multitude monday

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continuing my list of one thousand gifts . . . (and I really did write this on monday - just didn't get around to actually posting it until now) . . .
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101. a long walk and good conversation in a sunshine-scattered field with the beautiful sarah

102. the kindness of a sophomore who drove me to whole foods - so glad to have yogurt and strawberries and granola again . . . little things that I miss from home

103. the smoky scent of autumn wafting through the air

104. the thought of apple-picking this saturday

105. a merciful professor who gave our entire class an extension on a paper

106. how all the girls on my floor pop out of their rooms whenever I get home from a regatta and give me a grand welcome back and cover my door with welcome home signs

107. the old oak trees that line the path that I walk several times a day

108. the unexpectedly large and blue mid-western sky

109. yoga class tonight with kaitlyn

110. grades that turned out much better than I had anticipated

111. the complete silence of the chapel (silence is something quite rare here)

112. talking about international justice mission with elise around the bonfire sunday evening

113. package slips in my little post box . . .

114. . . . and homemade apple bread from my wonderful mother

115. church-sponsored art exhibits

116. good health and no colds (yet)

117. the night tara and I spent reading our favorite poems together

118. quiet tears that always birth new hope

119. lunch with the lovely jessica every monday, wednesday, and friday

120. returning to an anglican church this week after several weeks elsewhere - and speaking all those wonderfully familiar prayers again - it felt like going home

. . . grant us strength and courage to love and
serve you with gladness and singleness of heart.

All is grace.

grateful,
Jessina
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multitude monday

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continuing my list of one thousand gifts . . . I'm one-tenth of the way there now . . .

0081. eighteen years of life

0082. richard foster's books

0083. the kindness of a lady who graciously gave me (an almost total stranger) a beautiful old film camera

0084. peach-picking and picnics

0085. achingly hot summer days, when the sun feels very close

0086. a brother who surprised me and came home from his summer away just to celebrate my birthday

0087. this constant and eternal hope

0088. childhood novels

0089. divine rest . . . come all who are weary . . .

0090. visits from old friends

0091. anticipation

0092. sunflowers and farmers markets

0093. the giggles and shouts and sheer noise of a classroom full of five and six year olds with boats sinking into the seas and porcupines crawling about

0094. having amy home again

0095. letters in the mailbox from faraway friends

0096. peach custard pie

0097. my new-found love of cantaloupe

0098. the complete silence of the house while reading in bed each night before turning the lights out

0099. how very green the world is, particularly this time of year

0100. this last week when I can still imagine what college will be like, without yet experiencing it, knowing how naive I am, and how much I will most likely grow and change this next year . . .
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all's grace,
Jessina
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multitude monday

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continuing my list of one thousand gifts . . .

0061. the summertime sun

0062. peace & safety after the car accident

0063. madeline l'engle and all of her writing

0064. little friends decked out for the fourth of july with red, white, and blue ribbons on their pigtails

0065. these words: ". . . do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares . . . "

0066. the strength to jog up long hills at noon in the middle of july

0067. being inspired by the selflessness & love of an old friend

0068. time to be creative, cook, and just sit down and read for an hour

0069. laughter in the back seat of the car with Brother

0070. a very good sermon

0071. the stressful fun I had scheduling classes and the anticipation for it all to begin come august

0072. the way the sunshine always settles in my room every afternoon and leaves geometric patterns all over the floor

0073. the truly overwhelming kindness of others

0074. my stack of art postcards that I bought in europe (oh, how I like them)

0075. megan's eyes (because I was admiring how pretty they were the other day)

0076. a kind nurse who attempted to distract me while she poked around to find my blood vessel (unfortunately, it didn't work . . . I still fainted)

0077. our travels to europe . . . so grateful for the opportunity to go and the many memories made

0078. the beautiful smile and kindness of an older lady at church who always stops to talk to me

0079. meeting danielle at the gryphon and catching up

0080. icy summer drinks, fruity smoothies, and frozen yogurt

all is truly grace,
Jessina
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multitude monday

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continuing my list of one thousand gifts . . .

0041. being completely done AP tests

0042. simple things made divine

0043. the guy at the AP gridding session at my public high school who noticed my (rather obvious) bright yellow visitor name tag and left his friends to talk to me amidst the swarm of nameless highschoolers

0044. a brand new set of my favorite pens

0045. a phone message from a sweet little girl

0046. anticipation for joining the crew team at college

0047. a clean room (that, uh, hadn't been vacuumed since christmas break)

0048. free time to do the stuff that I've been wanting to do since last august

0049. reading in bed for an hour after I woke up

0050. being fully known

0051. frozen plain yogurt from trader joe's

0052. my mother's unchanging love

0053. watching the sunrise from the window in my morning room

0054. brother coming home this week

0055. the words in luke 18 . . . "they ought always to pray and not lose heart . . . "

0056. the gathered courage and grace to be baptized this week (though honestly, I'm not looking forward to having water thrown in my face in front of an entire congregation)

0057. all the little things, all the moment-by-moment graces

0058. strawberries and the first peaches of the season

0059. breathing the fresh air at the lake near our house over the weekend

0060. imperfections and the truth that each day is another blank slate with new mercies

all's grace,
Jessina
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multitude monday

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Continuing my list of one thousand gifts . . .

0021. finishing reading my 1090 page art history text book today

0022. my pile of books, journals, prayer books, and planners

0023. the memories made from a bee that kept my sister and I up until 4am last Thursday night as we attempted to kill it

0024. having the opportunity to talk to the director of photography from International Justice Mission

0025. bright blue summer-like skies

0026. the older and slight Chinese man that takes walks in our neighborhood everyday

0027. a homemade banana-blueberry-strawberry smoothie

0028. labor that is not in vain

0029. extra time with my sister this weekend

0030. knowing that there will be strength for these next few weeks, even if it is difficult to see

0031. learning about the injustices around the world, but also of the work that is being done and the lives that are being rescued

0032. coming home again

0033. the wide-open, grace-filled arms of God

0034. late night conversations

0035. answered prayer

0036. and unanswered prayer

0037. the voices of the petite ballerinas

0038. verses on my chalkboard to refocus my mind, my heart

0039. abstract expressionist postage stamps

0040. the ladies (and the one little guy) with whom I spent the weekend and the opportunity to get to know them better

all's grace,
Jessina
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multitude monday

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As a way to celebrate the whole fifty days of Easter, I decided to join the gratitude community and begin my list of one thousand gifts . . . hopefully adding to it each Monday . . . perhaps more often . . .

(the ones in bold are associated with a picture . . . )

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0001. postcards in the mail with sweet words of wisdom
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0002. pink polka dot hair bows
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0003. an outdoor picnic while babysitting sweet kids
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0004. driving past an older man getting his mail, wrinkled hands, large smile
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0005. inner peace about my future
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0006. sweat, hot sun, pavement, pain, and jogging with my brother
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0007. little girls' voices exclaiming "hello!" and warmly welcoming the new girl to dance class
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0008. a one-on-one basketball game with my dad that turned into tears and a long talk about what I should do with my life
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0009. the colors of spring
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0010. whole wheat sourdough bread for lunch again
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0011. blue and white striped shirts
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0012. the anticipation of a weekend trip with friends
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0013. opening my windows on a warm spring day, sitting back in my armchair, plopping my feet on the windowsill, breathing the fresh breeze, and seeing that beloved view again

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0014. sitting in the grass with a good book
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0015. petite ballerinas holding hands
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0016. people I respect who invite me into their homes, their families, their lives
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0017. little people who I send out on a backyard treasure hunt to find something beautiful and all of us reveling in their discoveries . . . little ordinary beauties of creation . . . the texture of bark, the shape of a stick, the pink hues in a rock
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0018. mercies new every morning
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0019. my mother's laugh
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0020. easter truths breathed new again
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all's grace,
Jessina
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