1000 Gifts and Counting

We thank you, O God!!  We give thanks because You are near.

Psalm 75:1

I am so thankful for the big and little things as I clean and box up our belongings.  Here are just a few....

1094.  Large paper drawings that kids have drawn for me over the years that have served as the decoration in my bedroom.  Now they have to be preserved in a photo because the original is in bad condition.

1095.  Reminders on white shirts in my closet that this is real - it's not all in my mind or that all this work is for nothing.

1096. Seeing the boxes begin to stack up....

1097.  Friends who come over to help and work with us....that is a blessing as well...that we can work in the same room instead of working seperately throughout the house.....any time together is a blessing

1098. Pizza & slush to reward hard work!
1099. Blackboard where I can write the reminder for our family that we are bringing shalom into this chaos with our hearts and actions and words

 1100.  More friends!  They played the whole time, but that was a blessing too!

1101.  Handmade gifts that are treasured by us, covered in soot, but we are able to get mostly clean. (this head garland was made by Amy Cooper)

1102.  This rainbow silk was made by Amy Cooper and myself when we lived next to one another on Ash Street.

1103.  Risk frenzy in the midst of chaos....kids having game after game....all precipitated by Nater's constant requests of one and all, "Wanna play Risk with me?"

1104.  Seeing Nater decked out in knight/mosquito protection as he shoots bow.

1105.  Lessons God whispers into our situation as I begin in another room and uncover more soot.  How often we want to deny that there is any sin issue we need to address in our life (similar to Ted's insistance that there was nothing out of the ordinary going on in our house when I would complain of the dirty house or carpets) and also how when we start peeling back and taking spiritual stock of our heart - we begin to see how insidious sin really is and how prevealent it is (just like here in the classroom after I took down our 13 colony timeline).  Only then can we do the work to remove it - first we have to see it!

1106.  Amy B. & KC both supporting, praying, listening to me before I had shalom in this chaos
1107.  Yummy meal that Amy brought that we spread out for days!!
1108.  Sunshine - name and the person behind the name who guides me thru this process

 1109.  Jake's music echoing through the house as I work....makes me smile now! His song about time.

1110.  Natalie letting me borrow more Ray Vander Laan to listen to as I work!  Kids are also listening to him in other rooms.
1111.  Changing my focus off self and onto thankfulness and the reminder that in every circumstance I'm building His church and to be bringing shalom into chaos.

1112.  hearing things like "it's like the sky or heaven", "it's white like us after Jesus washed our sins away", "it's like the color of honey because remember Taste and See that the Lord is good!" coming out of my kid's mouths as they try to convince each other what color they should go with for their rooms

1113.  Time in the Word to refresh my soul....helping me to go to Him for all my needs

Hebrews 4:16 

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  

There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

1114.  Boys - amazing helpers anytime I ask!

1115.  Farmers Insurance - each time I start working in a new area of the house and see all the soot, I whisper how thankful I am for the insurance company covering this - without their help we'd be stuck living in it.  Which in turn - spurns me on to thank Christ each time as well, for the price He paid to wash my sins aways.....Where would I be without Him????

1116.  Washer, dryer and dishwasher  to clean things - each day all are loaded many times with sooty items to clean - every time I pull out something I'm blown away with thankfulness.

1117.  Chemical sponges - lifesaving tool to clean pictures!

1118.  Exhaustion at the end of the day

1119.  Soot.....I am thankful for it, for how it has reminded me once again of what truly is important in this life - what is lasting - what I want to focus on - not on things but on those He has put in my life to love and care for and for His Word!!