February in a frozen shell

February is almost gone and today is a special day that needs 2 posts.  I can tell my lack of motivation in writing by the number of posts I've entered in February.   This can really be a dreary month!  I know I'm not alone in this.  Shane always says to me, "Don't let me ever hand in my resignation in February". Everything looks a little more gloomy during this second month of the year unless you live in San Diego, which we. do. not.  No we live in the arctic great state of Minnesota!!

Yesterday I found myself extra weary of the icy, bumpy roads and my creaky van and this constant feeling of COLD!  And if I keep my eyes on the forecast things are not going to be looking up anytime soon.  But today is a new day and a great one (stay tuned for the next post) and I'm finding myself wanting to close the door on February but feeling the need to not slam it shut before I remind myself there is still so very much to be thankful for.  So here's my reminders to me of grace in a month that can try it's best to get me down but will not succeed!:

• a home with electricity and heat that has not gone out once
• a van that has not broken down or gotten a flat tire on any one of these subzero days
• heat in our van
• warm clothes to layer upon other warm clothes
• puzzles to build with the kids
• a tv to watch people do crazy, amazing things I would never do but admire - in the Olympics!
• a steady supply of hot coffee
• the electric blanket my mom gave to us over a decade ago that still works - mostly.
• no waiting at the school bus stop in the morning for my kids - school in our pjs even when MPS has cancelled classes for the 3rd, 4th, 5th time...
• the fact that all these practical gifts would really mean nothing without the PEOPLE I get to live with every day of the week - my precious family.
• Shane not getting stuck in any airports because of weather and making it home safely after each trip!

This list seems a little silly but I just need to remind myself of every ounce of grace that comes my way each day and to have this perspective on the coldest and dreariest of days.  These are the things I want to remember too.

So I'm gonna bundle up on this subzero day and put my party pants on cause we have a certain 10 year old to celebrate that I am going to come back later and gush all about.

New Year, New Journal

I'm a sucker for new journals and all things new, crisp, cute and pretty paper-like.  I like to look at and collect such things.  Using them is another matter.

In the past couple years there has been one little journal I have tried to consistently keep nearby and actual write in.  It took me nearly 3 years to fill up this one:

Well worn and coffee stained, this tiny little book holds 1000 reminders of God-sized grace in my life from March 2011 until the fall of 2013.

The fact that I filled an entire journal, regardless of how small it is, seems accomplishment enough for me.

But lo and behold there was more to be gained for me than just filling up pages with ink.  Almost three whole years ago I began a journey of looking for and being mindful of evidence of God's grace in my life, small and great, hard and blissful alike.  I was inspired to do so from Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts.

A word, a thought, a sentence...a few one day, ten on another.  Line by little line, with simple and unpoetic language, I learned to see God's gracious hand more clearly in my every day.

And now I'm starting over again with #1001...

AND I get to use one of my cute new crisp clean little journals...knowing it will get beautifully worn, and most assuredly coffee-stained, just like the last one.

I'm wondering if it will take me another 3 years.  Regardless lots of grace-filled moments in THIS year of 40 will be inked.

This is my favorite medium...real paper and real ink.