One of my favorite things about vacation was our walk to Chinook Pier for the Farmer’s Market on Saturday and Thursday. I loved the colors and the people. Fresh blueberries to sample. Hungry shoppers choosing fresh produce for their families. Bouquets of sunflowers to enjoy. Proud, local farmers displaying the fruit of their labor.

It was like a feast for the senses. The whole adventure always made me think of “bounty”. As I looked at basket upon basket of colorful variety, I couldn’t help but think of bounty. And, while everyday is not a Farmer’s Market, there is, in fact, bounty all around us. Sometimes we just fail to see it.

Whether because of our circumstances or our stresses or our disposition, we often just miss the bounty. When life is tragic or relationships are painful, it’s hard to see bounty. When we’re stuck in the rut of our own agenda and to-do lists, it’s hard to see bounty.

But I’m convinced that it’s always there. In some form – whether in the internal or external realities. There is indeed ample reason for gratitude.  

When I looked at synonyms for the word bountiful, I found words like plentiful, abundant, generous, copious, profuse, ample, and numerous.

Is that what I really believe? That my simple life, in my small house, in my Midwestern, non-glamorous town is plentiful? Do I really believe that God’s disposition toward me (even in hard times) is generous? Copious? Abundant? That’s what Jesus said He came to give me…life abundant.

Please join me in living that reality. I’m continuing my journey of gratitude: starting by noticing the bounty with my list of 1,000 things.

How about you? Would you join me and others who are pausing with thanks at the beginning of each week? You don’t have to be a blogger. All you need is a pencil and a sheet of paper to start your list. You’ll be amazed at the transformation that begins in your heart. It’s a simple act but a powerful one.

If you do decide to join in the fun, will you drop me an e-mail or post a comment? I’d love to rejoice in life’s gifts along with you. If you live nearby, we can encourage each other in person or share lists over tea some morning. Thanks for taking time to embrace the bounty…

Vacation bounty scribbled in my journal while we were away:

21. Turning train tracks near our house into a family adventure – pennies on the tracks in the evenings and fun discovery in the morning.

22. Sunset on the beach.

23. Pizza and ice-cream with friends whom we had just started getting to know in Ohio. Sadly, they moved to Michigan a few months ago. What a treat that we ended up vacationing near their new home!

24. Tea room with my Madison on a rainy day. She’s becoming such a little lady and conversationalist.

25. Exploring the local library with Maddie. I love that we share a love for books!

26. Caleb asking me to snuggle in the evenings. I was afraid with all his summer travels and his double digit birthday that maybe snuggling Mom would be history. I’m so glad it’s not!

27. Laughter as Rick tickled the kids and played hide-and-seek with them in a different house. New places to hide!

28. Dominoes! It’s become a great family game that all of us can enjoy. So much laughter around the table together as we built our Mexican Trains!

29. Letterboxing in the dunes along Lake Michigan!

30. Lots of family jokes, conversations, and memories to bond us together.

Bountiful indeed. Abundant. Plentiful. Generous. Copious. Profuse. Ample. Numerous.

A peaceful morning unfolds.

Soft music winding its way through the house; a candle glowing on the kitchen counter.

A doily adorns the table. A single zinnia stands tall in its second-hand vase – the flower picked with delight from a neighbor’s garden and given to Mom with an eager heart. The last of summer’s cherries fill a bright yellow bowl. Some years ago I nicknamed them “nature’s candy.” It was so good of God to make cherries for us to enjoy!

I smile as I start on my scones. I borrowed the recipe from an Emilie Barnes book when I was a young wife, discovering the joys of tea. I have been making it my own ever since. The secret ingredient: tiny cinnamon chips from the Amish community an hour or so away. I smile because I know the kids will be so excited when they come to the table and find scones on the menu. I gently form the dough (remembering Emilie’s tip that one of the keys to good scones is minimal handling). The finishing touch is a brushing of egg to make the tops shiny.

While the scones bake and scent begins to waft through the house, I start on my fresh whipped cream. No cool whip or aerosol kind will suffice. This is a special breakfast for special people. Satisfaction comes as the cream stiffens and peaks form. A lick confirms my hope that it’s turning out just right.

My heart is overflowing as I set the table and arrange the warm scones on a favorite plate. A feeling of satisfaction as the meal comes together and I set a tone for the day.

Who are my special guests? The most precious people in my life: Rick and the kids.

There was a time when I only made my scones for “company” – women’s get-togethers, special friends, or out-of-town guests. They were becoming my signature item.

But somewhere along the way I realized that my family only got them as left-overs. A few crumbs or broken pieces after everyone else had enjoyed them. How ironic that I would extend a spirit of hospitality to others but fail to make my signature breakfast treat for my own family. Why do we pull out our best for guests and give our leftovers to the one’s we love? Who are we trying to impress? Those simple questions brought needed conviction and change.

I still don’t make them everyday – I want them to remain a special treat. But I do make them for no reason. Just for my family. And, I always make them with freshly whipped cream. Just for my family.

I don’t make a big fuss. It’s really a very simple meal. But few things bring me greater joy than watching my family enjoy those scones.

Whew! It’s been a long time away from my computer. We were on the go for a good bit of August. Rick and I getting time alone early in the month. Caleb to summer camp. All four of us on a family vacation along Lake Michigan. We laughed, loved, talked, remembered, and played. Sometimes when we’re tucking that money aside each month, saving for our vacation, I wonder if we should just skip it and use the money on our regular monthly expenses. It seems there is always something it could cover. Books. School shoes. Books. A birthday present for a little friend. Did I mention books?

And, yet, last week reminded me that getting away as a family is pretty worthwhile, too. All that undistracted time together makes it worth the scrimping each month. Setting a small sum aside. Making an investment with future dividends. How do you put a pricetag on all that laughing, playing, and sharing?

But, I must admit that I missed my pondering and writing. Wrestling with you as we stumble through life. So, while vacation was refreshing, it’s also good to be back. Taking a break from my to-do lists to reflect. I treasure it. Thanks for sharing these little bits of life me and joining me in slowing down to ponder.

“Mommy, I was hoping we could spend a little bit of time together.” At first, her voice was timid and then she plunged on. “And, don’t say that you’re too busy.”

Too busy?? My mind was already flying to all the justifications for my busyness. “Just because you’re home for the summer doesn’t mean Mommy’s schedule is totally freed up,” I offered. “I still have all the same responsibilities I have when you’re in school.” In my mind I began listing them off. My to-do list is long. I’ve had a lot swirling through my head lately and I’m desperate to be purposeful with my time.

“Please, don’t just say ‘later’,” came her quiet plea. Her eyes were tearing up as she mustered the courage to share her heart. Exposing it to see how I would respond.

What did my little peanut need in that moment? Platitudes on the many responsibilities of being a wife, mother, and homemaker? Probably not. And, would you believe that I almost missed my cue? I started to go there. My mind was building the argument. If I’m honest I have to admit that I was even a little frustrated with her expecting me to just drop everything.

In all honesty, Maddie was just stepping into my perfect inner storm. She was unearthing some of my insecurities. Am I a good Mom? Wife? Homemaker? Woman?  Am I making the right decisions with my time? What about the balls I’m dropping? The things I know are unfinished? What if I spent too much time online reading my favorite blogs yesterday and now I’m scrambling to make up for it today?

Thank goodness I caught myself before I totally crushed her sweet spirit. And, at 8:30 this morning when I “should” have been making the beds and arranging my final grocery/errand list, I was watching Tinkerbell with my daughter. I could have watched it AND made my list at the same time. But, I didn’t. I just sat there, trying to watch it with her eyes. To notice her smile when the fairies were painting the ladybugs. To catch the delight on her face when Tink met the Queen. To enjoy her laughter when Silvermist called it a “don’t drop” instead of a “dew drop”.

This the only summer that my Madison will be seven.

August is a funny month. I’m not sure if I love it or hate it. Back-to-School sales remind me that summer is slipping away. I find myself wondering if I took hold of it and savored it enough. This the only summer that Caleb will be 10 and Maddie seven. I hate to see it coming to a close.

And, yet, I love new beginnings. Fresh notebooks and boxes of perfectly sharpened, unused Crayolas. Adventures yet to be had. Things still to be learned. The steady rhythm of the school schedule.

Yes, August is definitely a bittersweet month.

Viewing all of it – both the bitter and the sweet – through the lense of gratitude makes all the difference. All of it is grace. The moments gone by and the ones yet to be lived. Each one passes through God’s hands and is reason to pause with thanks.

And, so, the gratitude list goes on:

16. Pulling away with my Beloved for a few days of companionship, reflection, and rest. It was such a refreshing time together with little distraction.

17. A thriving marriage in which, even after 17 years, time alone together is a welcome treat and not a painful prospect. I am so thankful for this man.

18. A little Inn on 50 acres in the middle of nowhere with a vision for providing solace and refueling for pastors and their wives. How we love that place and the Innkeepers, Bob and Janet.

19. Time for the kids to hang out with their Indianapolis cousins. The only girl on the McKee side, Madison has stolen their hearts! I’m pretty sure Uncle Bill would move heaven and earth for our blue-eyed charmer.

20. Returning home. Coming home is always so sweet after time away. Our little ranch home is nothing fancy but it’s the place where life happens for us. The Inn’s queen-sized, four-poster bed with beautiful linens was posh. But our creaky full-sized bed where we bump into each other and I steal the covers is “home.” And, I love it.

Thanks, Lord, for a great start to this topsy-turvy month of transition. My heart lifts from Back-to-School to-do lists and I am able to rejoice in your unending gifts.