I am grateful for tulips.

I am grateful for a vehicle that has windows that roll down for breeze and pleasure. I am not as grateful for other windows that roll down for inappropriate rap music and cigarette smoke.

I am grateful for memories of Natia enjoying a sunbeam and Topo scratching his back in the grass.

I am grateful for my devotions today that I have read now several times. I need some brain and heart superglue to make this stick:

Thank me for the glorious gift of My Spirit. This is like priming the pump of a well. As you bring Me the sacrifice of thanksgiving, regardless of your feelings, My Spirit is able to work more freely within you. This produces more thankfulness and more freedom, until you are overflowing with gratitude.

I shower blessings on you daily but sometimes you don’t perceive them. When you mind is stuck on a negative focus, you see neither Me nor My gifts. In faith, thank Me for whatever is preoccupying your mind. This will clear the blockage so that you can find Me.

I am grateful for time to get away from the office and just enjoy the sunshine and the birds singing for a little while.

I am grateful for bags of donations to give to the Rescue Mission thrift store.

I am grateful for close basketball games that are fun to watch.

I am grateful for the book of Ephesians.

I am grateful that my daughter has called me a few times this week.

I am grateful for bills paid.

I am grateful to be able to witness the elderly man with the Royals baseball cap who came in the building very slowly in order to visit his financial planner, the young man who pushes his Mom in a wheelchair every day to take her to one of the offices above, the elderly couple who walked past my window holding hands, the Dad who brought his spring break daughters to work with him, the brave window washers who deserve a beautiful first spring day, the group of Asian young men who laugh together as they walk outside during one of their computer breaks, the UPS and FedEx delivery people who have a skip in their step today since it is such a pleasant afternoon, and I am grateful to have witnessed a flower delivery person who just made someone’s day even prettier.

I am grateful for a fork not plastic when the fruit is hard and looking for a utensil to break.

I am grateful for the anticipation of Easter clothes and shoes and baskets and bunny cookies to get ready for sending this weekend.

I am grateful that I do not have to live with people who can easily cause me to be annoyed and bitter.

I am grateful for restrooms with paper towels instead of half-hearted hand dryers or dryers that cause hearing loss.

I am grateful for the rain.

I am grateful that March Madness is bigger than the Big XII and fun to watch but it’s not my attitude killer when my bracket gets ugly.

I am grateful for working wipers and a large umbrella.

I am grateful that my Dad took the dumpster to the curb.

I am grateful for quiet time this morning and grateful that Sam asked me to read to him.

I am grateful for a fleece pullover today.

And I am grateful for quiet time in the car to release the bitter and the annoyance and the overall grumpy before an evening of basketball with my guys.

I am grateful for days when I am reminded how important it is to reach out and be genuinely interested, when it is more important to pick up the phone and call to inquire, when it is more important to ask questions rather than answer them, when it is more important to listen than to be heard.

I am grateful for days when I feel loss – when I miss having a Mom to call, when I miss being a Mom who is called, when I am the one left out of holidays and celebrations and visits and invitations to visit, when I no longer have that connection to someone for a random “How are you doing today?” phone call, when I miss being needed and wanted. I am grateful for these days, because these are the days when I am reminded once again that I have all that I need, that I am under His wing, that I can lean on His everlasting arms, that no one understands like Jesus.

I am grateful for days when I am still Mom – when my opinion is sought out, when pictures are shared, when love is shown, when I am still needed and wanted, when I can support and encourage and pray for the best children and grandchildren in the world. These are the days when I am more aware of how much my own Mom loved me and cheered me on and loved me unconditionally and squeezed hard with hugs and made me feel like I was the most important phone call of the day.

Sometimes I understand a woman’s need to adopt, to have another child, to seek out love wherever she can find it, to gather dogs and cats in abundance – that desire to love and be loved, to feel needed, to take care. Those emotions can be so strong.

So, for these feelings, I am grateful for this passage today:

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (The Message)

I am grateful that it is roly-poly time again. They have arrived in the public restroom on my floor in the building, and that means that spring has sprung. Yay. Now, the anticipation of the first thunderstorm…

I am grateful for rest when my body is less than.

I am grateful for birds singing, and I imagine this is what they are singing: “I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free! His eye is on the sparrow over there, and I know He’s watching me…too!”

Happiness is…baby giggles.

I am grateful for my sister who was in a much better place than I on Saturday and was able to help Dad sort and discard. I just don’t want to throw anything away.

I am grateful for a letter from Dean that arrived yesterday, with a magazine article about planning family reunions that my Mom sent to him several years ago with a handwritten note attached. Oh, Mom.  It goes with the file she kept with silly songs to sing at family reunions that Angela found on Saturday. At least Mom was an ORGANIZED article hoarder.

Happiness is…a new pair of fluffy socks.

I am grateful for a cinnamon sugar bagel that made the day better, and a chocolate long john that satisfied this morning. Goodness, you must STOP this, Sam. Fortunately, these were not gifts on the same day.

Happiness is…happy tears when watching a child being interviewed by Ellen.

I am grateful for a solitary evening walk after dark that helped me to conquer a small fear.

I am grateful for funny text messages from my daughter.

Happiness is…a $2 bill left as part of the tip.

I am grateful for this rare find these days for my Bingo prize tonight:

Which makes me grateful for memories of something like this hanging on the tree:

Happiness is…seeing old newspaper articles about my Dad and his full-service gas station.

I am grateful for the beginning signs of tulips and hyacinths and daffodils.

And finally, I am grateful that I am not a shoe person. I have several pairs, but I don’t enjoy shoe shopping, don’t see the need for a pair in every color, like that I am still wearing the same shoes I have had for YEARS, and am mostly content.

I am grateful to be content.

1. I am grateful for orange segments for an afternoon snack.
2. I am grateful that my bank is close enough for a warm and breezy walk at lunchtime to make a deposit and I’m grateful to know that I could survive if I didn’t have a car to drive – work, groceries, bank, a church, Bingo friends, and walk-in clinic all within walking distance.
3. And I am grateful for my husband who looks in on me when I am down, who spends his entire weekend working to make a place for Dad, who never complains, and who tells me that he loves me every day.

I am grateful today for the feel of grass under bare feet on a warm day.

I am grateful today for dropped change in the road that is like treasure for a walker.

I am grateful today for stretchy pants and t-shirts to wear on a lazy day.

I am grateful today for really nice perfume worn by the unknown woman who occupied the public restroom minutes before I entered.

I am grateful today for a co-worker who offered lunch.

I am grateful today for funny radio that makes the day go faster.

I am grateful today for a symphony of birds.

I am grateful today for March madness, basketball madness, anyway.

I am grateful today that my car is fixed and back home again.

I am grateful today for prayer answered.

I am grateful today for nice customer service reps on the other end of the phone.

I am grateful today for I Peter 3:4.

Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle and quiet spirit that is so precious to God. (TLB)

And I am grateful for pancakes with chunky peanut butter and Aunt Jemima butter rich syrup.

Ahhh. This is the life. 17th floor morning, middle of the week, sunshine welcome through the large window as the busy birds fly by. I have the privilege of accompanying Sam to a business meeting out of town, and while he is in morning meetings, I am soaking in the treat of taking it easy with nothing to do but to enjoy the quiet of the new day.

Your mercies are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness to me. To ME. All I have needed, Your hand has provided. Blessings all mine, with 10,000 beside… It doesn’t seem real sometimes. It isn’t fair all of the time. I am so unworthy but so grateful and blessed.

• For text messages with my daughter
• For healthy grandchildren
• For a comfortable bed and an abundance of pillows
• For fun dinner companions last night
• For sunshine on my shoulders
• For a voicemail from Melissa
• For clean fireplace doors and a spotless fireplace – thank you, Dad!
• For the reminder from childhood that if I can’t say nothin’ nice, I shouldn’t say nothin’ at all.
• For NPR stories
• For the mentally stable people in my life who are not extreme
• For the maturity to live by example rather than a bunch of words that could end up harming others
• For the ridiculous desires at 3 am to get on a health kick and exercise regimen with an actual plan…not so ridiculous in of itself, but at 3 am, totally absurd
• For Delores socks
• For catchy jingles that are fun to sing: We are farmers! Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun…
• For people who share their clean mouths and fresh breath – if you can’t breathe nothin’ nice, don’t breathe nothin’ at all…mmm, not so much
• On that note, for people who brush their gums and scrub their tongues where bad breath hangs out (Why wasn’t I a dentist? Because I COULD NOT HANDLE THE MESS)
• For pretty bathrooms that make me feel nice
• For servers who are so pleasant and wonderful and scour the room for extra cheesecake for our table of beggars
• For baby smiles
• For a great book
• For beautiful artwork that came in the mail from Parker and Reilly
• For really cold water from a faucet
• For the pleasant of watching a flag furling in the breeze (I don’t know if furling is a word or if that is the correct term for flags doing their thing, but it is pleasant nonetheless)
• For running boards on a tall truck
• And for steak that is cooked and not mooing on my plate (Julie, we could have named our dinner Bessie and put her out to pasture – I’m sad you missed the meal/almost pet cow)

I am grateful for beautiful early March days.

I am grateful for pinwheels and bubbles.

I am grateful for the ability to deep breathe when my long grateful about giving vs. getting that I spent all day writing suddenly disappears permanently.

I am grateful for eye contact with a smile.

I am grateful for peanut butter cake and frosting.

I am grateful for chirping bird weather.

I am grateful for Sam’s ability to show attention to and connect with children in a restaurant or store or at church or on walks.

I am grateful for tournament time.

I am grateful for Delores socks to wear at work in place of heels.

I am grateful for cars without unkind and inappropriate bumper stickers.

I am grateful for library smell.

I am grateful for a massage gift certificate.

I am grateful for dog smiles and cat purrs.

I am grateful for laughter in the elevator that can be heard on other floors.

I am grateful for pastel colors.

And I am grateful for memories of holding Anissa’s hand and skipping together through WalMart.

I am grateful for:

• My Mom’s trait of saving everything, although I used to get so annoyed about it.  Her boxes of cards and programs and pictures and artwork and letters and handwritten notes and hospital records and schoolwork and everything in between will mean absolutely nothing to anyone but her children and her husband, and I can attest to the fact that her two daughters loved the treasures we found on Saturday evening.
• For the glimpse around the corner of Dad in his new bedroom, sitting in his chair reading last night.
• For dinner on the patio with birds singing their evening song, crows squawking, jet trails high in the sky, soft music on the speakers, a warm sun giving way to evening’s first chill, and conversation with my roommates, Sam and Dad.
• For dinnertime phone calls with Ron and Patsy, wishing Dad well in his new home.
• For a brother who came to unload and help with the move but ended up tiling Dad’s kitchen floor, as well.
• For a nephew who gave up his weekend to help his Grandpa move and who didn’t complain or hesitate one second when asked to carry 14 tons of tile to the basement.
• For Larry and Sue, two wonderful friends who also gave up their Saturday to help unload a truck and carry boxes and clothes and other items to the basement and made the day that much more pleasant and fun, and then finished the day with a text that said, “Thanks for letting us be a part of your day! We love the Ferguson family!”
• For Larry, a great friend of Dad’s in Hutch, who put together a giant card with well-wishes from Dad’s home church, checked in on Dad on a regular basis, helped Dad and Dwight load the truck, and has been a support to our entire family.
• For a nephew and niece who wanted some of Mom and Dad’s things badly enough they wrote their names on the bottom so we would know not to toss out.
• For walking weather.
• For our new housemate and his desire to help out – I am not sure I’ll ever have to walk down the street to get the mail or vacuum the kitchen floor ever again!
• For a room full of junior high and high school choir kids who make me smile, who can sing like nobody’s business, who made me feel very welcome and very loved.
• For Joyce, who gave me the opportunity to work with the kids again.
• For pretty little Easter clothes that hang in the stores and cause an Ama to silently cry inside.
• For little chicks that remind me of my childhood.

• For a bunny named Mr. Peabody that is visiting my grandchildren until Easter – he brings back so many wonderful memories of my childhood, including all of our bunnies. Wish I could remember their names, but the only one I CAN remember is Angela’s monster bunny, Precious.

• And for this scripture, shared by Deb today:  “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult.  On the contrary, repay evil with blessing.” – 1 Peter 3:9 NIV

I love hopeful anticipation. I love the excitement of planning and preparing…like the days leading up to a family vacation or Christmas when company arrives, or preparing the big Easter meal and an egg hunt for the little ones, or even counting down the hours until 5:00 and the weekend begins!

This day, I have hopeful anticipation because tomorrow is Saturday and my brother and nephew will arrive with my Dad to move him into his new home – OUR home.  I am so looking forward to the Sundays of attending church with Sam on one side and Dad on the other. I am so looking forward to watch Dad gain his confidence about making this place his home, making Kansas City his city. I am so looking forward to watching him enjoy an afternoon at the ball park with the Royals, or see him drive into the driveway after a long relaxing afternoon on the golf course. I will no longer have to pick up the phone to hear a good joke.

It’s Friday, but Saturday’s comin’!

I am grateful for errands completed.

I am grateful for a few minutes with some soft piano music.

I am grateful for soft butter.

I am grateful for lunch with a friend who shares the same love of music and desire to use her gifts.

When God gives a friend, He is entrusting us with the care of another’s heart. It is a chance to be a Life giver. – Stasi Eldredge

I am grateful for people who like to smell good.

I am grateful for drive through car washes.

And I am grateful that my daughter sends pictures to me to reJOYce about: