Oooooooooh!!

Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!

Wooooooooooooowwww!!

No, your calendar is not wrong. It's not the 4th of July.

Nor is it Chinese New Year.

But, it IS a special day for me today...

It's the ONE YEAR anniversary of my blog!!

My blog's 1 year birthday!!

I am celebrating today, a year of (& 365 posts celebrating!) ...

• God's amazing grace
• opening our eyes to see God's hand and HEART in the details of daily life
• learning to hear His whispers of love in the midst of a shouting world
• encouraging words and heart-felt comments left on my blog
• amazing people who have visited me here
• new friendships with cool people from around the world
• God's incredible faithfulness
• His unbelievable unrelenting inexplicable love for you and me!
• finding things in daily life for which to be grateful!

For all of this, and for all of you who have been here with me...

I am incredibly GRATEFUL!!

Thanks for joining me in this HEART ROCK LIFE!!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. ~Ephesians 3:20-21

happy anniversary to my friend!

This is my dear friend Andrea.

Today is a special anniversary...
a sad one
yet a joy-full one, too.
One year ago today,

Andie traded in her earthly home for her heavenly one.

The sadness...

for those of us who knew and loved her

and had to say "good-bye"

far too early...

The joy...

for she who has now enjoyed a year of celebration in heaven...

dancing, laughing, singing,

"hanging out" with Jesus

and worshipping the Father with the angels!!

What an amazing thought!

We miss you, Andie!

But we rejoice with you... and can't wait to see you again!

another blog-iversary!! #300

It's blog-iversary time again!! This is my 300th post! I can hardly believe it, but I have managed to post 300 consecutive days! And I think a few of you may have even read every post... if so, my compliments on your stick-to-it-iveness and my thanks for your interest and support! You've made this cyber adventure so very enjoyable!

I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate my blogiversay with a new heart find... not a rock or a fruit or a leaf this time. It's something quite different.

A few days ago, when I was in Michigan, my mom opened up a grocery bag she had carried into the house, and excitedly said, "Guess what I found?!" She pulled out a container of donut holes, and I responded with, "Donut holes!"

"Yes," she said. "But when I turned the container over, look at what I found on the bottom...."

Aha! A heart-shaped donut hole!!!!

I praised her heart-seeing skills and her great discovery! She said something about it not being the same as when I find them because for me it's a "God thing." My response to her was that I think it's ALWAYS a "God thing"...no matter who finds them! God delights in speaking to us in unusual and unique ways, and I believe it thrills Him when we can see His love in the details of life. These heart sightings are just one of those ways.

I think it's wonderful when we can help open others' eyes to see things differently... when we can encourage others to take delight in the details... when we can find joy in our daily lives. And, isn't that what this whole blogging thing is about anyway?! (I know it is for me!)

So, here's a little bit of sweet love for your day!

And thanks for hanging out with me!

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,

for He who promised is faithful.

And let us consider how we may

spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Let us not give up meeting together...

but let us encourage one another..."

~Hebrews 10:23-25

happy birthday to ME!!

Yes, today is my birthday!! Normally, I wouldn't announce it so boldly, but hey, why not?!? : ) I'm not going to tell you how old I am, but I did have two kids last night convinced I was only 23! (I'll let you in on a secret... I'm NOT!) Then I told them I was 33. Of course, they thought I was OLD at that age...so, when I told them my real age, they were flabbergasted! They said they didn't believe I could be that old--I didn't seem like it (I'm sure it's my child-like enjoyment of the little things in life...not because I'm immature or anything!)... so, we agreed that I would stay at 33. : ) I'm ok with that.

I just wanted to share with you a couple of my blessings today...

This photo was sent to me this morning by a friend who saw this gas station sign all the way up in Redding, CA!! How DID they know it was my birthday today?!?!? I'm shocked but honored... and feeling very loved!

A Shakespeare quote I have liked and which I posted on my Facebook profile today: “There was a star danced, and under that was I born.” (from Much Ado About Nothing)

A good friend gave me a birthday card with a line she wrote which said:

"It was not under a dancing star, but Heaven's smile, that you were born."

Thank you, my friend... what joy that brings to my heart and my day!


And, you know how wonderful it is when you find a greeting card that actually says something so appropriate to the person-- so RIGHT for the one to whom you're sending it? Well, I received a birthday card from my mom (love you, Mom!), and on the front of the card it said:

"May the love of God and the beauty of nature fill your heart with joy and happiness."

How perfect is that for me?! It's what this whole blog is all about... and what I want my heart-rock-life to be about-- finding my heart filled with the joy and happiness of knowing and seeing the amazing love of God through the beauty of nature and the things of everyday life!

And, lastly for now... my two favorite birthday cards this year:

...this (above) from my friend Sean, age 9... [by the way, there is a "y" on the end of Happy but it was cut off by the scanner]. This also had a baggie of candies stapled to it and a Hershey's kiss taped on as well.

...this (below) from my friend Bryan, age 7...
(the piece of tape on the left was holding a mini slinky which refused to be scanned!)

And... to all of you, my blog friends, thank you for taking the time to read my blog and to leave me such lovely and encouraging comments! I appreciate you so very much--you bring joy to my heart!

celebrate the Sabbath with JOY-FULL praise!...(and a contest!)

I thought of so many photos to go with this song of praise, and yet, I felt it best appreciated solely for its wonderful words...

Celebrate the Sabbath today with a song of JOY-FULL praise...

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee,
opening to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
center of unbroken praise.

Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain
call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
ocean depth of happy rest!

Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus,
which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us,
brother love binds man to man.

Ever singing, march we onward,
victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward
in the triumph song of life.

* * * * *

Today is also the celebration of a blog-iversary for me... my 200th post!! And, I would love to celebrate it with you, my faithful "followers" and readers, with a little contest. For all the kind and encouraging words and delightful smiles you've given me with the comments you've left me on these 200 posts, I'd like to give someone the opportunity to win a little prize. I make blank greeting cards with my photos, and I would love to treat one of my blogging friends with a little packet of them. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. I will close the contest on Tuesday, Feb 17th at 10am PST, and will randomly select one of the names as the winner. Have a wonderful Sabbath, my friends!

edit 2/23/09 -- my sincere apologies for being so SLOW in getting the winner announced!! i did a double-blind random choosing (that is, written your names on equal-sized pieces of paper, folded them exactly the same, and put them in a bowl from which my co-worker chose the winning name!) of the winner... (drum roll, please....).... and the winner is.....

JERRI!!

my 100th post!!!

Today is a special day for me and my blog. Today is the day of my 100th post!! And all those posts without missing a day! Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!! This is, indeed, a cause for celebration for me! And so, I give my readers a little fireworks show to celebrate with me...

Oooooh!

Aaaahhhhh!

Woooooowwwwwww!

Ooooohhhh!

Wooooooooo!!

...and, though I know this little video is sideways,

I just had to include it for the sound effects!

and, last but by all means not least,

the one that most shares my "heart"...

Thank you for 100 glorious days of blogging... thank you to all of you who have been reading and to all of you who have let me know so by leaving your comments! You have been a source of joy and encouragement in my daily life, and I appreciate you all!