Thankful for Being Thankful

Okay, I know that sounds crazy, but it's true...when I started reading A Holy Experience, it really challenged me.  One of the areas it challenged me in is gratitude.  I decided to start keeping a gratitude journal - my own book of 1,000 gifts.  I just started it last month, and I'm already amazed at how much that little book is changing me.

When you take time to look for things to be grateful for, you realize just how how much you have.  I'm so amazingly, abundantly blessed.  There are so many little things that I take for granted every day.  Writing it all down makes me stop and think about things I might otherwise overlook.  So, I'm thankful for learning to slow down, enjoy the little things, and be thankful.

Thankful Thursday - Teaching

Now that I've ended the fall semester of college and have a long break ahead of me, I've been able to spend a lot more time with my family.  I'm loving it...we all are.  We're playing Wii, watching movies, going out to eat, and just enjoying each other's company.  It's a much needed break for all of us.

One thing I've noticed lately is how much my husband is teaching our boys.  They boys stay with him while I work.  Robby pastors our church and homeschools the kids - yes, he's amazing.  But he's teaching them so much more than just their school lessons.  He's teaching them the Bible, life lessons, and so much more.  It amazes me how he takes everyday occurances and turns them into teaching opportunities.  And the boys are soaking it all in.  They love it, and they remember it.  I can see the impact their Daddy's teaching is making on their lives.

I was raised by my grandparents.  My grandmother was a Christian, but my grandfather, who was raised in a pastor's home, walked away from God at a young age.  (He is now a strong Christian - he gave his life back to God in 2003 and  has never looked back.)  It was hard growing up in a home where one person wasn't serving God.  I can't tell you how many nights I cried and prayed for his salvation.  It means so much to me that my husband is not only serving God, but leading our sons to do the same.  I pray that one day I have the opportunity to see our boys pass that same heritage on their children.

I've Already Found...

I heard a man talking about a friend of his on the radio the other day.  His friend has climbed Mt. Everest, visited exotic places all over the world, and yet the speaker said he is still searching for fulfillment.

Something dawned on me in that moment.  I became a Christian as a child.  There has never really been a time when I strayed away from God.  I was never a rebellious kid.  I've never done drugs, never smoked, and never tasted a drop of alcohol.   I used to think, "I don't really have much of a testimony...I've been a Christian most of my life.  God didn't deliver me from addiction or some horrible past."

But when I heard that speaker on Air1, it became so clear...I'm 30 years old, and I've already found what so many people spend a lifetime searching for.  That's my testimony.

Matthew 13:35-36 says, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it."  I found that pearl as a little girl in a small town in south Arkansas, and I haven't let go of it.  My relationship with Christ makes me who I am.  It shapes every part of my life.  I've found the only thing that can truly complete me and give me fulfillment.  My search is over, and I'm so grateful that I found the true prize.

Things I Love About Fall!

I am so glad it's fall!  Even down here in southeast Texas, where we don't have a "real" fall, the weather is getting much nicer and it's beginning to feel like fall...or as close to it as we get!







Mama Kat's writing assignments sparked this list, and I decided that it would be perfect for Thankful Thursday as well...

10 Things I Love About Fall!

1.  It's my favorite season of the year!  I get so excited when I see fall approaching.

2. The cooler weather...I love summer and hot weather, but by October, I'm ready for a change.

3. The countdown to Christmas begins - I love Christmas!

4. The leaves changing colors - actually, we don't get a lot of that here.  That's one thing I miss about Arkansas...

5. It's pefect coffee weather!

6. The cool, rainy fall days...perfect for curling up with a good book.

7. Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday!  Christmas is great, but it's so busy.  Thanksgiving is just a fun, relaxed time to be with family, eating, shopping, and watching movies.

8. My new wardrobe - I love pulling out my long sleeve shirts, my leather jacket, cute scarves, etc.

9. Great food - time for chili, soup, and other goodies.

10. The wonderful smells - I love walking into stores and smelling the pumpkin spice and apple cinnamon candles...

Thankful Thursday - 10 Years

Ten years ago tomorrow (Thursday) I married the man of my dreams.  We've lived in 4 towns in 2 states, 5 houses, and 1 church gym.  We've pastored 4 churches.  We've had two wonderful kids.  And through it all, we found one true love that grows deeper every day.  I love you, Robby!  I'm so thankful God brought you into my life.

Finally!

Wow, what a crazy month I've had...I'm so glad that my summer class is over!  I knew it would be intense, but I really didn't know what "intense" meant until I did this class.  Honestly, I thought I could keep up with my blog - after all, it's just five weeks.  Well, obviously from my blogging the past few weeks, that wasn't the case.

Of course, it wasn't just summer school...it was summer school, plus my job, plus heading up Vacation Bible School, plus teaching children's church every Sunday...  I have a hard time saying "no" if you haven't figured that out already!  I guess it's no such much saying "no" as it is not wanting to give up the things I love doing in life.  I'll stick with what I love, no matter how much of a juggling act it brings.

It's such a relief to be done with this class and to be one step closer to applying for hygiene school.  I'm so grateful to be getting back to normal and to have a little downtime to relax before school starts again on the 23rd.  I'm going to get back into my normal blogging scheudule...and to my normal life schedule!

A New Retreat?

Ok, this may not be a big deal to most people, but I'm excited about it! We got new patio furniture this weekend, and I love it! We went with a loveseat and chairs over a traditional table and chairs, and I love it. It looks so cozy and inviting!


I'm already imagining myself slipping outside in the early morning stillness, with my coffee and my Bible, enjoying the quiet. So far I haven't tried it - our morning temperature is somewhere around 80 degrees here in south Texas - but when the weather starts cooling down, my new retreat spot will be waiting for me. I can't wait!

Thankful Thursday - God's Faithfulness

They say that when it rains, it pours, and it seems to be true.  Sometimes it's big things, sometimes it's small ones.  For me lately, it's been a lot of little things.  Our eleven year old Yorkie's health is fading fast, and we probably won't have her much longer.  The stress of college is about to start again.  My dad was just diagnosed with high blood pressure, high choloestoral, high triglicerides, and borderline diabetes - not to mention my concerns about my parents spiritual health.  And tomorrow (Thursday) I have a meeting that may bring bad, though not unexpected, news about my job.

You may be wondering where the "thankful" part comes in.  Here it is - God is faithful.  I've got some stressful things going on in my life right now, but I feel an overwhelming sense of God's peace.  He has never let me go, and He won't stop holding me now.

We've been through some hard times in the almost 10 years we've been married, but God has always been there.  We've been through the flood (literally) and through the valley of the shadow of death.  We've been betrayed by close friends.  We've had times when we didn't know where our next paycheck was coming from.  We faced the possibility of having a child with a life changing illness.  (He's perfectly healthy.)  In times like those, I've been driven to my knees - and He has always been waiting for me there.

I'm so thankful for my Savior, my Daddy, and His faithful, unfailing love.  I'm so glad that I am His daughter and that I am firmly and safely wrapped in His arms.

UPDATE:  Thank you all for the sweet comments!  I ended up getting some good news on several fronts today...God is so good!  Things are already looking up.

Thankful Thursday - Growing in their faith

I love my kids...I think everyone who knows me or reads my blog knows that our boys are the center of our world.  As a mom, my #1 goal for my boys is that they will always put God first in all they do.  If they grow up as Christians and remain strong in their faith throughout their lives, my greatest desire for their lives will be fulilled.

I love seeing my kids grow in their faith.  They are both growing and learning, but it's most obvious with our oldest son, who is eight and beginning to get a really good grasp on things.  He was talking to my husband the other day and it really dawned on us just how much his faith is growing.

First a little background...in September 2008, Hurricane Ike flooded most of our town, including our home.  We only got a few inches of water, but it was enough to force us to rip out floors and sheet rock and totally remodel our house.  We lost most of our our furniture, some of our shoes and clothes, and the kids lost about half of their toys.  At first, it was horrible - and I definately don't want to repeat the experience - but in the end, it ended up being a blessing in diguise.  We were able to completely remodel our home with the money from our insurance.  (Thank goodness we had flood insurance!)  We've talked often about what a blessing it ended up being.

Now back to that conversation between my husband and our son...Bobby told his daddy, "You know, you're always saying that God is good to us.  Now that I'm getting older, I'm really starting to understand how much He takes care of us.  He took care of after the storm, and He takes care of all the time."  It's so amazing and so awesome to see him growing in Christ!

Thankful Thursday - rain

Today is one of those wonderful rainy days...just enough to cool things off, but not enough to cause a nasty day.  I love rain, and I really love the smell of rain.  I grew up in south Arkansas, and I can still remember opening my windows on rainy days and letting that wonderful smell drift into my room.  Maybe its the Irish in me, but I love rain!

Thankful Thursday - thunderstorms

I love the sound of a good thunderstorm, and here on the Gulf coast, we get a lot of them!  I had the rare chance a few days ago to spend part of my lunch break curled up on a couch at the local library, reading my favorite author's new mystery, and listening to sound of a thunderstorm outside.  To me, there's something soothing about the sound of gently rolling thunder and pounding rain...I love it!

Thankful Thursday - a milestone

Several months ago, when I decided to return to college 10 years after dropping out, I was terrified.  I wrestled with the decision and felt that it was the right thing at the right time, but I was so scared.  I didn't know how I would juggle family, work, home, ministry, and college, but I took a leap of faith and started college in January.

Today I am thankful because as of Thursday, May 6, I will finish my first sememster, and it looks like I'll finish with straight A's.  I only have three more classes to take before I turn in my application to the dental hygiene program in December, and if all goes well, I'll start the program in July 2010.

I'm so grateful to be done with my first semester and for my two month break.  Most of all, I'm grateful for the love and support of my husband and kids - I could never have done this without them.  My husband has been my biggest fan, my study buddy, and my shoulder to cry on when I'm stressed.  I'm glad I decided to take the leap of faith...and I'm glad my first semester is over!

Thankful Thursday - my GPS

When we moved to Texas three years ago, I got lost...a lot.  Ok, admittedly, I've always gotten lost a lot, even in my hometown, but it was really bad when we moved to a new state.  For Christmas that year, I had a few things I wanted, and when my husband asked me what I wanted most, I decided on a GPS.  That year I got a Garmin nuvi.  Wow, what a lifesaver!  I could get back and forth to work and go shopping without aimlessly wandering the streets of southeast Texas.  It has often saved my time and my sanity.

I still use my GPS a lot, and now we've discovered a new use for it - geocaching.  We just found out about the worldwide game of geocaching a few days ago and made our first run Saturday.  It was fun, and our kids have been begging to go again, so we may hit a couple of more caches this weekend.  Who knew a GPS could bring family togetherness?

Spring!

I love warm weather, and after a long winter (unusual for south Texas) I am so grateful for flip-flop weather!  It's so nice to just sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and warmth.  The kids are spending a lot of time playing outside, I've planted fresh flowers, the trees are blooming again...I love spring!

Thankful Thursday - comforts of home

This week I am thankful for some of my comforts...washers, dryers, and dishwashers.  Several times over the past three years I've had to be without them - when we first moved to Texas (ours were in storage until we found a house to buy), when Hurricane Ike flooded our house, and now my dishwasher is broken (but should be up and running when the repairman comes next week).  I know it sounds like a little thing, but when you have to be without them for a while, you really appreciate the fact that they make life so much easier. :)  I spend a lot of time with them.

Thankful Thursday - my health

It seems kind of ironic to be posting this as I'm recovering from being sick for a week and a half.  lol  That's part of the reason this post is short and sweet - I'm catching up from being sick.  Other than minor stuff like I just had, however, I'm rarely sick.  I'm in very good health, and I'm so grateful for that.  Working at a gym, I see people come in with all kinds of major health issues.  It's surprising how many of them are my age or even younger.  I'm very blessed to be healthy.

Thankful Thursday

I absolutely love my husband's smile!  I love the way his face lights up, the way his blue eyes sparkle, the way he looks like a little boy when he smiles. 

I first knew I was in love with him when I was 20 and we were having a snowball fight with my family after a freak storm dumped 16 inches of snow on our small town in south Arkansas...I looked over at him and saw him smiling, with ice crystals sparkling in his hair, and I thought, "Wow.  I really like this guy."  A few months later we went on our first date, three weeks after that he proposed, and later that year we got married.  Hard to believe it's been almost 10 years, and I still fall more in love with him every day.

Robby brings so much joy into my life, and I love seeing his smile, knowng that he's happy and that life is good.  Here he is with our oldest son...

My Job

Although it can often be a source of major stress (what job isn't!) I really love my job.  I'm a manager at a women's gym, and I also train people who are just starting our workout program and counsel women are taking part in our nutrition and diet program.  I'm part coach, part counselor, part comedian, and part cheerleader. 
I love the fact that I meet so many women who I would never cross paths anywhere but at our gym.  I've made so many friends there since I started my job 2 1/2 years ago.  I love seeing the excitement and the joy when women realize they can lose weight and they can get in shape.  I love seeing women who may start out unsure and self-conscious bloom into outgoing, confident women.  I really enjoy going to work - it feels like I'm spending the day hanging out with friends.  I have to admit, when I leave this job to start my new career as a dental hygienist in a couple of years, I will miss the awesome women that I've met through my job.

Coffee!!!

Need I say more? Coffee has become my #1 "comfort food." It's what I reach for when I'm having a bad day or when I'm sick. I often say there are very few things in life that coffee and chocolate can't make better - they may not fix it, but they can certainly make it better. My biggest weakness is a Starbucks white chocolate mocha with raspberry…heavenly.


What's funny is the fact that I didn't even like coffee until a year and a half ago. I had tried it every way you can fix it and hated all of it. Then, after our house flooded in the storm surge of Hurricane Ike, I was sitting at our church (where we lived while we remodeled our house) eating an MRE that included a cappuccino mix. I was desperate for something sweet, so I thought I'd try it…and I've been hooked ever since. I'm really thankful for coffee…and for Starbucks gifts cards…which I've gone through two of since I started college in January…I don't know how I'd make it without my coffee!

Thankful Thursday

Today's thankful post is short and sweet...my first major college test is over!  I think I did well on it, but probably won't know my grade until Monday.  I'm just so glad the stress of such a major test, and especially my first one, is over.