One Thousand Blessings 306 - 315

Grateful is my Heart

for the goodness of the earth

for the fragrance of flowers

for harvest that gives joy

for beauty that's found even in a parking lot

for a creative husband's cooking fun

for the gift of a loving son

for his hard work studying science and math

the joy of family

for the creativity of a breakfast chef

for sweet joys that arrive from friends!

For these and so many more unspoken, unwritten blessings that happen every day!

~All is Gift ...... All is Blessing

Awakening to More Blessings 301 - 305

For chicken soup

such warmth and sustenance in one bowl.

 

For melting snow

and life-giving water

 

  For the incredible, never-forgettable moment

when I saw "my mother's dish pattern" in the thrift store...

just waiting for me to find them!

so very, very randomly

 

♥For a tiny visitor to my kitchen ♥

♥

For the dear students that make my day!
~

For all these things, and those I didn't note

but have enriched my life and heart ♥ I thank you, Lord.

~All is Gift ...... All is Blessing

New Blessings 290 - 300

For new classes that are a pleasure to teach.

For the students who return to visit.

A wonderful husband ♥

My son's vibrant interest in what he's been studying

For calm with no worries about my daughter's wedding...

Because we know there is love.

My warm home

"mountain fresh" laundry

good for me salmon dinner made by Chris.

Our local diners

an emerging geranium bud

Old cars that keep running

~All is Gift ...... All is Blessing

Christmas Thanksgivings ~281 - 289

281.  It's always the thought that counts!
My daughter, Amanda surprised me last week with a package in the mail.

She bought a darling sweater vest at Sears that I just loved... I went out to find one too... but to no avail-they were sold out!
After she got back to her town, she looked for one at her Sears and surprised me with it!
How Fun!
We match on our first day back after vacation (vests, shirts and bag)!
A fun way to start a full week of work!

282.  A student baked a heart shaped cookie and decorated for Christmas!

283.   Here's the most adorable dress for a flower girl.

My daughter, Rachael found it at Penny's for her flower girls to wear!

284.  tenderly wrapped packages by my father

How sweet!

285.  funny Christmas cards that made me laugh out loud!

286.  Safe returns from snowshoeing in the Adirondacks for Husband and Son.

287.  for hot yummy drinks in the cold of winter

288.  The twinkling ~ sparkling snowflakes hanging in my classroom window!

289.  The time spent by a colleague crocheting this cute boot.
I filled it with candy canes and used them for sustained silent reading times!

For love in my life
and
so much more,
Thank you, Lord Jesus


~All is Gift ...... All is Blessing
~All is Gift ...... All is Blessing

One Thousand Gifts #271 - 280

Sometimes the most amazing things happen when you least expect.

Teaching is very rewarding work.

But it doesn’t always feel that way.

Some students are as focused as a cat watching for signs of its prey moving in the grass.

The prey –in education– is knowledge.

Others can hardly contain their own thoughts, let alone absorb any others.

Yesterday was the kind of day when the latter students overcame the focus of the former.

At the end of each school day, I read my devotional calendar quote again and then open to Psalms.  I am reading one each day ~ in order.

Yesterday’s reading was Psalm 27.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life –

Of whom shall I be afraid?

…

One think I ask of the Lord,

This is what I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

And to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

He will keep me safe in his dwelling;

He will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

And set me high upon a rock.

…  at this moment, the  cloudy sky opened for the sun… and its warm glow reached my face.

I looked up from my reading and accepted the comfort.

Hear my voice when I call, O Lord;

Be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

Your face, Lord I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me,

Do not turn your servant away in anger;

You have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

O God my Savior.

…

I am still confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the Lord

In the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

Be strong and take heart

And wait for the Lord.”

. . . I stayed at the window for a few moments more, feeling the comfort of the Lord’s  word and in the sunshine he sent me.

In that moment of acceptance and as peace was returning to my spirit – a student that is trying to overcome an ongoing problem with focus, schoolwork and discipline, and one of the sources of my disappointment for the day… quietly walked in and said, Mrs. C, I’m just checking in with you.  What can I turn in tomorrow that I owe? 

He was after school catching up for one of his other teachers… and took a break to visit his other teachers that may still be in the building.

I told him that I had a difficult day (which he knew about first hand) and was glad to see him.  I was glad to see that the hard work we do (teachers and students) can pay off… can make a difference.

The Lord sent me a gift in that small, five minute visit.  The day ended with a reward. 

For this, I thank you, Lord.

272.   For a warm home to come home to.
273.  For Chris ... who gets my toast and travel cup ready every morning!

274.  For my children who work so hard...
275.  For work
276.  The sweet ways the Lord lets me know He IS
277.  Sunrises on the way to work
278.  Pretty views from my windows
279.  Fresh vegetables still coming from under the snow.

280.  Our sweet birds that visit for the winter

~All is Gift ...... All is Blessing

Gratitude

~All is Gift ...... All is Blessing

One Thousand Gifts *271- 270*

271. Take home dinner that's big enough for two!

272. Saturday mornings... quiet... hot second cups of coffee...

273. Longer time together ~ walks and talks

274. Rachael & Juan's great arrangement with wedding venue...

275. Pies already made and in the freezer

276. Authors that weave love and faith in their stories so that students in a sterile, secular environment can find some truth and beauty.

277. Challenging students that test my teaching skills and patience.

278. Tender students that tug at heartstrings and reach out for hugs

279. Still innocent students that still need a teddy bear.

280. The joy of my nieces during their visit on Tuesday...Their 'pleases' and 'thank yous' hugs and giggles.

~All is Gift ...... All is Blessing