Counting 1000 Blessings - January 2013

This year I started a little something called 1000 gifts, also known as the Joy Dare. Among other new things I started this January, I'm counting to 1000 blessings in the year 2013. I decided to make it a photo-journal which you can follow on instagram.

Here's my January list

1        1 my son's laugh

          2 beautiful music

          3 my husband telling me I love you

2        4 outside: the chill of a new year

          5 inside: Ian sitting with Ivan by the fire

          6 on a plate: my daily avocado

3        7 my son playing in other room

          8 husband driving up driveway

          9 praise music filling the house

4        10 old: God’s precious Word

          11 new: Ivan learning new things every day

          12 blue: oversized comforter on the bed

5        13 reading: books with my baby

          14 making: his baby quilt

          15 seeing: baby dimples on his hands 

6        16 on your fridge: Pictures of my precious family!

          17 in your heart: Prayers for my friend Ahna who is waiting for a new liver 

          18 in your bag: – verse cards my husband read to me during the delivery of our son. These are absolutely priceless to me

7        19 my husband loves to read books with me! http://twitpic.com/btv7hf 

          20 my husband gets up and takes care of the first diaper change of the day! 

          21 my husband always makes sure the bathroom stays warm in the morning when he leaves

8        22 dusky light: God told me to paint again today. Can't wait to see what He comes up with! 

          23 surprising reflection: The smiley face on my mug reflected on my plate. Two happy faces instead of one!

          24 lovely shadow: the shadow the crib casts on the wall when it’s dark outside and just the lamp is on

9        25 held: my sweet baby!

          26 sat with || Reading together cuddled in the blanket Grandma made me.

          27 passed by: pictures in my hall

10      28 just right: Ten perfect little toes!

          29 sweet: blackberry coffee syrup. perfect journaling snack

          30 sour: fresh blackberries!

11      31 yellow gift of fresh mercy: Sunrise, faithful every morning 

          32 a yellow gift with fresh mercy: God lit up the dark room 

          33 a yellow gift with fresh mercy Lemonade on a dreary day 

12      34  Love my paisley chair. Best seat in the house. 

          35  Me & Mr Wonderful

          36 Snow!!! 

13      37 I am redeemed

          38 I am healthy

          39 I am American

14      40 birds covering the lawn, and then all take flight at the same time 

          41 when God told me to paint, this is what He drew 

          42 God’s Glory surrounding the painting, bright as could be

15      43 vitamins I and my baby can both benefit from 

          44 because little boy socks are the best ever! 

          45 Giving my time away to fill my role as wife and mother

16      46 last years herb garden continues to fill our spice cabinet & flavor our food 

          47 coffee brewing. Always cheers me up, hearing smelling and seeing it 

          48 my husband reading to our boy as soon as he got home. He didn't even wait to change out of his work clothes!

17      49 Making gobble sounds on his belly

          50 rom 1:5-6 Stopped me in my tracks

          51 prayers for my friend Ahna

18      52 2cor4:7 we are clay, so God shines through 

          53 ps46:10 love it when God gives me scripture in threes: same verse 3x in a day  

          54 Lk 6:27-28

19      55 God totally intervened in the events prior to Ivan’s premature birth

          56 Marriage to Ian – so many things could’ve happened along the way

          57 My sweet friendship with my mother-in-law

20      58 I always marvel at Gods creative hand in the little juice pockets of oranges

          59 My view from snuggle time, baby’s soft sweet face up close

          60 Salt up close – perfect little cubes

21      61 Good morning world!- Beautiful sunrise this morning

          62 Memories I will always get to cherish of my friend Ahna. She's with Jesus now

          63 Living Water – Inspired Words of Scripture finish up my painting

22      64 He just loves playing with this scrubby puff

          65 sugar scrub on my hands. Silky smooth- feels soo good! 

          66 love when he unfolds his fingers and tries to lace them with mine.

23      67 I am chosen. Jn 15:16-19, Eph 1:4, 1Thes 1:4 1Pet 2:9

          68 complete in Him Col2:10 

          69 a new nature 2Cor 5:17 

24      70 little boy overalls

          71 my Eeyore coffee mug. Makes me happy!

          72 Ivan’s beautiful blue eyes

25      73 down payment on our house 

          74 Happy Apple from my friends mom

          75 found my two lost CD’s

26      76 up at 630 like clockwork to feed Ivan. I cherish it bc one day I will miss this. 

          77 gift at noon... meeting great grandparents for the first time

          78 playing with my happy guy

27      79 love the tiles on the kitchen floor 

          80 Dinner in the crock pot – smelling good!

          81 My journaling time. Fix my thoughts on Jesus

28      82 this lovely Shan-Merry print from a friend

          83 My favorite apples given to us because our friends had more than they would eat

          84 The comfiest wicker furniture given to us buy a friend when we got married 

29      85 a song heard/ he really loves this singing puppy... and is learning how to push the buttons

          86 a light seen. / this clock lamp I just love

          87 a soft word. devo content at just the right time Proverbs 15:1

30      88 Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart with all diligence

          89 Childrens Books from the Library

          90 planted these crocuses last year and glad to see them coming back this year! 

31      91 God gave us such pretty snow to look at today!

          92 watching him see the snow for the first time

          93 3 words others may use to describe you http://twitpic.com/bzu0qm

While I Warm Up My Coffee

Today's post will be a bit different than usual. My mission here was and still is to exude the characteristics and actions of the Proverbs 31 wife. Today I just want to share from my heart.

For the last 5 years (almost 6! Time goes so fast) that we've been married, I have worked outside the home and so has my husband. I have also managed a home based business and some side jobs, and my husband has done the same as well. Last Christmas, however, we found out I was expecting! We have always agreed that once we had children, I would stay at home to be a mommy & we would trust God to provide. I know this isn't for everyone, but that is where we felt God clearly directing our family.

Since July I have done just that. I absolutely love it!
There are new challenges that come with this position, however. With my personal schedule not being so packed, its easy to let days slip by unnoticed.

For new years I never make resolutions but a few years back I heard of My One Word. Akin to the One Little Word that I heard of for the first time this year, you choose a one-word goal to focus on that year. Mine is diligence. Applicable in so many ways. House, marriage, family, business, mothering, and last but not least my spiritual walk.

Easier said than done. I could choose to spend hours on Pinterest looking up organization tips or I could choose to actually fold & put away the basket of clean laundry. (At the moment is actually done, by the way!)

I must have some perfectionist tendencies, because I heard once that a perfectionist doesn't like to start cleaning a room (or putting away laundry for that matter) unless he can finish it without being interrupted. That's me. Either that or the Artist in me just simply gets distracted.
It's one of the two. Or both.

So I decided to challenge myself. Rather than waiting for the best time to do something, I would see how much I could get done in *little* bits of time. While I warm up my coffee, per se.

It's amazing how fast I can work when there's a quick deadline. (And a great reward.) The dishwasher only takes about two minutes to unload. I can get several shirts hung up, the mail sorted, or the ingredients gathered for dinner.

Its also amazing the ways I'm spending my time instead; art projects or reading or Pinterest doesn't happen while the coffee is being warmed up... and if they do, it usually has to be warmed up again by the time I get to it.

So. I challenge you... your coffee has gotten cold. What are you going to accomplish?
I'd love to read your comments!