1000 Gifts

It’s been a crazy awesome couple of weeks here! Thanking God for healing, an awesome family reunion, a safe road trip, a working washing machine, and these…

3 Gifts Finished

532. A birthday party.
533. My husband’s break from football.
534. The kids’ homework.

3 Gifts Flourishing

535. Weeds in our layout.
536. A litter of puppies.
537. The kids’ appetite.

A Gift Unexpected, Uneven, Unpopular

538. Rain.
539. The path outside our home.
540. An early bed time for the kids.

3 Gifts Shy

541. The sun at dawn.
542. A bride’s smile.
543. Sons who were surprisingly not shy when they met dozens of relatives.

3 Gifts Shelved

544. Jewelry.
545. Makeup.
546. Footwear.

3 Gifts Shining

547. The blazing sun.
548. Lights in my grandfather’s church.
549. A blue night light.

3 Gifts Orange

550. My grandmother’s outfit.
551. The wheels of 3 toy cars.
552. A packet of laundry detergent.

3 Gifts Falling

553. The temperature as we approached our city.
554. Gravel from the truck ahead of us.
555. Showers of blessing – every single day.

A Gift Caught, Let Go, Mid-Way

556. Time alone with God.
557. The boys as they boarded their school bus.
558. A stern lecture during study time.

3 Gifts Reaped

559. An early morning, after going to bed on time.
560. Several answered prayers.
561. Stronger faith and patience, reaped through struggles.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

“All you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you.
They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
so that all men may know of your mighty acts…” (Psalm 145:10-12a)

A Gift Fixed, Folded, Freckled

511. A broken helicopter.
512. A washcloth.
513. A puppy.

3 Gifts in Conversation

514. Laughing together.
515. Fears revealed.
516. Honest opinions.

3 Gifts in Salvation

517. Undeserved forgiveness.
518. Hope for a better tomorrow.
519. An eternal home.

3 Gifts in Information

520. Knowledge.
521. Awareness.
522. Better decisions.

A Gift Rattling, Receding, Reclaiming

523. A neighbor’s door.
524. Coughs.
525. My morning quiet time.

3 Gifts Quiet

526. Mornings with my coffee and Bible.
527. A 5 minute nap.
528. Kids fast asleep in their rooms.

3 Gifts Funny

529. The sons imitating their father.
530. Excitement over new school bags.
531. My husband’s wit.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

As our family enters the home stretch of a long drawn sickness, I’ve realized that it’s easier to thank God when body temperatures are low and no one is coughing a fit. But it takes a special kind of grace, to be able to thank God through the coughs and high temperatures. Here I am, thanking God for His grace and strength that carried us through last week.

3 Hard Eucharisteo

490. The sound of my sons coughing.
491. Fever.
492. A trip to the doctor.

3 Gifts in His Word

493. Chosen (I Peter 1:2)
494. Jesus, my living hope (I Peter 1:3)
495. I’m kept by the power of God (I Peter 1:5)

A Gift Scented, Scrawled, Started

496. The kids’ medicines.
497. Temperatures and medication schedules.
498. Late nights.

3 Gifts Drawn

499. The living room curtains.
500. A sigh of relief.
501. A picture.

3 Gifts Paired

502. Clean socks.
503. Salt and pepper.
504. Sunshine and rain.

3 Gifts Shared

505. Responsibility.
506. Concern.
507. A packet of savories.

3 Gifts Ugly-Beautiful

508. Bits of paper scattered on our carpet.
509. 3 pairs of flip-flops strewn around.
510. The sons fighting and then playing together, within minutes.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

As sickness threatens to do us in, I plod on… continuing on my quest to find 1000 things I’m grateful to God for.

A Gift Cool, Warm, Sun-Soaked

469. A light morning breeze.
470. Breakfast.
471. Sunlight streaming through the kitchen window onto Judah.

3 Gifts Autumn

472. Light rains.
473. Cooler evenings.
474. Jackets and caps.

3 Gifts Growing

475. 3 pairs of feet.
476. My Kindle library.
477. My patience :).

3 Gifts Given

478. Fever medication for Jon.
479. Paints for the kids.
480. Hot water for the boys.

A Gift Made, Masked, Marveled

481. A Lego excavator.
482. Jon tying a handkerchief across his face and pretending to be a doctor.
483. The fact that we survived without a washing machine for an entire week.

3 Gifts Framed

484. A mirror.
485. Spectacles.
486. A verse in our living room.

3 Gifts Moving

487. “Cars”, the movie on TV.
488. Clothes drying on the line.
489. Jason & Judah walking to the school bus with their father.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalm 100:1-2)

3 Gifts Long Awaited

448. Salvation.
449. Physical healing.
450. Jesus’ second coming?! 🙂

A Gift One, Two, Three

451. One twin tricycle, mangled by the kids.
452. Two cows on the road, that scared me witless.
453. Three marigold saplings.

3 Gifts Very Small

454. A tiny piece of Lego.
455. Sugar granules.
456. Coarsely ground home-grown pepper.

3 Miracles

457. A thumb that hurts no more.
458. Our triplets.
459. My salvation.

3 Gifts Summer

460. Crispy dried clothes.
461. Warm water from the kitchen tap.
462. Ice cream.

3 Gifts Cut

463. Jon’s hair.
464. A packet of noodles.
465. A loose thread.

3 Gifts Yellow

466. A yellow bath towel.
467. 3 yellow cotton shirts.
468. Yellow clothes clips.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm 103:1-2)

A Gift Straight, Curve, Turn

427. Running on the straight road beside the park.
428. The triplets’ smiles.
429. Watching vehicles turn, while standing at the corner of the road with my sons.

3 Gifts in Light

430. The red glow of the morning son through my kitchen window.
431. The glare from the TV as my husband and I watch Masterchef Australia.
432. The indicator on a mosquito repellant.

3 Gifts Old

433. A cushion my husband bought me when I was pregnant.
434. An old tattered apron, now cut up into rags.
435. An old oven, passed on to me by a loving grandparent.

3 Gifts Moving

436. The wheels on our clothes stand.
437. My husband’s fingers as he plays the guitar.
438. Lips moving in praise at our prayer group meeting.

3 Gifts Fragile

439. A souvenier from Malaysia, gifted by a dear family.
440. Our good china.
441. Our 2 remaining large water glasses.

A Gift Cut, Sewn, Buttoned

442. The sons’ hair.
443. A darned sleeve.
444. The kids’ pants.

3 Gifts New

445. New stationary for the kids to give away at an orphanage.
446. A new healthy smoothie recipe.
447. A new wake-up time for me!

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

Having been offline the past 5 days, I failed to notice that my guest post went live at Growing Home on August 15th. So, if you haven’t read about the birth of our triplets yet, head on over and check it out.

Among all the blessings I continue to count, I’m thanking God today for His grace and protection on our family during our road trip the past week. And here are the other things I’m thankful for…

A Gift in a Ring, Curve, Sphere

406. My husband’s name engraved in my wedding ring.
407. Shin guards for soccer.
408. A dozen brightly colored balls.

3 Gifts Ugly-Beautiful

409. Drowsiness.
410. A forgotten handbag.
411. Chennai’s sweltering heat.

3 Gifts of Family

412. 4 generations under one roof.
413. The first and fourth generation, deep in conversation.
414. Unconditional support.

3 Gifts in the Morning

415. Sons, excited to start their day.
416. Coffee.
417. A fresh start.

A Gift Red, Read, Written

418. A bumper car.
419. The newspaper.
420. Daily expenses.

3 Gifts in Church

421. Praying for India.
422. Flowers.
423. A new CD.

3 Gifts of Serving

424. My mother, packing up frozen food for our family to take back home.
425. Passing chocolate chip cookies to the boys in the back seat.
426. Preparing a health drink for our sons who skipped breakfast.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

“It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” (Psalm 92:1-2)

3 Gifts in His Word

385. Words from the Bible that fuel my prayers for the sons.
386. Comfort for a hurting soul.
387. Guidance at crossroads.

3 Gifts in Summer

388. Ripe mangoes.
389. Vacations.
390. Loose schedules.

A Gift Hole, Whole, Half

391. A pencil stuck in a keyhole, courtesy our boys :).
392. Our washing machine – finally repaired and whole again.
393. A broken toe nail.

3 Hard Eucharisteo

394. Getting out of a warm bed on a cold morning.
395. A broken guitar string.
396. Disappointments.

3 Gifts of Metal

397. A favorite pair of gold earings.
398. Sharp knives.
399. The 5 remaining guitar strings.

3 Gifts Half-Hidden

400. An obstructed view of a baby grand piano in our church.
401. The sun, behind a curtain of clouds.
402. A jumble of shoes, half-hidden behind the bedroom door.

3 Gifts in Green

403. The sons’ Bible.
404. Trees.
405. The remote control of a broken car.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

“I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.” (Isaiah 61:10)

3 Gifts Difficult

364. A botched surprise.
365. Getting the kids to bed on time.
366. Teaching the sons Hindi rhymes.

3 Gifts White

367. Movie ticket stubs from our first movie date.
368. This printable, on my cupboard.
369. Month at a glance planner on my fridge.

3 Gifts Eaten

370. Chips.
371. Leftover chicken.
372. The last doughnut.

A Gift at 10AM, 1PM, 10PM

373. Gazing out our living room window.
374. Waiting out a long-drawn power outage.
375. Back home after our weekly prayer group meeting.

3 Gifts Sitting

376. At friendship day celebrations at our sons’ school.
377. At a parlour getting a much needed hair cut.
378. The sons, sitting on the carpet doing their homework.

A Gift Outside, Inside, Upside Down

379. My husband, away from home at a Leaders meet.
380. Watching Forrest Gump at home.
381. The sons tumbling on the couch – the effect of watching olympic gymnasts, perhaps?!

3 Gifts in Water

382. Ice cold tap water.
383. Water sloshing around in their water bottles, as the boys walk to the bus.
384. Clean drinking water.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34)

3 Gifts of Sand

343. Sand crunching under my running shoes.
344. Sons drawing in the sand with their shoes, as we wait for the bus.
345. Fine sand on my husband’s brand new football studs.

3 Gifts of Endings

346. The end of my 13 minute morning run.
347. Finishing up the book of John in the Bible.
348. Struggling to find the right ending for a blog post.

3 Gifts Fresh

349. A crisp morning breeze.
350. The sons after a rare afternoon nap.
351. The trees after a light rain.

A Gift on Vacation, at Home, in Relaxation

352. Catching up on sleep.
353. Routine.
354. Much needed rest.

3 Gifts of Beginnings

355. The beginning of a lovely afternoon with grandparents/great grandparents.
356. First bite of a chocolate truffle cake.
357. Every morning – a new beginning.

3 Gifts Together

358. Worshiping the Lord together as family.
359. Resting together after church service.
360. The sons playing with their new toy cars.

3 Gifts Heard

361. The sound of our water purifier.
362. Jon telling Jason, “I like Dada and Mama”. {Precious}
363. Chatter among the sons, during their afternoon rest time.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?