It is going to be a hot day today so I got up early and watered the garden. The air was still and the neighbourhood very quiet. The only thing spoiling the serenity was my own water pump whirring away.
When I got back inside the family, including those who have flown or driven in for Christmas, were still asleep – or pretending to be.
I started counting my blessings – big and small. We can often be so obsessed with money and material things, but there are so many small things, or should I say “non material” things to be thankful for: a family that enjoys coming home, their love for each other, the banter and retelling of their lives, family jokes and gentle teasing … God is good!
Dear God, thank you for slowing me down and reminding me what us truly precious.
Travels from Ur 
You might add to your blessings a little bit of sunshine…I’ll try not to be jealous! Seriously, you are absolutely right. It’s the things that money can’t buy that are so important and irreplaceable. It’s a blessing to realize just what a blessing you have!
It got to 38C yesterday. A bit too much sunshine!
Yes I think that would be rather too much for me. 500 flood warnings across the country here – not that much fun either! Glad to report none in my vicinity, but hard for those losing their stuff right before Christmas. 😦
Hi Pieter. I don’t have your email address..just thought I would like to wish you a wonderful Christmas and Gods richest blessings to you and yours in 2013. Sister Elly reads your blogs on a regular basis (she just told me about them…I will start reading them as well)…anyway..she is uplifted when she reads them. I am in regular contact with Matt deBoer…he told me about the heat. Can’t imagine that ..living here in Canada..heat and Christmas do not go hand in hand. Elly told me about one blog about your young days back in Holland….seeing one of our Opas with a missing leg….as I recall…my dad told me he lost that leg as a result of sleeping under a tree in a thunderstorm and that tree was hit by lightning….he was partially hit…thus the loss of a leg…am I dreaming this or is it true? Please send me you email address…mine is: hvanmeggelen@yahoo.com. Gods richest blessings to you cousin.
Henry
Henry, I trust you and the family had a wonderful Christmas. I will send you my email address. And thanks for the comments. I had not heard the thunderstorm story. I must chase it up.