GRATITUDE 200 Full Plate

Though I've neglected my little blog these past couple of weeks, we've been busy living and enjoying so much grace so there's a lot to be thankful for!

For starters, we got a dog.  Well, not really, but kind of.  A friend of ours had to travel back to China for a month and we are keeping little Elpis, and loving most every minute of it.  The more I age, the more I become a dog person.  He happens to be a really really cute dog which makes loving him easy as pie.  Having him for a month is a gift to every. single. one. of. us.  Everyone is in love.  Pictures to come.  Promise.

We are settling into a routine.  Maybe that's why I've been off the blog lately.  Life got a bit insane with our ministry kick off happening at the same time as school starting.  So many "grooves" of life falling into place that I'm beginning to feel less like a panicked swimmer gasping for air.  Thankful for routine.  And thankful that our schedules are full of so much of what I want my life to be about.  Thankful that God has given us a full plate that includes things like welcome dinners for 200 Chinese students, arranging sewing lessons for my big kids, beach days with international students, joining a veggie co-op, and holding hands with my Grapey girl all the way to school while Jack darts ahead, eager to get to school as fast as possible.  So much good on my plate and so much of what I want my life to be about.

Thankful also that I am learning what it means to live by the spirit.  What a gift that God has put the spirit of his son in our hearts...and we can depend on him for things that are beyond ourselves...like intimacy with him, loving others, making good choices when it comes to eating, crucifying the flesh.  So much of what I have on my plate these days in beyond my ability to do, so I am thankful that I am learning to depend on him more.

Well, I've made it to 200 on this whole gratitude challenge, so I am pretty thankful for the grace to keep on being thankful.  Grace.  Grace.  Grace.