Blessings and Hopes

Sally gave us this Friday Five:
As you look back over 2011 share 5 blessings, they can be as grand or as simple as you like,if you year has been like mine they are probably a mixture!

As you look towards 2012 share 5 hopes- again, anything goes!

Blessings of 2011

Physical health - mine and that of those I love.

Significant anniversaries - mine and DH's 20th anniversary, and my parents' GOLDEN anniversary.

God moments - see the Barbarry sheep at left and turkeys below.

The small mountain churches and people there that I serve.

To have lived through and learned from the many trials and tribulations of this very difficult year.

Hope for 2012

To be kinder and gentler with myself and those I love.

To find a permanent (rather than transitional) position in the church, and increased financial security.

To grow in health - physical, emotional, and spiritual.

To look for God in every day things.

To show the love of God in my life.

 

Friday Five

This Friday Five comes from revkjarla over at revgalpals.

  Friday Five: Random

I don't know about you, but my life seems to have a lot of random surprises lately.  Just little things,

like the doggy in the picture, who was rescued by a Good Samaritan from running into traffic, who then brought him to the police, who brought him to my neighbor's house.  I took the doggy, now named Scout, to the vet on Monday, and the woman behind the desk said, "This dog looks so familiar.  Were you here last week?"  I told her no, that this particular dog is a stray, and she looked at me, and said (use your best Boston accent here), "Oh my GAWD!  I rescued that dog on Satuhday!  I took him to the police!" and then she proceeded to tell me the story.  She was Scout's angel.    

Random, right? 

So, for our Friday Five, I invite you share five random things about you, or five random thoughts, or five random surprises in your life. 

Just be random!

Random thing #1
New song learned from the kindergartner:

Chubby little snow man
With a carrot nose.
Along comes a bunny,
What do you suppose? 
Hungry little bunny
Looking for his lunch,
Took the snow man's nose,
Nibble, nibble, crunch!

Random thing #2

I love batter-dipped french fries with jalapeno mayonnaise.

Random thing #3

I drive 269.6 miles each Sunday to preach at my two churches.

Random thing #4

It has been two years since our house fire.

Random thing #5

It turns out the pediatric pulmonary doctor we are seeing for my son's asthma was my cousin's doctor for Cystic Fibrosis for 16 years.  Just found that out this week through a facebook greeting!

Thanks for a great Friday Five! 

   

Singing Christmas

Sometimes during this time of year, 

things get so hectic and people get so frazzled and grumpy that blessings are hard to come by.  We can snap and snipe at one another over the littlest things. 

I suspect that this year, 

there are even more reasons for us to be anxious or worried about Christmas. 

So as I stopped to think about the blessings in my life right now, 

one simple thing jumped out.

My youngest son is five, 

and he is learning Christmas songs at school.

We have been practicing a lot,

sometimes just he and I,

sometimes with his big brother.

Tomorrow his kindergarten class goes to sing

at a hospice facility.

His teacher told him today that he is one of the best singers in the class.

So tonight, in bed, we were practicing,

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,

and giggling,

and snuggling.

The simplest things are often the greatest blessings.