So it has been since APRIL! ...April, ya'll - since I have done a Counting Gifts post and I have to be honest with you... life got busy, and good, and hard, and I fell back out of the practice of daily writing them down. I would remember to count the blessings, one by one - but I skipped out on the writing them down on paper part. I forgot about the spelling them out and how it makes you reflect back over them as the ink dries and it helps to let the blessings sink down deep. It's in the scribbling across pages that also etches them deep in my soul... tattooing my wandering heart with thankfulness and marking it to remember to testify of His goodness... all day, every day.
Now - Ann with no 'e' used to host Multitudes on Mondays and I would link-up there and I don't remember if we are breaking for the summer or if I have simply lost track, but as I picked up my One Thousand Gifts journal once again, and flipped through some photo's - I felt a stirring to simply share some of the beauty and gifts that I have been drinking in during this time that He has called me to step away a bit from this space!
So - this is how I am Stepping Back, Breathing Deep, Letting Go, & Counting On...
#2056 - Cards in the mail... old school, handwritten encouragement!
#fmfpartysnailmail
#2058 - Flowers in the Garden... and in my Chair!
#2059 - Mom... Giving... She just can't help herself!
#2060 - Birthday Dinners with the fam'!
...#2063 - Mother's Day at Cascade Gardens and then spending some time with my girlie after work.
#2065 - Co-leading #ArtinYourLife - a new Incourager Community Group... thus resulting in also...
#2071 - Our Girlies Happy/Sad reaction when she found out that she got the house... which meant she'd be moving out in a couple of weeks!
#2074 - Asked to participate in The Prayer Mosiac, teaching prophetic art and also being asked to create a piece of Art for the whole event (that now hangs in the church prayer room!)
#2075 - Our JonahBoy - so chill and relaxed and lovey!
#2079 - Our Girlie moving out into a safe neighborhood, not too far from home with a good group of girls.
Taking the last load to her new place!
#2080 - Meeting Baby Henry... (#swoon!)
#2085 - Casual birthday celebrations... lunch out with my Mom and my Girlie... and a family walk and Frozen Yogurt with a couple of friends!
#2086 - Doing Spoken Word at the Coffeehouse night at Grace - despite not feeling 'ready' or 'brave'!
#2088 - Morning walks followed by time spent on the Patio with coffee and books...
(...and afternoons, too!)
#2090 - Finally just jumping in to Art Journaling
#2093 - Our Whidbey Island trip to see my other sissy... including the gorgeous hike with breathtaking views!
I'm thinking of you, Jennifer Lee, because... Y!
(...and then stopping off at the gorgeous Snoqualmie Falls on our way home!)
#2099 - Also... with all this 'free' time... finally playing around a bit with some illustrations
#2100 - Summer Drives... with no destination in mind...
#2101 - Lately, ya'll, I have been winning all the things!? I won a Dayspring Giveaway...
and a Map Necklace from Krafty Kash...
and a couple of books by Jennie Allen... (in the mail!)
and I won a lifetime membership to David Molnar's iphone Only Photography Online Course...
I think it's working:
Count on, my friends! Open your eyes to the gifts all around you! I pray you are drinking in summer and leaning in to a slower pace of living!
Remember to:
P.S. I'm linking up with these lovely writers:
Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory
Holley Gerth for #CoffeeforYourHeart
Jennifer Peterson for #NoWordsAreNeeded
Holly Barrett for #TestimonyTuesday
What are some of your gifts? What have YOU been counting lately? I'd love to hear in the comments below!
Karrilee,
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos....Happy belated birthday! Glad you had time with your girlie :) Visiting from JDL
Thanks so much for stopping by Dolly!
DeleteBeautiful pictures!! Pictures really do tell a thousand words-- don't they?? Thank you for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteYou know... they really do! Happy to link up again (even though there are some words mixed in!) ;)
DeleteSuper things to be thankful for. I have been counting gifts for years as well...inspired by Ann Voskamp too? I have been slack on the counting too. I have been blogging in general to #TellHisStory, but the gifts are worthy of writing down to celebrate too! :)
ReplyDeleteYes and Amen... when I first found Ann's book, I didn't really think I needed it! I consider myself a pretty positive, thankful person and we made it a habit to count our blessings on a somewhat regular basis - but there really IS something about writing them down! Thanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteDang, girl...you are one talented artist! Photos, paintings, words. You are a beautiful image bearer of our Creator. Thank you for sharing your gift here! :)
ReplyDeleteIt is rare, my friend, that I am stunned and left without words! Your sweet comment did just that! Thanks so much for the encouragement and for hanging out in my little corner of the interwebs for a bit today! xoxo
DeleteWow, Karrilee. Amazed by your creativity pouring out all over the place. What a gift you are. This was pure joy to read. Enjoy your rest, and thank you for sharing the beauty. xoxo
ReplyDeleteP.S. Grateful for my little girlie's hand in mine. For sunshine and iced coffee. For friendship and eyes meeting. For art that IS everywhere we look. For a God that calls us into the future he has for us.
I love you, girl. That is all. (and so much Amen to your P.S.!)
DeleteOh my word, I so loved this post! So much beauty in your photos and I was grateful to feast my eyes! I am so glad that God's beauty is seen everywhere & that His beauty is shared in posts! Thank you for blessing me this morning!
ReplyDeleteWow... thank you so much for such a sweet comment! Photography is a huge hobby and I love how I can see Him as I look through my lens! So blessed to have you stop by! Counting with you!
DeleteLove, love, love this post and how it oozes creativity and Spirit joy in the sweet blessings of life. We lived on Whidbey Island 20 years ago. Loved it so much. I am trying not to be envious for your membership to David Molnar's class. Loved his workshops at Allume last fall! Thanks for sharing your lovely photos and blessings. I'm your link up friend from Coffee for your Heart.
ReplyDeleteOOOoooh I love that... "oozes creativity and Spirit joy in the sweet blessings of life." Wow... let that be said of everything we do, right? Aw... so you know first hand the beauty of Whidbey! We are actually going back again this summer for a long weekend... we just can't stay away! (Thanks for your sweet fb message today too!) xoxo
DeleteLove this post Karrilee! It's so awesome to see these GORGEOUS pictures and see how God is blessing your life. It's a reminder for me...I've got to get out and do some more living. I'm pregnant with my fifth right now, and I feel like a giant couch potato...like it takes all of my energy just to get through the day. However, the more sedentary I am, the harder it is for me to be active (which has NEVER been true for me. I've always been super "on the go.") So, odd as it may sound, thank you for the reminder to "live. <3
ReplyDeleteOh Alissa... I will be praying for you! Growing a human is hard work - especially if you have others to care for too! (I'm only guessing... I only had one myself, but no matter what, it takes a lot of love and energy to make a tiny person!) So thankful that this post inspired you to remember to live! I think we can get really down, thinking living requires a lot more than we have the energy to give... but it is as simple as breathing in deep and turning your attention to Him. Opening your eyes to the gifts and the LIFE all around you - and within you! So thankful you stopped by!
DeleteOh my word. So much good stuff: books, art, family, nature. Yes! Love you, girl. Love sitting in the overflow of your grateful heart.
ReplyDeleteI love you right back, my friend! I love that wherever I go... I see Ys... and that makes me think of Him... but it makes me think of you too! xoxo
DeleteYour photos are gorgeous girlie!! What a beautiful set of blessings you have counted here. Love love love this post and appreciate you sharing it with us at Testimony Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Holly! It's crazy how quickly I can forget the power of actually writing them down! (Honestly, I thought this post was mostly for me... so glad it is resonating with others too!) I always love linking up over in your corner of the interwebs! Thanks for popping over!
DeleteWow. What a blast of beauty. I was feeling down, but your beauty gave me encouragement and....gratefulness. Thank you
ReplyDeleteOh Chris... that is the sweetest thing to say! It's amazing how when we remember to count the gifts, our mood shifts nearly every time! Praying for you and counting with you! He is good... thanks for stopping by!
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