January (Week Four)

January 22 One grace wrinkled, one grace smoothed, one grace unfolded

There is an elderly couple in our church whom we adore. I don't know that they would totally appreciate that I said they are a grace wrinkled, but they are getting up there in years. We appreciate their wisdom, their love for their church family, and their joy. They are contagious :o)! (I could post their photo, but I won't :o)).

piles and piles of freshly washed and dried laundry, smoothed and folded into neat piles.

As I was cleaning up some things that belong to the Littles, I found this:

Peanut spent many hours while we were still in the PI folding and and unfolded it. I've smoothed it out as best I can, as I think that someday it will be something she will treasure.


January 23 Three gifts found in Christ

• forgiveness. Oh how I need this every. single. day.
• eternal life. Knowing that there is a future much better than life here on earth.
• grace. Oh how I love His grace! Where would I be without it?

January 24 Three things blue

the girl's bathroom. Even though blue is supposed to be a cool colour, I adore this blue and it makes me think of warmer days, memorable vacations, and summertime! (It looks more green than blue in the photo, sorry).

my GEMS bag. It contains what I need to teach young hearts more about God's love and grace.

a little blue stone that keeps traveling around our home. It's from a baptism at church. The blue symbolizing water and the washing away of our sins.

January 25 One grace borrowed, one grace found, one grace inherited

A Barney DVD. Seriously! It gives me about an hour of peace every day as the girls love to watch it twice through every day.

my Oma's buffet. It has stood the test of time and children. The glass has been broken out of it and now houses a plastic window that was done by my dad to make it look like the original. Can you tell?

January 26 A gift before nine am, a gift before noon, a gift before dark

that first cup of rich dark coffee

little girls happily playing out in the melting snow.

arriving at music lessons in the daylight (barely yet, but it wasn't dark).

January 27 Three gifts that might have never been

• Squirt. God saw fit to bless us with her even though we had pretty much given up hope of having another child.
• The Littles. Only through our obedience to God's calling upon our hearts. Although they are a LOT of work yet at this point, we often see how God had already designed them perfectly for our family before we even knew them.
• Five great years of homeschooling. It was challenging and at times frustrating, but also one of the best decisions we'd ever made. I see the residue of it still in our four oldest children. I am so thankful that the Engineer came home with the news that we might be traveling with him to new locations for work. I'm also thankful they fell through. 

 January 28 Three graces found in your friends (I had to add more than three here).

• A. -- my prayer warrior and encourager. My biggest prayer warrior and encourager. She lets me know she's thinking of me and praying for me through frequent emails.
• S. -- the gift of laughter. She can make me double over with laughter -- especially when we take her dogs to the vet.
• J. -- first homeschooling, blogging mom I met who I knew would become a great friend -- even though we've yet to meet in real life.
• K .--  also the gift of encouragement. She knows the tough times because she's been through the same ones. She's always there to encourage me.
• H .-- the gift of honesty. I love that she tells it how she feels it. She has a passionate heart.
• M. -- passion. She may be young, but she has such a passion for Christ and for adoption and seeing her heart gives me hope for each of my daughters.