When You're Upside Down and Twisted

My "back flip twist" boy!!

how does it all unravel so quickly? 

you know what I mean...all those great intentions I have: never to holler at the kids - especially before school....always hug and kiss and wave them out the door....greet them at the end of the day with loving arms and undivided enthusiasm for the events of their day...ultra delicious, nutritious meals served with a smile....fully chewed bites and more than 5 minutes at the table together...stories before bed....FLOSSING (well, forget that one--it's just not going to happen)...special snuggles and prayer time for everyone....and loads of energy left to finish the laundry, attack the pile of papers that I vowed I'd never let build up, AND WRITE A POST ON MY BRAND NEW BLOG.  

Windblown like me......

Instead....I stand at the door calling out the time, I roll my eyes at yet another misplaced jacket and then gather the kids into a rushed group-hug and shove them out the door while at least one of the three are still putting on shoes....later I come running in the door at 4:10 (twenty minutes after they've arrived home) frazzled and loaded down with tearing grocery bags containing the evening's ill-planned, semi-nutricious, super-fast meal....I don't even bother to ask how anyone's day was, but instead bark out orders about getting homework done NOW so that we can be out the door in 40 minutes to get to someone's hockey or basketball evaluations.....forget bedtimes stories...everyone has 30 seconds to brush teeth...holler out to "quit fooling around," threaten everyone in order to get them into bed and then blow waves of kisses from the hallway and hope that they know how much I REALLY do love them.....crash on the bed leaving wet laundry in the washing machine, paper piles untouched, the post unwritten and flossing.....well forget that.

So, what slows the racing heart? What brings peace in the storm?  What provides hope for a new start tomorrow?

THANKSGIVING.  I STOP AND BREATHE THANKS.

It's transformational.  The very act of giving thanks -to the One who gave me this day and everything in it, is what sets everything right again.  It's what lets me keep beginning again.  It is  the unclenching of the jaw, the opening of the hand, the long slow calming breath that fills my soul and lungs with life - His abundant life.  

So, I count.  Count the ways I am loved - even by children who I shove out the door.  

a different day.....when I did it right.  Haha.

 I count the gifts of beauty that peek out from behind text books, hockey helmuts, and wild ringlets flying. 

 I breathe thanks for the groceries that spill out of ripped bags and thanks for the healthy legs that run out the door and into gymnasiums, ice rinks and soccer fields. 

Everywhere I look I see His gifts.  I see His imprint.  

I see His glory.  Everywhere.

may we all have eye to see.

....if you'd like to take a deeper walk into this journey of THANKSGIVING, please treat yourself to a copy of Ann Voskamp's one thousand gifts.  

(Thank you Ann for "the LOVE DARE" -- i'm loving the counting...the lists...the journey you've challenged me to travel.)