All posts by Helen

Burden Bearing

Very Grateful for:

God’s Burden Bearing

Parents who pray

Dad’s perseverance and courage in very challenging circumstances

the opportunity to play tennis with Dad’s old tennis men’s group

their example of physical fitness into the  8th and 9th decade of life!

Rain

Amelia’s long distance care package of Asian Food delivered

making it through the first week of training

patience in trial and error

“Every day, think as you wake up:
‘Today I am fortunate to be alive, 
I have a precious human life, 
I am not going to waste it. 
I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, 
to expand my heart out to others; 
to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. 
I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, 
I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. 
I am going to benefit others as much as I can.'” ~ Dalai Lama

Common Human Hospitality

Very Grateful for

God’s reconciling love

hearing a new bird call this morning- so delicate and pretty

matcha green tea

Silvia’s help

the rosemary, the roots nurtured on the kitchen shelf, is adjusting to its new outside home

a long walk in the park

a chance to learn something hew

Rachel’s fearlessness

Dad’s strong handshake

“Our common human hospitality longs to find room for those who are left out.” ~Gregory Boyle, in Tattoos on the Heart

Safety and Silence

Very Grateful for:

God’s reconciling work

elderberry tea

electricity

glasses

8,444 steps yesterday (I love that number too!)

a delicious recipe for chicken and peppers

reading with Dad

a long phone visit with a mentor

three sets of tennis in not so hot temperatures

Amelia’s continued safety

the men who fixed the front of the house

“Why do we always assume that the movements of God are toward speech and noise and activity? What God might really need from us is to settle in and shut up and listen.” ~Randy Harris in Soul Work, Confessions of a Part-time Monk

Good News

Very Grateful for:

God’s Peace

A long walk with Ruby

clean Water

trash pickup

finding an answer to a student’s question

birds migrating through our neighborhood

a butterfly landing on the hood of my car

fresh eggplant and Chinese zucchini shared from the neighbors’ garden

gratitude lists

innovators

a new job for a friend

a friend’s safe return from vacation

a friend’s good post-surgery news

…Change rooms in your mind for a day.
All the hemispheres in existence
lie beside an equator in your heart. ~Hafiz

Love Via…

Very Grateful for

God’s Love via…

Friends

Rain

an interview

Dr. JK, who prayed for me during the interview

clean water

grocery stores

Book

57 degrees this morning

“We are put on earth for a little space that we might learn to bear the beam of love.” ~William Blake

Little Fixes That Spoil The Trouble

Very Grateful for:

God Fixes

A fix for the little leakey spots in the roof by Mr.S.

An Hurricane Florence evacuation fix for my daughter… to come home for a few days to ride out the storm

A fix for the little toilet by Mr.W.

A fix of chaulking on the outside bricks by Mr.D.

An upcoming fix of the outside window by Mr.H.

A relational fix with a family member

Fixing a couple of meals side-by-side with my daughter

Rain

“When you have enough, there’s plenty.” ~Gregory Boyle, Tattoos on the Heart

 

 

esperanza y ligero

Very Grateful for

God’s enveloping protection
God’s esperanza

the total reverse change from the last Friday in June until now

a day of sudden, reassuring lightness

… and the grateful exhale(s)

sending massive hugs to ALL  WLG-ers!

An awake heart is like
a sky that pours light. ~ Hafiz

the sprinkler – flag pole blessing of the bells

Very Grateful for:

God’s signals

an early morning Sunday walk with Ruby

hearing the faint sound of bells in the distance as we walk

hearing the tinkling sound grow

stopping to look across the creek and seeing the source of the bells: a brass impact sprinkler hitting a metal flag pole- the result is the sound of bell chimes! Who knew?!

the blessing to hear the sound of bells on an early morning walk

Grateful for questions with more than one right answer

Grateful for questions that the water brings:

Is the source of the sprinkler and flag pole blessings in the:
–the bell sound?
–the force of the cool water?
–the resilient stand of the flagpole?
–the neighbor who purchased and positioned the flagpole?
–the teaming of the sprinkler and the flag pole?
–the seemingly endless hot, dry, ashey summer weather that created the need for early morning watering?
–God who orchestrates time, events, and blessings?

“…to give unto them beauty from ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness”  ~Isaiah 61:3

Granular Gratitude

Very Grateful for

God’s attention to detail

the straight lines of morning sun rays

the faint scent of rain

seeing the grass burr in the rug before I step on it

the expiration date on the yogurt

my split-second pause at the green light, just as a car runs his/her red light

remembering a bill’s due date on the day of payment

finding the missing button

And He knows the number of hairs on your head! Never fear, you are far more valuable to Him than a whole flock of sparrows.” ~Luke 12:7