Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! Feast and rest and relish the blessings. This side of the equator, despite the heat and the rush, may you find space to enjoy the summer juice of watermelon and wonder dribbling down your chin.

So it’s a bumper list this week – which leaves just 124 gifts to count.

Jesus, I’m thankful for:

 

1837 Camping at Sondela and pretty much having the place to ourselves

1838 Waking up in the tent to Scott staring into my face – little index finger softly stroking my cheek

1839 Heated swimming pool

1840 And rock jumping

1841 And Scott picking up girls – ‘I’m Scott.’ (Pointing to his forehead. Not so smooth.) ‘And this is Cam.’ (Wing man.)

1842 And Scott’s reckless courage to impress by diving. Which he can’t do yet.

1843 And a little girl’s dad fishing him up from the bottom of the pool

1844 Game drive – just the four of us –

1845 And the freedom to climb out and look at crazy big spider webs

1846 Bliss of iced tea and shade in outrageous heat

1847 Storm at sunset

1848 Cam’s exhilaration – riding his bike through mud – in his pyjamas

1849 Our mattress at home – appreciation honed by two nights camping and a rock in my hip

1850 Cooking by gas light

1851 Eating together under silent stars

1852 Gem squash and brown sugar

1853 Baking Christmas cookies

1854 Meeting with Felicity and Andrew about 2014 and Grade 0 and syncing Cam’s iPad to the Promethean Board

1855 Building and plumbing underway on our guestroom

1856 A roomful of women moved by Laura’s testimony

1857 Fresh, soft, rich chocolate cake. Yes.

1858 Smash-and-grab narrow escape at a robot driving home with friends

1859 Catching up with Shirl and Eric after their holiday

1860 Being able to fetch Cam early when he wasn’t feeling well

1861 Thea and Jeff’s passion for the people of the Maldives: ‘This is our life’s work.’

1862 Seeing so much better out my back window after washing my car

1863 PureFlix redeeming the Christian film genre from severe cheesiness –

1864 And the message of This is our time: because actually it’s God’s time, and it’s not so much what we do but who we are that counts

1865 Fresh coconut and warm rotis

1866 Murray and I talking through parenting solutions and feeling desperate and knowing only God can do this thing

1867 Wet garden scents on a morning after rain

1868 Cricket on TV – such a treat for Murray

1869 Enough coffee in the morning bodum for a second cup

1870 Cam’s growing hunger for the Word

1871 Murray’s ideas and perspectives that encourage my dreams, even when he’s tired

1872 Reminder: I’m not responsible for other people’s behaviour or happiness

1873 Reminder: what other people think of me is none of my business

1874 Reminder: think on what is true

1875 Reminder: keep calm and humble yourself under the mighty hand of God

1876 Reminder: it’s about time and energy management: just because you can fit 15 things into your day doesn’t mean you should

1877 This reminder: to give my kids not just a good mom, but a happy one

1878 Catching up with Talia over coffee and rusks

1879 Scott quoting The Incredibles at me while we swing and pretend: ‘Hang on, honey!’

1880 Installing iOS7 and having my iPad disabled and feeling like iDid Something Wrong but then being encourage by Google which revealed that it’s happened to thousands of others

1881 Reminder: Don’t trust devices. Moth and rust and new operating systems will destroy.

1882 Murray and Cam laughing over a ball kicked all over the garden

1883 Scott and I playing Nemo and Dory

1884 Someone in the neighbourhood practising the bagpipes really beautifully, actually – no cat-strangling noises whatsoever

1885 Praying for a Grade 8 relationship training seminar that I’m involved in this week – ‘I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’ (Psalm 121:1)

1886 Privilege of teaching my sons that a little girl’s panties are her special secret and that they shouldn’t try to look at them

1887 Picnic and a carol service

1888 ‘Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.’ (Psalm 27:14)

1889 Every morning, Murray’s ‘How did you sleep?’