1322. An acapella song on a sunny street corner 1332. Stargazing on the driveway 1334. Coyote choruses 1343. Names for special colors, like "verdigris" 1371. Two students discussing another student with a cramp in her leg... "I thought you said Keleese had a CRACK in her leg."  "No, not a crack, it's a CRAP." 1390. Dad making me coffee 1397.  Being told I look like a mama duck with my line of little ones following 1402.  A 1950's novel for a lazy Saturday morning 1448.  How people I don't even know come up to me and say "I read your a...

Here are a few of the things in my "1000 Gifts" notebook from recently: 696 How quickly a day goes by 698 The glowing smile of a bride 707 New pens 711 A grieving family held close by church 715 Sunday afternoon warmth and stillness 718 A movie date (Courageous!) with my 11-year-old brother 720 A child coming to be comforted 735 Bible stories told the Jewish way 736 Spontaneous detours 743 The sound of driving on gravel 780 A little girl who likes being tied up to trees! =) 785 A raised mailbox flag 803 A friend who finds me when I'm anxious and prays over me 809 Guitar stands on stage 814 Remembering magical stories of sailors and rainbows and blue seas 819 Dutch women outside their comfort zones 828 My Opa's harmonica hymns 829 My Oma's perfume 833 A fellow homeschooler in crowds of schoolteachers 834 A very full church 840 Spurgeon books 851 The grace to laugh at myself 853 A moonlit run 863 Earl Grey Va...

In honor of Thanksgiving Day yesterday, here are some of my gift listings since the last post. #358 A sound sleep #360 Unexpected joy #368 Warm campfire sleepiness #370 A baby climbing into my lap uninvited, uncoaxed #374 Curiousity #375 A boy with a big voice to proclaim scripture to passersby #380 Tiny frogs #385 The chance to tell someone, "Jesus Christ is the difference!" #387 A mechanic for a father! #397 A friend who will always be one #399 Being told I am missed #400 The way prairie grasses ripple in green waves, an ocean of wild freedom #406 That they are going even though I can't #411 A mockingbird rejoicing on the TV antenna #417 An unasked for downpour #421 Midnight crickets #429 Joyful black baby faces #432 Djembes at the campfire #438 The evening sun shining back from the windows of a farmhouse #442 Sharing french press #440 Dishtowels that make me laugh (http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/ed/eddingtons-...

I recently started a notebook of "1000 Gifts", inspired by the writer of http://www.aholyexperience.com/. It's kind of an exercise in "counting the ways He loves you", as Ann Voskamp puts it. I am up to #367 right now and I thought I would share a few, and some photos I've taken over the last few months... #1 Redemption - Jesus holding all hell on His shoulders, "I love you" #3 The unrestrained joy of spring's frenzied birdsong #8 Curlicues in a wisp of sunlit steam #13 The untaught dance of baby femininity #14 Coffeeshop air #28 Striped morning sunlight #31 The return of a long-absent friend #33 Colored pencil shavings #35 Gifts waiting to be given, like a secret only you know #50 Iridescent bubbles floating to the sunshine #51 Three generations around the table for a cup of tea #58 Something to do, to give #62 "He will praise the Lord through the night, until the sun arises" #6...