7 quick takes: Gratitude

— 1 —

The sinus headaches have lifted and I'm beginning to feel healthy again.  I don't care what people say about Facebook, I've got great friends who pray for me there.  I suppose I'd have them without FB, but it sure is a nice place to hang out once in awhile.  

— 2 —

Now that I'm not on cold medicine, I can enjoy one of my husband's perfectly mixed Seven and Sevens.

— 3 —

My son hit up a library sale on the way home from school, bagging about twenty books for $6.00, including hard cover short story anthologies, a like-new Anne of Green Gables for his sister, a Garrison Keillor paperback for me, an FDR biography for his dad and a dozen or more classic titles.  What better way to begin a Friday evening listening to my daughter read aloud L.M. Montgomery's quaint story.

— 4 —

A friend introduced me to Red Mountain Church music this week.  It's some of the best new arrangements of traditional hymns for congregational singing I've heard.  Beautiful melodies, well-crafted lyrics.  Joy.

— 5 —

The way my soul grows stronger when I spend time praying with friends, like the time I spent this morning crying, praying, laughing, and even a tiny bit of cursing. 

— 6 —

Lunch with a friend today.  

— 7 —

One week from tomorrow, we get to hang out at the pumpkin farm with all of my siblings and most of their significant others (including a new guy we're all pretty excited about) for my brother's 38th birthday.  We're so excited to be with them, we can hardly wait!

the five of us

Linking up at Conversion Diary.