Multitude Monday, Take 199

Um. Apparently it's been a while. I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. And I've in fact had a gazillion things to be thankful for the last couple of weeks--the gifts upon gifts of visiting a dear friend two weeks ago and then spending ten days up in Ohio with our families.

So although I haven't been posting here, I've been counting, counting, counting gifts. The thing I love about gratitude lists is that it's addictive. I've been keeping a daily gratitude list, from which I compose the weekly blog list, since I started a visual homemaking journal in July 2009. It's funny to see how the average length of the daily lists has grown. Y'all, in my journal I am up to 5,435 gifts. More than five thousand specific ways God has poured out His grace on me. And I know there are thousands more I never bothered to record! I serve a generous, extravagant God who wisely bestows gifts on His children--not always the gifts I want or think I need, but always, if I have eyes to see it, gifts that are good.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been thanking Him for many things, including...

1496. green everywhere
1497. bright pink trees in bloom
1498. a trip to Washington, D.C., where I got to visit two dear friends
1499. His sovereignty in bringing both women into my life
1500. a list of over a hundred things to be thankful for about that trip

1501. the miracle of air travel
1502. being reunited with Steve and Elijah
1503. time to focus on just Jude while we were gone
1504. Steve's being respected and valued at work
1505. a trip to Ohio so the boys and I could be with family and friends while Steve was away on business

1506. my amazing, generous, loving, servant-hearted parents and in-laws
1507. opportunities to cook for others
1508. catching up with old friends
1509. being reunited with Steve again
1510. fabulous date at Bravo after he got back

1511. wine
1512. exercise
1513. good metabolism
1514. a church I sorely miss when I have to be away
1515. soft t-shirts

1516. flip-flop weather
1517. a climate where it rains year-round, not "rainy season" and "dry season"
1518. Sovereign Grace's new album, Risen (only $5 for the mp3 download until Friday!)
1519. Jude's excitement to nurse
1520. grace to persevere when nursing was so awful

1521. free books
1522. eyes to see beauty all around me
1523. loving me when I am unlovable
1524. loving me perfectly, not dependent on my performance or in comparison with anyone else
1525. friends who preach the gospel to me

1526. clothing me in the righteousness of Christ