Pondering and Counting

Counting...

Pondering prayer

•  Clear-mindedness and self-control make all the difference (1 Timothy 4:7)
• Am I praying the request or the answer?
• Asking the hard question - what is my motive for praying this?

Pondering self-control

•   It's really be spirit-control
•   It is a result (2 Peter 1:5) - Faith to goodness; goodness to knowledge; knowledge to self-control; self-control to perseverance; perseverance to godliness; godliness to brotherly kindness; brotherly kindness to love. 
•  Ultimate result:  "you will never fall and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ."  WOW!

Savoring the moments...

• just because phone call from my beloved hubby
• hearing encouraging words from the wee one to his older bro
• sweet bedtimes full of back pats/rubs, kisses and "got your nose"
• stories from their perspective
• the sound of rain and watching the ground soak it up instantly
• family checking in

Simply thankful for...

• a great pediatrician
• antibiotics and the flavoring that goes in it!
• people willing to pull together as a team
• toe-stepping messages
• seeing familiar stories in a new light; getting "the rest" of the story
• Grace
• Fernando Ortega and how his music calms me because of where it takes me... to the throne of Jesus