i'm encouraged

I'm in the last month of writing book number three.
It's crunch time, people.
Which usually means my children will be eating a lot of
macaroni and cheese and possibly wearing the same underwear
for multiple days in a row....
not that this is any different from other days.
I'm not sure why my children find it so difficult to part
with a pair of underwear after wearing it for a day...
it's as if they've made friends and don't want to say goodbye.
But that is neither here nor there.
There are few things that have kept me going these past
few months as the writing has me holed up and I thought
I'd share them with you in no particular order.
1. coffee with friends
2. prayer (if you have received a random e-mail from me coveting
your prayers...thanks for going with it...I have needed prayer
like nobody's business)
3. Season 4 of Psych and much needed laughter
4. Suzanne Arrunda's Jade del Cameron series - an sweet escape.
5. stove made popcorn with salt
6. Jimmy Needham's Not Without Love CD
7. 4 boys sweet kisses and hugs -
what would I do without my boys, big and little?
8. talking with Scott
9. encouraging e-mails
10. handfuls of guillard's chocolate chips
11. talking with my sisters and cousins on the phone
12. riding my bike...
even though I am wobbly like a kindergardener
13. cups of tea when it is raining
14. the anticipation of seeing family this month
(Mom, Dad, Erica...yippee!)
15. the book of Romans...Paul doesn't play.
16. all the grace and forgiveness that Jesus has for me -
I love new mercies.
Look at all the goodness therein.
Sometimes when I am under stress all I can think about is what is
overwhelming me and what is pulling at me.
Today I am thinking on all that is buoying me up,
keeping my head above water,
all the people who have taken moments out of their day
to encourage me and the knowledge that even though I feel pressed,
I am not alone on this journey.
And in case you forgot...neither are you.