Multitude Monday #3

Multitude Monday is about intentionally fixing my eyes on God's blessings, big and small, whatever the season, whether life is good or the road has been rocky.

Picking up where I left off last week...

31. Our marriage. We just passed the 11 year mark at the end of June and will take some time before the school year begins to celebrate. We've hit rough patches along the way, but the last 6 years have been particularly sweet as God has grown us and surrounded us with many godly examples and sources of counsel. I am so thankful to be married to my best friend.

32. Creature comforts--I so often take them for granted. A clean (indoor) bathroom, safe drinking water, a house with central air, cars that function, ceiling fans, electricity, high-speed internet, green grass to run around in barefoot (and an association that mows it), grocery stores, washing machines...

33. Heather @ Sit A Spell--she challenges me and I so appreciate her candid thoughts about loving and caring for the poor, whether it's right where we are, or in the mission field as her young family has been this past year in Haiti.

34. Homegrown tomatoes. Tonight I'm trying out a new recipe: Double-Crusted Tomato, Onion & Bacon Pie. Can't wait!

35. Friends coming for dinner tonight. Besides the Tomato Pie, I'm dishing up the Spinach Quiche I posted the recipe for in June.

36. Summer employment for Pete. He had 3 days of framing work last week and it looks like regular hours might be possible until he returns to school in late August. A definate answer to prayer!

37. Visiting with college roommates/friends yesterday. Carolyn, her daughter Julia, and husband Eric, drove up from VA earlier this weekend and came to church with us. Karla and her family and Shelley-Ann joined us later in the afternoon.

38. Our local library. For a small town it's a great little library. And by borrowing from other branches in Lancaster County it's rare I can't get a hold of what I'm looking for. Right now I'm re-reading THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA--this time taking notes. Should have done that the first time.

39. Summer reading program. Pretty soon we'll fill up the kid's 30 book slots and get our tickets to Strasburg.

40. Tiki torches for the flowerbed. On sale at ACMOORE for $1.50 each! Hopefully they'll help to keep the bugs away from our deck area in the evenings.

41. Dates on the calendar with 3 couples we've wanted to reconnect with or get to know better. What's funny is that ALL the men are named Josh!

42. A solution for our truck conundrum. Since starting our pastured poultry operation last year, we've been borrowing my dad's truck alot (not counting the other household/yard projects that we've needed it too!), and going back and forth on whether we should replace Pete's car with a truck. But buying a truck that could fit the kid's carseats in the event of an emergency was out of our price range...and we don't want a gas-guzzler if we can help it. SOLUTION: a hitch on our Subaru wagon and a trailer from Pete's dad that just needed some assembly.

43. Vibrant, gospel-centered worship with other believers. I so appreciate the songwriting and composing gifts represented in Sovereign Grace Ministries, their incorporation of hymns, and especially our particular church's worship leaders.

44. Getting to watch THE KING'S SPEECH with my husband. We had tried to see it when it was in the theatres but tickets were sold out by the time we got there. I ♥ films with Colin Firth. He is such an excellent actor.

45. My family. Life is messy because we're human and we sin, but I am so thankful that time with my family is not characterized by discord, tension, or indifference.