"You do not find what you do not look for"
The unthankful heart… discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!” ~ Henry Ward Beecher
* * * * *
"Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String", all the things that set my heart aflutter, was over there on the sidebar when this blog was born. And while I was simply trying to find something, anything, to fill up all that blank blog page, it was fun and more than a little cathartic compiling that list of life's little gifts. I had no clue what I was doing. It started like this:
1.Lavender and rosemary
2. Rain on a tin roof
3. Falling Snow
4. Church Bells
5. Porch Swings and Fireflies
6. Squeaky Screen Doors
7. A Cicada's Song
8. Sweet Tea
9. Cedar Closets
10. Gas Lanterns
11. Sunset at the Beach
12. Springtime in Charleston
13. DisneyWorld
14. Nell Hill's
15. Blue Jeans and Flip Flops
16. Cashmere
17. Red Shoes
18. Red Nail Polish
19. Tortoise Shell
20. Beeswax candles
21. Bead Board
22. Brick floors
23. Seashells
24. Mercury Glass
24. Mercury Glass
25. Old photographs
26. Pink Flamingos
27. Johnny's Sweep the Kitchen pizza
28. Ray's PeGe
29. Chocolate Chip Cookies
Then, in the gloom that was winter of 2009, I discovered Ann Voskamp's A Holy Experience and began to be more deliberate about noticing the extraordinary in the ordinary:
30. Winter sky
31. Sunshine
32. The tinkling of wind chimes
33. Traveling mercies
34. Peanut butter
35. Clean pajamas
36. Piano music
37. Hawk outside my window
38. Teachers who truly care about my children
38. Teachers who truly care about my children
39. Daily devotionals
40. A parent's love
41. Modern medicine
42. Blank pages in my journal
43. New socks
44. Falling stars
45. Hot coffee in a big blue mug
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
46. Handmade cards
47. Sunday lunch on the back porch
48. Tassels
49. Pedicures
50. Ripe strawberries
51. Morning shadows
52. Toast and jelly
53. Feather down pillows
54. Water lilies
55. Saturday picnics
56. Ducks on the lake
57. Baby feet
Then summer came and school was out and I don't recall having one thought about the countless gifts that passed through my days. So, in an effort to capture once again that child-like wonder, I'm putting them here.
October 2010
58. White Pumpkins
59. Banana bread fresh from the oven
60. Quilts
61. The first fire of the season
62. The undeniable scent of books
Do you take joy in the smallest of things? Or have you become a bit cynical...? Many of us have become guarded. Cautious. Doubting. Serious. What if we met each new day with an anticipation of joy? - Hope Lyda
October 2010
58. White Pumpkins
59. Banana bread fresh from the oven
60. Quilts
61. The first fire of the season
62. The undeniable scent of books
63. Surprises in the mailbox
64. Butterfly on lantana
65. Hot Apple cider
66. Falling Leaves
"God has sprinkled treasures in our lives—gifts just waiting to be noticed. I wonder, what things have you and I missed while too busy to look?" - Sarah Jio
67. A stack of freshly cut firewood on the back porch
68. Spending the day with Mom
69. A new scarf (it's purple!)
70. Sleeping in on Saturdays
71. Farmers' Markets
72. Wild Fairytale Fungi
73. Pumpkin Spice latte
74. Handsome boys dressed in shirt and tie
75. A new magazine
76. Satin ribbon
77. Christmas lights
78. Chocolate covered cherries
79. Writing in the sky
71. Farmers' Markets
72. Wild Fairytale Fungi
73. Pumpkin Spice latte
74. Handsome boys dressed in shirt and tie
75. A new magazine
76. Satin ribbon
77. Christmas lights
78. Chocolate covered cherries
79. Writing in the sky
80. Children enthralled by writing in the sky
81. The tick and chime of grandfather clock on stairs
82. Sisters
83. Birthday candles
83. Birthday candles
84. Glitter
85. Tulip magnolias
86. Moss covered branches
87. Found objects
88. Nested red hearts
89. The song of a rushing creek
90. Fresh laundry, warm from the dryer
91. Pink and Purple Gel Pens
92. Colored pencils
93 - 100 here
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!
Isaiah 6:3
Isaiah 6:3
"I created beauty to declare the existence of My holy Being. A magnificent rose, a hauntingly glorious sunset, oceanic splendor - all these things were meant to proclaim My Presence in the world. Most people rush past these proclamations without giving them a second thought.
How precious are My children who are awed by nature's beauty; this opens them up to My holy Presence. Even before you knew Me personally, you responded to My creation with wonder. This is a gift, and it carries responsibility with it. Declare My glorious Being to the world.
(Sarah Young, Jesus Calling)
