I am grateful for dental floss.

I am grateful for zippers that work.

I am grateful for running water.

I am grateful for cushioning in shoes.

I am grateful for time spent with Orlando and Jeanette last night.

I am grateful for homemade chocolate chip cookies.

I am grateful for the ability to learn, the ability that never ends, and I am grateful to have been humbled in my CASA class. I didn’t have an edge up. I have a lot to learn about teenagers in the foster care system…

I am grateful for unexpected answers to prayer.

I am grateful that everything this week makes me think of these four:

I am grateful for drive-through car washes that result in a clean car.

I am grateful for the beauty of a sparkling clean, filled, swimming pool that is ready for summer in the neighborhood.

I am grateful for the fact that we have an array of colorful birds to watch in the back yard.

I am grateful for band-aids.

I am grateful for a new purse for the choir trip and summer.

I am grateful for crackers.

I am grateful that I do not have a permanent scowl on my face and my mouth doesn’t have an obvious, natural frown. At least I hope it doesn’t. I’ve seen two women in the last few hours that need some serious laughter and joy injected into their face. 

I am grateful for a clean refrigerator.

I am grateful for a chair that swivels and has casters.

And I am grateful for “angels” in my life who have been sent by God to speak life, truth, grace, and peace, and who are right there when I need them most, when I had no idea I needed them…

I am grateful for videos of my grandchildren reciting their scripture verse for the week and of Anissa “chauffeuring” her baby sister through the house as she rides in her new walker.

Ephesians 2:19

NASCAR, here we come.

I am grateful for happy secrets.

I am grateful that I have class tonight and feel like I have an edge-up on the others. We’ll see…

I am grateful for Minsky’s pizza for dinner last night.

And I am grateful for pleasant memories of childhood:

Dish strainers and those multi-colored tupperware cups

A pen with five colors 

Homemade noodles drying on a dish towel on the lid of the washing machine – oh my goodness, I want some right now

Gold shag carpet that we had to rake every Saturday

Pipe cleaner dolls when I had to stay home because I was sick

Screen doors on a spring that slammed shut

Rotary phones 

Listening to the CBS Radio Mystery Theater on the way home from church or Haviland when it was dark outside

Catching lightning bugs in a jar

Walking to piano lessons on Saturdays with my sister from the station to Mrs. Good’s house

Long licorice ropes in the glass case at the drug store

Merry-go-rounds 

Slides that burned your legs

Extra dough from homemade pie crusts that were baked and sprinkled with cinnamon/sugar

The smell of the Haven Library 

Matching quilted maxi skirts

Paper dolls

Tractor tire flower beds

The chicken at Snack Haven

Vacation Bible School workbooks that smelled so good and came with lots of stickers

Seeing Mom in shorts and knowing it meant one of two things – either it was a long, awful day of cleaning, or we were headed to Cheney Lake

Vacation Bible School crafts: sand art and matchstick crosses – I loved those the best.

Getting a new fish for the fish tank when I didn’t cry at the doctor’s office

Playing that board game with the cute couples – The Dating Game? –  that belonged to Sue Foley

Spring band concerts in the old high school gym in Haven – I was so impressed with Mr. Lee but remember he had such a funny shape as he stood on his podium and directed the band.

The meat locker and Laundromat that we didn’t visit very often

Cleaning windshields better than everyone else, and knowing how to check and add oil and washer fluid

The smell of alfalfa at the elevator

Buster Brown shoes and clothes at the dime store and the unforgettable Hempsteads

The time I stole a piece of candy from Gibson’s and Mom marched me back in to give it back and apologize and the time I stole a piece of gum from Ron and Mom made me march out to the living room and confess to Dad. SO SCARY.

Playing in the rabbit pen in the back yard

Parent night at the grade school when our art was hung in the hallways and we had to perform our solos

Fifi and Sneakers

Elm bugs

The big spools we used to walk/roll on all over the front yard

Auctioning picnic baskets made by the girls/women at church

The cat figurines in the front window

Freaking out over KC and the Sunshine Band in Meleigh’s basement and swooning over Peter Frampton

Dreading every step of the way to swim lessons in the summertime

The Tilt-a-Whirl at the Haven Fall Festival

Listening to music in the boys’ bedroom…The Lettermen, The Carpenters, and this song:

Gary Lewis & the Playboys

My work day begins with this:

10,000 Reasons

It is a perfect way to start the day, with a reminder to notice 10,000 reasons to sing and not complain, to be grateful and not harbor bitterness, to guard my tongue and change my thought patterns in order to think kindly of others and pray blessings on everyone I meet, to remind myself that my reason for singing is because He gave me a song, and I am to live that song in everything I do, every action I take, every thought I think, and every word I speak. 

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

I am grateful for an absence of complaints and nagging in my life. Yesterday, the radio program I happened to be listening to was focused on people who nag and complain constantly and what a drag they are to all who hear. Someone called in and said, “My wife can nag the rust off a fender.” I used to be like that, and I hope that I am no longer that person. I know what it is like to be around someone who cannot say anything nice, who has to constantly argue and dwell on the negative rather than the positive. It IS a drag, and it makes me want to avoid the negativity. I am grateful that God has worked in my life and has shown me how to share love, how to build up and not tear down, and how to find those 10,000 reasons to sing.

But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. James 3:8-10

 

I am grateful for time in the office to begin my day in prayer and devotions.

I am grateful for mail. My mail last night included a newsletter from Central Oregon YFC, with an article that my son-in-law wrote about his group and their Easter sunrise service. I am grateful for his ability to write with such descriptive detail that transplants the reader into the moment. My mail also included two cards from Delores that will be kept and treasured. It is so nice to receive something in the mail that is not an advertisement or a bill.

I am grateful for another cool morning to enjoy wearing a sweater, because the hot days are soon to arrive and these crisp mornings will be a memory.

I am grateful that my Texas grandchildren are being taught to say “Thank you,” when given a gift or when someone does something for them. It was so noticeable this past weekend and their “thank you’s” were not preceded with, “What do you say?” or “Tell Ama thank you,” but shared freely because they have been taught to be grateful.

I am grateful for the little bluebirds of happiness that Mom had on her kitchen windowsill.

Yesterday, I was grateful for the lessons I have learned from my Dad about talking less and listening more. Today, I am grateful for Sam and for the lessons he has taught me about taking an interest in others rather than focusing a conversation on myself. I still have a lot to learn and find myself talking WAY too much about myself when I sense awkward silence. We are so impressed with those in the “younger generations” who are more interested in reaching out to others and want to learn someone else’s story rather than being self-absorbed and commandeering a conversation to be all about them. I am grateful for our conversation this morning about the necessity for those in ministry to talk less and listen more, and our need to be more cognizant of doing this within our own families. It is a good reminder for me to think about my conversations in the last week – did I listen more than I spoke? Did I learn anything about who they are, what they do, what their defining story is? Or did I dominate the conversations I had with them focused on tales about me, about my life, about my views, about my world?

I am grateful that I am never too old, too set in my ways, to learn.

…You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore.

I am grateful that this will play on my internal jukebox today: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free…

O Happy Day

So much to be grateful for, so little time to type it all out…

I am grateful for the best daughters in the world.

I am grateful for the most adorable grandchildren in the world.

I am grateful for my sons-in-law who put forth extra effort to do something special for their wives yesterday.

I am grateful that Katrina had an overwhelming but good first day of work at her summer job, and grateful that it seems to be a match made in Heaven for their “calling in life.” As Delores said during our conversation yesterday, we only see the unfinished side of the tapestry, but God sees the beautiful finished creation. I believe that this job opportunity is another stitch in the Caldwell tapestry.

I am grateful for the creativity of my daughter and her desire to serve her church in every possible way she can.

I am grateful for the silliness of Andrae’s remark as he ate his eggs, “It’s not my faut!”

I am grateful for two little faces in their carseats in the backseat of the van with smiles from ear to ear and eyes sparkling, saying, “Happy Mother’s Day, Ama!”, completely unprompted, as they were telling me goodbye yesterday.

I am grateful for lots of time on the phone with my Dad, Delores, Karissa, Katrina, and Sam, while I drove eight hours yesterday. Those conversations made the time pass and kept me from getting sleepy, and I loved talking as long as I wanted to everyone.

I am grateful for good battery life on my phone that lasted all the way with the exception of the last 15 miles.

I am grateful for safety as I traveled. No issues, no problems.

I am grateful for the feeling I had when I pulled into the driveway last night and saw Sam sitting on the front porch. It’s a wonderful feeling to have someone waiting for me and eager to see me after a trip.

I am grateful for an abundance of public restrooms and the freedom to stop whenever I wanted.

I am grateful to have spent 30 minutes with Coach and Terry in the McDonald’s just to catch up on life.

I am grateful for an absence of cravings. I used to walk into a convenience store while on a trip and immediately want snacks – especially chips or M&Ms. Instead, I purchased a small Ziploc bag of sliced apples and a healthy granola bar. And no more tea or soda for me – now, it’s only large water, thank you.

I am grateful to have spent some time in the car with Mandrae and Karissa, laughing.

I am grateful for a beautiful wreath made with love by my daughter, personalized with her favorite pattern and a giraffe print to remind me of Katrina, too.

I am grateful to have seen Anjalie’s smiles tucked between her two fat cheeks. She has the “Collins sparkle” in those eyes, too.

I am grateful to have watched Annistan’s orneriness and grateful to have been able to tuck her into her new little toddler bed, pray with her, and kiss her good night.

I am grateful to have heard Anissa’s giggles and so grateful to have heard everywhere we went, “Ama, I want you to sit by ME.”

I am grateful for an extended amount of time to hold Andrae as he cuddled with me on Friday evening.

I am grateful for this, my favorite children’s book:

I am grateful to have been raised by my Mom. She wasn’t perfect, but as I get older, I realize she was much closer to perfect than I ever knew.  And she loved me no matter what.

I am grateful for Delores – if I can’t talk to Mom, I’m so glad I can talk to her.

I am grateful to have attended a church service with my daughter and her family yesterday at their church that was intent on honoring Moms. 

I am grateful to have been lucky enough to have Anissa and Andrae help me make scrambled eggs again.

I am grateful for my Dad and his example to me to be slow to speak and listen more.

I am grateful to have heard my daughter sing again.

I am grateful to have heard my daughter and her husband sing together again in church yesterday for their children during the baby dedication, seven years after their wedding day.

I am grateful for a little notebook that has Anissa’s drawings in it. She can spell her name, my “name,” and her Mommy’s name now.

I am grateful for time spent singing with Anissa and Andrae. Little Bunny Foo-Foo, Ten little monkeys jumping on a bed, God made me, This little light of mine, Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick, Arky arky, Old Dan…

I am grateful for time this morning to visit with Sam in the quiet of the kitchen.

I am grateful for two little girls who hid in the middle of the clothing racks at the store, so that all I could see were four little feet in flower-adorned flip-flops.

I am grateful that I was able to sing “I love you, a bushel and a peck…” to Annistan and Anjalie as I held them. I just know that it is what Mom would have done if she were here.

I am grateful to have seen Anissa and Andrae riding their bikes up and down the sidewalk.

I am grateful to have had the privilege to watch Karissa hold Annistan and Anjalie with such tender, loving embraces.

And I am grateful for a video that my daughter surprised me with when I got to work this morning. Nothing like starting the day in tears, but, oh so grateful that these are happy tears this year.

To my mom and my kids’ Ama. I love u.

I am grateful for memories of singing “Arky Arky” with my young students and with the girls when they were little.

I am grateful for one piece of bread that was left over to feed the birds this morning.

I am grateful that there is no AC in the house right now and I am not so pampered as to need it.

I am grateful for memories of Karissa’s first birthday, complete with a Rainbow Brite cake.

I am grateful for room in my pants.

I am grateful for little bunny cookie cutters that my boss bought for me. They arrived yesterday, just in time to make some little cookies for my grandchildren before I leave tomorrow morning.

I am grateful that I do not walk like the “shuffler,” the “can’t walk normal in high heels-er,” or the “flip-flop slapper.”  But I wonder what it is I do that drives other people crazy.

I am grateful that the ironing is done and the corner of the room is once again uncluttered.

I am grateful that today is “Friday” at work for me and tomorrow I go to Texas for two days to spend Mother’s Day weekend with my daughter and her family. 

And I am grateful that there are people in my church who are gifted in story-telling and sharing their lives in a way that inspires those who listen and read, and I am grateful for the way my pastor is challenging me to re-think the WAY I have always heard the story of Noah’s ark, to realize the deeper meaning and the messages that are so valuable to my own defining story.  This was part of this morning’s devotions, and it is so worth reading:

Janelle Gregory serves on the Resurrection staff as a Human Resources Specialist.

I’ve got a treat for you! My week has looked like a tilt-a-whirl on rapid speed, so my awesome husband, Brandon, volunteered to write today’s insight. Enjoy!

 

In the Genesis account, God spoke to Noah and laid out a pretty detailed plan for what Noah was supposed to do. God made clear his intentions, told Noah what materials to use, how to prepare them, and even gave exact dimensions for the ark. There are a lot of days I wish I got something resembling a blueprint from God, but that’s exactly what Noah got. Over the years, reading this story, I got a little jealous–why couldn’t God just give me some blueprints?

But there are a few big things missing from the picture. I’ve actually been on a few cruises in my lifetime, and the first thing you get, before you get near the boat, before you even pick out a cruise, is an itinerary. You know exactly where you’re going, you know when you’re going to be there, you know what you’re going to be doing there, and, most importantly, you know where and when you’ll be at the end of the voyage.

Noah didn’t have a nice little sheet that he could reference on his voyage.

“Let’s see, day thirty-eight: rain. Day thirty-nine: rain and gale-force winds. Day forty: rain and high waves. And then, Key West!”

God gave some very clear plans as to why Noah had to act, and how he had to prepare, but Noah had no idea where he was going, when it would end, or what would be waiting on the other side. I imagine Noah, on day 41, coming to the sinking realization that even though the rains had stopped as God said, it would be a long time before all that water went anywhere. Day 60 rolls around, and he starts to panic. Day 80 is when I imagine he realizes that God never really said anything about the end of the journey–He just told Noah how to prepare, and that he would make it through.

That part of the story makes a lot of sense to me.

I was 23, living in Florida, pretty fresh out of college, still trying to figure out what on earth to do with my life. At the time, God’s calling on my life seemed to be caring for people the best I could, reaching out to the outsiders, and playing lots of music–great preparation, I thought, but I had no idea what for.

I met a girl who lived in Kansas City, we hit it off, and within a few months, I started packing things into the young college graduate’s version of an ark: a ’96 Ford Taurus sedan into which I packed my every earthly belonging. Things had fallen together so quickly with the promise of a job as a worship leader at a small church in the area and a place to stay that I went from a blissful Florida resident with no plans of moving to a blissful Kansas resident with no roots in a span of a handful of weeks. I didn’t have room to bring much–mostly clothes, books, and musical instruments.

Moving to a new city in which you know only one person is hard. Metaphorically, it rained on me. Three months later, I found out that my job as a worship leader fell through and I lost that. And it rained some more. And just like Noah, I realized that I had no promise about the end of the journey. I had filled in some of those gaps with my imagination, of course, which just made the realization harder. And it rained some more.

In the Genesis account, Noah spent five months on that ark, drifting aimlessly with no end in sight, wondering some days if he would ever set his feet on solid land again.

I’m not sure how long I drifted, because my journey to solid land was much more gradual, but I eventually got there. I took a job as a web designer at a local agency out of desperation and slowly began to set down some new roots. And over the years, God’s master plan was slowly revealed to me.

That girl I met in Kansas City? She’s now my beautiful wife. Together, we did things like plan benefit concerts to help stop human trafficking, help provide job training for kids graduating out of the foster system, and provide support for our church’s efforts in Malawi and beyond. We’ve since adopted our son through the foster system and I have an amazing family.

Those musical instruments I brought up here with me? I’m still playing them. I’m currently volunteering to help lead worship at three of our church campuses, sometimes playing up to four services a week.

That job in web design? I eventually became a manager and used my position to help as many people as I could. It opened the doors for some amazing relationships, and I was able to help my employees through some very difficult times in their lives.

None of that was a part of the initial promise that brought me here. God made sure I was prepared and promised that I would live to see the voyage through to completion, that I would live to tell His tale. My imagination had initially filled in the gaps, but I see now that God’s plan was much bigger than my dreams.

As for the end of the journey? I don’t know. Maybe I can tell you later. All I know now is that I’m glad I’m along for the ride, and that I know God won’t leave me unprepared for wherever I’m going.

I am grateful to have talked to Anissa for a few minutes this afternoon. I am so anxious to hold her this weekend.

I am grateful for each one of my Bingo moms. It has been quite a year getting to know them on Tuesday nights, and I wouldn’t trade that time for anything except more time with my own Mom.

I am grateful for Grace, one of the choir students from church, who came to Bingo last night and volunteered her time to help and play the game with the group. She is a sweetheart, and it warms my heart that a 16-year-old would sacrifice a school night to do this. There IS hope for the future.

I am grateful for Sam and his willingness to bend.

I am grateful for indoor plumbing and a restroom that is close by, now that I drink a gallon of water a day. I’m a little nervous about the choir trip and being on the bus for many hours at a time. This is not going to be easy or comfortable.

I am grateful for blooming red tulips, purple creeping phlox, and deep purple pansies that make Woody the Deer even better looking in the front yard.

I am grateful that the Holy Spirit has worked in me to forgive beyond what I could be capable of on my own.

And I am grateful for air conditioning in a hot car.

That’s all. 

I am grateful that I like a clean house, that even though I love cats, we don’t have one, that even though I love dogs, we don’t have one, and that for all of the years I HATED Saturday cleaning days that Mom made us live through instead of playing with friends and doing fun things on the weekends, I learned to love the smell of Windex and Pinesol and bleach and Comet and Pledge, and I can appreciate a lack of nastiness in my home, wherever I reside. Wow, wow, wow. I saw the complete opposite of a clean home last night. Wow.

I am grateful for a sleeping Dad this morning. He didn’t stir when we left for work, and I know he was in dire need of rest after keeping up with Angela, Mom’s daughter, who doesn’t have a “stop” or even a “slow down” button when it comes to memorials and museums that wait for no one.

I am grateful for Sam’s ingenuity. There was NO WAY that was going to fit in such a small space. Wanna bet?

I am grateful for one more sleeve of graham crackers and a leftover container of generic frosting in a nearly empty kitchen – it made for a perfect bedtime snack for the three of us, and it was a wonderful reminder of Mom’s creativity – poor man’s cookies.

I am grateful that I can recall in my brain the sound of Andrae and Anissa saying, “Tha’s NAS-ty!” after seeing something gross. 

I am grateful for Dad’s comment on the way home from the airport last night when asked what his favorite thing was in Washington: “I just wish Grace could have seen it all.”  Me too, Dad. Me too.

I am grateful that tonight is Bingo, and Grace, one of my choir kids who would like a summer job at a nursing home or assisted living facility, will join us to play and get to know my “adopted Moms.” 

And I am grateful that I now get to leave and go have lunch with my Dad.

I am grateful for the friends I DO have. I need to do a better job of letting them know how grateful I am.

I am grateful for our tulips that just began to bloom this weekend. I’ve never had tulips, so I am SO excited that they actually BLOOMED!  I am also grateful for five peony buds. My first peony plants, too – at least since childhood. I can’t wait to smell them.

I am grateful for memories of our tire swing. It was the best swing in the whole world.

And I am grateful for the time Angela, Ron and Dad were able to spend together in Washington, and grateful that they coming home today.

What a great concept. And so easy to use. I would have called it rhondaslist, though.

I am grateful for a phone call from my sister last night, reassuring me that they were not at the bottom of an ocean, had not had an inflight emergency, and had spent the afternoon and evening traipsing all over Washington DC, thoroughly worn out and ready for a good night’s sleep.

I am grateful for the warm feelings I have when thinking about my Dad experiencing the monuments and the history and the “wowza” of Washington for the first time.

I am grateful for an hour and a half phone call with my beautiful daughter last night. Oh, it is so wonderful.

I am grateful for a little chipmunk that didn’t completely panic but looked at me and begged me to let her out of the squirrel cage this morning. We had a nice conversation before I opened the door and she ran away to her little hole.

I am grateful for stale pancakes that made the birds very happy yesterday.

I am grateful to have seen a large woodpecker on the feeder last night, and grateful to have seen that yellow bird again this morning at the end of the street. I love the trees that attract interesting wildlife in the neighborhood for us to enjoy.

I am grateful that I am not tied to TV anymore. Watching Mother’s Day commercials is a difficult thing.

I am grateful for Lisa’s short emails that include pictures like this:

And I am grateful for floor mats.

I am grateful that my sister took my Dad to Washington, DC this morning for a whirlwind 4 1/2 day tour.

I am grateful for the opportunity last night to re-live a favorite childhood memory – sitting down with my Dad and sharing a big bowl of macaroni and cheese. Which makes me grateful for macaroni and cheese, just about any kind. Kraft Mac & Cheese out of that blue box, Velveeta Shells & Cheese with the can inside, homemade in a 9×13 that is loaded with cheese and cream and gooey wonderful-ness… But, I am not that grateful for the leftover macaroni and cheese from a box that Mom used to put on the table, reheated with some milk to attempt to make it creamy again. I am grateful it is now a memory, although I would eat it with unbridled pleasure if it would bring Mom back for another meal at her kitchen table.

I am grateful for pretty fruit bouquets.

I am grateful for Mom’s bird book that Dad brought for me to use so that I can figure out what that bird is called.

I am grateful for memories of May Day as a child: the excitement of making baskets of flowers to hang on the neighbors’ doorsteps; winding the May Pole in the 5^th grade under the direction of Miss Meyers; and marching in the All Schools Day parade in McPherson as a drum majorette, complete with my white boots.

I’ll pretend mine were this cute.

And I am grateful for an absence of hunger.