My list of thanks (in no particular order, making no apologies for repetitions): the first 400

I AM THANKFUL FOR...

1. Being God's adopted child
2. Freedom from the things that used to bind me because I am God's child
3. My husband
4. Being able to have a shower
5. The sun
6. Lavender
7. Blogging
8. The computer
9. The birch trees in our garden
10. The children's schools
11. My car!
12. The smell of freshly rained-on warm soil
13. Toddler giggles
14. The smell of freshly-mown grass
15. Roses
16. The way Samuel tells me "Mummy that's the best meal you've ever cooked me" - almost
every day!
17. Rain
18. Wellies
19. Sunflowers
20. The smell of freshly-baked bread
21. The smell of a newborn baby
22. A glass of filtered water by my bedside
23. My earplugs
24. Snuggling up in bed with a good book
25. The fact that my 3 children are good sleepers
26. The tumble dryer
27. The dishwasher
28. My husband for buying them...
29. God's patience towards me
30. Worship albums
31. My ability to sing well
32. Reading Vineyard Church
33. Friends I can be myself with
34. Mum and Dad's faithfulness in praying for us every day
35. The Bible - God's word
36. Jesus' unending, unfailing love for me
37. Strawberries and cream
38. Tennis at Wimbledon
39. The colour green
40. The lushious greens that surround us in spring
41. A cup of tea at the start of the day
42. The fact that England has a temperate climate
43. Running water
44. CBeebies!!
45. Barbapapa
46. The amazing people who run the kids' work at our church
47. God's constant presence with me
48. The promise of a rainbow
49. My husband's job
50. My ability to speak English AND French fluently
51. The fact that England is a free, democratic country
52. Our trampoline in the back garden
53. Thomas' constantly smiling face
54. Ben's love of the outdoors
55. The wonderful people I have met through blogging
56. Mozart 's awesome music
57. Daffodils
58. Fresh herbs
59. My hands
60. My senses
61. Kissing..... and more!
62. The woods
63. The experience of walking on a lush carpet of freshly fallen leaves in the autumn
64. Lillies of the valley
65. Psalm One
66. The Armour of God (Ephesians 6)
67. The victory Jesus won on the Cross
68. The fact that God holds NO RECORD of my sin
69. Eleven years of happily married life (...so far!!)
70. The many times when Ben sings 'Happy Birthday to you' for absolutely no reason
71. Apples
72. Ben and Jerry's ice cream
73. My Dad's lovely, witty, and sometimes child-like sense of humour
74. The stars on a clear night
75. The way Mark always manages to get me to snap out of a sulk
76. The truth that I am God's workmanship (Eph 2v11)
77. The fact that there is always more to be received from God
78. Knowing Jesus as my closest friend
79. Eternal life - in the most amazing place ever!!
80. My children's infectious laughs
81. ...and their beautiful blue eyes
82. The peace of God which passes all understanding
83. The fact that I will meet Jesus face to face one day
84. Photographs
85. Our digital camera
86. Paper
87. Pens
88. Scissors
89. ...Cardmaking!
90. The knowledge that there is always something to be thankful for
91. The challenge to look for beauty in the mundane
92. Fresh Air
93. Freedom of speech
94. Cookies
95. Lemons
96. Blue sky after a spell of rainy weather
97. My sister's legacy of papyrus (umbrella) plants
98. Liquorice
99. Swings
100. Sand
101. The sea
102. Thomas's beautiful and deliciously sunny personality
103. Nap-time after lunch
104. The summer holidays
105. Antibiotics
106. Doctors and the medical profession
107. Toy Story 1 and 2
108. MSN
109. Facebook
110. The fact that I don't have to BE anyone else but myself
111. Weddings
112. Role models
113. My desire to always seek truth
114. My desire to never settle for second best
115. Toy cars
116. The beauty and warmth of a piece of polished wood
117. Going out on the streets of Reading to hand sandwiches and drinks to the homeless, and
their gratefulness and openness to share their stories
118. God's perfect model of parenting
119. Reward systems and sticker charts
120. Samuel's cheeky sense of humour
121. Butterflies
122. Continually being renewed by the transforming of my mind
123. Soap
124. Shampoo
125. The relief of hearing Mark's cheerful voice when he comes home from work at the end of
the day
126. Nutella
127. The colour purple and all shades thereof
128. The German language
129. Amazing memories of a trip to Cape Town in April 2000
130. My many stretchmarks, a sure sign of child bearing, fruitfulness and fertility...
131. The amazing garden God gave us
132. The sound of my three boys playing happily together
133. Barbecues
134. Birthdays
135. The excitement of discovering one of your closest friends is pregnant
136. Fairy lights
137. Salads
138. Sitting in an open field on a warm summer's day
139. The sound of swallows sweeping playfully across a field
140. My mobile (cell) phone!
141. Awesome live worship
142. Bed-time
143. The closeness between a father and a son
144. Hugs
145. Men's deodorant
146. My electric toothbrush
147. Having clean teeth and a fresh breath when I've brushed my teeth
148. Secrets
149. The mystery of the Trinity
150. Bible reading notes
151. Time spent with God
152. People who understand what I might be going through
153. People who have faithfully and prayerfully supported me through difficult times
154. Godly wisdom
155. Prophetic words
156. Maps
157. Paris, the most beautiful city in the world
158. The priviledge of meeting people from different cultures
159. Mark's love of Africa and its people
160. Airports
161. Being reunited with a loved one after time apart
162. My body's ability to keep going even when I've had very little sleep
163. Sleep!!
164. Sunglasses
165. Mark coming home for lunch nearly every day
166. Our grand piano
167. The radio
168. Silence
169. Ice lollies
170. Our paddling pool
171. The relief of being able to stop and breathe once in a while!
172. Answered prayer!
173. Mark's innate abilty to see beauty in creation
174. Indian food
175. Spices
176. Red wine
177. Bread
178. My rumbling tummy, and the knowledge it will soon be filled!!
179. God's protection over my children
180. Friends you can rely on to pray for you in a crisis
181. Arrow-prayers
182. The smell of the garden when night has just fallen
183. Busy bees working away in our lavender plants
184. A slice of warm toast oozing with butter and strawberry jam
185. Weekends
186. The opportunity to 'stop' and relax at the weekend
187. Simple accoustic worship
188. The smell of a newspaper
189. Flip-flops
190. Candles
191. Roal Dahl stories
192. The amazing Chronicles of Narnia
193. Real heart-warming, happy-ending love stories
194. Movie theatres
195. Mark's incredible talent as a bass-player
196. Butterscotch-flavoured popcorn
197. HPF Sun cream!
198. My engagement ring
199. The symbolism of our wedding rings
200. Friends who are willing to look after the children so we can have a breather
201. Being able to go to Britanny on holiday
202. The lovely friendships I can see blossoming between my 3 children
203. Our babysitters
204. Antidepressants...
205. Ripe and juicy melon
206. Garden chairs!
207. The deliciously refreshing, sweet and fruity drink that is squash
208. Ben's yummy tummy and chubby cheeks
209. Lemon meringue pie
210. Banoffee Pie
211. God's strength when I am weak
212. My hunger for more of Him
213. DVDs
214. Our DVD player
215. Corinne Bailey Rae
216. Lasagne
217. Watching Ben play in the bath
218. My husband's servant heart
219. Being asked to lead worship at church (12.08.07)
220. Ben's beloved teddy
221. Samuel's affection for me
222. Blues music
223. Elvis
224. Jude Law (...!)
225. Melissa Nathan's novels
226. British wit
227. The British countryside
228. Farming
229. Organic carrots
230. French cheeses
231. The exquisitely fragrant yellow rose bush which thrives in my garden despite absolutely no care whatsoever
232. My ability to hear God speak through nature
233. Playdough
234. The fact that a bit of mess and dirt won't harm my kids
235. Hama beads
236. My vacuum cleaner
237. Samuel's kindness and attention towards Thomas
238. Plasters (Band-aids)
239. Family
240. Sausages
241. Mashed potato
242. The weekly delivery of my organic veg box...
243. Soil
244. Whispy clouds in a bright blue sky
245. The gentle cooing of turtle doves that sit in the trees around our home
246. Ben's boundless energy and positive outlook on life
247. Shade
248. Freshly pressed fruit juice, drunk through a straw
249. The opportunity to be thankful
250. The power of a grateful heart
251. Thomas having Down's Syndrome
252. Tears
253. My ablity to feel strong emotions
254. The assurance that prayer changes things
255. Clair (my 'other' little sister!)
256. The truth that God's mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness...
257. The ability and opportunity to forgive
258. Baptisms
259. The Alpha course
260. Carolyn, a very new friend of mine who lives in my town, has a little boy with DS and is a lovely Christian!!
261. Refreshing, restorative sleep
262. Clothes drying slowly in the sun
263. Clothes pegs
264. My washing line
265. The boundless resource that is the Internet
266. Documentaries about India
267. Cookery programmes
268. Being born into a God-fearing family
269. Marrying into a God-fearing family
270. Deep joy
271. Peace that passes understanding
272. The realisation that I have been, and am so very blessed
273. The knowledge that the best is yet to come!
274. Jeans
275. Puzzles
276. The fact that my three children are so affectionate
277. Kipper
278. Stormie's "Power of a Praying Parent/ Wife"
279. The Purpose Driven Life
280. Club Penguin
281. Thomas's amazing charisma and the way everyone falls in love with him
282. Recipe books
283. Delia Smith's recipes
284. The fact I can cook well...
285. The sight of a neatly cut lawn
286. Internet shopping!
287. Talented and godly musicians that make leading worship without an instrument so stress-free and enriching
288. The amazing intricacy of the human body
289. ...and its God-given ability to regenerate itself and to fight for life
290. Causes that fight against injustice
291. The moments just before Thomas falls asleep
292. The peace and quiet in the house when the kids have fallen asleep, at last...
293. Sweet and juicy nectarines, a delicious taste of summer
294. Windows that can be shut to keep the rain and cold out
295. ...and can be open wide to let in a welcome breeze on a warm summer's day
296. Melodic English accents, such as some Irish and Scottish ones
297. The lovely flowery intonations in the Italian language
298. The way people speak in the south of France! So beautiful, so sunny...
299. The anticipation of warm fresh croissants bought from the boulangerie in Morgat
300. The fact I can look forward to going on holiday in a few days' time
301. Suitcases
302. The excitement of making lists
303. Bleach and drain-unblocking products...
304. The knowledge that school is starting in about three weeks
305. Samuel's incredible intelligence and his love of numbers
306. A friend who will drop in for a cuppa tea
307. A friend who readily lets me invade her home, making me numerous cups of tea and providing an abundance of food for my children! Praise the Lord for such friends!!
308. Friends who have the gift of hospitality
309. The gifts of the Spirit
310. Freecycle
311. The lovely new pine bureau which proudly sits in our dining room, thanks to Freecycle!
312. Choices
313. Frankfurters
314. Decluttering
315. My nail clippers
316. Our roof-box
317. Safety checks on a vehicle before going on a long journey
318. Our portable DVD player, which we can use in the car on a long journey
319. Olive oil
320. My taste buds
321. Lips
322. Black and Green's organic chocolate
323. Carrot cake
324. Jo's chocolate brownies
325. Feathers
326. Memories
327. Waking up after a nice dream
328. The knowledge that I can boldly approach God's throne, and that He always has time for me
329. Crocs - so comfortable, so practical!
330. Garlic
331. A powerful mouthwash for use after a garlicky meal...
332. The excitement and potential of a 'blank canvas'
333. A comfortable chair to sink into at the end of the day
334. The iron and ironing board
335. A husband who irons his own shirts
336. Naturally scented air-freshening products
337. A beautiful home to spend a holiday in, very soon
338. The amazing garden of that home!!
339. The awesome rugged beauty of Britanny
340. The anticipation of walking alone with God along the breton coastal paths and being allowed to experience first hand that beauty which never ceases to blows me away
341. Echoes of God's constant, renewing grace in the never-ending crashing of waves onto the seashore
342. A home to come back to after time away
343. A home which is a safe haven for the children
344. A home filled with joy and a strong sense of God's presence
345. Needle and thread
346. Fresh peppermint tea
347. Bungee straps (more appropriately rechristened "Benji-straps" by my dad)
348. A wonderful, refreshing and invigorating time away by the sea
349. Cyber-hugs
350. Loved ones who hold me accountable for things I do, things I say, decisions I make
351. A sun-tan, reminding me that there was time to sit on a sun-drenched beach
352. My 3 boys' sun-bleached hair
353. A little neighbour friend for Samuel to play with during school holidays
354. Early-morning quiet times...
355. The delight of budding words on Ben's lips
356. Ben's well-worn, well-loved Teddy
357. Receiving hand-written letters through the post
358. Receiving a birthday present 4 months after the day!!
359. My grandmother
360. My card-making sanctuary
361. Five excitment and wonder-filled years with our delightful Thomas
362. Health for Thomas
363. Thomas's miraculous healing from recurrent chest infections
364. No hospital stays since Thomas got prayed for and healed...
365. Constant progress and steady development in Tom's life
366. Crises that make you reliant on God for strength
367. God's strength never runs out
368. The skill of paramedics to assess a difficult situation and bring reassurance however bad it may seem
369. The compassion of the nurses and other staff who cared for us after Ben's accident
370. Ben's life, energy, and strength of character
371. Opportunities to help others through our own traumas
372. The fact that God always turns a bad situation around
373. Ambulances
374. The FACT that we can stand against the schemes of the enemy
375. The restorative power of sleep
376. A family which love, support, and pray for us continually
377. Friends who will drop everything to gather round us in a time of crisis
378. Isaiah 40
379. My new digital camera (20.09.07)
380. Being able to take beautiful close ups of flowers again!
381. Such loving and caring in-laws
382. Jazz radio stations
383. The fact that Samuel can now read by himself, and indeed enjoys doing so!
384. The amazing teachers which Sam and Tom have been blessed with
385. Birthday Parties
386. Sam being one of a select few invited to a best friend's birthday party... So reassuring!
387. Easy-cook pasta
388. Eggs
389. Bacon
390. Soup, soup, soup
391. A UK nationwide smoking ban in all public places - at last!!
392. Our new Prime Minister - a good, upright and godly man
393. The fact that Sam seems to be making a few firm friends at school
394. Winks
395. Toad stools
396. The amazing fragrances of autumn
397. My ability to switch from French to English to French - without a second thought
398. New glasses
399. Nebulisers...
400. Children's books