hitting pause

 Just one more January day left for 2021.  Have you ever paused just long enough over a day to think through that?  Today is a day I will never see again, never repeat and never skip.  It is 24 hours long, no more and no less.  Tomorrow is the last January day for year 2021.  It will probably look like other Sundays for us, meaning church, then lunch, then napping/playing/take dogs for a walk/watching sports on tv.....and a good meal with my parents and kids in the evening, using all the dishes and most of the silverware so that it can all run through the dishwasher overnight and I can start Monday with clean dishes.  It is my expectation that tomorrow will look that way, but not necessarily what will happen....and that's ok.  

Precious and I have chosen to consider the idea of confidence for 2021.  Martin Luther once said, "Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times."  Isn't that beautiful?  I think so.  I rely on God's grace to see me through today and into my tomorrow, and all the little winks and nots and yes and amens that happen are just gifts on top of grace.  

On this second to last January day of 2021 I am considering some of my newfound favorite things, as a sort of benediction to this month.  

1.  Mint Medley herbal tea made by Bigelow.  Around 3pm most days since the new year began, I crave a steaming cup of mint medley tea and I especially like it in this pretty mug that cools it down in time to enjoy it without it getting cold before I'm done.  

2.  Watching my backyard birds.  I got a couple new feeders over the holidays because the squirrels destroy them a couple times a year.  I've watched woodpeckers and blue jays and cardinals and nuthatches and juncos and chicadees and barn finches and sparrows and a few I can't name just yet.  (and those are just the winter birds....I'll get new ones in spring and summer!)

3.  Twinkling lights on a tree I bought at a second hand store for Claire's wedding.  AFter all the Christmas stuff was packed away I just couldn't quite take down the last of the tree lights.  The days are short and it is dark much of the day and having a tree lit up in a dark an quiet room is remarkably soothing.  

4.  Walking the dog in the snow.  We have had a dog most of our married life but I have never been good at walking the dog in the winter.  I started doing it as a fitness challenge but saw such joy from the pups, as well as feeling much less stress myself, so I have tried to do it most days.  Roger gave me some slammin new winter boots for Christmas that keep my feet warm and have good traction to help avoid the icy patches.  There is something wonderful about hearing the crunch of snow, seeing the puffs of my warm breaths and being outdoors alone with a dog joyfully bounding around me.  

I pray that God will continue to reveal to me little blessings in each day.  I will continue to ask for new ways to grow and equip myself to live with confident intention, and surrounded by grace and gratitude, as we move on into February 2021.