Still Thankful

I'm at home alone this morning with a very unpleasant stomach bug. But, I'm still thankful! Mostly because of that handsome guy up there. He is always very helpful at home, but especially when I feel sick. (Which seems to be a lot lately.) This morning he got the girls up, dressed, fed and out the door for church...ON TIME! All I had to do was fix their hair. Daddy's fingers are never very good at that sort of thing. There are many days when I wouldn't make it without his help.

Catching Up

Okay - so this is turning out to be a little more difficult than I had anticipated. Not that I'm running out of things to be thankful for, by any means! But finding the time to sit down and write it out each day is just not quite happening. So rather than making up for the lost time, I am going to just pick it up whenever I can.

DAY ???

I am so thankful to have my mom and dad in Idaho this year! We could never have imagined living two miles away from them, getting together for Family Nights each week, hearing Dad preach every Sunday, going to Bible study with my mom on Thursday mornings, sending the girls for occasional sleep-overs, regularly raiding Grandpa's candy jar in the office, etc. It has been such a treat to have them around. We love you "Grandpa" and "Grandma!" We are so thankful that the Lord brought you close to us!!!

Day 8

I have recently started a habit of tuning into the first few minutes of the Today Show while I get my make-up and hair done in the morning. This week the anchors are traveling to the "Ends of the Earth." I also enjoy watching The Amazing Race because it features such unique locations around the world. So, today I am thankful for the beauty and diversity of God's creation! There are still so many places that I want to visit and things that I want to see, but here's my list of TOP TEN MOST AMAZING CREATED WONDERS (that I have seen):

1. The Grand Canyon in Arizona.
2. The glaciers in the Alps of Switzerland.
3. The sand dunes in Natal, Brazil.
4. The hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park, UT.
5. The wildlife in the Amazon jungle.
6. The night sky from Warm Lake, ID.
7. The giant Redwoods in California.
8. The coral reef in the Red Sea of Israel.
9. The white-water rivers in Montana.
10. The Everglades of Florida.

On a lighter note...

Day 6

I am thankful that at the end of every busy week there is a WEEKEND! It may be hectic with different activities...but at least I know that Marc will be home. He is a very hard worker, but he knows how to take a break on the weekends to spend some extra time with the girls and I. This Saturday he treated us to a matinee showing of MADAGASCAR 2. "We like to MOVE IT, MOVE IT!"

Day 7

I am thankful for FREEBIES! For example: a couple of free tickets to Disney on Ice from Chuck's work, the $10 Kohl's card last week, frequent coupons for BOGO free burritos at Taco Del Mar (yum!) and today's free gymnastics class for Sierra at Little Gym. Sophie B. invited Sierra to come as her buddy this morning and she loved every minute of the class. (And I loved watching her have so much fun!) Thanks, Julie. She'll be talking about it for weeks.

Days 4 and 5

Day 4

"Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold."

I am so thankful for the friendships that God has blessed me with over the course of my lifetime. Having moved SO MUCH, it was always a very difficult thing for me to say goodbye to close friends knowing that we would probably never see each other again. Yet, at each new place, there were new "kindred spirits" to be met. It has been neat to see how God has provided just the right people at different times in my life: childhood friends (Florence, Mandy), the junior high years (Helena, Alison), high-school (Colleen, Andrea, Raquel), college (Susanna, Sarah), early marriage (Janella), teaching buddies (Kayce, Julie, Lynn, Kelli, Tiffany), and now in Idaho (Kelly, Julie, Shawna). The list could go on. I appreciate the laughter and tears that I have shared with each of these precious friends!

Day 5

Although it was hard to make and leave friends around the world, I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to travel so much and see so many different cultures. Being an MK (missionary kid) allowed me to grow up along the coast of Brazil, visit an Indian village in the Amazon, live in JERUSALEM (yes, Israel!), climb to the Parthenon in Athens, backpack around Switzerland and see much of the U.S. while on furlough. How cool is that for the first 18 years of life?!

Life Interrupted

I haven't given up on the daily thanksgivings! Life just got a little busy yesterday and I'm trying to get a pot of soup ready for a youth group barn party this evening. I'll pick up right where I left off as soon as I can.

I got a call from my doctor yesterday afternoon. It seems that because of my elevated blood pressure and the presence of some protein in a urine test, they think it is wise for me to be on some medication. My immediate reaction was to worry about the cost and side effects for the baby. After a reassuring call to my mom and lots of prayer, we headed over to WalMart to pick up the prescribed meds. Three answers to prayer came within minutes of entering the pharmacy area: 1) The medicine only cost me $4!!! 2) The pharmacist took the time to give me a great consultation and pep-talk. 3) I ran into a church friend (Judy) who had similar blood pressure issues during her pregnancies. She said that I could borrow her cuff and digital monitor so that I could keep track of my blood pressure at home. ISN'T GOD GREAT!?!?! I have a follow up appointment in two weeks and I really hope that I will not have to stay on the medication for long. Please pray that my blood pressure will go down, that the baby will be safe and that I will get over this nausea soon. Thanks! More later...

Day 3

Today I am thankful for two healthy, beautiful daughters. Over the last couple of years I have become painfully aware that I should not take one day for granted. I have watched a couple of my college friends go through the diagnosis and tragic deaths of their young children. Their testimonies of God's grace and purpose through their pain have been such a challenge to my own faith. (Could I bring God glory through times of such sorrow?!) I am so thankful for the strong bodies and minds that God has blessed Sierra and Ally with. I pray that they will use those bodies and minds as vessels for His use!

Day 2

On a gray and rainy day like today, I am thankful for a safe, warm, comfortable house. If you haven't heard this story, it's a good one! Two years ago we were living in a nice (but small!) townhouse here in Meridian. It was close to Marc's school and fit our tight budget. Then, out of the blue, we received a call from my Uncle Jim. He was interested in buying a house from a friend of his and wanted to know if we would be his tenants for the same price as what we were paying at the townhouse. If you know Uncle Jim and Aunt Ann, you know what generous souls they are and how many people they have blessed through their generosity! (Although they would never want you to know.) We were thrilled with the prospect of having a HUGE living room, an extra bedroom and a nice yard for the girls to play in. On top of that, this house was still within biking distance of CVCS! We moved in just before Christmas of 2006. We love our home and are so thankful for it every day!

Thanksgiving Countdown

While blog-hopping recently, I was inspired to make a list of things that I am thankful for. One entry for each day from now until Thanksgiving. Let's face it, my posts have been a little lack-lustre lately. I also love how this fits so perfectly with the passage we were studying last week in women's Bible study: "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS." Colossians 2:6-7

So, here's a little overflow from my heart. Join me if you would like. I think it will be a blessing.

DAY ONE:

I am so very thankful for the godly heritage that I have - parents and grandparents who sincerely love the Lord and have devoted their lives to serve Him. I have seen their sacrifice. I have benefited from their personal Bible study and teaching. I have watched them rejoice through trials. I have felt God's answers to their prayers on my behalf. They have been wonderful examples to me of men and women of faith. My prayer is that this legacy will continue to be passed on to my children, BY GOD'S GRACE.

God (please) Bless America

"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray

and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

II Chronicles 7:14

(Spoken by God at the dedication of Solomon's temple...applied to me on this election day.)