Writing

The more I count what He gives, the more I come to understand that there is nothing that I have not received.  Even those things for which I feel like I am owed some credit are gifts.  Some examples:

1. My father-in-law calls me “Missy 3.9”.  It’s a reference to my grade point average in college.  I am very gifted academically.  But, as the term “gifted” states, my academic prowness is simply a gift.  I’ve done nothing to earn it.
2. I take photographs.  Some people say they’re beautiful.  I can grow proud easily over these comments.  I can look at another photographers work and critique their poor composition or their personal tastes in processing. But my camera (even broken as it is currently), my bringing an image to life, and even my vision itself is a gift from God.  I cannnot take pictures without His grace.
3. My daughters behave wonderfully in public.  They rarely cry, they walk with me hand in hand, they never suffer stranger anxiety, and they listen when I say “Do not touch.”  How easy it is for me to say that their good behavior is due to good time for our outings or that I have trained them to obey me at such a young age.  But the truth is that they are good-natured kids who become quiet when they are overstimulated.  Those character traits are in spite of me, not because of me. In fact, I often struggle to spend quality time with them each day and, also, to be consistent in discipline.

Every thing I have is a gift from a good God.  Gifts that I can grow proud over or gifts that I can bow humbly to say “Thank you” when I recognize them.  I’m slowly learning to choose the latter.

Here are #1522-1579 of the thousands of gifts He gives… that I am just beginning to comprehend.

• Sleeping through the night for the first time in over a week
• A fabulous swim workout
• Ladies bible study
• A visit from Tamara and little Lydia
• The girls sharing toys with Lydia
• Girls “Awake and wiggly” for the first time in weeks when daddy came hom.
• Empty boxes filled with babies
• Snuggling and petting Moonbeam kitty
• Aeralind picking out a skirt to wear today
• Striped tights- I love them!  Tell me why grown women don’t wear striped tights?  I’m so jealous 🙂
• Bungee cording Julia’s package to my mailbox so I don’t have to go to the post office.  My mail lady thinks it’s as funny as I do.
• Bronwyn sitting through nebulizer treatments in the middle of the night with such sweet patience.
• Broken camera being replaced by generous parents
• Ergo on its way!
• Wonder-waiting to see if 11 year old Chella took the gratitude challenge
• Little girl shoes found consistently in drawers.  At least when they hide their shoes they’re trying to be neat 😉
• Hot Tub Night
• 17 months with the girls
• Rearranging furniture in my bedroom
• Cuddle with Derek time
• Fun with UMoMs at the Winter Party
• Zachary hugging and mothering my girls 
• Marshmallow fluff: I hate the stuff but Derek has been teasing me about it for weeks
• Opening my business checking account with Lindy
• Chatting with Lindy
• The gift of Brandt
• A much needed eye appointment
• The ability to write 
• The covenantal love of God.  He doesn’t have to love me, but He chooses to love me steadfastly.
• The drudgery of writing business document
• Exhaustion: reminder than I am not God.  I need rest.
• The new arrangement of furniture in my bedroom.  I want to be in there more 🙂
• Lack of sleep: I can only do all things through Christ right now.
• More conviction at SCORE.  I am a sluggard
• My bedtime
• The color green.
• Putting a rubber grip from a dead pen onto a pen painfully missing a rubber grip
• Leaky diaper spray warm in my lap
• Reaching the center of my Thanks Moelskin.
• Princess Polka Dot and Princess Popsicle dresses from Auntie Kay.
• Little girls wearing hats the entire time in nursery.
• Sunshine
• More conviction
• Sweet Gum balls

• Little girls chewing on sweet gum balls

• Aeralind joyfully exclaiming “Hi, duck!” to the ducks at the lake and trying desperately to walk on water to get to them.
• Over-curious babies not getting their wishes to jump in the lake.
• Cedar Knees

• Derek laughter as I sigh joy about trees
• The moon seen during the day

• Little girls distracted by every dog they see even though distance of less than 1 foot between them and the dog terrify them.
• The beautiful white tree

• Little girl squeals
• Days getting longer again
• Rest.
• Barefoot soccer goalie-ing at SCORE.
• Holding a fussy Aeralind close and feeling her relax into me.
• Books to fill a quiet evening.

I feel like I have lived nearly a month in 7 days time: sickness, Dr. Appointments, Surgery, Screaming, lack of sleep. a broken washer, more sleeplessness, nebulizer treatments, and many more.  For most of the week, I’ve been able to sit back and open my arms to receive what He gives and the grace that comes with the receiving.

#1482-1521 of the Gifts the Lord just Keeps Giving

• Aeralind inviting me to play “tickle tickle tickle”
• Two tired sick babies giggling on the bean bag chair
• Girl sleeping the early evening through so I could work on stuff
• Figuring out how to use a Concordance and Greek-Enlish Lexicon
• A & B falling asleep for the 2nd time after Tylenol in our bed snuggled warm
• Derek takin a half-day to go to the ENT with me
• Being celebrities at the ENT because the Dr.’s wife’s name is Bronwyn too
• Getting the go-ahead for tubes
• Asking- half joking- if we could do tubes tommorrow
• Being told yes!
• Bronwyn- feverish- taking a long afternoon nap
• Aeralind snuggling with me and playing with her food
• Aeralind and Daddy Jedi-mind tickling each other
• Derek running out to a scratch and dent store to look for washers.
• finding some cheap ones
• Derek gaining the nickname “Rice Man” at our Trader Joes. We buy rice milk 2 cases at a time: enough for 1 whole month.
• The “rice man” bringing home sushi for me!
• Both girls asleep on either side of me when Derek came home.  That hasn’t happend since before they could roll.
• Soft breathing in the dark.
• Joy found- even in the hardships
• Girls so shocked by leaving the house in the dark that they were no upset by having no food or drink
• Chicken biscuits eaten in the car.
• Laughter when we arrived at teh wrong surgery center
• More laughter as Aeralind, my easy-going child, started screaming everytime she saw the nurse who put on her pulse oximeter and chest wires.
• Aeralind snuggling right up to the anesthesiologist as he carried her to and from the OR
• Bronwyn begging to be held by Dr. Green and all of us laughing at the way Bronwyn’s just love him.
• Both girls coming through anesthesia/surgery fine.
• Finally leaving the surgery center!
• Moments after arriving hom seeing a car pull in the driveway and it being my sweet high school friend Heather.  I totally forgot she was comming.
• Little girls returning ot normal and showing off with squeals and the stealing of each others’ food
• Playing with playdough with Heather and the girls
• Hearing about Heather’s life
• Seing Bronwyn play after two day of listless fevers
• Getting in a 20 minute nap before the girls woke up from theirs
• Snugggling with two screaming girls for an hour in my bed
• Tylenol
• Little girls begging for and receiving some of my salmon cake.
• Salmon cakes- mostly dairy free babies have to get their calcium from somwhere and they love salmon cakes (and broccoli!)
• Girls sitting on adult chairs eating snacks (they love it!)
• Little girls holding dolls by the hands and dragging lawn mowers behind them.  These truly are girls after my own heart.
• Studying Beauty with Julia