Slowly but surely…

I adore playing with my Nikon DSLR… but I don’t always have the patience to read the manual (never) or the attention span to watch Youtube self help videos. So, I just play. I randomly test and spontaneously shoot and sometimes magic happens. Like above. Rain back lit by low light. But I don’t know if I could repeat this. And I’m OK with that. LAE

A continuation of paying attention to the details, taking notes, and persuading my heart to be grateful:

546. eye feast, soul banquet, in every direction…

547. son’s 21st birthday dinner

548. soccer success

549. air conditioning, home

550. love is all you need

551. Facebook void not as painful as might have been expected

552. dogs

553. irrigated lawn on a hot afternoon

554. relatives calling to wish him happy birthday

556. family life

557. a safe drive there and back

558. photographs

559. the ability to remember

560. brushing your teeth

561. finding a good gift of an experience rather than a thing

562. life is wonderful, God is good, God never gives up on us

563. more peace, more shelter

564. confirming words from listeners…

565. the ability to write a letter, post it, and have it arrive in another’s hands…

566. rest

567. grace

568. kale salad, kale smoothie, must try kale chips

569. typography, fonts, endless variety

570. Antigonish Review #177

May the fullness of this day be yours,
May the generosity of God overtake you,
May the loveliness of your presence
be shelter for you as it is for others,

Lesley-Anne

 

Making space…

509. her reading to me in the car on the way to the practice

510. me reading to her on her bed first time in years

511. he and I walking the dog through the neighbourhood’s long evening

512. neighbours saying hello

513. plunk plunk of the coffee pot brewing

514. birthday breakfast with a dear friend

515. sunshine, dirty windows, leaves backlit by sun

516. boys leaving for work happy, returning hungry

517. eyes to see, ears to hear, and waiting with anticipation for what is revealed

518. longing for action

519. opportunity

520. feast of eyes, the lake, birds, boats, distant hills, people

521. breakfast buffet

522. plumber available and coming to fix the pouring hot water…

523. pending soup

524. soccer game

526. poetry pals today

527. a home, family, time, health, resources

528. choice

529. Belfast books, poems, dreams, plans

530. Dad sharing stories about who and where and why

531. Mom having some good memories

532. a pretty plant waiting at the front door when I got home

533. all is well, all is well, all manner of things are well

 

Time again to be thankful…

I’m making some adjustments, making space, and in doing so remembering this list I started a long time ago that kind of petered out. Not that I’m not thankful, but my listing of said things was set aside. Inspired by a book by Anne Voskamp called “One Thousand Gifts” in which she encourages the paying attention to and listing of things that are often passing, elusive, overlooked and momentary, but reasons too to give thanks to God for his goodness and provision. For me not always so easy to do. Which is why the idea of spiritual “practice”… because it takes time to become natural and woven into one’s life fabric. Practice…

So, back then I began to list things, I blogged them here at Buddy Breathing, and you may recall seeing some of them before. It was a lovely practice that led to to thoughts, to heart attitudes, and to poetry. It was good. And then I stopped right HERE. I don’t know why, I just did. Busy, distracted, priorities shifted… I don’t know. But today I remembered.

Today I continue…

477. in the midst of anger there is often healing and growth

478. that it is OK to be wrong and make mistakes and be honest about it

479. that revealing how I feel isn’t as scarey as I thought it might be

480. twilight on the lake, lights going on across the expanse

481. dog on log leaning into my body and watching the water

482. the strength to log out, shut it down, take back some space

483. knowing it’s not fair to ask any one person to meet all your needs

484. knowing it’s perfectly healthy to have needs and hunger for them to be met

485. crispy minis in sweet chili

486. all the laundry done, folded, ready for when it is needed

487. family dinner, later but together

488. remembering this list

489. mental clarity and allowing time for thinking

490. friends, how they know and love you anyway

491. future plans, future poems

492. asking for wisdom

493. that the tree didn’t fall on the house or on a car

494. good and honest jobs for the guys

495. a great soccer game for her

496. healthy bodies, well minds

497. rain

498. bed

499. good books to read in bed

500. revisiting things if required

501. potential

502. forgiveness

503. rest

504. restart buttons

505. ends of days, new mercies every morning

506. the lavish world around us and entirely mysterious nature of life

507. taking note of things

508. yes…remembering this list…

 

 

 

Evidence of grace…

Full Moon view from earth In Belgium (Hamois). Français : Pleine Lune vue de la Terre en Belgique à Hamois. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

401. hot water enough

402. the gentle pursuit of our father God

403. that there is always evidence

404. sun warmth permeating thick clothing

405. flannel sheets

406. decking the halls with a friend

407. twinkle of Christmas lights when dark arrives early

408. internet radio on all day Christmas tunes

409. full moon sky glow

410. the miracle of man standing on moon

411. our necks tilted back looking at stars

412. communion

413. choice

414. having something to give, always

415. chewing on tasty ideas

416. good laughs and friendly competition around the pool table

417. husband, sons, daughter

418. soft good morning kiss and kind first words

419. my life

420. that I don’t miss Facebook yet

421. not always knowing

Graces, gifts and gratitude

Barrack Building 225, Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, Washington

For those who have just joined me in this experience of seeing gifts in every moment, along the way, as we wait, as we struggle suddenly overcome with blind eyes, I thought it might be helpful to share what began with a single step. It was a book. Ann Voskamp’s book, “One Thousand Gifts” that I picked up one day at Chapters, and then a confirmed thought process, a prompting, a nudging of the spirit, and then the journey beginning and spreading out before me this eucharisteo, this thankfulness for what is set before me when I have eyes to see.

So please consider how the naming of life’s gifts might be something worthy of time and space in each of our lives, and might carry within it the potential to change us from beggars into those overwhelmed by a feast of grace. Here is the blog post where it all began for me… my naming one thousand gifts. That was my start, and although I can’t always document each gift as it happens, I’ve chosen to name many of the gifts here on this blog as a reminder… mostly to me. I hope you join me… and if you do, please let me know… share your list. You are most welcome to do that.

And, if you have the opportunity to pick up and read Ann’s extraordinary book, please do it!

Journeying,

Lesley-Anne

So my list continues:

263. a long journey with a new friend

264. finding your tribe

265. expressing what is risky and beautiful

266. healing through creative expression of a thought, or two, or three

267. fog over sea, first light

268. the long call of a fog horn for safe passage

269. being on the water

270. historic buildings and used book stores

271. a phonecall home, the sound of voices you love

272. scars

273. a bench of your own in a quiet place

274. patriotism

275. listening and learning

276. new ideas

277. new people

278. the sense of place unique to every place

279 – 294. gifts captured in photographs

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Day 17… gifts my camera saw

237. – 262. 

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Naming one thousands gifts that God gives… day 16

226. talking about details of family history and finding reasons why

227. sketch plan for the garden

228. finding a retro button collection that my son might like

229. the woman of his dreams on his childhood pinboard

230. night sky, full moon shining me awake

231. promises of fruit in the flowers on the vine

232. digging in black earth, tucking in new ideas

233. Dad pat on my shoulder

234. Zephaniah 3 verse 17

235. no shame, no entitlement, “all is grace” (Ann Voskamp)

236. contrast of greens, hydrangea leaf over wild violets

237. robin evensong

… so many gifts… so many opportunities to give thanks…

Night Sky Over Joshua Trees (Photo credit: nate2b)

Naming one thousands gifts… days 9 and 10

Albert Namatjira refuelling for a trip to Alice Springs. Ampol branding is visible on the car itself as well as the bowser. Dodge B Series pickup truck, made 1948-53. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

138. driving, eyes never tired of new things, fresh tasting the feast

139. Fishtrap Creek and other word combinations

140. ethnic diversity

141. navigation systems

142. crab traps stacked on back a pickup truck

143. ocean inlets

144. wild blackberry bloom in ditch

145. 4 exciting games, no injuries, best scores ever

146. border crossings

147. patriotism, large flags

148. all five of us in the car

149. narrow roads

150. indian paintbrush, daisies, side of interstate 5

151. good radio

152. low cloud

153. husband driving, keeping us safe, getting us there and back

154. weathered barns, clusters of buildings, outbuildings

155. sons that said yes to the journey

156. a daughter who still wants my opinion on clothes

156. American Hershey chocolate tongue melt

And the following guest gifts offered up by my observant husband who wanted to know what I was so busy writing down in my notebook as we drove through the landscape on our way…

157. architecture

158. storage sheds in yard

159. car washes

160. hot days and cold pools

161. railway dome cars

162. flat water for skiing

and back to my personal notes…

163. song lyrics

164. traffic circles organizing flow

165. ‘adopted’ highways kept clean

166. lush grass

167. strawberry fields being harvested by workers

168. ripe raspberries on the bush

More from my observant husband who appears to like this looking…

169. trim cedar hedges

170. white fences and wildflowers

and me…

171. roads without curbs

172. level railway crossings

173. old highways

174. country churches

175. picnics

176. tandem tanker truck carrying milk

177. barns full of Holsteins

178. vernacular language

179. high mountain road, rainbows, double rainbows, sunset like the sky on fire, carrying it all in our minds

Footnote to self:  And in all of these, am I truly grateful, truly receiving all as gift from an abundant, lavishly loving God? Or, am I merely taking notice and making lists? Even then, is the enjoying each for what it is and being on the lookout for more, expectant of beauty and joy and grace, proof enough of a thankful heart? And why must I complicate things with thoughts such as these?

^“Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him?” saith the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:24 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

Journeying…

Lesley-Anne

Naming one thousand gifts… my beginning.

1. the sound of still evening… the lingering of light.

2. sharing some takeout with my two teen sons… and talking.

3. their the last day of school… again. Tears and smiles, another year closer to graduation.

4. nose in a fresh picked peony, breathing a memory.

5. full on hugs… an arm around a shoulder.

6. the sky light glow behind blue grey muted mountains.

7. magpies final calls across the dusk.

8. a beginning of noting gratitude.

English: White peony flower Русский: Цветок белого пиона (Photo credit: Wikipedia)