Counting Gifts Beyond Two Thousand

Happy Monday!  On some Mondays, that comes out just a little sarcastic, but on this day? Not so much... it is GORGEOUS out and I had a restful, creative weekend and I am ready for our super crazy, super busy bossy week ahead!

I am collecting gifts by the handful... and you can too! Look around you... ask God to show you how He is speaking to you... how He just keeps right on sending you gifts hand over fist when you are unaware!  We all get caught up in our Bossy and in our Busy... but when we slow down and really look... we see Blessings pouring out like Spring Showers! (Yeah - ya see what I did there? I can't help singing praises for Spring!  Our God - He is so lavish in His love for us in the Spring time!)

Counting On...

#2006 -  Getting back to a healthy routine of Juicing AND Green Smoothie-ing (?)  You know what I mean!

#2007 -  Meeting our Goal early... my Girlie and I have been walking together in the afternoons and we decided that we'd tackled this hill next week... but the top and the Orchards and these views kept beckoning us to climb higher... 

 

#2008 -  Finishing up my (in)RL crafts using up all the Vintage books! (Paper Bird Ornaments, Book Boxes, Bookmarks, Pinwheels and 'nests'... so fun!)

 #2009 -  So - I won this book by Holley Gerth (who is always always amazing!) from my friend Amy Tilson and got such a wonderful surprise when I opened the box from DaySpring and 'Santa Saul' included this amazing set of cards by Holley, too! (Seriously - ya'll - the only complaint about these cards is that they are all awesome!) Oh - non-affiliate link.  You're just gonna want them even though I get no money for you buying them! 

#2010 -  I was hired to create a prophetic art piece out of the blue and I had so much fun praying and worshipping and waiting and then, taking that deep breath, and putting brush to canvas!  Since it is for a client and it is a gift... I will just give a tiny preview:

...and then the painting just couldn't stop, so I prayed and worshipped and waited some more and moved on to this one:

#2011 -  So - this was a tough fought gift... I battled a low grade migraine all weekend, which resulted in lots of tea and laying down, no computer time whatsoever, and hours and hours of watching "Poetry Slam" on YouTube!  In between naps and tears, (because  ...well - you type that in and see what happens) I picked up a new journal and put pen to paper, writing a bit of poetry myself.  This hasn't happened since probably before I was married... which, if we're doing the math, we'll know was a long time ago!

#2012 -  I was feeling better on Sunday afternoon and had pictured in my mind something that I wanted to paint to place above my new desk where I write.  It was mixed media and I had never tried that... but I am not giving in to Self-Doubt because, well - Lent and laying down my #LoveIdol and all... so I just jumped right in and went for it...

  
Tada!

#2013 -  I'm just gonna help you out here... my week this week is S-U-P-E-R full, so Monday's crazy bossy Day Planner at first glance may make me want to cry, or at least wimper while brewing an entire pot of coffee for just me... but look closer.  Go ahead... Lookie:

Yeah - all fun things! A walk with a friend.  Meeting with a client.  Lunch with my Mama.  Calling on tickets to see Tim Hawkins.  My Photo-A-Day prompt.  Yep - this is how you plan you a busy Monday, folks!  Now - I know - not all days are this kind of glorious busy, but make yourself a priority and refill in various ways.  This is how you can keep a crazy schedule and not burn out! (Oh yes - full disclosure - my Girlie is in college... so you younger Mama's out there, rest assured your Day Planner will one day look like this too! What is not pictured is the parts that say laundry, dishes, get gas, wash car, etc... but most of that got done today too! You can guess which parts are still waiting for my attention!)

#2014 -  Is this not just a little bit of perfection?  This little bench area is along my walking path on Mondays and each week, I am blessed by it!  Something about being a Bench and falling in love with Daffodils... something about it screams friendship and Spring to me and that White Picket Fence just puts it seriously over. the. top.

#2015 -  Monday mornings... after a walk, before a meeting: Time for a cup of coffee, counting blessings, and digging in to the Word with If:Equip!

 #2016 -  Today is my Mama's 72nd Birthday! I live next door to her and sadly, I really honestly take that for granted! I realize this from time to time but never more so than while reading Surprised by Motherhood.  Yeah. That.  So instead of buying her a trinket or something that she really doesn't need... I took her out to one of my favorite restaurants out of town.  This promised us at least 3 hours together, visiting and laughing and eating some seriously amazing food too!

and for dessert: 

Salted Caramel Cheesecake AND Chocolate Lovers Spoon Cake...

#2017 -  Drive through Car Washes (and clean windshields!) after a road trip!

#2018 - An Afternoon walk with my girlie (even though I already walked in the morning, because - well - did you see that food?) Racked up nearly 8 miles today!

I am so thankful for this weekly reminder to write things down.  I do it on most days - but this link up helps keep me in the practice of jotting them down on a regular basis (if not a daily one!)

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

Linking up with Holly Barrett as well, for Testimony Tuesday:

It's so easy in our world to see what is wrong... what is lacking... and what is not working... it's amazing what a little practicing looking for what is right... what is abundant... and what IS working can do for you!  Join us and count on!

If you want some daily prompts to help get you started, you can go HERE for Ann's daily Gifts!

What Gifts did YOU discover today? I'd love to hear!