Thin Places

2010 is here and unlike previous years, I have no great plans, no resolutions – except one: to live in the moment and fully enjoy the grace of God and the simple pleasures of life as they come. This list is off the top of my head and in no particular order….

1. snuggling with my youngest daughter – in our pjs
2. the smile on my grandaughter’s face when she first sees me – and those chubby arms that reach out for me
3. an evening at home with my best friend/husband, watching good films by the wood-burning stove
4. any time I can have all my kids, grown and growing, in the same room at the same time
5. reading books on theology, philosophy, history – anything scholarly, with ideas and concepts I have to wrestle to the ground
5. when my father has enough strength to do a little Irish jig on his way to the kitchen
6. that first morning cup of Irish tea, delivered with a kiss
7. watching wildlife in the woods from my bedroom window – giant blue herons, owls, fox, deer, ducks, to name a few…
8. snow days
9. tooling around in my 69 VW bug when the weather’s nice. (there’s no heat in the winter)
10. homemade mac-n-cheese
11. listening to my husband play his french horn on stage…anywhere
12. meditating to my husband’s cds
13. holding a child who has no one, soaking them in the love of God
14. clean sheets
15. our simple treehouse with it’s cedar walls, oak floors and hickory rockers
16. stuffing dollars in our chifundo jar and watching it fill up, knowing it will buy food for hungry kids
17. reading/writing/praying in my little cabin tucked away in the woods
18. finishing anything
19. old episodes of The West Wing and movies about WWII
20. the possibilities of a new journal
21. the ongoing search for the perfect bag – it’s out there somewhere
22. rain storms, coconut popsicles and the perfect shade of red
23. our two shichon pups and senegal parrot who talks non-stop
24. watching elephants, hippos and crocs from the relative safety of a safari boat
25. art museums – and creativity in every form
26. attending the opera with my 15-year-old, the opera buff
27. laughing with good friends
28. leading worship & teaching/speaking – anywhere, anytime
29. the ongoing search for the perfect mug – it’s out there somewhere
30. playing my Native American flutes
31. singing the Willaby Wallaby song for my granddaughter, Poppy
32. finding comments on my blog from people I don’t know – as well as people I do know
33. good news – like a good report from Dad’s cancer doctor or great reports from our partners in Africa
34. surprise trips to beautiful places
35. the unexpected check that comes at the 11th hour
36. celtic music
37. inspirational stories – where the underdog perseveres and wins
38. making messes in my art journals – with paint, crayons, tape, paper, pens – you name it
39. a good writing day – when that one perfect paragraph, or sentence, survives.
40. time and space for contemplation
41. refusing offense and when I can’t – forgiving
42.forgiving myself and walking in grace
43. my mac (yes, i’m a convert)
44. the sound of a fountain and flowers for no reason
45. strolling through a community greenhouse on a winter’s day
46. drinking  in beauty in all forms – from a spider’s web to a Beethoven symphony
47. capturing an insect that has wandered into the treehouse – and setting it free
48. learning detachment – and that feeling of freedom that comes when I realize I have let something, or someone, go
49. a good cry for a good reason
50. stopping to fully appreciate the heroes -  ordinary people who commit extraordinary acts of bravery and kindness every day