"Dirty Dishes"

As we become more atuned to being thankful in all things, I think we begin to get more aware of the happenings outside our own that also show gratefulness. Here is a great song from the 2011 American Idol winner, Scotty McCleery called "Dirty Dishes".

Momma hollers, 'suppertime', and don't make me tell you twice.
Wash your hands and wipe your face. The tables no place for your toys;
And try to use your inside voice, don't dig in 'til we say, grace.
So we put down our forks and bowed our heads.
Then she prayed the strangest prayer ever said.
"I wanna thank you, Lord, for noisy children and slammin' doors,
And clothes scattered all over the floor.
A husband workin' all the time; dragging' in dead-tired at night.
Never ending messy kitchen and dirty dishes."
We all got real still and quiet and Daddy asked, "Hon, are you alright?"
She said, "There ain't nothin' wrong.
Noisy kids are happy kids, and slammin' doors
just means we live in a warm and loving home.
Your long hours and those dishes in the sink,
Means a job and enough to eat.
So I'm gonna thank you, Lord
For noisy children and slammin' doors.
And clothes scattered all over the floor.
A husband workin' all the time, draggin' in dead tired at night;
A never ending, messy kitchen.
For my little busy bees, beggin' Momma, Momma can we please.
Always waitin', needing, callin' me.
Loads of laundry pilin' up, crayons crushed into the rug,
And those little sticky kisses.
And dirty dishes. And dirty dishes."
(Michael Dulaney, Neil Thrasher, and Tony Martin)

Sacrificial Faith Walk

The pain of life stopping and starting, for my friend Cindy for twelve years, has been more than imaginable. For her, life was about continuing to care for her family and not complaining. It was about “living the good” in cancer (I could never do that). Life is about seeing a future through all those pill bottles and blood draws. She rarely cries when those around are swelling with tears. She has walked with pain for so long and most would never know it. She continues to touch the lives of new and old friends that she has contact with. She is so obedient to the…. Lord. (Tears are dropping on my keyboard as I write this) I have witnessed her sacrificial faith walk, which has NEVER been weak. Cindy is… getting stronger and stronger every day. Praise God for this blessing! The family will have a glorious present when she arrives home right before Christmas. It will be a gift that they will keep opening and opening and opening! Praise to our Heavenly Father!!

#27. New Life and a present from God.

Cindy Kipp

From the Author

#2760 for the troubles that cause me to turn toward you
#2761 for the winds and clouds hanging so low
#2762 for the sicknesses that invite me to bring sacrificial thanks
#2763 for the rain in the harvest
#2764 the grief that bears gifts of its own
#2765 for the fear and the weaknesses that keep me feeling your face
#2766 for the crises that draw me to communion - straight into Christ

Ann Voskamp (One Thousand Gifts)

Stuck in Bed

I had a bout with pneumonia a few weeks ago. It was a cold and cough that I let go too long. When the doctor said she wanted to take chest x-rays, I knew I'd waited too long. I had a fever of 101. My nose was sore from blowing it and I coughed so much that my entire torso hurt. When I wasn't sleeping, the time I spent in bed gave me a lot of "God time" and time to dive deeper into One Thousand Gifts. Ann's book, for me, has reconfirmed the Everything is Eucharisteo attitude of my brothers and sisters in Uganda. I am continually amazed at their ability to see God's blessings in the midst of their difficult lives....lives so difficult it is hard to even imagine.
"The ugly can be beautiful. The dark can give birth to the light, suffering can deliver grace. God is grace. All is grace. God is always good and I am always loved. Everything is eucharisteo."
#20 Puffs Plus with lotion

Kelly Huenink

Attitude

There are days when "me" takes over, and I claim the symptoms of bad attitude. Then I get upset with myself which leads to further symptoms of bad attitude. Maybe today it has to do with the flies. Yes, flies...annoying flies are taking over my east kitchen window, buzzing and making quite a commotion. As if a directive was released by the head fly, the attack turns to where I am sitting at the kitchen table. All I want to do is enjoy the beautiful scenery, drink my java, and rake in the warm rays of the morning light, but the flies will have none of it - attacking and dive bombing directly in my path, buzzing my head. As I was just about to complain to anyone willing to listen, including God, something unexpected happened. I started internally singing, "Count your blessings, name them one by one." I began to realize how blessed I was. I HAVE a home with screens and windows and doors; I HAVE climate control temperature inside this home; I HAVE running water with an indoor bathroom; I HAVE clean water to drink; I HAVE clothes that fit most of the time; I HAVE a washer and dryer, a dishwasher, a garbage disposal, a refrigerator, a stove.....Okay, God, you definitely have my attention and my attitude. "Count your blessings, see what God has done."

54. fly swatter

Helen Duncan

There is JOY in watching for HIM!

The book "One Thousand Gifts" was introduced to me at mid March of this year. Our daughter, Chris, gave me a copy, plus a journal to start my count. I have 172 as of this writing.
At this time, we were visiting with the grandchildlren and I was struggling with a tooth with a root canal problem, plus the prescriptions my doctors had given me. Not a good time.
I read through the book and loved it. Then, I knew I needed to to circle back and read it more slowly, more thoroughly. I underlined special parts and marked so I could go back later and , hopefuly, find them more quickly. As I write this, I know I need to read it again.
The past few years of my life have had a lot of "Whys?". At this point, I can see that I was moved where I was suppose to be, and to better things for me, for part of the answer. It's been an adjustment of great proportions.

There was a song a few years back that has kept coming to me....
JOY COMES INT THE MORNING (William J and Gaither, 1974)
If you've knelt beside the rubble of an aching, broken heart,
When things you gave your life for fell apart,
You're not the first to be acquainted with sorrow, grief, or pain,
But the Master promised sunshine after rain.
CHORUS

• Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning,



• Weeping only lasts for the night



• Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning



• The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight

This song has really spoken to my heart, and the book "One Thousand Gifts" has been another part of the process for this time.

The scriptures say, "Count it all joy." But deep in my heart, I had hit a spot where it was hard to even count. The scripture verse: "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you...." I Thessalonians 5:18 (a verse I memorized in Sunday School as a child) has tied in--it's not to thank Him for the bad things but to thank Him in them. This brings me to some of my 1000 Gifts. We have a jonquil planted at the southeast corner of the house. It doesn't bloom every year. This year it put out two beautiful flowers.

6. Two gorgeous jonquils

8. Relief from pain

26. The jonquils are still with us (they got snowed on and temperture was cold enough to finish them off, it seemed to me...but they were still there until their time of blooming was done - so it shall be with me.)

4. Miss Lucy kinda likes me (She's the grandest cat. Teaching our grandchildren about how to love and care for a special critter.)

123. Hailed wheat -- reminds me how many times it's been good, SO good.

130. A cancer surgery -- once you hear it, you'll hear it again and again. This time no pain, no purple hand from the IV and ultimately, a good report. PTL!

So the count and the life lessons go on...with HIM, and surely to more than 1,000.

From Mary Lee Kues

Mama's Thoughts

It was midnight. I was lying in my bed but not really sleeping. The hassles of my life were jogging laps around my brain.
Would our finances ever balance out?
Are my teenagers coping with the pitfalls of such a complicated stage of life?
Am I giving all I can?
Will I ever catch up with the daily tasks that endlessly pile up before I can sweep or wash or fold and put away?
Sleep didn't have a chance in the race and then an interruption.
The squeak of my name which usually echoes through the night at least once from my clan. And I stumbled from my bed to solve the next crisis.
It was Milo. He was thirsty. An he wanted ICE water. So I continued my half-sleep walk to the kitchen and as I opened the freezer door the realization hit me like a glacier crashing into the sea...I CAN get my baby ice water.

Some mamas have to walk a mile to get their babies a drink.
Some mamas have to give in and provide dirty water that they know
could make their children sick.
Some mamas have to weep at the begging voice of a thirsty little one
for they have nothing to give.
But I could get a clean glass, turn on a faucet, plunk in a few ice cubes and deliver to not even parched lips.
And in light of this, what did I really have to worry about?

It was a few weeks later that I got my copy of the book "One Thousand Gifts"
for a study at church.
Sunday afternoon flew by as the words settled over me like a sweet salve to my soul.
You know when that happens?
Everybody fend for yourselves...Mama's lost in a book.
The book is written by a mom of six. Smothered in dirty socks and crusty dishes.
And she begins to track all of the little things that make her life so sweet.
A journal of gratitude that shifts the focus from worry and stress to an acknowledgment and
thankfulness to God for what is amazing, right before her eyes.

And so as I turned the last page, I opened my own journal and wrote the first enty:
1. Ice cold water in the middle of the night.

From Holly Kurtzer

Journaling 1000 Gifts

Dear Sisters in Christ, (9/28/2011)
It has been ten days since our Ladies Night and the introduction of our theme for the year, "One Thousand Gifts". I hope you have taken time to write down some of your blessings as we begin this journey of being thankful in all things, at all times. If you were no able to attend our program and get a journal, you can use a notebook, notepad, paper, or special place on your computer to list the things you love, what makes you happy, what sees you through a tough day, or anything you are grateful for.

Since I started my journal, I find I am more aware of the gifts around me each day. I feel I am seeing things more clearly with less focus on the negative. It is the desire of the Women's Ministry Team that some of you will be willing to share how this listing of God's gifts is affecting your lives through emails, or a blog, or in the Women's Newsletter. We are grateful for each one who is taking this journey with us.

One on the biggest struggles in my life currently is having a mother with Alzheimers. A woman who once led state and national committees and traveled the world, is no longer able to remember any of those things, has not been able to walk for a few weeks now, and is afraid of everyday life with the confusion she is experiencing. Without the Lord by my side, I would not be able to face the effects of this devastating disease. Since reading "One Thousand Gifts", I have found great comfort in the words of another woman with personal struggles and looking for joy. I am able to find things to be thankful for even on Mom's worst days.

Singing Amazing Grace and believing the words
Watching the faces of the elderly singing hymns together
Mom can still sing hymns
Mom's gratefulness for the little things I do
Mom still says, "This my daughter, Earline" to residents of the nursing home
Sharing her favorite food, ice cream

It is seeing through eyes opened by God's Grace that makes all the difference. It is trusting that God is good and ever present. Earline Schuppe