Inspired by Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts, I've decided to write a detailed list of those everyday things and people for which I give God thanks. This is definitely a list in progress.
1. The way ducks drag their feet through the water right before they land
2. The penetrating heat of the sun's rays on a spring day
3. The sound of nine-year-old feet scampering across my wooden floor
4. Floppy puppy ears
5. The sweet smell of freshly mown grass
6. The caring gaze in the eyes of others when they talk my son
7. Long eyelashes on little boys
8. Loud, thumping teenage music that still has a message
9. Feather bed pillows
10. Magazines in the mailbox
11. The rich look of freshly cultivated and planted fields
12. Text messages from family and friends
13. Greeting cards
14. Stacks of receipts, which I find annoying to file, but which remind me that I have plenty
15. Songbirds
16. Flowers emerging from soil
17. Lazy Saturday mornings
18. Bass undertones in piano music
19. People who love my children
20. That first drink of water in the morning
21. The smell of wood smoke
22. The sound of frogs during summer nights
23. The cool breeze of night time
24. Strawberries
25. The relief of completing a difficult task
26. Children giggling
27. The awesomeness of lightning and thunder
28. The safety of home
29. Hot showers
30. Sprinklers in summertime
31. Uncreased covers of new books
32. Worn bindings on much-loved books
33. The excitement of learning new things
34. Deep, honest, spiritual conversations
35. Family pictures, both old and new
36. The feeling of adventure when I step into an airplane
37. Drop-by friends
38. The waves of strangers as they pass
39. The curious tilt of a puppy's head
40. Gentle spring fog hovering over treetops
41. Noisy geese as they fly overhead
42. Blue
43. Children returning home from college
44. Morning dewdrops on the tips of grass
45. Sparkly, smirking eyes on my daughter's face
46. Emerging leaves from tree buds
47. Lunch dates with friends
48. The warmth of an unexpected hug
49. Air conditioned buildings on a sultry day
50. Art colored by chubby little hands
51. Concerts--all of them
52. Moments alone
53. 9-year-old boys' prayers of thanks
54. Long drives and long talks with sons and daughters
55. Asparagus picking in May
56. Cool cotton sheets
57. Reading by dim lamplight
58. Blossoms on plum trees
59. Chocolate
60. Late-evening trips to Dairy Queen for ice cream
61. Little boy hugs
62. The way kids rub their eyes with the backs of their hands
63. Waking up to birds singing
64. Cool summer mornings spent in a chair on the deck
65. Bible verses that present themselves at just the right time
66. Sermons that seem like they were meant just for me
67.
(to be continued)