Counting 1000 Gifts

It's a good thing for me to sit down for a few minutes and think over the past week of things God has done for me. He is such a wonderful Father! I'm thankful for Ann Voskamp's challenge to county 1000 gifts.

125. My dad is so much stronger and better.

126. Dad having pacemaker put in today. Thanking God in advance for being with him.

127. 15 hours of OT last week which hopefully will help pay for vacation.

128. Thankful that car engine light was just a minor fix and not a major repair.

129. Fun time with family Saturday night talking at mom and dad's.

130. Fun lunch with hubby's parents yesterday.

Look What I Got

Look what I got today for Administrative Assistant Day.

Aren't they pretty?

 So sweet of my boss, don't you think? 

I know I do.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Why not click the Hodgepodge button above and play along with all of us. 

1. William Shakespeare's birthday is celebrated on April 23rd...when did you last read Shakespeare? What's your favorite Shakespeare play?

I am not much of a fan of Shakespeare, but both of my daughters are.  The last time I read Shakespeare was last year helping my youngest with her English Literature Class.  Come to find out she understood it better than me and didn't need too much help from me.  My favorite play would be "The Tempest".  I think because while in high school they took us to an outdoor amphitheater to see it.   

2. What food(s) would you recommend a foreign visitor try when they visit your home country?

My favorite would be T-bone Steak or Prime Rib with baked potato and a good tossed salad.  I know not real original, but it's my favorite way to eat.

3. What's a lie you often tell yourself?

I'll do it tomorrow.

4. What's something you're good at that might surprise us? Remember this is a family friendly blog!

I'm really not "good" at anything.  I'm just kind of a jack of all trades.  I do a lot of things just semi-well.

5. Who is your favorite animal character from a book?

Without a doubt it's Aslan from the Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis.  Although I have to admit I haven't read the books, just have seen the movies.

6. April showers bring May flowers...do you have a green thumb?

No I do not have a green thumb.  That is why the plants in my office look like this.

The live plants are wilting and dying

But the artificial flowers are doing really well!

7. Speaking of rainy days...which one of the following activities would you most want to spend time doing on a rainy day-

sort photos and create albums
bake cookies
read a good book
hold an all-day movie marathon
organize closets, cupboards, or bookshelves
try a new recipe
fix something that needs fixing

Read a Good Book and/or Hold an All-Day Movie Marathon

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Tweeted by Mark Batterson. "If you pray regularly, IRREGULAR things will happen on a regular basis." 

Here's another one tweeted by by Clayton King "Two reasons to trust God today: He is BIGGER than your worries and STRONGER than your fears."  

Counting 1000 Gifts

I'm still counting the things I'm thankful for and you can join in too. Just click above and count your blessings and gifts too.

 116. The opportunity to once again see the videos from Beth Moore's Bible Study "Believing God". My husband is showing them to the whole church on Sunday Nights for the next 9 weeks. Our lady's group did this whole study a few years ago and it is just to good to keep to ourselves. I love being reminded of the truths I learned then.

117. I'm thankful that mom and dad are both feeling better. Dad still has to have a pacemaker, but he's a whole lot better than last week.

118. I'm thankful for 4 brothers and sisters who are all stepping up to the plate and helping. They always have and I believe they always will.

119. I'm thankful for the opportunity to tell my dad I love him. We don't do that a lot in our family. We know it, but just don't say it alot. But I'm glad I had the courage to say it. And you know what? He said it back. I will treasure that for always.

120. I'm thankful for a husband who stands beside me through thick and thin!

121. I'm thankful for a wonderful daughter at home who helps and loves too.

122. I'm thankful for another wonderful daughter, who while away at school and busy with all she does there, takes time to call or text and checks up on the family from time to time.

123. I'm thankful for a church family who prays!

124. I'm most thankful for a God who keeps showing off all His wonderfulness! Even though it's been a tough week, He has made Himself evident in so many ways.

Dawn Comes Early by Margaret Brownley

Book Description

Disgraced dime novelist Kate Tenney fled the city that banned her latest novel for the emptiness of the desert. Answering an ad to be “heiress” to a vast cattle ranch in the Arizona Territory, Kate hopes ranching turns out to be as romantic as she portrayed it in her novels.

But what awaits her is a life harder than the one she just left. There is no room for mistakes on a working cattle ranch, and Kate is ill-prepared for her new life. She quickly learns that dawn comes early. But she is tenacious.

Having been abandoned by a string of men, Kate has no intention of ever marrying. But she didn’t expect to meet Luke Adams, either. Luke awakens feelings inside Kate she doesn’t recognize, and his steady presence is a constant distraction. She has only written about love in the past, never known it herself. But her feelings for Luke stand in the way of all she has to gain if she is chosen as the heir.

Perhaps God brought Kate to the barrenness of the desert to give new life to her jaded heart.

My Thoughts:  
This was a good book and if you like religious fiction books that take place in Texas, this is one for you.  I have to say the first chapter started a little slowly, but after I figured out what was going I thoroughly enjoyed the story.  Kate was a really neat person and was learning about ranching and about herself too.  Luke was a man's man and a really cool character.  I can't wait to read the sequel to this book.  I want to know more about the owner of the ranch.  This character really intrigues me.  I hope you will read this book and enjoy it as much as I did.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”