up to 1000

(as you may know) i am trying to capture on paper 1000 things i am thankful for...gifts all from God that i am trying to see...all right in front of me, every minute of life...life that is "all grace".
(not my idea of course, but her's...aholyexperience.com)

here's my #97:
friends that offer to take all my sweet four at 8am(!!) so that i can "come ye apart" and feast on the quiet.

#98...finding myself alone at the beach listening to only the waves and His love crashing all around me.

#99...sand between my toes.

gidget

surf camp (our second try!) was a total hit!
tons of sun, sand and surf was had by our sweet #1!

she got up on the first day and loved every minute of trying to ride the santa monica waves!

i have some video of her last day(i have no idea how to show it on here!)

her sweet friend hazel did the camp too!

God is only and always good...He gives only good things.

(who wants to do surf camp next year?)

the day after i wrote my "perspective" post, i read this...

“From where we stand, we can’t see whether it’s something’s good or bad. All we can see is that God’s sovereign and He is always good, working all things for good.”

"How can I really see if a seeming disaster or dilemma, is actually dire?
My focus need only be on Him, to only faithfully see His Word, to wholly obey. Therein is the tree of life."

-quotes from an awesome blog...
the entire post is so worth the reading..."aholyexperience.com"
..especially the part about the white stallion.

perspective

our summer calendar is filled with plans made by us, crossed out by God...
trip to nor cal...crossed out.
surf camp...crossed out.
visit from sweet friend and her family from sf...crossed out.
fun getaway with just my amazing man...crossed out.
passing the residency board exams on the first try...crossed out.

"many are the plans a man has in his heart, but the ways of the Lord prevail"
-proverbs 19:21

this summer has been a powerful example of the truth of that verse.

giving Him glory and praise, finding joy in the midst of it all has been a wonderfully hard lesson to learn.

realizing that God has no "plan b" is humbling.

our trip to nor cal...we completed it, in His perfect timing!

the kids had an uninterrupted BLAST for seven straight days! (as you can see!)

my city kids loved every bit of country living with their cousins!
(and still miss them and their gram and papa terribly!)

as for the rest of our summer plans...well, we still have our calendar up, and although there are many things "planned", we are learning to face each day with joy...watching to see how God plans to surprise us with His perfect timing and amazing love.

unwired

remember these?

they are no more

ta da!!!

thanks dr. chang! you are awesome!

He is only good

Have your heart right with Christ,

and He will visit you often,

And so turn

weekdays into Sundays,

meals into sacraments,

homes in to temples

and earth into heaven.

~Charles Spurgeon

promises

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

~Galatians 5:6

hard eucharisteo

i am learning what it means to give thanks in every circumstance...the good, the bad, the hideously ugly...

a sweet, sacred friend of mine from my days in sf was just handed this life changing news: colon cancer...in her lymph system, in her lungs.

three little boys love her and call her momma...one amazing man calls her his one-in-flesh wife and has so for nearly 15 years.

not many months ago i called to sing happy songs into her voice mail to celebrate her 40th year of life.

this sweet child of God, fearfully and wonderfully made by His holy hands.

please, if you can, pray for my friend ali, her husband jason, and their boys, theo(8), dietrich(5) and emerson(2.5).

you can see updates on her by going to: "weloveali.tumblr.com"
or you can click on her site from here, over at the right, under her name.

thank you so much for holding this courageous woman up in prayer with me.