February 10, 2014

Counting Gifts beyond all the What If's



So last week, we counted gifts all around my Sole Hope Shoe Cutting Party... so many gifts, figuratively and quite literally!  This week... well, this is coming off of the If:Gathering weekend, where my home was filled with women, leaning in together, hungry for more of Jesus! But, I will keep true to my word and get back to our 'normal' way of Counting gifts here, linking up with the Multitudes on Mondays!

Count with me, won't you?

#1860 - Cold Vanilla Coconut Milk... oh my Yum!

#1861 - Keurig on a cold (impatient) Monday morning! (Yes, I am counting this one again... and again... and again! I love it for coffee, for tea, for water for cocoa!)

#1862 - The loveseat in the kitchen... yes, the kitchen!  It is a little weird, but it is the family gathering place and it works for us!

#1863 - Patience when you are dealing with the same issue (again and again and again!) with friends or family.

#1864 - Friends who know when to offer the gift of no words...  Knowing when you need a hug or someone to just sit and listen.

#1866 - "Victor's Crown" by Hillsong, on repeat.

#1867 - Emails from friends whom you love and honor and have so much respect for when normal back and forth is via blog comments!

#1868 - Sunshine - after days of clouds and gray!

#1872 - Handwritten Card from a friend... offering all kinds of encouragement and love!

#1874 - Remembering again how much I love my camera!

#1875 - Red Velvet M&Ms... that's right, ya'll! Red. Velvet. M&Ms.


#1876 - White Chocolate Raspberry Kisses... that's right, ya'll... oh, wait?  Yeah - I have not purchased chocolate or candy for quite awhile so it was a nice splurge for the couple of upcoming parties I am hosting!


#1877 ( - #1882) - SUPERBOWL SUNDAY #GoHawks
(from a get together with friends, to the yummy food, to the cheering, screaming, unbelief, and celebrating, to the win and long awaited victory and maybe eventually a little respect, to the amazing support from us - the 12th Man, -for them, our Seahawks at their homecoming parade... just so much celebration and joy and it's silly really, because we know it's just a game but really - our State needed a reason to unite and be one... and is that not always our 'state'? Needing to unite and be one?





#1883 - Friends (and friends' of friends) around my Table, cutting, praying and sharing testimonies and stories, all while making shoes that change lives! "Working" for 3 hours straight, offering hope right from the comfort of my dining room table!

#1884 - Handwritten Notes from writer friends (some of whom I have yet to meet in real life) - but oh how they pen my heart!

#1885 - Delirious Laughter over no-one-even-knows-what... late night giggles singing softly and echoing off these love-soaked, midnight walls. (How much do I love that we raised a human whom we love to hang out with?)

#1886 - Peace - a true gift in the midst of party planning, menu making, budget bruising... Peace cometh, in the midst of a lot of praying and bowing low!


#1887 - Costco!  Oh yeah... making hosting parties Pinterest-free easier and way less stressful too!

#1888 - Inviting friends to gather locally to experience (livestream) the If:Gathering over the weekend - trusting He will bring who He wants!

#1889 - (still counting!) The If:Gathering itself... more specifically, my local If:Yakima event where I tuned in at home, with a living room full of sisters and we leaned in together, Yessing and Amening together. I'm pretty sure I this event will warrant a post all it's own but for now, what I loved about the If:Gathering is that it gathered... and it released. Every woman on that stage (while they were all amazing and gifted and gorgeous and OH MY GAH can we just have a moment for Angie Smiths' hair?) - they all pointed us to our real right-now lives and said Go... make a difference! Change the world. They each reminded us that we have something to give... that we ARE impacting and changing lives and when we put Him first and love others next... the Kingdom comes! ...and really, what's not to love about that?








This morning, on Facebook, a friend sent me this:

"Can you feel the prayers from intercessors connected with all the If gatherings?"


My reply?  Yes. This:
It feels like a rumbling deep down... not just from within - but from depths beyond us! As Sarah Bessey often says, it feels like "Aslan is on the move!" 

Amen?  

Did you attend or watch?  Can you feel it too? I'd love to hear! 

Speak Life. Be Love. Shine On.
~Karrilee~



Linking up with Ann Voskamp in Counting (beyond) one thousand gifts...




4 comments :

  1. Anonymous3:17 PM

    I am slowly watching my way through the archives and have ordered the download. I feel the prayers, However, even more I have felt a peace and an "just do what I have asked you to do" from God. (With the emphasis on YOU TO DO). I will run MY race. I will keep my focus on Him.

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    Replies
    1. Oh Amy - I am so glad! So Much Amen, friend! I love that eah of us has our very own unique race charted out for us to run - and yet - we do not have to - nor are we called to - run it alone! Love you so! Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Anonymous6:17 PM

    Loved stopping by today and reading your blessings! So fun, so inspiring, so encouraging! Blessings, Mary!
    Visiting from Ann's link up!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Mary! Glad you stopped by! Happy to be Counting Gifts with you!

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Thanks so much for stopping by! I always love to hear your thoughts! Remember to: Speak Life - Be Love - Shine On!
~Karrilee~

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