AUGUST 15 - GIFTS OF FAMILY

My mom's family... she, the oldest of twelve,
top left. At 75, she jumped out of a plane.
She's now 91, and just took a ride on my
brother's motorcycle. Way to go, mom...

Mom had her family... I'm standing next to her.

She became an interior decorator in So. Calif.

This is late 1960's... 

And then I grew up, and had my family.

I've had plenty of motorcycle rides... 

home-birthed and home-schooled my babies,

and now I'm ready for the next adventure.

Just so long as we keep in touch,

this wonderful family of ours.

________________________________________

Mom! 

Wait for me!!!

AUGUST 14 - A GIFT IN A RING, CURVE AND SPHERE

________________________________________

A floral ring crowns a delicate child...

what a gift she is.

________________________________________

Another more serious growth, a ring of thorns,
crowned another Head.
What a gift this was... this thing that should have been mine.

________________________________________

When life throws me a curve,
I remember it will never be more than I can handle.
God gifted me with a celestial reminder...
He keeps His promises.

________________________________________

The gift of God at the center of my world
will be revealed in all the spheres of my life.
Am I revealing this Truth in my world?

________________________________________

AUGUST 13 - GIFTS IN GREEN

________________________________________

Straight from our local organic farmer...

Fried green tomatoes, anyone?

Thank you, Pellegrini Farms, Vulcan, Michigan

________________________________________

Ever tried a green pepper sandwich?
Oh my, oh my, where have you been!
My Italian mother-in-law introduced this to me...

Just put mayonnaise on two toasts, add green peppers cooked al-dente, and dig in.

________________________________________


Tell me, just how much more green do we need???
What incredible beauty.

Our back yard, Vulcan, Michigan.


_______________________________________

AUGUST 12 - GIFTS HALF-HIDDEN

________________________________________


This Gift is within,
but wants to be displayed.
I must learn how...

_______________________________________

From a French heritage,
my Papa gives me his accordion.
We see its beauty....
but a hidden "La Vie en Rose"
must first be learned,
then shared.

________________________________________

Hide his Word in your heart,

and I promise, it will show up in your life.

________________________________________

AUGUST 11 - GIFTS OF METAL

________________________________________

Metal strings bring glory to God 

and joy to hearts young and old...

______________________________________

These three metals add up to a lovely trinity of sons.
Who wouldn't be thankful for these!

________________________________________

He graduated and he comes and goes, 

and I miss his kind of heavy metal.

I am very thankful to have this:

Click > here < to enjoy...

________________________________________

AUGUST 10 - GIFTS OF HARD EUCHARISTEO (Giving Thanks for the Hard Times)

_______________________________________

One still-young son left home, 

pursuing promising success.

Though that was not achieved, 
the best is yet to come.

One graduate left home,

we blinked,

and he was married.

God is in this too....

_______________________________________

One canine left home...

way too soon.

Yes, God knows all about the hard times.

And we learn to give thanks through it all.

Eucharisteo.

_______________________________________

AUGUST 9 - GIFTS HOLE, WHOLE AND HALF

Holes large enough for pinkies

make for happy little girls...

________________________________________

Whether whole-hearted or half-hearted, 
it's a gift to be in the presence of children.
Oh to take full advantage of this...

Church bells telling time...
________________________________________

AUGUST 8 - GIFTS OF SUMMER

________________________________________

The gift of health...
and the ability to maintain it...
one step at a time
on crisp summer mornings.

_________________________________________________

Summertime Pellegrini Strawberries, 

Debacher milk, Pure Maple Syrup, kefir, 

and a body ready to consume.
What gifts of luxury we have!

_________________________________________________________

Summertime boating on local river,
green and blue splattered everywhere!

_________________________________________________________

AUGUST 7 - GIFTS FROM HIS WORD

________________________________________________________

The Creation account, given in beautiful simplicity,

to satisfy all curiosity: 

Genesis 1

Jan Brueghel the Younger, Creation of Adam

 Music for You....  Haydn's "Creation" 

________________________________________

The Gift of 3,573 Promises about which God cannot lie...

365 of those *promises just for you...
* > HERE <

_______________________________________

 The gift of *1,817 prophecies, giving hope in a dark world,
because each prophecy has and will come true.  

*  >HERE<

Caravaggio's Doubting Thomas

________________________________________

AUGUST 6 - GIFTS IN WATER

________________________________________

Water Baby!

________________________________________

A son who knows his job and does it well...

________________________________________

Being washed by the Water of the Word
... that does not return void.
Thank you, Pastor Lonnie

________________________________________

AUGUST 5 - GIFTS OUTSIDE, INSIDE, UPSIDE DOWN!

________________________________________

Outside gift... of rain, rain, and more rain.

Who isn't thankful? I sure am...

The fruit of a beloved neighbor's labor. Vulcan, Michigan

________________________________________

Inside gift of
little ones at play...

My lovely granddaughters!

__________________________________

Upside down... or downside up?
Gift of mirrored beauty.

Sturgeon River, Vulcan, Michigan

AUGUST 4 - GIFTS SITTING

___________________________________

The gift of musicians, 

where would we be without them?

Lake Lundgren Chapel, Pembine, Wisconsin

Magnificent pianist waiting in the wings

__________________________________

Sometimes the one learning the most

is sitting under the monkey...

VBS, Community Bible Chapel, Norway, Michigan
Jungle Theme, from Creation to Consummation

______________________________________

The gifts of natural resources, 

sitting quietly,

waiting their turn...

 Pembine, Wisconsin

AUGUST 3 - GIFTS AT 10AM, 1PM, AND 10PM.

________________________________________

10:00 a.m.

How do you caption such beauty?

I don't know.

 Brickyard Rd, Vulcan, Michigan

________________________________________

1:00 p.m.

Afternoon return finds blue, white, green,
and shredded wheat! 

(I mean bales of hay)

Brickyard Road, Vulcan, Michigan

______________________________________________________

10:00 p.m.

Last minute plans for tomorrow, 
to be spent with middle son river rafting. 
Sweet.

________________________________________

(Oh, but was it ever a blast!)

AUGUST 2 - GIFTS OF NOURISHMENT

_______________________________________

The most perfect candy. 

That's what I think.

________________________________________

Simple food. 

Mom raised me that way. 

Salad first, good fish, and sweet potato. 

All high on the best foods list.

Thanks, Mom.

_______________________________________

Straight from the veins of the earth,

liquid coolness at our beck and call.

How thankful I am for this.

Norway, Michigan water spring,  

THE PLAN: THREE THANKS A DAY IN PHOTOS

And so this is the plan for my August....  

gift counting... 3 a day! 

You can too.....

_________________________________________________