November 17th 2013

Month of Thankfulness:

Today I am thankful for:

-Jon, who willingly wakes up with the kids early in the morning, and lets me sleep in on the weekends. You know, past 5:30am.
-Our Sunday morning tradition of going to Biggby for coffee
-Theology from my three year old: He was not allowed to have his Biggby Hot Chocolate, because of naughty behavior. After church, we heard, "I talked to Jesus, and apologized. He said I could have some hot chocolate now."
-Sunday night church cancelled. I was hoping it wouldn't be. I was so excited to go and spend some time with the teens, but it ended up being a great night. We were able to skype my family, I was able to put the laundry away and clean the house. Caleb and Jon had a wrestling match, kids went to bed early and Jon and I had a real conversation. It. Was. Wonderful. We didn't realize what a night at home looked like:)

November 16, 2013

Month of Thanksgiving 2013

Today I am thankful for:

-A youth group willing to rake leaves for an elderly couple at church. It was fun to be with them and have some fun. I also had great conversations with the couple, hearing their life stories. Very fun!
-Teen girls who love on my kiddos.
-A nap. Seeing a theme here? Naps are so important when I don't sleep well at night:)
-A last minute, unplanned, conversation with an old college friend and colleague. It has been a few years, and it was great to catch up and talk about God's heart, and the ministry of getting our hands dirty in foster care.

November 14-15th, 2013

Month of Thanksgiving 2013

November 14th
Today I am thankful for a special delivery. I love getting snail mail! It was a great surprise and blessing to open a birthday card and gift from my precious friend Krista. Thanks girl!

November 15th
I am so thankful for fellow foster parents. I am thankful that I have people to share this journey with, people that get the need, get the system and we understand the frustration and the joy that comes with foster care. I never thought I would have such a core group of friends around me in similar situations. Praise be to God for His people caring about the least of these.

November 13, 2013

Month of Thanksgiving 2013

Today I am thankful for:

BIRTHDAYS! Yep, today is my birthday, officially in the dirty 30's. What is that supposed to mean anyways? Maybe don't tell me.

I am so thankful for birthdays. Growing up, I would wake up to balloons and streamers in my room on birthdays. As a kid, I really hated birthday cake, so my mom always got me a big cookie from the mall. As an adult, I have grown to like cake, but there is something nostalgic about a giant cookie on a birthday. Hint, hint:)  

As a mom, I want to make birthdays as special as possible. It takes extra effort with my boy,  who celebrates his birthday two days after Christmas. Who planned that? HA! Not me:) No, for real. I had no part in his conception:)

How do you celebrate birthdays???

November 12

Month of Thanksgiving 2013 

Today I am thankful for:  

-A nap!! It wasn't long, but I need a quick getaway. It wasn't even that I was tired, it was just the screaming children all day long:) 

November 8,9,10,11

Month of Thanksgiving 2013

Ok, so I am a little behind. It's all good, just because I wasn't posting didn't mean I stopped being thankful. Bear with my long list:

-Compelling 2013: a wonderful, God honoring conference with 850 students and staff from around Michigan, learning what it means to tear down walls and glorify God. Students were trained, met with God, grew in community and were sent back to their  campuses. I am so so so grateful to be a part of it.

-In the Gap: Compelling was broken down into several different tracks/seminars that students could take. I was a part of In the Gap, training 60 students all weekend how to lead through intercession. So grateful to be among people who value intercession, so much so, that it is seen as a way to lead.

-Tina: It has been a few years since I have seen Tina. We were on staff together, and she has left staff to pursue her teaching career. It was so good to hug her, catch up, and pray with her. I have missed her so much! And it was so good to see how God has been working in her life, and bringing sweet, sweet redemption to her ministry.

-Michigan State: It's a cool campus. Just sayin.

-My own hotel: Most years, I room in the same hotel as students during Compelling. This year, we had a couple hotels booked, and staff were moved off site. I was grateful to sleep at another hotel. It was much quieter:) I had good sleep, and a very comfortable bed.

-FSB: My supervisor. One of the most faithful, steady, pastoral man that I have ever met. And I could probably come up with a lot more adjectives.

-Photos texted to me from my husband: While I am away, it is so fun to receive pictures from home to see how things are going.

-Sweet goodbyes

-InterVarsity staff

-Scripture, it is so so so good. Nothing is as life giving.

-A plan to grow in teaching: I am so excited for the next step that my friend Diana and I are going to take. We both love to teach scripture--stay tuned for what this will look like.

-A conversation filled with grace: I don't talk on the phone with my aunt a lot, but Sunday night's conversation was needed and so good. Thanks Ang! I feel loved and cared for!

-God saying no: God has closed the doors on a few things in our life. It is bittersweet, but I am thankful for God's voice, even if it isn't what I always want to hear.

-Hulu: It helps my photo editing time go by faster

-Pumpkin spice coffee, from Biggby, brewed at home. Just as delicious, but cheaper.

-Uncle Jason: While I was gone this weekend, Uncle Jason came to visit his nephew. Should I take offense that he waited till I was gone? :) Just kidding! I know Caleb had a great time, and it is so fun to hear all about their time together. The sword fought all night. Jason's sword was a pillow. Pretty dangerous, huh?  

November 7, 2013

Month of Thanksgiving 2013 

Today I am thankful for:

LECTIO DEVINA. Tonight at InterVarsity's Large Group, we practiced the discipline of Lectio Devina. It has been a few years since I have done it, and boy oh boy did I miss it. And God spoke.

Lectio Devina is the process of reading and listening to God's word very slowly, and over and over, and listening to the Lord.

It was so good tonight. And so refreshing.

Sometime you should ask me what God said. And then we should practice it together:)

November 5 and 6

Month of Thanksgiving 2013

I am a little late posting these, but thankful none the less.

Thankful for:

- Nov. 5: A  God honoring memorial service celebrating the life of a man who loved his God and his family. It wasn't fun to see the family in pain and grieving, but there was such hope, hope from Jesus. I am grateful that pain and sorrow is not forever, that cancer is gone in heaven, and Jesus can be the peace that we all need.

-Nov 6: I am thankful that someday, I will be free from depression and anxiety. That day is not yet, and may not happen here on earth, but I am so grateful that this is not my home, in heaven I will be made complete, and sin will be conquered!

November 4, 2013

Month of Thanksgiving November 2013  

Today I am thankful for:
- a nap. I know I said that the other days this month, sheesh. It's been a hard month already, lots of stuff going on externally and internally, along with kids who are giving up sleep.
-"Caught being a big boy." We are having crazy issues with C. He is being N A U G H T Y. This morning I made a chart, titled, "Caught Being a Big Boy." Every time he did something "big", he could put a star sticker on his chart. Stickers were filling up as he ate well, took a nap, washed hands after going potty, picked up his toys, helped with Chicky, etc. When the chart is filled up, we have a big treat he can pick out.
-Diana, her support friendship and prayers. I am thankful for friends who get me.
-Affirming "circumstances."
-Taking the next steps of obedience, and being blessed.
-He got in the pool! Last year, we signed Caleb up for swimming lessons, but it was torture to get him near the pool. When this year's registrations were up, I was scared. Tonight, was the first night, but he did it.
-Kristy's boot camp....---Started today, working on losing weight....again. I am thankful that today was so easy. Granted, I would have loved to have a gallon of icecream instead of what I ate today, but I was surprised on how good everything tasted today. And I even liked working out:)
-Texting: It just  makes everything easier.

November 3, 2013

Month of Thanksgiving 2013 

Today I am thankful for:

-Daylight savings doesn't happen with kids, they just wake up an hour earlier. So, even though there wasn't much sleep, I am thankful for cheerful kids this morning.
-A pink bow in my girlies curly hair.
-Anita, the nursery worker who passionately loves this kids in her nursery.
-Doing ministry with my husband each Sunday as we serve the youthgroup
-Junior high students...ah, they make me laugh!
-God's still small voice, peace and assurance. I am resting in that tonight.

November 2, 2013

Month of Thanksgiving 2013 

Today I am thankful for:
-A great coffee date with Esther at Biggby. Let''s do it more often.
-A free latte at Biggby today.
-A long nap WITH Caleb.
-A husband who made a french toast dinner and cleaned the bathroom.
-Caleb's imagination, as I watch him build with legos.
- The crazy song, "What does the fox say?" We play it, and an immediate dance party errupts at our house.
- A successful and productive photo editing day.

November 1, 2013

Month of Thanksgiving 2013 

Today, I am thankful for:
-a dependent, caring, patient babysitter
-Melatonin
-great conversations with students on campus today
-Photoshop
-My husband for having a hilarious photo editing idea
-coffee
-God's word and work
-a late Friday nap
 -It's now my birthday month!