A few weeks ago, a friend and I started keeping a “blessings” list for two primary reasons: we wanted to cultivate grateful hearts, and we wanted to ‘force’ ourselves to see the blessings in daily challenges. I am still working on the habit of writing down every-day blessings, and as a result my list is still shamefully short – but today I have been blessed multiple times, and remembered to write them down!
1. Sunrises, music, and siblings (specifically those who make up the string quartet with me)!
This morning three of us got up early – well, it felt like ‘early’ since we’d stayed up so late – in order to practice quartet for an hour before Ben had to leave for work. We set up the chairs, stands, and music.
And waited for our sleepy other member.We tuned our instruments.
And waited for the now-showering sleepy member.
We practiced some pieces as a trio.And finally welcomed our now-awake, freshly-showered member.
After making *ahem* him pay penance by running through Pachelbel’s Canon (evil laugh), Rachel and I were struck with a brilliant idea: Who cares about the frost? The sun is rising – we should go play “You Raise Me Up” on the sport court! Emily was not enchanted by this idea, but Ben obligingly lugged his stand outside with us and we played the sun up (I do hope our neighbors didn’t mind!) It was freezing – I couldn’t feel my fingers when we finished – but so fun and beautiful! Music and the outdoors… ahhh
2. Pretty things
I’m so grateful I can afford pretty things, not merely the practical! My hope chest is filled with lovely items, and I got to go through it this morning while getting out my teapot and a couple cups for tea with my friend. Is that incredibly weird to use things in my hope chest before the hoped-for happens? I…hope…not. If, in fifty years, I die a shriveled-up old maid, I’ll be glad I used at least some of the things, rather than letting them sit as dust-bunny dens that whole time.
3. Tea, Sharpening Friends, and Scripture
As mentioned above, a friend came over today (this is the same blessings-list friend) for Bible study and tea. We’ve been memorizing and studying our way through the book of James (MAJOR conviction!!) and are almost done! I am so blessed to have friends who challenge, learn, and pray with me!4. These Little Twinkles
…who popped into my room while I was writing this, saw the teapot and cup on the table, and rushed to get their teacups and join me for the “tea party”. J
5. Fun Siblings!
Today we-the-kids are going to see “Tangled” together. Only the littles and I have seen it, and we had long-established that we would all go together during Spring Break (now that it’s finally in the Three-Dollar Theater)!J
Have a blessed day!
3 comments:
Oh how I'd love to have been woken by the sound of your quartet this morning! Beautiful...
And our blessings are worth counting out - even though they're countless. We are blessed beyond words x
I've been keeping a blessing list lately, too--writing down random things that I am thankful for. It makes me feel so blessed and happy to read through all that God has given me, especially when I've had a tough day or am being particularly blind to God's many gifts!
On a side note...poor "other sleepy quartet member." Thank goodness no one mentioned any names! (-;
Anne, blessings are innumerable, but isn't it funny how we don't always realized it until we start trying to count them?
Lauren, good for you! I really think keeping a running list is a good practice. (Now I just have to get better at it... :) As for the mysterious 'quartet member', I was very subtle, dontcha think?
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