Tuesday, February 1, 2011

When Winter Gets Long



I have a little man in my house
who tires of being inside the house.
Winter seems to be getting a little long for him.

Yes, we have a barn, but it's stacked FULL of hay right now,
and the floor has too many holes to make it a good place for little kids to play.

Someday, maybe.

So when the snow isn't too deep and the wind not so strong,
we head out for a walk.

It's so easy for me to be thankful when I'm outside and the kids are running way ahead of me.

I am listing 1,000 things that I am thankful for.  I am on...

 #31 I am thankful for the peaceful quiet of winter walks,
the sound of the snow crunching,
 the clear blue winter sky.


I reach my hand into my pocket to make sure the whale is still there that I have been commissioned to carry.

#32 I am thankful for pockets.
I am thankful for the treasures I often find in my pockets.



#33 I am thankful for silent companions
who tolerate the energy of my children,
seeming to enjoy our adventures with us.

#34 I am thankful for the air I breathe.
It's cold refreshing taste fills my lungs and then seems to take with it any of the
frustrations and cares I left in the house.



"Mommy, come see the deer prints!"



#35 I am thankful for the prints in the snow,
creatures who have come before us and enjoyed the same sights,
hurrying off in silence as we approach.

I am reminded of a verse when I see big expanse of skies like this:
"The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handiwork."
Psalm 19:1




#36 I am thankful for hopes and dreams and goals to work for.
We want to own that land across the street someday.
It seems an impossibility right now,
but our God owns the cows on a thousand hills;
and with Him, all things are possible.




"Come on, Levi, catch up.
Daddy said the neighbor saw a coyote the other night.

Wow, you can really move fast when you want to.

No, coyotes don't eat people.
I was just teasing you."


#37 I am thankful for guideposts,
signs in life that keep us on the right path.

I am thankful for my Bible.
When I forget to read it or get really busy and neglect it,
I yearn for just a few words from it.
I especially love the Psalms, Proverbs, and the Gospels.
I love studying the things that Jesus said.


#38 I am thankful for nature,
it's twisting beautiful artwork planted out in the middle of nowhere...



and icy creeks with gurgling waters slipping by underneath.



#39 I am thankful for the way that God cares even for the birds and their needs.










#40 I am thankful for glorious sunbursts behind whispy clouds
filtering down to give us a touch of warmth
and some much needed vitamin D.


Cows are nosey creatures.

"Hello, cow."





Now here's a boy that is well exercised.
Releasing energy in the outdoors is the best way to spend an hour of his time...
and his mother and sister's, too.




I am linking up to The Time Warp Wife at this link below.  She is also having an excellent Bible Study on Ruth every Monday.  Did you know that Ruth is the only woman that the Bible refers to as "virtuous"?  It's an excellent study and I'm thankful to have found it to dig a little deeper into the Bible.

26 comments:

  1. I am thankful for these beautiful words and pictures.

    =)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! Thank you for such an awesome post! I am trying to remember to be grateful for my blessings every day instead of focusing on the crummy stuff myself. Sometimes it is a struggle, sometimes it is a waltz. Thanks again for the inspiration! OH, and reminding me why I live where it doesn't snow :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I loved this post...Is that your farmhouse in the header..I love it..I couldn't tell where you live from the profile and not from the pictures either...at first, I thought Pennsylvania but you have some evergreen trees and mountains...could it be West Virginia? The Bible Study sounds great..I'm not doing one right now.
    Mama Bear

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful pictures and thoughts from a blessed and thankful heart. Loved reading and rejoicing with you over God's many blessings.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely picture story! I feel very cold now after reading it :) Loved all the thankfulness too, great idea! Following you now from WFW. Have a great day!

    Blessings,
    Mel
    Please feel free to stop by: Trailing After God

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful pictures and words. I agree, reading God's word especially Proverbs, Psalms and the Gospels are my favorite things, too!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It certainly does the soul good to list out the things we are thankful for...God is so incredibly revealing, even in the long, cold winter days...
    This was a blessing!
    peace,
    lori

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow! Lovely photos...remind me of PA. (I grew up there.) Thank you for reminding me to be thankful for ALL of the blessings we have been given by God!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi! I found you on the Wordless Wednesday blog hop and am now following. :)
    Amazing photos. Is it just me, or does everyone feel cold when you look at photos of snow? It does it to me every time.... running to get a jacket!
    Jan http://www.jewelry4change.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful photos. It looks very peaceful!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Excellent things to be thankful for. The winter does create the same issues for me and my little ones and I'm always looking for the 'not so cold days' as well.
    I host a linky party every Monday and would love for you to link up :)!

    www.dontwasteyourhomemaking.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you for the kind words, you are going to be a huge success! I loved walking with you and the little man today. You had me at the cat in the tree picture!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Beautiful post, I love all your pictures and everything you are thankful for! Blessings to you!
    Ann @ Honoring The King

    ReplyDelete
  14. Beautiful post. Thanks for letting me join you this morning!

    ReplyDelete
  15. What beautiful pictures, it brings your grateful heart alive to us! So glad you joined us for TT this week! -blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  16. when I was in Canada, I lived next door to a primary school, the kids played in the snow. I was brrr inside. I grew up in tropical Borneo.

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a great idea, to go on a walk and think about everything you're thankful for.

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a beautiful heart you have. I was blessed by your words and pictures.

    I hope you have a wonderful day.

    ReplyDelete
  19. What an awesome walk you had! I took a walk around our neighborhood today.Though it was like being in a tundra of snow..the birds were chirping as if spring were ready to appear.
    I loved the guidepost sign!!
    Happy TT.
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  20. What a lovely post...and your blog is so cozy and inviting. I enjoyed the photos of your walk, also.

    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you so much for taking us along on your walk! I needed to be reminded to be grateful for the small but wonderful things in my life! Happy week!...hugs...Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  22. Beautiful setting! And the pix of you dear kitty is too cute! Here, we are very anxiou for spring!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love your pictures and your kids are so cute! I have nominated you for the Stylish Blogger Award here: http://petalpickingdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/02/surprise.html

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thank you, everybody, but sorry for making you feel cold! I should have posted a picture of the nice fire and the hot cocoa we drank when we came in at the end! :) We do live in Pennsylvania, for those of you who guessed. Thank you for your visiting with me on our walk.

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments!