beyond words

My heart feels really halted these days to try to put words to all that is brimming in me...  Stunned Gratitude.  Humbling Unworthiness.  general... AWE.  


Loving the thought (from Ann's book & blog) of how anchoring our hearts in thankfulness and looking for grace and beauty everywhere to be thankful always really does anchor my wandering selfish mind to the goodness of God-  remind me constantly that HE IS GOOD.  Right now it's plain and easy for us to see his goodness- and we don't deserve it one bit- but I want to be strengthened in this discipline of gratitude to spill over everywhere, in every future season of life too...


Today, we abound in thanks to God for:


~ this new little girl, a daughter, like a little Lucy to complete our Narnia adventures team  (pics:  Vivian, 2.5 days old)

~ oh the better than velvet softness of her skin, and her scent


~  those precious smiles that flash across her tiny precious face

~ her squeaks


~  the big kids that adore her...  "Tisses(kisses), moo (more) tisses" from John, and "I'm really good at giving her kisses 'cause I love her so much", from Isaiah.


~ big sister loving being mama's helper, loving everything about the new little girl


~for a home that is tolerably cool now that the gov. has turned off the heat... and for the space heater we have cranked in our room for Vivian

~ for a cuddly time with a sick big brother (he came down hard with it this afternoon)... and his ridiculous but still cute outfit that daddy dressed him in for our cold home.  (The bling- big sister's necklace- was John's own addition)

~ and for peace that God knows this sickness and these tender little ones we so long to protect and heal quickly


~(in the pic above) sweet simple grace that these curtains dropped to the ground 36 hours after baby was born just in front of them...  I'm completely content to see them sprawled across the floor for now- they were up when they were most needed and they'll be fixed eventually.


~ a chance for Isaiah to play with friends and how he told the taxi driver in Chinese how to get to our home (he travelled with our midwife to his buddies' house today.)


~ Marian's great joy to dance for us and her creativity to make this "doctor outfit"

 ~ the most incredible husband-servant-daddy-friend who has blessed me so generously, encouragingly, has run our home, cared for everything and is right now bringing me a smoothie...