April Blessings ~ Count It All Joy (Week Two)

COUNTING IT ALL JOY

April Showers

April 9 ~ Waking up to the sun shining through sister's bedroom window. What a wonderful way to wake up. Time to load the car up to head back home. Stop for coffee at Dutch Bros. Then hit the freeway for a beautiful morning drive back to town. My usual little stops to take some snaps. My day had some wonderful plans in them. But the Lord had other ideas. So they got switched up. Unload car head to church. Then off to do a haircut for a young lady that is in hospice care. Glad I got to go over earlier than planned. Traffic going and coming back was at a stand still. Grateful I could be of service to her. When I left she was smiling. Praise God! Groceries to fill my cupboards, so thankful for the funds that purchase the groceries. Then I have been fighting ants in kitchen. Not Fun! Hope I have them knocked out. Then the rejection of the taxes. Lord I'm trying to keep my peace and find my joy. Help me here. Now we wait some more. Lord...its be a tough day. I'm thinking where are you? But you have given me sunshine that woke me in morning and followed me all day. We celebrated and worshiped you at church. And found places of beauty and peace at different intervals throughout the day. My stomach is full along with my cupboards, I have a roof over my head, and I have a family and lots of friends that love me. I'm thankful for this and so much more. Blessings

April 10~ Do I really need to get up? It's so early! Yes! It's time to get Mary McCormick Loomis to the airport. You can do this. It's dark and oh my bed is so comfortable. Okay Okay! I'm up! Life is good crawl back in bed for a little bit. Oh must I rise again. Doctors appointment. The laugh is on me.....wrote doctors appointment for wrong day right time. Call Geo Sutter....and spend the morning with her. What a wonderful time. Breakfast and coffee. Nice trade off I would say. Much rather spend time with my friend then being at the doctors.Then off to Best Buy for office supplies. Home for lunch. Off to more appointments. It must be Monday! Thank you Edie Ricker Cowell for the referral you found for a hairdresser. A new client. I can hardly wait to meet them tomorrow. What a Monday! So as I sat with Geo the highlight of the day came as a surprise good morning text. We chatted back and forth a bit. So not such a bad Monday after all. Got Mary to airport about 4 am, breakfast and chat with Geo, a new hair client, and a good morning text. I would say even though I have had little sleep on this very long Monday, that I goofed up with my appointments, it turned out pretty darn well. Blessings still abound even on long sleepless days. Which is when we need them most. I'm so grateful for each one as I close this day. Thank you Lord! Blessings

April 11~ Good morning Tuesday! Wake up Beth. Time to get up. You have a full day ahead of you. Prayer and coffee. A morning call with Crystal N Koch. What a blessing and a wonderful way to start my day. Out the door to see the chiropractor. Then morning errands. Called to check on Geo Sutter, and went and picked her up for lunch at McCrae’s Country Cafe in Gresham. Yum! So glad you felt like getting out. Then off to next appointment. Lots of laughter is of good medicine. Then it's time to head over to meet new client and bring smiles of beauty to her. She was very happy. Thank you Edie Ricker Cowell. Then an evening out. What a wonderful time I had. It was a day of smiles and laughter, closing with possibilities. Love how this day was decorated with life, friends, laughter, and new doors with possibilities. Thank you Lord for opening my eyes to this day and a hopeful new chapter. Blessings

April 12~ Feels like I just went to sleep do I really have to get up? It's Wednesday smiles of beauty you don't want to miss out on those smiles. Oh Okay! Up and moving, coffee, prayers, and another chat with the beautiful Crystal N Koch before leaving for work. Another day of possibilities. Never a dull moment here-. A full day at the salon. Six beautiful happy smiling faces. Interesting day at the salon; met the Executive of Parkview today Kevin. I had never meet him in all the years I've been there. Elevator went down today, was hard on the residences and the CNA's. Pray its up and running tomorrow. After work headed over to see Geo Sutter and sit with her this afternoon. Praying for her speedy recovery. Thank you for lunch and enjoyed sharing my adventures with you. Then home to do R&R. Just a quiet day that was just rather ordinary. Blessings of having leftovers for dinner. Being able to stretch out on couch and prop my feet up. Taking pictures of the Spring blooms. Loving the colors of the tulips. Absolute quiet! Listening to the rain pider pader on the house that will bring May flowers. Just to mention a few of my blessings I'm thankful for. Blessings

April 13~ Good morning Beth time to rise and shine for another day of beauty and smiles. It'll be an easy day. (Surprises await!) WOW! My schedule is crazy full. When I left only had two perms a hair cut and shampoo set. A third perm! Woozer! It's going to be one long day. I'm thankful I listened to the birds sing to me this morning before work in the quiet of the morning well drinking my coffee with my prayers. A phone call from daughter Webber Heather, "mom are you coming to Sacramento when Anthony DeSouza is here on leave?" "Prayers Heather!" Or maybe that's what today was about silly Beth! Home to do laundry and lots of it from the salon from all my hard work. Three loads of towels. Ugh! So very thankful I don't have to do laundry at a laundromat. Love my washer and dryer. Bought airline tickets to Ca. Mema will be seeing her grandson that's on leave and all the others as well. Praise God for the work of my hands yesterday and today that purchased that airline ticket. Now to rest my tired hurting body. I'm thankful I can feel these aches and pains, means I'm alive and breathing. So with this day coming to a close; I'm so thankful for prayers, provision, unexpected smiles, beauty in the garden, and the magnolia trees in full bloom. My feet being propped up. My mom getting to sister's safely for the Easter weekend. Yes even when we don't have time to stop and breath, or see the beauty around us, there is so much to be thankful for. Blessings

April 14~ Good morning! It's Friday and not just any Friday; it's Good Friday. Which means Easter is this weekend. So it's wash all those wisdom highlights out of my hair. Just as the Lord washes us clean. Fresh new beginnings. Need to get my errands done. Darn car light came on. Another errand added to my day. Thoughts are deep today. Wondering about the direction of my life. Prayers! More deep thoughts. Let's head out to parts unknown. Beautiful late afternoon drive to sister's house. Mom is here for Easter weekend. Time with family. More deep thoughts on the drive. Missing puzzle pieces of my heart. Life changes and leaves empty voids in my heart that only God can fill. Popcorn, movies and family time. It's a slumber party. Sister says time for PJ's. Wait hold the party. There is a beautiful evening sky painted just for me. More deep thoughts. Thankful for prayers and love of my family, the beautiful sunset hand painted by God for me. Even when I cannot move past my deep thoughts God brings His perfect peace, and love down upon me. His peace and love that brings joy and hope for my tomorrow's. Thankful to be present in this moment to enjoy all that the Lord has gifted me with. Blessings

April 15~ Good morning family! It's Saturday activities, even though the calender says tax day. So glad I got mine done last week! Yea me! No time for rest. Time to get up and enjoy the day I have been given. Coffee please! Then time for fun. Fun with momma, fun with the sisters and great nephews, along with extended family. Cake, eggs, Easter bunny, Easter egg hunt, shopping, visiting, just living life to the fullest with those I love. Blessed to have this family and the love that they pour into one another daily. Yes,Jennifer Merritt-Estep, and family, you are a big heart beat to our family, thank you for all you add. We are blessed to have you and your family in ours. So giving of themselves each and everyone. Got to see Cathy Phelps Winters, and Jeff too. Loved seeing them. My grandchildren adopted them, so they are family too. My family grows in leaps and bounds. Those we add not by blood, but by the love given with their heart that we chose to be in ours. Sun is shinning brightly warming right to my bones. Yea!. Life is in full bloom everywhere I look. Love, laughter, smiles of joy and happiness. The gift that continues to fill my heart just at the memory and thought of each treasured moment. Time spent with mom is a gift everyday. Really had lots of fun shopping with her today, and taking her to see her friend Ruth. What a lovely time we had. As the day comes to a close and the quiet falls upon this house. I'm grateful for my quiet home. Thank you Lord for filling this day with so much love that it over flows with the joy and happiness wrapped in the beauty of my family. A treasured day that filled my pages for this chapter in my life today. So blessed! Thank you Lord! Blessings

April 16 ~ Good morning! It's Resurrection Sunday! Happy Easter! Its the day the Lord rose from the dead and beat death. HALLELUJAH! Thank you Jesus! Time with family and the celebration of life and life eternal. Time with my beautiful niece Corie Coggins and my great nephews. Watching the boys play with their mom. Time just spent living in the moment and the time given with those we love. The beauty of my drive home from my weekend with my family. Just taking my time taking in the beauty God has blessed me with. A short trip to Walmart provided an unexpected gift and blessing from complete strangers. While waiting to check out a young woman with her young son where behind me. We struck up a general conversation as we waited. My turn arrived. I thanked the cashier for being here on Easter Sunday and wished her a blessed day. As I got ready to leave the young boy ran into my legs and gave me a huge hug and wished me a very happy Easter. Than the cashier looked at me and said you are a sweet and beautiful lady. WOW! My heart is full. Kindness and love comes when we least expected from places we never dream. We just never know how important a moment can be. Thank you and blessings to those three strangers that filled my heart today. An evening out to close this beautiful day that I have been blessed with. Cheese and chocolate. Yum! Thankful for the love and encouragement my family and friends give me daily. Now as I lay here in bed listening to the wind and rain storm; I'm grateful for the safety of my home and the protection it provides me daily from the elements. Thank you Lord for this life and life more abundantly. Blessings