God is Good to the Johnsons

Había una vez tuvimos un jardín y caminamos por horas porque hacía un calor y todo afuera estuvo verde. Y ahora, todo esta blanco y gris.  No deja de nevar, y el jardín esta muerto. Al salir afuera, me pongo tres abrigos y todavía el frío me sobra. Espero, Espero, Espero el momento  cuando vuelva el verano y el jardín crece otra vez.

I'm a super fan of the #LightTheWorld movement, and this week we're all encouraged to share an experience on social media when prayer helped us carry a burden. Can I narrow it down to just one time? Last year, in prayer, I pleaded for a loving God to fill me with His love when I struggled to care for a difficult student. God filled me with that perfect, eternal love for his child. Over the course of the school year, that student became one of my most beloved, and I will never forget him. Five years ago, I was struggling and exhausted and felt very alone as I lived in a foreign country in South America. I was terribly homesick. In prayer, I thanked God for my family. He filled me with an endless string of the most vivid memories with each individual in my family--it seemed like our past conversations came alive in living color, playing on a movie reel in my mind like never before. Home no longer seemed so far away. I felt the love of God & my family members and found ...

I used to be the child circling around mother's legs while she stirred the soup, round and round that child reaching up and waiting to be held, waiting to give a slobbery kiss And the mother, giving in, reaching down, and giving the hug and accepting the wet affection on her cheek The child on the hip, the right hand and hip away from the stove in a loving, protective stance The left hand looking after the dinner. The mother, the cook, the caregiver. And now he's the child, and I'm the mother and it seems with the stirring of the soup, round and round the clock goes round and round, too and in just a few motions, I've grown and I hope to hold him and give those kisses every day before he's grown so quick and that he'll love me as I love my mother and we'll all of us sup on the soup together.

I'm never done learning English. Just when I think I've got a pretty good handle on my native tongue, I find myself in a conversation with someone wondering if we're still in English-mode. Anyhow, here's some words I've learned in recent weeks: PROAT   noun A combination of the word protein and  oats , given to the name of the mixture of the two. Proats are made by mixing  protein powder  with a bowl of oatmeal and usually adding fruit, nuts or honey etc... (source: urban dictionary ) STEAMPUNK   noun Steampunk  is a subgenre of  speculative fiction , usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. It could be described by the slogan "What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner." It includes fiction with science fiction, fantasy or horror themes.  (source:  urban dictionary ) AFICIONADO    noun a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an ...

I'm a TEDTalk junkie of late. The speakers messages make for great entertainment and learning opportunities while I'm folding laundry and doing dishes. Yesterday I was particularly intrigued by this amazing address from Rhiannon Lambert: Ms. Lambert surprised me. I've listened to several TEDTalks by nutritionists and dietitians of late, and after many of their words I have felt embarrassed, sheepish, frustrated, depressed, out-of-touch with my body... Anyways, Lambert's insights didn't make me feel any of those things. I felt refreshed, renewed, and empowered afterwards. These are some of my top takeaways from what she shared, in my own words: -Skinny isn't always healthy. A diet of solely protein shakes and nutrition bars isn't healthy. -If you eat one cookie, don't automatically push yourself to eat the whole package out of guilt and shame over the first cookie. Eat the cookie, and enjoy it with some yogurt or fruit, too. -If yo...

I do not have a picture. Any food blogger would be ashamed of me. But I have made this recipe twice in the past two weeks, and everyone who consumed it did so ravenously. So, don't believe because of a picture.  Believe your tastebuds. Doesn't this look devour-able to you? Ultimately Chocolate O'Henry Bars Recipe By: Mikayla Johnson 1 Cup Corn Syrup 1 Cup Sugar 1 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter 4.5 Cups Cocoa Pebbles Cereal 1 Cup Butterscotch Chips 1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips Cook the corn syrup and sugar together over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Add the peanut butter and stir until combined. Add the cocoa pebbles. Press into a greased 9 "x 13" pan. Melt the butterscotch chips and milk chocolate chips together in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once melted, spread evenly over the cocoa pebbles mixture. Allow to cool and harden completely, a refrigerator usually helps. If you are an i...

It's trite, but true there's no gift like being together with you. All of you <3 Seven has grown to nine and one of us is far away but thanks to Skype and wifi we're together on Christmas day and there's no other gift like this one.

Of all the presents of all the toys of all the things you unwrapped this is your favorite and it's just one  of a million reasons why I love you so much.

"Make new friends,  but keep the old. One is silver, while the other, gold." -Joseph Parry "People that don't like cats haven't met the right one yet." -Deborah A. Edwards "A cousin a day keeps the boredom away." -Anonymous "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul." -Dieter Uchtdorf "I love sleep because it's like a time machine to breakfast." -Bill Murray "Let's begin by taking a smallish nap or two." -Winnie the Pooh "The greatest gift I ever had came from God-- I call him Dad." -Anonymous "The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family  all wrapped up in each other." -Burton Hillis

I wrote a previous blog about my favorite memes, and this one is dedicated to youtube videos. These vids have been favorites of mine over the years for an assortment of reasons. Nilla Wafer Top Hat Time. If you haven't ever listened to Rhett and Link, this is the perfect introductory video. These two internet comedians produce a lot of family-friendly clean content, and their ability to create a song out of any idea thrown at them never ceases to blow my mind and make me giggle. Kevin and I sing this song ALL. THE. TIME. Shoutout to Abbey Boren for showing us this vid in the first place. Be warned, it WILL get stuck in your head. ANGRY DANCE. This video cracks me up... "You're not even a 60 year old Kevin Bacon!" And the shoulder shake during the second 'angry' song.... Just watch. No words. Hilarious. Schnuppi. The German Crocodile Song. My dear friend Sara (or, as my husband affectionately nick-named her, "Bonsai-tree Sara") ...

There I was, at the checkout at the grocery. I'm often one for chatting with the cashier, or anyone else in line for that matter. I always thought it was funny growing up how my mom could strike up a conversation with just about anybody, regardless of their differences or the amount of time they would see each other. Five minutes in a grocery line and she could be talking to someone about their Thanksgiving traditions and where their grandma lives. I didn't understand it then, but I do now that I've become like her. We talk to people because human connections are what we live for, and they make us feel glowy and warm and hopeful inside. Anyhow, I was talking with the cashier, and he observed the diapers I was purchasing. "Do you have kids?" He asked. I responded that I was expecting my first, a boy, and was due in just a few months. I was buying the diapers in an effort to prepare while we anticipated his arrival. He responded and told me he and his wife had a...

I've made dozens and dozens of cookie batches in my life time, but none come out so beautifully or deliciously as those of the cookie queens. My own cookie creations tend to come out too crunchy, too doughy, or too drab. My mother, mother-in-law, and a few dear friends have an affinity for perfectly shaped, flawlessly browned, evenly chocolate-chipped cookies. While a small portion of me envies them, mostly I'm just overcome with admiration for their skill, coupled with gratitude for their kindness in sharing the delicious little morsels with me! This week, I've delighted in monster cookies and ginger cookies. And my satisfied stomach and I owe it to the cookie queens.

It's a gift, I tell myself. They'll love it. It's a gift, I tell myself. They'll hate it. I love to give gifts. Giving Gifts terrifies me. Storebought? Too impersonal. Storebought? Fresh and new and shiny! Homemade? Too cheap. Homemade? Careful, loving, meaningful. Giftbags... will the tissue look frumpy? Giftbags... those sparkles though! Wrapping paper... fun to tear off :) Wrapping paper... looks funny on anything but a box. But I don't have cute wrapping boxes, I have amazon boxes and I don't have packing tape to seal the box, I have duct tape So how trashy is this present presentation going to look? And will the gift seem yucky if it comes in a package wrapped with duct tape and then covered up with wrapping paper? First World Probs. Some ridiculously unnecessary Seasonal Second Thoughts regarding Gift Giving.

I LOVE music, and Kevin calls it my medicine. Listening to some good jams while cleaning the house or cooking dinner always puts me in a better mood. However, overplayed music has a tendency to diminish the quality of a song and its joy-inducing effects, no matter how carefully crafted its melodies and lyrics. In an effort to continue to love classic Christmas tunes but not listen to them to the point of annoyance, I've explored some lesser-known Christmas albums over the years. I wanted to share my top-five favorite lesser-known Christmas songs: #5: Winter Moon, by Mindy Gledhill I'm a sucker for a good love story, especially one during the magic of Christmastime. Christmas Season 2014 is when Kevin and I first started talking about marriage, for we were in the thick of our courtship. Christmastime always gives me the lovey head-over-heels feelies, and this song goes right along with that.  #4: Christmas Eve, by Celine Dion This album was my first intr...

Charlie With Grandma & Grandma-Great :) Pals, Conversing Over Lunch Gingerbread Substitute, Rice Krispie Houses. Kevin's interpretation, Volcano. Corey's Rendition: Edible Angkor Wat. Best Advent Calendar Ever (s/o Kylie Johnson for the Rad Gift) The Youngest of the Appaloosa Family, After 16 years of service to the Johnson/Boren Families, has met his demise at the jaws of a 1-year-old. Said 1-Year-Old, with a more baby-friendly toy, looking cherubic in front of the Christmas tree. Our Cousin, the Jester. #MadrigalDinner2018

There's a stuffie that's practically one of the fam, now. We call him Monkey. Charlie picked him out at the Build-A-Bear Workshop this past summer when I took him for a mommy-son date. He's just a cartoon-type critter that looks just like a typical chimpanzee. What cracks me up is how much Charlie loves this stuffed animal. Every time he sees Monkey, his eyes light up and he smiles, and nowadays he starts jabbering to the plushie. I've caught Charlie trying to feed Monkey his bottle, read him stories, etc. etc. Whenever we need a go-to toy when heading to a friend's house, more than half the time we will probably snag Monkey. Well, Kevin is taking it a step further. I noticed on one of the presents he wrapped for me and placed under the tree, was a label that read, "To: Mikayla. From: Monkey." I couldn't help it, I started cracking up. Some little boys never grow up ;) And I love it.

One of my favorite Kevin-isms is when he says "the other day." To him, that really means one of two things. The other day as in more than three months ago. Or as in earlier today. My rival Mikayla-ism? "That one time." And just so you're aware, all the "that one time's" in this post happened today. And for some reason they all made me smile. That one time Kevin and I joked that we should create a made-up holiday called Ramadan. Or Ramen-dan, one of the two. And then I substitute taught in a 2nd grade classroom and was reminded that Ramadan is a muslim holiday that already exists. That one time the guy in the truck in the Kneaders drive-thru in front of me seemed to be supes totes flirting with not only the girl next to him in the truck, but also the cashier...? And somehow the girls didn't mind? That one time Dad told a Dave joke about how "another name for cinnamon rolls is synonym rolls" only hours after my students had used...

I'm half a pound away from my goal weight. I've been doing my best to reach a healthy weight for 13 months now, and I'm just point-five away from the goal. I've lost 61.5 lbs. It's exciting and I'm overjoyed with the progress, I haven't been a healthy weight medically since I was a junior in high school, and I've finally made it back. At the same time... guys, I'm  still me. I feel that I'm a better me, a healthier me, a more energetic and less lethargic and more exercise-prone me. But I still love horses, chocolate, cozying up with a good book, playing board games with my family, laughing with my little boy, and dancing in the kitchen with my husband. I look back at the girl 13 months ago ( my girl, myself ), and when I'm tempted by my demons to detest her or degrade her for her shortcomings, I just can't do it. I just can't. I'm reminded by that still small voice from Heaven that she is a daughter of God and she has always be...

All those months and years of waiting for being a mom, as a child and a teenager and a young single adult, I composed a portfolio. I composed a child-rearing resume preemptive to parental mistakes. I crafted a long list of how to mother the right way. You see, on the days when I was a total brat (and, admittedly, they happened far too often) I saw others with their monkey children crying, and the mothers with their hair a-frizz and their jewelry askew, and the messes made, and thought, "wow, they've got it all wrong. When I'm a mom, I'll..." And I wish I could go back in time, and stop myself right there, and give myself a polaroid of today and yesterday and the day before and shut myself up with a heck of a slice of reality pie right then and there. I wish I could go back in time, and give myself a little shove in the direction of whatever mother or father I was observing and tell them that they're doing a great job and that their children lov...

Fortune Cookie You're specific enough that I want what you foretell... But vague enough that it could count for just about anybody... but still I fall for it every time, and keep your paper, simply hoping.

A blogger I admire wrote a post filled with his confessions about anything. The post was without premeditation or editing, no matter how private or potentially embarrassing the information. I was inspired. A few confessions of mine, written as they come to me... I only eat broccoli because I know it's good for me. But I'm squeamish at it's flavor, and can only handle it when accompanied by a heavy dosage of dressing. I'd rather go hiking than shopping. Nine times out of ten I will buy a hot pretzel if I pass a pretzel vendor in ANY circumstance and NO MATTER how pricy the cost. I'm a detestable grouch when woken in the middle of the night. My husband is the only man I've ever kissed. I feel most comfortable conversing with people in their 70's or older. Most PG-13 movies make me feel uncomfortable. My nose flares when I'm really, truly, laughing. I struggle with 90% of political issues because I can see both sides and empathize with i...

You grow, you grow, you grow, and I can't stop it. A year ago right now I fretted about losing newborn snuggles and your tiny-baby cry, but I traded it for swinging at the park and giggle fights and board book after board book So can it be that bad? You grow, you grow, you grow, and I can't stop it. I can't imagine a life where you and me don't spend hours playing with horses and blocks Eating cheerios and watching Curious George, taking walks to the grocery store and back. Yet tomorrow we'll be shooting hoops, dancing in the kitchen, and practicing piano And could it be that bad? You grow, you grow, you grow, and I can't stop it. And while at times I will definitely mourn the good times past (that's who I am, you're stuck with me) I want to spend most moments loving me and you the way we are right now the way you are right now.

Because I'm not as saintly as my brother Corey or my cousin Abbey, I condone the killing of spiders that have intruded upon one's living space. However, I rarely have the gumption to do the deed myself, because arachnids gross me out. Once, while teaching 3rd grade, a rather large non-poisonous spider was traipsing across the rug. I announced to the class to back away, and that I was going to get my broom to kill it, when a rather spunky and outdoorsy youngster leapt to his feet and cried, "I kill spiders with my bare hands!" After which he dove to the carpet in a Steve Irwin-esque leap and smashed the little beast with his palm. I was taken aback in surprise and admiration at once. I made sure he properly washed his hands, of course, and thanked him for taking care of it. That night I told my husband about the event, and we shared a good laugh about it. Earlier this week, I discovered a spider creeping up on me and shrieked about it to Kevin. Since there was no...

Some say it's shameful, but I say it's just life--eavesdropping happens whether you mean to or not, especially when in close quarters with someone else's conversation. So, confession. I'm a very curious person and I delight in getting to know the interesting and less-obvious things about people. Eavesdropping is one of the ways I learn amazing, funny, and curious things about individuals I will most likely never see again. The problem though? Eavesdropping is like eating really sugary cereal. After eating one bowl, you just want another and another and another. Overhearing a conversation always makes me hungry for what they were going to say next. A few things I've heard this week... GROCERY ISLE: Youth #1: "Umm, Brad, what are you doing?" Youth #2: "Buying Poptarts man." Youth #1: "Dude, Betos, and now this? Do you know how many calories are in those things?" Youth #2: "Yeah. But they're good." Youth #1: "...

My husband's birthday was this week, and I felt a little sheepish that he only had three presents to open, one of which was a box of cereal (family tradition). The other two were some socks and a test sampler of 15 teeny-tiny cologne vials, he's still trying to identify his manly musk. I'd spent most of our budgeted allotment of birthday funds on a birthday date to an Asian Buffet and the Nickel Arcade the weekend before, and seeing those three little presents on the table, I felt sort of bad. I'm miserable at hiding my emotions and Kevin could tell something was bothering me. After a little of his prying, I confessed. Yet again my husband wowed me with his perspective (I often feel like his padowan learner when it comes to mature perspectives on life). He said, "Mikayla, I've had a lot more than just three presents. Think about all the frootie candies we had at the nickelcade. All the sushi rolls, chinese donuts, mongolian beefs, noodles, grains of r...

Is French salad dressing really French? I still think Carmen SanDiego is in SanDiego. Shouldn't that be obvious? Allen's grocery store. It went out of business more than a year ago, yet even still, its neon lights display half the letters in its name at nightfall. Who pays the bill? There's a homeless man I've given granola bars to many times. There's a corner in my little city where he can be seen begging most nights. He wears a beret. Why a beret? The average-sized taco shop a few blocks south of me has four open signs, two in the south side windows, two in the west side windows. I have always wondered why they have four. On Thanksgiving day they missed one, and it was glowing all day and through the night even though there wasn't another glimmer of light or life inside the place. How to say that I have astigmatism. I was diagnosed with it two years ago. I thought for the longest time that "stigmatism" was a noun and that "a" was ...

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So I was at D.I., our local charitable thrift store, perusing the books. I often do. It's so rewarding to find lightly used books that look brand new for only fifty cents a piece. I happened upon a teeny-tiny pink book, small enough it could fit into a suit pocket or a purse. At first I thought it was just an old book of poems, but upon studying it closer, I found out it was an expectant mother's pregnancy journal, kept by a young woman in 1970. My mother and father were only born few years before, so I was particularly intrigued--this book was journaled by a woman my grandparents' age as she anticipated the birth of her first child. Some of the poems included made me laugh and still seem quite relevant: And these two pages made me feel so connected to that mother from five decades ago (p.s. I didn't keep the personal information like names written in the front because that would be weird and it wasn't my place. But I thought this info was sweet and time-...

I wonder about things. Like at what point does realistic fiction turn into historical fiction? Is there a passage of time specified or required? Also... Who invented Turkey puree baby food, and why do they think any infant will like it? What's the story behind these shoes? Why does it matter sometimes to have an extra zip-code after the zipcode but doesn't matter other times? UPS always adds an extra four numbers after the standard five. How come sometimes it matters (like at UPS) and other times it's meh, whatever (like when I mail a letter)? Why is Barbasol shaving cream already celebrating it's 100th anniversary through old-timey packaging, when it's still in it's 99th year? Unless I'm mistaken, 2019 is still 28 days away. Just some musings.

I'm grateful for a month that lends itself to slowing down and giving thanks. I'm grateful for a month that marks the birth of four precious, precious people in my life. I'm grateful for a month that taught me what a gift it is to walk in 2017, and will forever leave me celebrating mobility. I'm grateful for a month that eases us slowly from autumn's chill to winter's cold. I'm grateful for a month full of pie, studies of pilgrims who sought religious freedom, time with family. Just grateful for November.

Days like today I'm grateful for board books. At least three paper copies from my children's collection made it out with some scotch tape and scars after reading them with my one-year-old, this morning... so we resorted to board books. I can still enjoy reading my child good literature, and he can be as gruff or as gentle as his toddler motor skills are able, and we can both have a good time reading.

I was ready for a walk this morning. We've been under the weather the past couple days and this morning we were all feeling pretty good again, and I was truly antsy and ready to exercise. One problem... my jeans were in the wash, and I'm low on exercise pants that fit me of late (crazy thing about losing weight... your clothes don't fit anymore... because they're too big for you. Weird, right? I've never really had that problem before), and all I had were my outlandish neon-wild skinny-fit flower pants, combined with my Mickey Mouse hoodie, a striped scarf, some wooly socks, frizz-tastic curly hair and no make-up... wow, I looked eccentric. Combine that with the fact that Charlie was still in his Dino PJ's, and we haven't bought him mittens yet so I put some extra long white-socks over his hands, and donned a crocheted elf hat on his head to keep his noggin warm... we looked quite the pair. To be totally honest, I doubted whether I should go walking f...

Today, for no particular reason, I'm grateful for every time my Jeep starts without a hiccup. Grateful for YouTube that taught my neighbor Delana and I how to jump-start a car last week, early in the morning (even though my dad and husband have taught me dozens of times, and I forgot...). Grateful for brights and hazard lights and emergency brakes. Grateful for windshield wipers. Grateful for rearview mirrors and heat seaters and radios. Grateful when my automobiles work. And grateful for mechanics when they don't.

I'm grateful for the kind soul who dropped this off today who somehow knew that all three of us were ill. Thank you.

Grateful for a day For rest and revelation And restitution. Grateful for a day Where worship is important We commune with God. I'm grateful for Sunday.

I've found a new favorite board game, guys. TICKET TO RIDE. I know it's not new, and not novel to many of you out there. But my brother and sister-in-law introduced me to the game a few months ago and now I'm hooked. It involves strategy, competition, chance... all the elements to games that intrigue me. And yes, we always, ALWAYS end up singing at least one line from the Beatle's version of this title. So that's it. That's what I'm grateful for today. And... Shout out to all the family members that humored me this week in playing a few rounds with me! I'm grateful for you!

I was sorely disappointed in the Fantastic Beasts movie I saw this morning. **SPOILERS(KIND OF)COMING**More than one part of the film made me cringe and the HP fan in me was offended and upset. In summary: I felt the story lacked organization, lacked a general regard for morality, and did not defend the sanctity of life. Kevin and I both left the theater feeling, for lack of a better word, yucky. What is our world coming to?  I thought all the way home. The one redeeming quality of the film? Newt Scamander & his beasts, like the kelpie. And Jacob, yeah, Jacob was good.  Everybody else... well, they sorta broke my heart. Later on, we were treated to a play at a local theater and its musical production of The Scarlet Pimpernel. The story details a hero and his comrades that go to incredible lengths to save intended victims of the French Revolution's Guillotine. As the story progressed, I felt quite the opposite effect of the morning's film. While the historic circumstance ...

We woke up slow, ate breakfast in our pajamas, and lazily got ready for the day--taking dozens of minutes in between to wrestle with our little one, snack on chocolate, gaze out the window. Late morning, we wandered over with a sack full of bread to feed the ducks, who--without the regular college crowd milling about to share crumbs with them--were without a feast. We fed them, and fed them, and fed them, while our young son giggled and snatched a piece of bread to nibble on himself. The sky turned from hazy gray to rainstorm clouds, we made it home from our walk just in time and ate a small lunch while the munchkin napped and buckets of raindrops pelted the pavement outside our kitchen view. In a few minutes we'll take a drive to be with family, where we'll give thanks, and eat turkey, pies, rolls, salad greens, and cranberry sauce. We'll share talents, play games, and return to the table to eat more food till our bellies fill to bursting. And then we'll take a...

My Jeep's headlights shut off yesterday night. Luckily, as mentioned in the previous post, my brother Tyler came to my rescue and escorted me home. Expecting an expensive repair, Kevin and I were a little discouraged about it. We bought this car only seven months ago and already we've put 1.5K+ into repairs. The next morning, right before I was reluctantly on my way to the auto shop, my Dad asked if he could take a look at it. After a little time fiddling around, researching about Jeep fuses, and investigating the problem, he had a rookie diagnosis. Less than an hour later--after a quick trip to O'Rielly's, $25 for parts, and replacing a bulb and fuse--everything was back to good condition and running efficiently. Today I'm grateful for the Boren family mantra, "Fiddle til it's Fixed," and for my father and grandfather who save me and many others a hefty hunk of pocket change by teaching themselves useful skills, while having the confidence to give ...

Grateful for brothers that spend time every week writing me a brief but sincere email, even amidst all their schedule doing Christian work in South America. Grateful for brothers that drive with me to Smith's to get Oreos and ice cream while talking about Lithuanian refugees of the 20th century. Grateful for brothers that come to rescue me when my headlights burn out on a dark night and I've no way to see my way home. Grateful for brothers that frost zombie sugar cookies with me year after year. Grateful for brothers that spent summers in the hollow by my side, where we spent our hours holding baby raccoons, skipping rocks, sledding down the "hiccup" and "deadman's bluff," climbing treehouses, and walking dogs. Grateful for brothers that read, write, play, joke, meme, sing, banter, camp, reminisce with me. Grateful for brothers who sent me carefully illustrated letters during my own missionary work abroad. For brothers with whom I have secret ha...

Guys, I legit write about the first thing that comes to mind when I open up the blog draft. And no lie, this was the first thing. Today I shopped for fabric, purchased Christmas gifts, and bought some bran muffins from my local bakery (#addictedtobranmuffins #idontthinkotherpeoplehashtagthat #idontcareilovebranmuffins). And I did all of it with this little plastic card that fits in my wallet. Now, let me be clear. I'm against credit card debt and strongly, strongly, FOR REALS STRONGLY advise against it. I do not believe in spending money I don't have, and I still keep a structured budget and a record of what I spend. The reason I'm grateful for credit cards is the protection I feel they offer me. If I make a mistake and lose it, if I'm wronged and have it stolen from me, I don't lose all my livelihood. I can call the credit card company and cancel it. My earnings are secured in a bank. If I notice or the bank notices something fishy or unusual in my expenditures...

There's a photograph of me that I see every day. It hangs in my front room. It was taken more than three years ago. And when I look at that girl, that version of me, I'm grateful for all she knew and how far she'd come (it was a long, long way). I see her with fondness, she's twenty-two-and-eleven-twelfths YEARS of me. But also recognize there's three years, five months, and twenty-six days more to that girl now and while she has new scars, heartaches, and a few wrinkles to boot she's even better now and dare I say more beautiful now? than she used to be. I'm grateful for growth despite the difficulty that often gets us there. (Here's the photo...)

“Here ends another day, during which I have had eyes, ears, hands and the great world around me. Tomorrow begins another day. Why am I allowed two?”        -G.K. Chesterton He said it better than I could. There are some days when I lay down to sleep, where I ponder all the many, many things that happened throughout the course of those hours since I was sleeping last. What a gift God gives us each morning--the senses that allow us to feel, learn, experience, and grow. He gives us time to explore those senses. And, most often, we get a tomorrow, too. Today I'm grateful for that.

I'm grateful I don't have a cold all the time. You know when you're congested, and you think to yourself--man, I totally took breathing nasally for granted, I can't wait to be able to breathe through my nose again? I don't have a cold right now, so I'm just taking a moment to enjoy it. Or when you get one of those rotten kinks in your neck, and all of the sudden you have to strategically analyze how you're going to use body language to acknowledge people in a conversation because your normal go-to of nodding your head is shot, since doing so sends zings of shocking discomfort behind your ear and down to the back of your shoulder ... Yeah, I'm glad I don't have those all the time either. I have a few small ailments that never leave me, and I'm learning to deal with them and enjoy life all the same. But I'm grateful today that common colds and kinks don't last forever, and I'm grateful for the days I'm without them.

This one's simple and straight to the point: I love that I can create playlists on Spotify and listen to them for free. I make playlists of my favorite classic tunes, playlists of artists people recommend to me, music I find on my own to give a listen to just for funsies. My brother makes me playlists and after listening to each others' tunes and chewing on them a while in our brain's meditation sector, we gather and chat about the meaning of the lyrics and the score. Spotify got me through some long, long documentation hours back in my Summer Space Management employment days at university. I remember my Dad's CD collection, and how on Saturdays he'd whip out three or four albums of Whitney Houston, Boston, REO Speedwagon, Chicago, Kansas, etc. for us to listen to while we did our weekend chores. I'll forever love the memories I have of dancing and singing to those tunes, they made my chores more bearable. Nowadays I've got Spotify, and it takes up...

I'm grateful I asked you first... because let's be honest, it was me who initiated things (even if you turned my "jamming session" into dinner and taking a fake engagement photo). I'm grateful you were good with sidewalk chalk and making fairy houses at the curiosity museum, because I would have done those sorts of things things on my own anyhow, and doing them with you felt not only like being myself, but finding another part of me I'd been missing (aka you. You were that missing part). I'm grateful I went on the 35+ first dates with other guys before that ...as atrocious as some of them panned out... the dates, not the guys ... because we just didn't match, it was no fault of their own ... so that I could appreciate how incredibly easy, sweet, fun, flawless our first dates together were. And more than anything, I'm grateful there will be no last date with you.

Today's her birthday, I couldn't leave it alone Without saying I'm grateful for my mother, whose home is everyone else's that wanders on in. Young kids, neighbors, strangers, my mom calls them friend. My mom is creative cub scout meetings were grand from the decor and games mother crafted by hand. No rolls can counter those in her kitchen made just wait til it's topped with her apricot marmalade. Mom taught us to read she got us up in the morn, I've known a world of words from the day I was born. Mom took care of our needs late at night, each morn early she hefted our carseats and her thin arms... were burly After years of lifting, of calming and caring, of drying our sad eyes while her chocolate sharing. Mom loves without waiting She gives, none withheld. She's an influence for good, positivity she propels. She speaks of Christ, she teaches what's right. She delights in Christmas, her favorite color is white. She has...

We had Bahn Mi Pork Tacos for dinner. It may have taken me two hours to prepare everything, but good gravy it was worth it. Today I'm grateful for food. I'm grateful that, for the majority of my life, I haven't wondered where my next meal was coming from. I've never gone hungry for longer than a night. That gratitude is marked by the painful awareness of the millions who are hungry and/or don't have access to nutritious food. Today I invite all of you to take a little to your local food drives, food banks, care coalitions, etc. I am no philanthropist, but I try to buy a few extra bottles of salad dressing when they're on sale and drop them off at my local shelter (that particular one always seems to need salad dressing, it's always at the top of their needs list 😆). If we all give a little, I truly believe we can feed the world. A great place to start? Justserve.org It tells you the needs in your area (food donation or otherwise) and the small, sig...

Yesterday morning, she took some time from her tremendous learning load and spent some time with me picking the fabrics that were just the right color and just the right size. Last night,  she came with her baby and sat in my living room while she and I and my husband laughed as we watched a favorite movie and quoted and cracked up at the cheesiest and most delicious one-liners. She noticed me walking to Smith's one morning, just a few months ago, baby boy in tow, on my way walking to buy groceries. And she can't have known that that morning I felt lonesome and dark even amidst the sunshine and blossoms. She walked with me there and back again, and my burden felt so much lighter and my smile felt so much easier by the end. A month ago, she and I saddled up her horses and wildly wandered across a hillside, as freely and as frolicky as we were ten years ago, doing the same wonderful thing we had done as girls. They two came consistently, speaking Spanish to me (knowing I...