some thanksgivings

This lovely lantern has a small but precious candle residing in it.  And I adore it. Everytime i walk past this little guy, the fragrance makes me feel alive. It is the sweetest smell around and if someone made it into a fragrance to spray on, i'd be buying it!

I currently adore this new addition to my room, the ladder holding all the neck warmers.  These particular neck warmers hide in my cupboard normally and my neck and i forget about them. But no more will that be happening.  I wore the stripey red one today with some new ace-black jeans. As i meandered around, i was glad of the ladder and it's ability to bring my wardrobe a splash of colour.  

I'm thankful for the outdoorsy areas which have changed our life.  Having grass has meant we've had more fun outdoors. We've picked walnuts off the huge tree (which i need to research more about as they are not worth the effort we make to peel and smash them, currently), sprayed water whilst jumping on the bounce-machine, we've shifted truck loads of firewood and we've eaten where the cicaders chirp.  Bliss outside the new abode and bliss inside. 

I am grateful for these areas of rest and the sense of peace they bring.  The end of the day cannot come too quickly sometimes as I fall into a chair in the lounge, or lie on my bed with the beautiful outside view.  Thank you God for our place, our home.  

Thankfulness always involves these two crackers. 

7 year old has given me some great quotes of late - we were watching some of the Sound of music, the part where Maria and Captain V are finally getting together.  I'm sushing the girls as it's such a beautiful scene, to which the 7 year old yum yum says: “Mummy listening to people is more important than listening to TV”.  (so true, so true!).  And then as we are praying before sleep time last night, the same child who is thanking God for things like how snuggly her mummy is (hmmmmm not sure how encouraging that is!), thanks God for mummy's nice eye shadow.  She quickly adds after that, “remember to take it off mum, in brackets”, giggle giggle. Amen.  Oh how i love to be around such flavour and such delight.

I am thankful, lastly, for truth.  I read this verse the other day - Psalm 51 verse 6 - Surely you desire truth in the inner most parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

I have been feeling overwhelmed by some different things of late.  I had some time sitting at my piano forte and as i poured out my heart to my God, i felt him reminding me of truth - his love, his care, his hand, on me.  

I pray for His truth in our inmost place, the centre of our being.  I hope that i'll be more attentive to that and not the silly-thoughts of my own head.  The end, for now, apart from this cooli quote to finish. xx

Henri J. M. Nouwen

To pray means to stop expecting from God the same small-mindedness which you discover in yourself. To pray is to walk in the full light of God and to say simply, without holding back, "I am human and you are God."