more 1,000 Gifts

81. grassy hill
82. willing helpers
83. morning runs with Faithful Husband
84. generous, kind-hearted mama
85. lima bean plants grown by curious kiddos
86. patience of Faithful Husband
87. visits from Olathe friends
88. Starbucks chit-chat
89. girlfriend hugs
90. nephew with a mohawk
91. all nephews
92. sweet niece
93. love of my siblings
94. heart talks, even the hard ones
95. school curriculum
96. the sound of moving water
97. mornings...new days
98. "What's up babe?" says Faithful Husband
99. chocolate
100. Bubba the parakeet's singing

Fruity

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

A precious young lady read this verse last night. I immediately questioned myself, "What fruit do I produce?"

I grew up in an environment that taught me about the laws, the rules, of being a Christian...of what a Christian looks like. In recent years, I have learned that Christians, those who love God and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, look very different one from another.

God doesn't have expectations of me, He has expectancy for me. He loves me, even when the fruit I produce looks more like a tomato than an apple.

There are many fruits in the produce section that we don't consider a fruit. An olive is a fruit! Sometimes the fruit we, as Christians, produce is more savory than sweet. It is still a fruit.

"An ugly fruit is sweet and unique, but at first glance tells you nothing about what is in store." Fruit...ugly...still a fruit.

As I pondered the fruit I produce in my life, I realized that much of it is uncommon and may not be considered 'fruit' by those looking in. I'm so glad that God sees my heart and that my life is, indeed, fruity.

1,000 Gifts (continued)

71. van windows down and breeze blowing my hair
72. .49 ice cream cones at McDonalds
73. skype
74. Greenleaf Music & Arts Academy
75. Faithful Husband giggles
76. vibram five fingers
77. the smell of freshly baled straw
78. fresh laundry air filling the house and pouring out the vent to the backyard
79. tadpoles
80. antiques

Four

Is there room to grow deeper in love with your spouse? I am grateful for the encouragement I receive from aholyexperience. From her, I am learning to love in a fresh, new way...in a way that my husband is worthy of.

'It only takes four minutes a day to move into a deeper heart place...to connect in soul intimacy; to breathe in oxygen for the other half of my heart. Don't, and I begin to suffocate, the death heave. I wish someone had told me in the beginning.

FOUR FIXATIONS
Four times a day, think on love. When I leave the marriage bed, leave the front door, when I return to the front door, and when I return to the marriage bed. These times are critical. Touch or whisper a sweet something when passing through these gateways and we walk into hours of closeness. Forever love fixates like fresh love.

FOUR EMBRACES
Four times a day, wrap up in husband. Embrace fully and hold each other's eyes. That's all. Repeat four times daily. The one flesh breathes best when skin pores are close; connected.

FOUR AFFIRMATIONS
Four times during the day, thank him...for working faithfully to provide, for the things he does for you, for making the heart skip a beat. Look for ways to thank him! '

I recently started a 1,000 Loves journal. This journal is simply that: 1,000 things I am thankful for...that I love about my man. Sometimes life gets chaotic and I begin to focus on untruths and I forget all the amazing, wonderful things about him. This morning when I woke up, ready for my morning cup of coffee, I had a new 'love' for my journal. I am thankful that he wakes up early and makes coffee...what a blessed girl I am to wake up to that aroma and a ready cup.

Four Fixations... Four Embraces... Four Affirmations... what an adventure!

What about you? What 'loves' are there in your heart today, regarding your man?

1,000 Gifts

Reading A Holy Experience is changing me. Today I begin my list of blessings...those many things I am thankful for and that I want to capture in my heart instead of take for granted.



1. grace sufficient
2. daily, new mercies
3. sunshine
4. singing birds
5. air conditioning
6. green trees
7. faithful husband, aka my best friend
8. adoring children, even when I don't deserve it
9. freezer full of meat for my meat loving family
10. forever friends
11. wisdom from my mama
12. hazelnut creamer
13. great coffee mugs
14. early mornings at the YMCA with faithful husband
15. late nights on the deck with faithful husband
16. walks in the creek
17. growth, wisdom, and playfulness of oldest child
18. homemade curtains
19. bird feeders
20. slinky
21. farmer's market
22. 1,000 Loves Journal
23. cool breeze
24. butterflies
25. freedom
26. dancing
27. full moon
28. strawberry and lemon water
29. giggles
30. the tears of a tender heart
31. balance
32. remembering
33. no more Margo
34. SheaCrew kiddos cuddled in blankets with books
35. Garmina taking me on a geocache adventure
36. bridges
37. old barns
38. oxeye daisy
39. narrations
40. little children quotes (canoodle, alligator juice...)
41. end of day closure
42. new windows
43. hummingbird feeder
44. enamel dishes
45. ears that hear
46. bathtub
47. hugs
48. faithful husband wisdom, even when it is hard to hear
49. hand-me-down sofa from Fischy family
50. Ozarks
51. running
52. candles
53. fresh sheets
54. fire-pit, s'mores, roasted hot dogs
55. fire-pit, hot cocoa, scarves, blankets
56. jeans and hoodies
57. disc golf = hope
58. inspiring and motivating music
59. date night
60. visits from family and friends
61. lessons learned
62. progress, not perfection
63. hellos from heaven
64. wet-erase markers and my fridge
65. seasons; weather and life
66. my nephew given name; Aunt Jenny
67. smiles between SheaCrew kiddos
68. long walks around town
69. deck furniture...my deck!
70. relationship, not religion

Look Deeply

Today was a wonderful day. Chris and I took the kids to the the creek to play. The temp. was around 90 and they were ready to 'swim' and play. I took my chair, my water bottle, and my book. I am reading The Foxfire Book and really enjoying it. "this is the way I was raised up" is the name of the first chapter. One of the quotes brought so much emotion to my heart... I cried sitting right there in my chair in Hickory Creek. Here is the quote: '"seames as every body was happie to."

Late 1800's, work was hard and life required steady, hard work from everyone. They were "happie."

As I sat there pondering this, I watched my kids down the creek. They were laughing, working together, living a simple-together, old-fashioned fun day.

I cried some more. My kids 'require' computers, facebook, video games, Disney Channel, air conditioning, and much attention... then they are happy. UNTIL we get away from all of those things...when we do, they discover REAL happiness.

I believe that Neosho is taking me back to "this is the way I was raised up" and I'm so glad we are here. Life is slower, demands are less, and I LIKE to be an old-fashioned girl. I want to make my own soap, grow my own food, and live a simple-together, old-fashioned life. Balance is key. I do live in 2010, but 2010 isn't going to consume me or my children. I want to 'look deeply' at my life and really live it.

Hey, I might even dress my own hog and build a log cabin! Just kidding, but if you read the book...you'll learn all the details of both.

Happy Living!

Gifts aka God's Love

I have often teased my husband regarding the gifts that God gives him. Chris will have a thought about something he would like to have and before you know it... someone is giving him the very thing he thought about.


He has been given a truck after thinking how nice it would be to have one. No prayer. No request. A thought.


He was given new tackle boxes after mentioning to me that he'd like a new one. A neighbor walked over and asked Chris if he would like to have them.

The bible says that every good and perfect gift is from above. The truck, the tackle boxes, and all of the many other gifts Chris has received were good and perfect... God loving on him.


Chris has always said to me, "Jen, don't you know that God wants to be a part of all things in your life... even the small things?" God does care about our wants...even if we never pray about them. He does give us the desires of our heart.


Like Chris, I have thoughts about things I want. Like Chris, God often gives me those things. I know I am loved all the time, yet when I recieve a gift I am reminded of how much He loves me.


This past weekend was the Neosho city-wide garage sale weekend. I told my sister, Aime, that the main thing I was hoping to purchase was lawn type furniture for my deck. That very evening Chris came home and let me know that our neighbors were purchasing new furniture for their porch and giving us their old stuff!!! I was so happy I jumped around like a little girl. God loves me so much...this was indeed a good and perfect gift from above.


The next afternoon I was having a moment of missing my Willow house, in Olathe, where I had two large lilac bushes that I loved. As I was standing in my yard pondering the lilacs, the same neighbors that gave us the furniture walked over and Terry, the wife, had a large bouquet of lilacs for me. Can you believe it!?!?!?


I am a well-loved girl. Who else, but God, loves us so perfectly?