On various levels of life’s layered depths it’s been a good-news-bad-news week. But thanksgiving is a way through – a way to live fully – fully alive to God’s glory. Whether his ways are clear, or beyond tracing out. This week’s 39 things:

664 Opening blinds – morning wintery sun

665 Closing blinds – snug night

666 Salt and butter on peas and corn

667 Ruan and Gwen’s little Max – a year old –

668 And his birthday party and dedication –

669 And yellow balloons strung amidst autumn leaves on a perfect Saturday –

670 And Denise’s incredible gourmet snacks –

680 And Glen talking about creating a godly home –

681 And Ruan praying for his son –

682 And Gwen’s Superman cake

683 Scott – two dry days of potty training

684 Marc and Rebecca – dignifying the trial

685 Doctors who know and care and check and recheck and watch and wait

686 The prayers of the saints – sweet smelling incense

687 Paul and Sue up from Cape Town and coming for tea

688 Making gnocchi with (Big Uncle) Scott and Talia

689 The privilege of speaking into the journeys of others

690 Tall towers

691 Memories of Jo’burg Zoo with friends – Cam just a few months old

692 Mini-retreat – me and some cappuccinos – alone for a couple hours in Boston Deli

693 Playing hiking-hiking with Cam

694 Supper in bed

695 Rooftop tents

696 Bumping into Elnette in Pick ‘n Pay

697 Long steep flights of stairs

698 Murray’s generosity with strangers

699 Transparency

700 No-occasion gift from Kirsty

701 The boys watching a DVD – half an hour of hands-free quiet to get a truckload of stuff done

702 Deep strange joy-in-sadness that all is as it should be