A High Calling And a Double Scoop of Gratitude

Continuing to learn how to navigate the landscape of blog world, I've joined the community at High Calling Blogs.  There, folks are uniting to consider the intersection of faith and work.  While in college, I was connected with the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO), a Pittsburgh-based campus ministry committed to equipping students to live out their Christian faith in every area of their life.  The good folks at the CCO were gracious enough to allow me to write some of these pieces about lives transformed through their ministry.

I'm not sure exactly what on earth it is I'm doing out here in blog world, but I do know that I have been called to faithfulness in this arena as well as in every other corner of my life.  Connecting with the good folks at High Calling seems to be a good step for me in pursuing faithfulness in my writing/blogging life.  If you haven't gotten to know any of the bloggers at High Calling, I encourage you to stop over and make some new virtual friends.

One of the things I have been trying to do through my blog is to join regularly with Ann Voskamp and others in the Gratitude Community, intentionally giving thanks for gifts received, great and small.  This is one of the ways I am endeavoring to keep my soul diligently:

Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children. Deuteronomy 4:9

Last week, my baby girl was home and we worked on wedding plans, did battle with the department of motor vehicles, packed up more of her childhood, and had a family bridal shower. I didn't post my gratitude list last week because it seemed more important to spend time with my daughter than with my computer during the brief time she was home.  I find myself all-too-often tempted to steal away to my computer to check in with my blog friends instead of being present to and receiving the gifts of precious time with my family and friends.  As part of my effort to pursue faithfulness in my blogging life, I took last Monday off.

Continuing to number the gifts, I think over two weeks past:




458. Three incredibly gifted musician friends deciding to have a recital and perform together just for fun and for the love of music and for absolutely free.

459. That a violin can sound like a Lark Ascending (piece composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams)

460. Musicians who have worked to honor and perfect their craft and know how to use all the piano keys and all the violin and cello strings.

461. A pastor who will get down on his hands and knees and help four and five-year olds draw an eight-foot picture of Goliath on brown craft paper.

462. My mother-in-law who not only raised a fine man for me to marry, but can also set a lovely, gracious table.

463. The family bridal shower.

464. Wise and gracious words from Grandma.

465. Being asked to pray with my son.

466. Answered prayer that is so immediate and obvious it can’t possibly be missed.

467. God’s people showing up when they are most needed.

468. A door not quite slammed shut = an invitation to continue to pursue, to continue to wait on the Lord.

469. The gift of a perfect day to run away to the beach by myself, drive with the sunroof open, 70s music blasting, read, reflect, eat another lobster roll, delight in children playing (having no responsibility for any of them but simply to delight in them), sit in silence, and cling to one more piece of this glorious gift of summer.

470. Stolen items being replaced.

471. God’s promise of salvation being more certain than the promise of the sun rising and setting (Jeremiah 33:25).

472. That when we call to Him, He will answer us and tell us great and hidden things that we have not know (Jeremiah 33:3). He will give us eyes to SEE!