Multitude Monday, Take 299

"These are gifts. They beg praise to Him. Holy joy lies in the habit of murmuring thanks to God for the smallest of graces. Sure, I mess it up and gripe a thousand times, but just like you keep doing the laundry, you just keep beginning fresh again — The habit of Thanksgiving is the one habit to wear for a lifetime. And the thing is, really – There is only one gift — the one ocean of Christ that falls as rain over us in a thousand ways." (Ann Voskamp, "How to Figure Out the Equation of a Good Week, a Good Life")


Counting those thousands of ways this week, thanking Him for...

5618. a friend making a long drive to watch Elijah's soccer game
5619. friends making long drives to meet with me and read the Word with me
5620. the funds to fix our money-pit cars
5621. early morning grocery shopping
5622. boxes of voice and piano music sorted, purged, organized

5623. grace to be diligent and productive
5624. mercy when I am not diligent or productive
5625. dance lessons at home in our living room
5626. Lisa Velthouse's candor and piercing observation of the gospel in 2 Samuel 15
5627. time to study the Word

5628. the opportunity to host Elijah's teacher and her husband and daughter
5629. a new friend's wonder at creation
5630. encouragement from my husband
5631. the crinkle cutter I've had for a year but have just recently discovered I like
5632. an evening of deep, interesting, meaningful conversations with friends

5633. a friend having cinnamon crunch bagels at a meeting, just when I'd been thinking of stopping at Panera after the meeting for exactly that
5634. answered prayer for unity
5635. sweet time of planning and fellowship with friends
5636. Sharpie pens in new colors sold individually at Target
5637. perfect fall afternoon light

5638. clouds floating across an impossibly blue sky
5639. reminders not to store up treasures where moth and rust destroy
5640. Jesus as the ultimate Prophet who brought God's message and who WAS the message made flesh
5641. Jesus as the ultimate Priest who offered a sacrifice and who WAS the sacrifice
5642. Jesus as the ultimate King who administered the law justly and who KEPT the law perfectly

5643. our pastor's passionate preaching of these glorious truths
5644. Steve's moving-as-usual Scripture reading
5645. the opportunity to discuss it with him more fully later
5646. a backrub while I washed a giant pile of dishes
5647. a boy from church choosing to be baptized and follow Christ

5648. time to sit at the park and study while Steve and the boys took a bike ride