1 week ago
Showing posts with label Thankful Thursday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thankful Thursday. Show all posts
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Thankful Thursday
Today's Thankful Thursday is a post I never expected to write.
All over the news today was the story of the little seven-year-old boy in California who saved his family from armed intruders Tuesday morning. He grabbed his 6-year-old sister, hid with her in the bathroom, and called 911 while three men held his parents at gunpoint.
A seven-year-old boy. Sound familiar?
I have really struggled with this story today. It has made me feel sick inside and I've had to intentionally force my thoughts to move elsewhere when it comes to mind.
You see, I have my own 7-year-old boy.
And....Tuesday morning while intruders broke into that home in California - possibly even close to the same time - intruders were also breaking into MY home.
We're not sure exactly when it happened, actually. My Mister stopped by the house "mid-morning" on Tuesday to pick up something he had forgotten that morning. Sometime between his stop at home and the time the kids and I got home from school, someone had broken into our house. Kicked the front door in.
When we drove up to the front of the house I could see that the front door was standing wide open. While we sat in the car, in the street, I called the Mister to ask if he had come home for lunch and had maybe forgotten to shut the door. He often has to make several trips to his pickup carrying things out in the mornings....I thought it could have been possible that on his last trip out he had intended to go back but then just forgot. I really, truly thought that's what had happened. But he said no, he was certain he had locked the door.
Oh, and by the way, he was out of town when I called him. About an hour away.
I pulled into the driveway, left the car running, handed my cell phone to Kloe, confirmed "You know how to call 911, right?" and walked up to the glass door to see if I could see anything amiss inside. As soon as I got close enough to the door to see past the glare from the sun, I could see pieces of the shattered door frame laying in the entry way.
I ran back to the car and drove away as fast as I could. I called the Mister back because I was too.....hysterical??.....no.....but definitely not capable of talking coherently to a 911 operator. So I called Mister and through tears told him what I had seen and asked him to please make the 911 call. After calling two friends who weren't at home, and not knowing where else to go, I headed for my office. While we were on the way there, the police dispatcher called me and said officers were in route to my house and could I meet them there?
Really, how surreal is that? It's like a a line you would hear on some TV show. "Officers en route to the scene." Except the scene this time was my house.
When we arrived back at the house, there were two police cars parked in front. The officers were already inside and had already checked the house.
Are you ready for this?
There was nothing missing.
Nothing.
You've already heard how we have a 13-year-old car. Suffice it to say that many of the things inside our home follow suit. A hand-me-down television. A VCR...yep, you read that right....VCR. We do have a CD/DVD player, but it too is many years old. Apparently we didn't have anything worth stealing.
Here's the kicker, though. There was cash laying on the kitchen table - not a lot, but still, cash just the same - and my laptop (less than a year old) was on an end table in the living room.
And nothing was taken.
So y'all have to know my personality. The fact that nothing was taken in some ways made it even worse for me. Why would these people break into our home, invade our privacy, violate our sense of security....and NOT for the purpose of robbery? Why? It has left me very unsettled.
I'm trying to choose to see it through the eyes of my sweet friend Ashley, who said, "Maybe when they got in the door they saw a giant warrior angel standing in your living room and took off out of there!" Oh how I pray that is the case!
I have to tell you this whole episode has caused such a flood of different emotions that I didn't expect. Fear. Anger. Uncertainty. Loss of security. Anger. Violation. Confusion. Guilt (because I'm feeling all these things when nothing really bad happened). Anger. I will find myself going about my day as usual....and then I remember. And I go through the whole gamut of emotions all over again.
The kids are doing ok. Really well, actually. They don't want to go anywhere in the house alone, of course. And they've slept with us the last two nights. But overall I think they're doing good.
And so today we are thankful.
More than absolutely anything else, I am thankful no one was home. Had it happened on a Friday, there is a good possibility I would have been there. Or if it had been later in the afternoon..... I really, really can't let myself think about it.
I am so very thankful nothing was taken. Really my only concern the whole time we were driving around waiting for the police to call was that my laptop was gone with all the pictures of my kids on it. That thought alone made me absolutely sick.
I am thankful for our precious neighbor across the street who came over to help the Mister reinforce the door frame yesterday while we waited for a replacement door.
I am thankful for my sweet husband who took the day off work today just to be here in the house so it wouldn't be empty.
I am thankful for the grace of God that is protecting my children from fear and anxiety.
I am thankful for the Word of God, and for this verse that has been popping up everywhere around me for the past couple of weeks:
And I am thankful that angels are real. God's Word says He will give His angels charge concerning me (and my family), to guard us in all our ways (Ps. 91:11). It says that the angel of the Lord encamps around about those who fear His name, and rescues them (Ps. 34:7). We have always prayed that the angels of God will surround us and protect us at all times, AND that they will become visible to the human eye if necessary for our protection.
I'm hoping they became visible to two very astounded eyes on Tuesday.
All over the news today was the story of the little seven-year-old boy in California who saved his family from armed intruders Tuesday morning. He grabbed his 6-year-old sister, hid with her in the bathroom, and called 911 while three men held his parents at gunpoint.
A seven-year-old boy. Sound familiar?
I have really struggled with this story today. It has made me feel sick inside and I've had to intentionally force my thoughts to move elsewhere when it comes to mind.
You see, I have my own 7-year-old boy.
And....Tuesday morning while intruders broke into that home in California - possibly even close to the same time - intruders were also breaking into MY home.
We're not sure exactly when it happened, actually. My Mister stopped by the house "mid-morning" on Tuesday to pick up something he had forgotten that morning. Sometime between his stop at home and the time the kids and I got home from school, someone had broken into our house. Kicked the front door in.
When we drove up to the front of the house I could see that the front door was standing wide open. While we sat in the car, in the street, I called the Mister to ask if he had come home for lunch and had maybe forgotten to shut the door. He often has to make several trips to his pickup carrying things out in the mornings....I thought it could have been possible that on his last trip out he had intended to go back but then just forgot. I really, truly thought that's what had happened. But he said no, he was certain he had locked the door.
Oh, and by the way, he was out of town when I called him. About an hour away.
I pulled into the driveway, left the car running, handed my cell phone to Kloe, confirmed "You know how to call 911, right?" and walked up to the glass door to see if I could see anything amiss inside. As soon as I got close enough to the door to see past the glare from the sun, I could see pieces of the shattered door frame laying in the entry way.
I ran back to the car and drove away as fast as I could. I called the Mister back because I was too.....hysterical??.....no.....but definitely not capable of talking coherently to a 911 operator. So I called Mister and through tears told him what I had seen and asked him to please make the 911 call. After calling two friends who weren't at home, and not knowing where else to go, I headed for my office. While we were on the way there, the police dispatcher called me and said officers were in route to my house and could I meet them there?
Really, how surreal is that? It's like a a line you would hear on some TV show. "Officers en route to the scene." Except the scene this time was my house.
When we arrived back at the house, there were two police cars parked in front. The officers were already inside and had already checked the house.
Are you ready for this?
There was nothing missing.
Nothing.
You've already heard how we have a 13-year-old car. Suffice it to say that many of the things inside our home follow suit. A hand-me-down television. A VCR...yep, you read that right....VCR. We do have a CD/DVD player, but it too is many years old. Apparently we didn't have anything worth stealing.
Here's the kicker, though. There was cash laying on the kitchen table - not a lot, but still, cash just the same - and my laptop (less than a year old) was on an end table in the living room.
And nothing was taken.
So y'all have to know my personality. The fact that nothing was taken in some ways made it even worse for me. Why would these people break into our home, invade our privacy, violate our sense of security....and NOT for the purpose of robbery? Why? It has left me very unsettled.
I'm trying to choose to see it through the eyes of my sweet friend Ashley, who said, "Maybe when they got in the door they saw a giant warrior angel standing in your living room and took off out of there!" Oh how I pray that is the case!
I have to tell you this whole episode has caused such a flood of different emotions that I didn't expect. Fear. Anger. Uncertainty. Loss of security. Anger. Violation. Confusion. Guilt (because I'm feeling all these things when nothing really bad happened). Anger. I will find myself going about my day as usual....and then I remember. And I go through the whole gamut of emotions all over again.
The kids are doing ok. Really well, actually. They don't want to go anywhere in the house alone, of course. And they've slept with us the last two nights. But overall I think they're doing good.
And so today we are thankful.
More than absolutely anything else, I am thankful no one was home. Had it happened on a Friday, there is a good possibility I would have been there. Or if it had been later in the afternoon..... I really, really can't let myself think about it.
I am so very thankful nothing was taken. Really my only concern the whole time we were driving around waiting for the police to call was that my laptop was gone with all the pictures of my kids on it. That thought alone made me absolutely sick.
I am thankful for our precious neighbor across the street who came over to help the Mister reinforce the door frame yesterday while we waited for a replacement door.
I am thankful for my sweet husband who took the day off work today just to be here in the house so it wouldn't be empty.
I am thankful for the grace of God that is protecting my children from fear and anxiety.
I am thankful for the Word of God, and for this verse that has been popping up everywhere around me for the past couple of weeks:
"Do not be anxious for anything. But in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7.I am thankful for God's protection, mercy, peace, grace, and compassion.
And I am thankful that angels are real. God's Word says He will give His angels charge concerning me (and my family), to guard us in all our ways (Ps. 91:11). It says that the angel of the Lord encamps around about those who fear His name, and rescues them (Ps. 34:7). We have always prayed that the angels of God will surround us and protect us at all times, AND that they will become visible to the human eye if necessary for our protection.
I'm hoping they became visible to two very astounded eyes on Tuesday.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
She's Been a Good Friend (Thankful Thursday)
So.....our car died last Wednesday night. Dead. Kaput. Finito. Doornail.
The Mister was out of town, the kids and I were driving home from church, it was 9:00 at night, and it was sleeting. And the car just....died. No sputtering. No chugging. We weren't even stopped at a light or anything. We were driving down the road at about 50 mph and it just shut off. The windshield wipers stopped mid-swipe, the power steering went out, the electric door locks wouldn't work. The headlights did stay on, but dimmed. And the flashers worked. Thankfully we were able to coast into a parking lot and out of the path of traffic.
So.
Umm, now what? Well, we called my cousin to come rescue us, and then we started making a list of all the things we were thankful for:
#1 - THANK GOD FOR CELL PHONES!! Jacob asked, "What would we do if we didn't have a cell phone?" That thought made me shudder. Is anyone out there old enough (like me) to remember the days before cell phones? What would we do? We would get out and walk. In the dark. In the freezing rain. There was a Walmart around the corner, but yeah, very thankful for our cell phone.
#2 - We were thankful we all had our coats on! It's not uncommon for Jacob to run out the door without his. He'll often say to me, "But Mom, I'll only be outside from the house to the car and from the car to _______ (the school building, or the church building, or whatever). I'll run." Even in just the 15 minutes or so it took for my cousin to get there, it got really cold in that car.
#3 - We were thankful we live in town and not in the country yet, like we want to someday. It could have been a much longer time before my cousin was able to get there.
#4 - I'm thankful we were able to coast far enough to get out of traffic.
And the best one of all....
#5 - Kloe's answer....."I'm thankful we don't have to go through this alone, because God is with us." Awesome answer, baby girl. And you are absolutely right.
So.
The Mister has checked out everything he can think of on the car. His conclusion? He thinks it's the computer. Great. You know what that means don't you? New car. We can't afford a new car. We can't even afford a new used car. Ugh.
We've had our car for almost 13 years. It's only the 2nd car I've ever owned. I got my first car when I was a sophomore in college (nope, no car for me when I turned 16) and drove it for 7 years until it literally blew up. Not the whole car, but the engine. The car we have now has been a really good car. Just a couple of major repairs in 13 years. I think that's a pretty good record.
So here's the question: how much do you spend to repair a 13-year-old car versus just getting a new one? We really can't squeeze a monthly car payment into our budget right now. We haven't had a car payment in forever. Like 8 years. And it would take a lot of repairs to equal all those years of no payments.
I'm having visions of my precious Sea World vacation flying out the window.
So.
Meanwhile, we are driving this cute little banana rental:
Actually, it's more like the color of mustard. Easy to find in a parking lot. :) The kids love it. It is cute and fun and zippy. BUT, it's a 2-door, so you have to lean the seats forward to get into and out of the very tiny back seat. It gets old quick. I love driving a not-13-years-old car. And I love the keyless entry. They didn't really have those 13 years ago when we bought my car. :)
So. Anyway. We finally got our car towed to the repair shop and we're waiting to hear from them what the damages are. And that's where we stand for now. I'll keep you posted.
To be continued....
The Mister was out of town, the kids and I were driving home from church, it was 9:00 at night, and it was sleeting. And the car just....died. No sputtering. No chugging. We weren't even stopped at a light or anything. We were driving down the road at about 50 mph and it just shut off. The windshield wipers stopped mid-swipe, the power steering went out, the electric door locks wouldn't work. The headlights did stay on, but dimmed. And the flashers worked. Thankfully we were able to coast into a parking lot and out of the path of traffic.
So.
Umm, now what? Well, we called my cousin to come rescue us, and then we started making a list of all the things we were thankful for:
#1 - THANK GOD FOR CELL PHONES!! Jacob asked, "What would we do if we didn't have a cell phone?" That thought made me shudder. Is anyone out there old enough (like me) to remember the days before cell phones? What would we do? We would get out and walk. In the dark. In the freezing rain. There was a Walmart around the corner, but yeah, very thankful for our cell phone.
#2 - We were thankful we all had our coats on! It's not uncommon for Jacob to run out the door without his. He'll often say to me, "But Mom, I'll only be outside from the house to the car and from the car to _______ (the school building, or the church building, or whatever). I'll run." Even in just the 15 minutes or so it took for my cousin to get there, it got really cold in that car.
#3 - We were thankful we live in town and not in the country yet, like we want to someday. It could have been a much longer time before my cousin was able to get there.
#4 - I'm thankful we were able to coast far enough to get out of traffic.
And the best one of all....
#5 - Kloe's answer....."I'm thankful we don't have to go through this alone, because God is with us." Awesome answer, baby girl. And you are absolutely right.
So.
The Mister has checked out everything he can think of on the car. His conclusion? He thinks it's the computer. Great. You know what that means don't you? New car. We can't afford a new car. We can't even afford a new used car. Ugh.
We've had our car for almost 13 years. It's only the 2nd car I've ever owned. I got my first car when I was a sophomore in college (nope, no car for me when I turned 16) and drove it for 7 years until it literally blew up. Not the whole car, but the engine. The car we have now has been a really good car. Just a couple of major repairs in 13 years. I think that's a pretty good record.
So here's the question: how much do you spend to repair a 13-year-old car versus just getting a new one? We really can't squeeze a monthly car payment into our budget right now. We haven't had a car payment in forever. Like 8 years. And it would take a lot of repairs to equal all those years of no payments.
I'm having visions of my precious Sea World vacation flying out the window.
So.
Meanwhile, we are driving this cute little banana rental:
Actually, it's more like the color of mustard. Easy to find in a parking lot. :) The kids love it. It is cute and fun and zippy. BUT, it's a 2-door, so you have to lean the seats forward to get into and out of the very tiny back seat. It gets old quick. I love driving a not-13-years-old car. And I love the keyless entry. They didn't really have those 13 years ago when we bought my car. :)
So. Anyway. We finally got our car towed to the repair shop and we're waiting to hear from them what the damages are. And that's where we stand for now. I'll keep you posted.
To be continued....
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thankful Thursday - 100 Things for Thanksgiving Day
For Thanksgiving, I wanted to make a list of 100 things I'm thankful for. When I first started, I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to come up with 100. But as I went through my morning, I began to realize that I really am thankful for almost every single thing in our lives - not ONLY the things we usually think of like family, health, and our home.
It really is a fun process....you should try it sometime. It's fun to realize, hey, I truly am thankful for things like tape and ziploc bags.
I pray that you and your families will all have a full, rich, blessed, truly thankful Thanksgiving this year. Most of all, remember that above all else, no matter what our circumstances, no matter what we have or don't have, no matter....we can be thankful for the love of God that is beyond our comprehension, love that is so intense it compelled Him to send His only Son to die in our place, so that we could truly be called the children of God.
Here's my list of 100 things I'm thankful for. Hopefully there are no repeats. If there are, I guess that must mean I'm doubly thankful for those things!
1. JESUS
2. saran wrap
3. Vicks Vapo-rub (did you know this will STOP that annoying night-time cough?)
4. Blixtex
5. our Soldiers
6. Advil
7. pot holders
8. music
9. spoon rests for the stove top
10. cursive
11. ears
12. paper towels
13. elastic
14. buttons
15. internet surfing filters
16. forgiveness
17. Veggie Tales
18. food seasonings
19. the freezer
20. aluminum foil
21. humidifiers
22. curling irons
23. kitchen timers
24. American flags
25. family nights
26. antihistamines
27. recycling
28. bicycles
29. board games
30. travel coffee mugs
31. candles
32. candle warmers
33. butane candle lighters
34. our dog Annie
35. coats
36. gloves
37. friends
38. eyes
39. erasers
40. slippers
41. wrapping paper
42. vacuums
43. hair brushes
44. grace
45. veggie steamers
46. tissues
47. wallets
48. glass cleaner
49. clothes washer and dryer (that's 2)
50. paper plates
51. World Vision
52. airplanes
53. aprons
54. silverware
55. rainbows
56. hand sanitizer gel
57. clocks
58. trash cans
59. the post office
60. people who have nice manners :)
61. Ziploc baggies
62. air conditioner filters
63. the oven
64. refrigerator
65. dishwasher
66. electricity
67. microwave
68. my kids' school
69. Parents' Night Out
70. our jobs
71. clean water
72. freedom
73. organic
74. razors
75. do-overs
76. mercy
77. showers
78. silver linings
79. socks
80. suitcases
81. hugs
82. balloons
83. marching bands
84. pillows
85. tape
86. indoor plumbing
87. carpet
88. cameras
89. pets
90. butterflies
91. gasoline
92. lawn mowers
93. coffee creamer
94. blankets
95. email
96. cows
97. Charlie Brown specials
98. pumpkins
99. scissors
100. FAMILY
Ok, so I was writing my list on a piece of paper, and thought I was about half way to 100 when I started typing them in this post. When I got to 100, there was still almost a whole page full left on my hand-written list! So here are the rest of the things I wrote....
101. grass
102. pencil sharpeners
103. chickens
104. fences
105. clouds
106. night and day
107. weathermen
108. trees
109. medicine
110. tape measures
111. ceiling fans
112. Christmas lights
113. pigs :) (yep, I love pork)
114. window blinds
115. microphones
116. doctors
117. shoe laces
118. hair dryers
119. cinnamon rolls
120. bloggy friends
121. vitamins
122. cell phones
123. the internet
124. changing seasons
125. vaccinations
126. paper
127. windows
128. laughter
129. hands
130. wedding rings
131. teeth
132. hair
133. computer anti-virus programs
134. fruit
135. medicine
136. Christopher Columbus
137. firemen (yes, and women)
138. policemen (and women)
139. dog catchers
140. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
141. Christian politicians
142. Sherwood Baptist Church (this is the church that made Facing the Giants and Fireproof)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
It really is a fun process....you should try it sometime. It's fun to realize, hey, I truly am thankful for things like tape and ziploc bags.
I pray that you and your families will all have a full, rich, blessed, truly thankful Thanksgiving this year. Most of all, remember that above all else, no matter what our circumstances, no matter what we have or don't have, no matter....we can be thankful for the love of God that is beyond our comprehension, love that is so intense it compelled Him to send His only Son to die in our place, so that we could truly be called the children of God.
Here's my list of 100 things I'm thankful for. Hopefully there are no repeats. If there are, I guess that must mean I'm doubly thankful for those things!
1. JESUS
2. saran wrap
3. Vicks Vapo-rub (did you know this will STOP that annoying night-time cough?)
4. Blixtex
5. our Soldiers
6. Advil
7. pot holders
8. music
9. spoon rests for the stove top
10. cursive
11. ears
12. paper towels
13. elastic
14. buttons
15. internet surfing filters
16. forgiveness
17. Veggie Tales
18. food seasonings
19. the freezer
20. aluminum foil
21. humidifiers
22. curling irons
23. kitchen timers
24. American flags
25. family nights
26. antihistamines
27. recycling
28. bicycles
29. board games
30. travel coffee mugs
31. candles
32. candle warmers
33. butane candle lighters
34. our dog Annie
35. coats
36. gloves
37. friends
38. eyes
39. erasers
40. slippers
41. wrapping paper
42. vacuums
43. hair brushes
44. grace
45. veggie steamers
46. tissues
47. wallets
48. glass cleaner
49. clothes washer and dryer (that's 2)
50. paper plates
51. World Vision
52. airplanes
53. aprons
54. silverware
55. rainbows
56. hand sanitizer gel
57. clocks
58. trash cans
59. the post office
60. people who have nice manners :)
61. Ziploc baggies
62. air conditioner filters
63. the oven
64. refrigerator
65. dishwasher
66. electricity
67. microwave
68. my kids' school
69. Parents' Night Out
70. our jobs
71. clean water
72. freedom
73. organic
74. razors
75. do-overs
76. mercy
77. showers
78. silver linings
79. socks
80. suitcases
81. hugs
82. balloons
83. marching bands
84. pillows
85. tape
86. indoor plumbing
87. carpet
88. cameras
89. pets
90. butterflies
91. gasoline
92. lawn mowers
93. coffee creamer
94. blankets
95. email
96. cows
97. Charlie Brown specials
98. pumpkins
99. scissors
100. FAMILY
Ok, so I was writing my list on a piece of paper, and thought I was about half way to 100 when I started typing them in this post. When I got to 100, there was still almost a whole page full left on my hand-written list! So here are the rest of the things I wrote....
101. grass
102. pencil sharpeners
103. chickens
104. fences
105. clouds
106. night and day
107. weathermen
108. trees
109. medicine
110. tape measures
111. ceiling fans
112. Christmas lights
113. pigs :) (yep, I love pork)
114. window blinds
115. microphones
116. doctors
117. shoe laces
118. hair dryers
119. cinnamon rolls
120. bloggy friends
121. vitamins
122. cell phones
123. the internet
124. changing seasons
125. vaccinations
126. paper
127. windows
128. laughter
129. hands
130. wedding rings
131. teeth
132. hair
133. computer anti-virus programs
134. fruit
135. medicine
136. Christopher Columbus
137. firemen (yes, and women)
138. policemen (and women)
139. dog catchers
140. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
141. Christian politicians
142. Sherwood Baptist Church (this is the church that made Facing the Giants and Fireproof)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thankful Thursday - New Dishwasher!!
YAY!! I am so excited to finally have a new dishwasher!! Isn't it amazing the things we can take for granted....or start to think of as necessities....when we have them every day?
Ok, well, it's not new exactly. I'm sure you can tell that from the picture. But hey, it's new to us. And it sure works better than the one that was leaking water underneath the wall into our laundry room! (what is it with us and the water lately? hmmmm)
Actually we got it from my cousins, who recently remodeled their kitchen.
For free. Free is good.
Isn't God great? Even though it's used, it works great, it's much quieter than our old one, and....He gave it to us for FREE! He is such a faithful, patient Provider.
So, my friend Starr ended her blog post yesterday with the following comment:
I feel like an idiot when I blatantly ask for comments, and get none.
So help out my pride and leave a little comment love. Please.
Ever feel that way? Yeah, me too. :) Today I'd love to hear your stories about God's provision to you and your family. He is so good! And we all need to be reminded of His faithfulness. I know I sure do. So share away! Don't leave us hanging!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Thankful Thursday
Aren't there just so many things to be thankful for?
(The sweet kids, not the popcicles. Actually, I'm kinda thankful for popcicles, too.)
Seriously, we have so very much to be thankful for in this country. So many gifts. So MANY blessings. How could we....how could I....presume to take them for granted?
I am truly thankful for....
....doctors and medicine.
....the freedom (for now) to worship God in the way I believe.
....my car.
....doors that lock.
....weathermen who keep us informed during those raging West Texas storms!
....cream for my coffee. :)
....shoes.
....a coat and gloves in the winter.
....air conditioning (ever had to go without it? we have. for about 2 weeks once. in the hot part of summer. in west texas. it's mis.er.a.ble.)
....friends who love Jesus.
....puppies.
....computers and printers (no more typewriters! yeah, I'm old.)
....my husband's job.
....my job.
....cell phones.
I could go on and on and on. God's bounty and grace toward us truly are measureless. And I am so thankful.
What are YOU thankful for today?
I am oh, so thankful for this....
And for this....
For these....
And for these....(mmmmm)
And for these sweet ones....
And for these sweet ones....
(The sweet kids, not the popcicles. Actually, I'm kinda thankful for popcicles, too.)I am truly thankful for....
....doctors and medicine.
....the freedom (for now) to worship God in the way I believe.
....my car.
....doors that lock.
....weathermen who keep us informed during those raging West Texas storms!
....cream for my coffee. :)
....shoes.
....a coat and gloves in the winter.
....air conditioning (ever had to go without it? we have. for about 2 weeks once. in the hot part of summer. in west texas. it's mis.er.a.ble.)
....friends who love Jesus.
....puppies.
....computers and printers (no more typewriters! yeah, I'm old.)
....my husband's job.
....my job.
....cell phones.
I could go on and on and on. God's bounty and grace toward us truly are measureless. And I am so thankful.
What are YOU thankful for today?
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Thankful Thursday
My kids went to the most-wonderful-in-all-the-world PDO and preschool (CWM). The school also offers kindergarten (though not any higher grades), and since Kloe's birthday is in August, when it was time for her to start school we decided to send her to CWM to see how she would do and to give us the option of repeating if we felt that she needed to.
She did great and at the end of the year was very ready to move on to first grade. And so the debate began. Public school or private school? The church we attend also has a school, and I so desperately wanted her to go there. I prayed and prayed and cried and prayed, asking God to make a way for us to be able to afford for her to go there.
Along about February of her kindergarten year I began to sense that God's answer was NO. I ignored Him as long as I could, continuing to pray and pretend that I hadn't actually heard Him right - that it was just my fear making me think He was going to say no, and in fact He was going to come through at any moment and show us some miraculous way we could afford private school. After all, God is never late, but He is seldom early. :)
After a couple more months, through somegroup intervention wise counsel I finally admitted that God was choosing public school for Kloe. I was devastated and petrified all at the same time. I felt like I would be sending my baby girl out into a den of wolves every day. But my sweet friend Ashley gently reminded me that Kloe would always be safer inside of God's will - even in public school - than she would be at private school if that was not His plan.
So....now you're all caught up on the story behind today's Thankful Thursday post. I am humbled and grateful to be able to say that I am SO THANKFUL for the school Kloe (and now Jacob) goes to. God has been so faithful to provide for us in awesome ways. We have had fabulous teachers, many of whom are Christians, and a principal who is a Christian too. We have made some great friends, I've gotten really involved with PTA, and last year a couple of other moms started a Moms in Touch prayer group for our school.
It's still public school, and there are definitely things about it that still frustrate me. Like some of the movies they show the kids. Or the book that Kloe's reading class is reviewing right now. Jacob told me yesterday that his teacher "doesn't even let us pray before we eat!" That just doesn't make sense to him.
I still sometimes long for my kids to be learning science from a Biblical perspective and to have chapel every day. To be in a place where their teachers will pray with them and train them in Godly life principles. But God has them there for a reason. I pray that He will use them to be His light in the dark places. To be His witnesses to those kids (and teachers) who need to know Him. If every Christian kid only went to Christian schools, who would take the light into the public schools? Today Jacob told me that he used the "moment of silence" they have every morning to pray that God will be with him and help him do his best. How great is that?
God knows what He's doing. He has a purpose for my children. And for that, I am so very, very thankful.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever -- do not abandon the works of your hands. Psalm 138:8
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you and appointed you.... Jeremiah 1:5
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
What are YOU thankful for today?
She did great and at the end of the year was very ready to move on to first grade. And so the debate began. Public school or private school? The church we attend also has a school, and I so desperately wanted her to go there. I prayed and prayed and cried and prayed, asking God to make a way for us to be able to afford for her to go there.
Along about February of her kindergarten year I began to sense that God's answer was NO. I ignored Him as long as I could, continuing to pray and pretend that I hadn't actually heard Him right - that it was just my fear making me think He was going to say no, and in fact He was going to come through at any moment and show us some miraculous way we could afford private school. After all, God is never late, but He is seldom early. :)
After a couple more months, through some
So....now you're all caught up on the story behind today's Thankful Thursday post. I am humbled and grateful to be able to say that I am SO THANKFUL for the school Kloe (and now Jacob) goes to. God has been so faithful to provide for us in awesome ways. We have had fabulous teachers, many of whom are Christians, and a principal who is a Christian too. We have made some great friends, I've gotten really involved with PTA, and last year a couple of other moms started a Moms in Touch prayer group for our school.
It's still public school, and there are definitely things about it that still frustrate me. Like some of the movies they show the kids. Or the book that Kloe's reading class is reviewing right now. Jacob told me yesterday that his teacher "doesn't even let us pray before we eat!" That just doesn't make sense to him.
I still sometimes long for my kids to be learning science from a Biblical perspective and to have chapel every day. To be in a place where their teachers will pray with them and train them in Godly life principles. But God has them there for a reason. I pray that He will use them to be His light in the dark places. To be His witnesses to those kids (and teachers) who need to know Him. If every Christian kid only went to Christian schools, who would take the light into the public schools? Today Jacob told me that he used the "moment of silence" they have every morning to pray that God will be with him and help him do his best. How great is that?
God knows what He's doing. He has a purpose for my children. And for that, I am so very, very thankful.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever -- do not abandon the works of your hands. Psalm 138:8
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you and appointed you.... Jeremiah 1:5
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
What are YOU thankful for today?
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thankful Thursday
Oh my goodness, I missed Thankful Thursday! We had "meet the teacher" night at school last night, and so I forgot all about it.
Today (and yesterday....and tomorrow) I am profoundly thankful for this:
Today (and yesterday....and tomorrow) I am profoundly thankful for this:
You know, there were three crosses on that hill that day. The Bible says two thieves hung on either side of Jesus. I have breezed over those words probably every single time I've ever read or heard that passage. They were two thieves. Criminals. These were the kind of men we might see on the 10:00 news, wearing handcuffs and being pressed into a police car to be hauled off to jail after being caught robbing a convenience store. With a gun. I'm glad they got caught, we might think. They deserve it.
One of the men taunted Jesus. "If You're really the Son of God, get Yourself down from here and....oh yeah, save ME too!"
But the other man.... The other man knew he deserved what he was getting. He had become keenly aware of his failure. His sin. The ugliness of his heart. He knew he had no hope without the mercy of Jesus.
Guess what? Neither do I.
It seems like recently I have come face to face with my own depravity way more than I'd care to. Anyone else? I feel like the tax collector in the temple, beating his chest and crying out, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner!"
And that's why I am even more thankful for this:
You see, without the empty tomb, we would still have no hope. Without the empty tomb, Jesus would have remained in the grave, just a lifeless martyr who died for.....nothing.
But the tomb IS empty! He IS risen! And because of that, you and I have been offered the indescribable gifts of cleansing, redemption, restoration, and wholeness. Healing from that horrible sense of shame the tax collector felt. Forgiveness.
This Thursday I am thankful for the Cross, for the empty tomb, and for Gods mercy toward me, a (former) sinner. :)
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Thankful Thursday
I am so excited to be participating in my very first Thankful Thursday, sponsored by Linny at A Place Called Simplicity! (I'm sorry, I couldn't get the link to work that would take you directly to Linny's "Thankful Thursday" category. You can find the link in her sidebar.) Linny encourages us to choose to find the things in life we can be thankful for, rather than complaining about things that aren't the way we would like them to be.
So today I am choosing thankfulness, when the natural tendency of my heart would be to grumble....
Today I am thankful for piles of dirty dishes - even though our dishwasher is broken (ugh!) - because it means we have had plenty to eat.
So today I am choosing thankfulness, when the natural tendency of my heart would be to grumble....
Today I am thankful for piles of dirty dishes - even though our dishwasher is broken (ugh!) - because it means we have had plenty to eat.
I am thankful for mounds of laundry, because it means we have plenty of clothes to wear.
I am thankful for an unmade bed, because it means we have a warm, soft place to sleep.
And I am thankful for this messy room (and a very similar blue one :) because they mean two sweet little ones live in our home, bringing smiles and giggles and cuddles and wonder along with their messiness. :)
I know many of you have seen the email that this post is drawn from, and I so appreciate the way it shifts my focus onto the things that are much more important than the things I tend to grumble about. I want to continually make the choice to be thankful...
You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 118:28-29
Whew! It's 11:39 p.m. on my clock - barely made it!
What are you thankful for today?
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