#685. The gradient in the sky at dawn and the silhouettes of the barren trees. It really is serene.

#686. For the capacity humans have been created with to experience pleasure.

#687. Texts from my 18 year old daughter that cause me to know she is thinking of me in the midst of her busy life.

#688. For devotions that just "happen" to speak to the very thing that I have a heart burden for. It is a love note from the Lord straight to my heart. An answer to my plea, "Please, Lord, I need some encouragement....just to know you are there!"

#689. A wonderful time playing tennis with a player I admire who stopped to pray for me. Wow...what a gift that was. A holy moment. There. On. The. Tennis. Court.

#681. This may sound gross, but well...I am grateful for this anyhow. My husband has this great big bushy mustache and last night he kissed me right after having a drink of water. When he kissed me, he "transported" a bunch of water that was hanging in his mustache to my face. In the past, I have fussed a bit about that. Right now, I am so thankful for those drips of water that dribble onto my face when he kisses me. I wouldn't trade it for a dry face and no husband-kisses!

#682. Late-night Harley nickers that ask me why I am 4 hours late in bringing dinner!

#683. The incredible energy and unbridled joy of under-eight year old girls, squealing about hitting tennis balls with racquets! They came in as "new best friends" and celebrated moving their bodies with one another with such abandon!

#684. Down comforters in the early morning hours that cradle me so cozy.

#675. Making the bed with my husband. :-) What a sweet blessing it is.

#676. The humming sound of his M Roadster coming down the street at day's end.

#677.  Friend's loving face across chips and salsa at Chevy's.

#678.  One more sniff of Doc's mane.

#679.  Early adulthood dream realized in the dawning of twilight years. Strange, God-ordained, irony!

#680. Buzzing cell phone--text from a friend who has been praying, asking, inquiring. What a blessing!

#671. The redemption I find in writing about strategies that I am using to navigate through the rough waters of the trial I am going through. See my From Fear to Faith on the Path of Praise blog to see what I mean. It is such a blessing how it is encouraging me to write about it!

#672. A wonderful tennis lesson that I got to teach a little girl yesterday. What a delight she is to my heart!

#673. The fun, joy, and uplifting of my spirit to be at worship practice last night--I seem to say this each Friday. There is something "re-centering" about being there with others, talking about the book we are reading--about God's amazing faithfulness to us, about the joy of worshiping him no matter what, and then to sing praises even as we practice for Sunday. Last night, the songs were especially meaningful to me.

#674. The confidence that God has placed in my heart that HE WILL REDEEM THIS. (Guess redemption is a theme right now...I have to find value in what seems awful to me. I know I don't see the full story.)

#667. No matter what life brings, God is unchanging. There is such comfort in knowing that the Rock to which I cling is immovable, steadfast, strong.

#668. Sleeping dogs. There is something about a dog sleeping that captures the peace that I think God has for me when I stop, be still, and know.

#669. The quiet in the early morning hours.

#670. That God meets me, greets me, welcomes me, comforts me any time, any where.

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#661. Establishing an almost daily "habit" of adding to this blog, is tranformative. I am so thankful for the way God uses thankfulness to change me.

#662. The joy that God is putting in my heart as I obey his calling during this challenging season. Who would have thought that scrambling so much to find a way to make a business out of teaching tennis would be so fulfilling? I don't think it is the business that is fulfilling, though. It is doing what I am called to do that makes what could be overwhelming to me so enjoyable.

#663. Discovering new truths just by living life with my eyes open!

#664. For the talented homeschool student I got to meet yesterday. Teaching him a tennis lesson was so much fun for me!

#665. Anticipating the transformation ahead as I continue to post to my Path of Praise blog. I can only post there what God is teaching me as it happens. It is a joy to do so.

#656. The Psalms...I love that we have praises and songs to God captured for us for eternity. When I don't know what to say or sing, I can turn to the psalms...add some of what is there to my "God List" and praise God out loud by just reading to him what I find. Some of today's are:

• You answer me when I call (Psalm 4:1)
• You are a shield around me (Psalm 3: 3)
• You bestow glory on me and lift up my head (Psalm 3:3)
• You bring deliverance (Psalm 3:8)
• You are MY righteous God (Psalm 4:1)
• You give me relief from my distress (Psalm 4:1)
• You are merciful and hear my prayer (Psalm 4:1)
• The light of Your face, God, shines on me (Psalm 4:6)
• You fill my heart with greater joy than when the best of earth's gifts abound (Psalm 4:7)

#657 I am grateful today for sleep. I rarely thank God for a good night's sleep, but I sure to fuss when I don't get one! LOL! On my God List:

• I lie down and sleep in peace because He alone makes me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8)

#658.  I am grateful that I woke up again!I have a new day because he has chosen to sustain my life.

• I can lie down and sleep, I awake again because the Lord sustains me (Psalm 3:5)

#659. The joy that comes in anticipating giving a gift. I love how my heart leaps just a bit when I have something planned to give another person. But I also love how this speaks to me about the way my God is. I know his heart anticipates with joy the gifts he gives as well. What a great thought!

#660. The privilege of being with God's people to worship Him together.