Counting My Blessings: 259 to 279

“I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.” (Psalm 35:18)

I’m participating in the Joy Dare – giving God thanks in the assembly world wide web… Counting 1000 gifts I can be thankful for…

3 Gifts in Fabric

259. The handkerchief I used on my wedding day.
260. Crisp cotton clothes.
261. My sons’ school uniforms.

3 Gifts Framed by a Frame

262. A “Sketch-a-Photo” picture of my husband and I as newlyweds.
263. A “Sketch-a-Photo” picture of my sons.
264. The verse Romans 15:13, a gift from my cousin.

3 Gifts Eaten

265. Chocolate chip cookies {again!}.
266. Scrambled eggs.
267. Jalapeno chilli mayo and jam on bread.

A Gift Small, Big, Just Right

268. Watching Bible cartoons with the sons.
269. Seeing my husband drenched in God’s presence.
270. Reaching church on time after being stuck in traffic for two hours.

3 Gifts you Gave today

271. A hug.
272. A call.
273. A meal.

3 Gifts Loved

274. Worship in our church.
275. A hard-hitting lesson on priorities, from our pastor.
276. Family time.

3 Gifts Read

277. My Bible.
278. A storybook.
279. The children’s Bible.

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?

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A Habit A Month: June Update

As June draws to a close, it’s time to take stock of the habit I’ve been working on this month – getting my morning routine right. I must admit, I didn’t make much progress until the kids started school. It was a bit difficult to get them back into a routine with strict bedtimes after the laziness of summer. But the kids are familiar with their routine now, and so am I :).

Here’s a rough outline of our mornings…

My routine before the kids wake up

    • Wake up at 6.
    • Coffee!
    • Morning run and quiet time.
    • Get a drink ready for my husband.
    • Pack snacks and water for the kids.
    • Set out their uniforms.
    • Get their morning drinks ready.

The kids’ routine, as they get ready for school

    • Kids wake up at around 7:30.
    • Brush teeth.
    • Drink their milk.
    • Get dressed.
    • Most days, they help me dry out the laundry :).
    • Pray and leave for the bus.

My routine after the kids leave for school

    • Bible study & prayer.
    • Plan for the day.
    • Weekly to-do.
        • Monday – Wednesday – Friday: Blogging
        • Tuesday: Grocery shopping
        • Thursday: Ironing
    • Cooking – Cleaning – Decluttering {I try to do only one of these per day, to avoid a burnout}
    • Check Facebook and email.
    • Get lunch ready.
    • Fold and put by laundry.
    • Pick up kids.

I have to admit though, that this routine is strictly for weekdays only :)!! Nevertheless, I’m happy with the way this month has turned out. So far, this schedule has been working well; but it’s flexible enough to change should the need arise.

The biggest challenge for me was waking up early. But after a month of practice, my body has adjusted to it and it’s much easier for me to wake up early. In fact, for the past few days, I have been waking up even before my alarm rings! It’s truly a wonder how much I’m able to get done if I wake up early and plan my day right.

To Do: Push my wake up time, 5 minutes earlier each day until I’m able to wake up between 5:30 and 5:45.

To Read: Maximize Your Mornings FREE ebook {If you need motivation to wake up early, you have to read this book}

To Ponder: “God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early [at the dawn of the morning].” (Psalm 46:5 AMP)

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Counting My Blessings: 238 to 258

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:16-18)

3 Gifts you became today in Serving

238. A clothes dryer.
239. A cook.
240. A comforter.

A Gift Bent, Beautiful, Loved

241. My mother’s fingers, bent with arthritis, but oh so precious.
242. The light morning breeze.
243. Our family unit.

3 Gifts found in Light

244. Clarity.
245. Direction.
246. Revelation.

3 Gifts that are Difficult

247. Bumpy Roads.
248. Traffic Jams.
249. Strangers talking to my sons.

3 Gifts found around a Table

250. Laughter.
251. Conversation.
252. Company.

A Gift in Water, in Words, in White

253. Refreshment on a tiring day.
254. The lyrics of a new hymn that our pastor sang in church.
255. Washed clothes, waited to be folded.

3 Gifts today in Someone Older than You

256. Wisdom.
257. Encouragement.
258. Experience.

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?

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Five Minute Friday: Risk

Five Minute Friday

Risk

I’m the last person on earth who should be writing on risk. I could finish up this post with just 4 words:

Don’t take risks, ever!

Yup! That’s me.. the boring, predictable, planned, organized, it’s-too-risky-to-take-a-risk person. But I know that isn’t the way I want to live my life. That isn’t the way God wants me to live my life.

Isn’t the Bible filled with people who took risks and survived?

Abraham left his hometown and became a nomad.

Moses agreed to lead a crowd of Israelites out into the wilderness.

Daniel prayed.

Even Peter stepped out of the boat {not a very good example, but still makes the point}.

And if I may add… My husband and I took a risk when we refused fetal reduction {which would have killed one of our babies, giving the other two a better chance of survival}. We had no idea how we would provide for all three of them, if at all they survived.

And yet, there’s proof that when we obey God and take a risk, He takes over.

Abraham became an epitome of faith.

Moses led his people to freedom, and closer to the promised land.

Daniel did not become the lions’ dinner.

Peter built the church of God. {…after he got a lesson on faith, that we still learn from, thousands of years later!}

And all my sons are alive and well-provided for.

As much as I hate taking risks, so many times in life I have had to do just that. But I’ve learnt that when we do step out in faith and trust God; He never lets us down.

When we obey God and take a risk, He becomes our safety net.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Will you obey God today, and let Him be your safety net?

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Avoiding the Proverbs 31 Burnout

Proverbs 31:10-31 – Every Christian woman has read this passage at least once in her lifetime. When I first read it, I was ecstatic! I said, “Wow! I know what God wants for my life.. He wants me to be this woman”. And I faithfully highlighted every character of this perfect woman. Over the past 10 years, I’ve loved, hated, envied and attempted (a lot) to be just like her.

We are currently reading Proverbs 31 in our Good Morning Girls Bible study, so I made up my mind to work on this, once and for all… Except, it didn’t quite work out like I expected.

Last Monday, the kids started kindergarten, and I was all too eager to keep my home as a Proverbs 31 woman would. I woke up early, went for my morning run, got the kids ready, got them fed, walked them to the school bus, had my quiet time, swept the house, did the laundry, ironing, dishes, decluttered two rooms, cleaned a bathroom, blogged, got lunch ready and rushed off to pick the kids back from school.

I was quite pleased with myself – I had worked non-stop and it was worth it. The look on my husband’s face when he walked into our clean, uncluttered living room was priceless. All my hard work had payed off, and I was elated… until late evening, when I fell sick :(.

I had gone a little over the top and ended up sick for a couple of days, causing quite a bit of inconvenience to my family. It was time to take stock of what I was trying to accomplish as a Proverbs 31 woman. As always, God spoke to me through a number of blog posts and I learnt quite a few things. Here are a few more details about the Proverbs 31 woman…

  1. She let God take control of her life. She feared the Lord.
  2. She is a portrait of a woman’s lifetime, not a single day.
  3. She probably wasn’t perfect, because none of us are.
  4. God’s grace covers our shortcomings.
  5. She wasn’t a real woman! She was a compilation of all the qualities that King Lemuel’s mother wanted in a daughter-in-law.

The last one hit home.. I learnt that from the book “Pursuit of Proverbs 31” by Amy Bayliss. I know for sure, I will have high expectations of the women my sons will one day marry.

Well, so maybe I’ll never be everything the Proverbs 31 woman was – and that’s okay. But this passage has been included in the Bible for a reason – not to cause us stress and end up with a burnout. We ought to emulate these characteristics throughout our lifetime, through several years, and maybe decades. I may not get there today, or next year, but I’m going to try – one step at a time.

As long as I keep my eyes on Jesus, and walk in His will – step by step, I know He will teach me to be a better woman, wife and mother. And one day, my family may call me blessed… But that is not what I long for. What will make my day {or in this case, my life} is this… that I will hear my Father say “Well done“!

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Counting My Blessings: 217 to 237

“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 31:1)

3 Gifts Full

217. The skies, filled with clouds that looked like this.
218. My heart, as my sons walk together, holding hands.
219. My mind, filled with all I couldn’t get done today.

3 Gifts Smelled

220. Pizza with italian seasoning.
221. My husband’s cologne.
222. Homegrown black pepper, a gift from my mother-in-law.

A Gift Unexpected, Unwanted, Unlikely

223. Husband working from home – an unexpected blessing.
224. A long wait for the school bus – definitely didn’t want that!
225. Unlikely, I’ll be getting any work done, after an extended power outage.

3 Gifts in His Word

226. Water, for the parched soul.
227. Comfort, for the hurting soul.
228. Hope, for the disappointed soul.

3 Gifts Moving

229. Our car.
230. The grocery cart.
231. Pencils, as our sons completed their homework.

3 Gifts in your Dad

232. Enjoying double scoop, choco-vanilla ice cream together on hot summer afternoons.
233. Teaching me to play “Are you sleeping?” on the piano.
234. Our trips to the library.

3 Gifts from your Heavenly Father

235. Jason.
236. Jon.
237. Judah.

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?

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Five Minute Friday: Path

As I mentioned in my previous post, every morning, the boys and I walk a short distance from our home to the main road, where the school bus picks them up. It’s just a short walk, but on a pretty bad road.

And by “bad” road, I mean almost “no” road. The path is stony, littered with garbage, leaves, and other things I’d rather not mention :). So, walking this path with 3 sons has become a bit of a nightmare for me. Over the years, the boys have had quite a few falls on this road and too many bruises to count.

As a mother, I keep reminding them, to look where they’re walking and to keep to the sides of the road. How I wish I could smoothen the path for them… The’ll never have to fear a fall. And even if they do, because the path is even, they won’t bruise their knees. Well, a mother can wish…

But there is Someone who promises to do just that…

“…I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.” (Isaiah 42:16)

“I will go before you and make the rough places smooth…” (Isaiah 45:2)

“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:6)

The question is… Do I follow in my Father’s footsteps? Do I walk in the path He’s plotted for me? Do I listen to His gentle rebukes when I go wayward?

I strive to walk the path He’s set for me, conscious that if I ever do stumble; He’s right there to keep me from falling.

What comes to your mind, when you think of the word “Path”?

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The Kindergarten Trio

Our triplets have officially started kindergarten. I managed to get this picture of them today, before we hurried out to catch the school bus. {Kindly ignore the broken lego man on the floor} 😀

We’ve managed to establish a morning routine, so mornings aren’t quite that hectic. Every morning, the boys get dressed in their school uniforms and we walk the short distance to the main road, where the school bus picks them up. I watch them walking together, holding each others hands… Brother in arms, so alike yet so different… And my heart overflows with joy.

In the years ahead, I pray my sons will learn to walk together in grace and truth, in tandem with their Maker.

“I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are living their lives in the Truth.” (3 John 1:4)

This is one proud mama, bragging on her boys! 🙂

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Counting My Blessings: 184 to 216

Why do we end gatherings with a vote of thanks? We end a day, a month, a year with a word of thanks – gratitude for all God’s done for us in the days gone by. But, what if…

What if we started our day with thanksgiving? If we began each morning with praise? If we looked each day for things we can be thankful for… wouldn’t we find them, everywhere we looked?

I’m counting my blessings as a part of June’s Joy Dare at A Holy Experience.

3 Gifts Orange

184. Trays holding 5 dozen eggs in our kitchen.
185. Orange chalk.
186. Drinking orange soda with our prayer group family.

3 Gifts Funny

187. Travelling 90 minutes on a circuitous route to a venue we didn’t realize was only 30 minutes away! LOL!

188. Shoppers at a mall watching in amazement as our triplets filed out of the car, one after the other… Their reaction was hilarious! 😀

189. Jon raising his toy car up to the night sky and shouting, “Jesus, see my new race car!” 🙂 {Not exactly funny, but a million dollar, melt your heart, smile all night – moment}

3 Gifts from Today’s Conversations

190. Hugs.
191. Laughter.
192. Burdens shared.

3 Gifts found in Christ

193. New mercies for today.
194. Bright hope for tomorrow.
195. Pardon for sin, every single day.

A Gift of Peace, of Hope, of Love

196. Morning time (before the kiddos wake up).
197. 7 Days of Hope for Moms.
198. My husband urging me to rest awhile.

3 Gifts Ugly-Beautiful

199. A broken hair clip.
200. Toothpaste squeezed out in the bathroom sink.
201. Sore limbs.

3 Gifts in what you Read

202. “…yet not my will, but yours be done…” (Luke 22:42)
203. This blog post on large family moms.
204. Burnt Happens – a post on mistakes and learning.

3 Gifts Empty

205. Gift bags.
206. Chocolate wrappers.
207. The washing machine.

3 Gifts that made you really Smile

208. The memory of Judah peeping out the car window at the heavens, saying, “Mama, see! Jesus is looking at me. Jesus is opening the curtains and looking at me”. And when I respond, “Where baby? Where are the curtains?”, he promptly exclaims, “There.. see.. Jesus is opening the clouds and looking at me..”. {Precious :)}

209. Our sons praying for their father who wasn’t feeling so well. “Jesus, please heal Dada.. Let him go to the hospital.. !!” LOL!

210. A glimpse of monkeys, eating bananas, in our kitchen!

A Gift at 8, at 12, at 2

211. Father and sons, all cuddled up together.
212. Prepping vegetables, to make cooking the rest of the week easier.
213. Folded laundry, finally put by.

3 Gifts Painted

214. The sons’ hand prints.
215. Our crayon-colored walls.
216. The bright yellow school bus that ferried my sons, on their first day of kindergarten.

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?

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Five Minute Friday: Expectation

What dream has God planted in your heart?

I came across this question in my Bible study today, and I had no answer for it. None. Na-Da. Zip. Zero. Absolutely no answer.

Truth is that, even as a child, I was always a dreamer. I had big dreams. I was going to travel the world. Rescue dogs. Help the underprivileged. Rise to the top of the corporate ladder. Work with special needs children. Work in a skyscraper. Did I mention, I wanted to travel the world? Oh yeah, I was going to save up enough to travel “around the world in 365 days”. That was probably the biggest dream of all.

And then life happened! Apparently God’s plans for me included a loving husband and adorable triplets who’d turn my life right side up again. Ummm… and they’d never made an appearance in my dreams before :).

God wasn’t kidding when He said “..more than you can ask or even think of..”. So now, I am waiting.. Waiting in expectation for a dream that is more than I can ask or even think of. I still have a lot of those dreams I had as a child. But I’m older and wiser now. I realize that His thoughts are higher than mine will ever be. If my thoughts hit the roof, His will reach the heavens! That’s awesome, right?! 😀

So, whether I do get to travel the world or not, I know that my dreams for myself pale in comparison with God’s dream for me. And when those dreams come true, I know I will be blown away.

And so I wait… with bated breath… in expectation… God’s gonna blow my mind off with His plans for my life. And while I wait, I live. I live this life, with this family, making a home, teaching my sons, serving my husband, building a deeper relationship with my Father… My expectation doesn’t create a vacuum. It makes me appreciate what I have now, and it gives me hope… A glimpse of something greater to come.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

What dream has God planted in your heart?

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