Quick Thoughts

I'm thinking that next year I might have to relegate this whole thankfulness concept to one spot of my blog. I've written daily but I've not committed many thoughts of serious consequence to these pages. So now, when I look back, I see a month full of wonderful things (which most months are) but little depth. I don't know that I love that as much as when my gratitude is showered through the month as I ponder the depths of what is going on in and around me rather than constantly finding gratitude taking center stage.

I guess just thoughts to ponder but I think I might do things differently next November. Guess it's never too early to start thinking about what is to come! :)

PS: How silly is it that I just wrote this post? Perhaps posts like this are really where the lack of depth comes in! :)

{Gratitude} 23 of 30

Equally thankful today for both good friends and chocolate, in no particular order or preference! I love it when they come together as they did this evening as I gathered with wonderful dear friends around a fondue pot for a couple of hours of sharing stories and laughter. I suspect that there aren't enough hours in anyone's life but I think that the more time I find for doing things like this, the better and more productive I will be in every other area of my days! Simply put, it was a good food, good company kind of evening!

{Gratitude} 22 of 30

Thankful for a Sunday. God knew what He was doing when He instructed us to set aside one day a week for rest. I may not be perfect at it but I love it when my Sundays revolve around worship and friendship and relaxing. There's a beauty to starting the week like that and simply finding the time to breathe deeply. Ahhhh, lovely.

{Gratitude} 21 of 30

Thankful for my roommate!
Seriously, nothing really beats dinner at Christina's, honest conversation, discussions about what God is doing, and then late night tea and general hanging out. So happy she's home, so happy she loves Jesus too, so happy we get to hang out and do so much of life together! :)

{Gratitude} 20 of 30

Thankful today for those who are willing to go and reach many people who don't know the Lord. Today one returned and many left and I have no doubt that God was and will be glorified through everything that both teams do. I've traveled to foreign countries before and have seen what God can do and I just know that amazing things occur when people are willing to be fully used by the Lord for the expansion and development of His kingdom. I'm reminded today of the challenge to go and make disciples and I'm rejoicing for those who are actively doing so in far away lands (and also for all who are daily pursuing the same goal in their lives here!).

{Gratitude} 16-19 of 30

Well, I kind of fell off the wagon on this whole gratitude tracking thing. Which is funny because every day I've thought of something else I'm extremely grateful for. So, I'll just leave a list of things that have made me smile over the last couple of days!

Coffee, friends, laughter, missions, random encounters, hummus, fireplaces, finishing tests, decorating for Christmas, hot chocolate, making plans, a nice hello, powerful challenges, great speakers, work accomplished, not throwing my computer out the window, late night phone calls, being positive, potluck Thanksgiving dinners, vacuuming, a new CD, LIFE!

Life is incredible, every day, every minute, always. Yet it's just a taste of the greatness that is to come. I can't even begin to imagine or fathom what awaits on the other side of these breaths. God is SO good!

Breathe deeply and be grateful. We are so blessed!

{Gratitude} 15 of 30

For the first of the holiday dinners I give thanks! Tonight as my Bible fellowship class gathered for our annual Thanksgiving dinner I was just so thankful for the gathering of community around a table where we stopped, enjoyed each others company and great food, and gave thanks to the God who made every moment possible. This is what the holidays should be about. Those we love giving thanks to the One who loves us. May this overwhelmed heart find even more moments in each holiday to come. For today though, I'm just thankful for turkey and stuffing and pie and a wonderful evening to enjoy it!

{Gratitude} 14 of 30

I am grateful today to be starting another year! For a birthday that was completely full of wonderful, incredible, beautiful moments with dear amazing friends. I really believe that few people are so blessed to be surrounded by those who love them and whom they love in return. I can not believe what a blessing it is and how incredibly grateful to God I am for the life He's given me and the number of days He's provided. I can hardly wait to see what comes next but for today, I am ever so grateful for all of the goodness that's already been given. All glory to Him, truly. He gives great gifts!

{Gratitude} 13 of 30

For Fridays I am most thankful. This week seemed quite long and I am happy that the weekend has arrived and I have many fun plans involving so many dear and wonderful friends. Some weeks just make you appreciate the weekend. Today, that's what I'm grateful for! :)

{Gratitude} 12 of 30

Today I'm thankful for Brady. It might seem like a silly thing to be thankful for the dog but when I returned home last night after a long day and all I wanted was a hug, he met me at the door with exuberant hops and then was thrilled at just the opportunity to lay on the couch near me and sleep. He'll never take the place of people in my life but sometimes it's just really nice to be welcomed home by someone who is just so very excited that you've returned and you're going to spend some time with them. He may spend his fair share of time driving me nuts but when all is said and done, I'm always thankful that he's around.

{Gratitude} 11 of 30

Today I'm thankful for modern medicine. I watched as a friend faced emergency surgery and marveled at the technology available at our fingertips. At the same time I was thinking of how grateful I was for these incredible machines I was also realizing that what we have we so often take for granted. My thankfulness is greatly increased simply by being aware of the great blessings we have at being able to go to a choice of hospitals with all of the modern medicines available. On this thought's heels comes the remembrance that to whom much is given, much is expected. So while I'm incredibly thankful for medicine, I'm also incredibly aware that we must use our lives to share with others who are less fortunate than us.

{Gratitude} 10 of 30

For my house and puppy and hot chocolate and fire...all those things that make up home! Today I'm just enjoying the blessing of having a place to call home. One filled with things that make me smile, encourage me, challenge me, and build up my confidence to face the outside world again. It's my place of retreat when I just need some room to ponder and a place that I'm so thrilled to open up to those who just need a special home away from home. I am utterly blessed to have such a place and I love being able to throw open the doors to the many wonderful people in my world and invite them to spend time here too!

{Gratitude} 9 of 30

Today I'm grateful for the ability to take a night off. My calendar had nothing on it, there was no crisis requiring my attention, my phone did not ring. So I sat down on the couch last night at 8pm and promptly fell asleep...for the next 11 hours. Oops. I could be frustrated because I didn't get much of anything done before my extended nap but instead, I'm just thankful that I had the time because I was really TIRED! And now I'm not! :)

{Gratitude} 8 of 30

Sundays with no required work! I absolutely love a Sunday when I am free to chase whatever interest I want, spend my time however I choose, and still know that when Monday rolls around, I won't be behind because I've goofed off over the weekend! I love an open schedule where I can go to church and worship God, help out others, cheer on a softball team, enjoy a cup of coffee and a wander around Target, spend time gathered with friends, and truly feel like even though I was busy every minute, it was a beautiful and relaxing day full of some the biggest blessings that God gives! Love it!

{Gratitude} 7 of 30

Celebrating joyful occasions in friend's lives! I so enjoy the opportunity to gather with friends to rejoice in the beautiful things that God has done in their lives. Whether babies or weddings or birthdays or really any occasion worthy of celebration, I am so grateful that I'm included in their joy and get to laugh and celebrate and share in their gratitude for God's goodness. It's a beautiful thing!

{Gratitude} 6 of 30

Friendships. There is really just little that's better than spending time with friends that you've accumulated through the years. I love those people who always make my heart happy when we gather together, whether it's been 10 years or 10 hours since we last saw each other. Today I was just again reminded of how grateful I am to God for placing such amazing people in my life and for giving me time to spend with all of them!

204!

I completely missed my 200th post...missed it by four to be exact! :)

So, this is my 204th time of sharing randomness, some wisdom, a lot of truth, stories of life, and my journey from there to here and from here to wherever!

I think it's just somewhat noteworthy to at least celebrate even silly little milestones...places along the road that deserve momentary recognition. So, while this isn't all that big of a deal, I'm pretty sure that there should at least be some confetti...and maybe some cake! :)

Hoping that all of you readers will join me for another hundred posts...not all at once though so no worries! :)

{Gratitude} 5 of 30

Starbucks. I know it's silly but I am so thankful for my local coffee shop haunt. It has gotten to the point of feeling like the world's greatest living room...comfortable seats, good drinks, friends behind the counter, favorite spots to sit, friends walking through the doors. A place for deep discussions, tears, laughter, thinking, writing, studying. It's just a place of comfort that I can escape to whenever the walls start closing in and I just need to spend some time somewhere that I can think!

{Gratitude} 4 of 30

Cake. Stories. Laughing. Coffee. Church. Sharing. Hugs. Smiles. Friends.
For doing life with wonderful people. Each and every day.

Proclaiming Him

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
~Psalm 19

A week ago we studied Psalm 19. The next day I flew to Indianapolis. The beauty in the pictures reflects so perfectly the concept of God being glorified by the very earth, of it calling out in His honor. At the same time, when my temporary eyes can see this reality how much more weight is carried by verses 7-14 as they point back towards the power in the Word; the life-giving, life-sustaining, God-pleasing power? My faith is bolstered as I tie both ends of this Psalm together and see a magnificent God physically reflected in nature and spiritually connected through His Word.

AWESOME!

1. 10-26B, 2. 10-27A, 3. 10-27B, 4. 10-27C, 5. 10-27E, 6. 10-27I, 7. 10-27J, 8. 10-27N, 9. 10-27F, 10. 10-27Q, 11. 10-28C, 12. 10-28E, 13. 10-27H

{Cute}

I've officially become enamored with curly brackets (just in case you hadn't noticed)! I have no idea why but I just think they are so cute (for lack of a better word) on the page. Beats me, just a new quirk. Just thought I'd let you know that I realize that I'm not using them in their defined usage but I think they're going to stick around for a bit.

Now that's all I have to say about that! :)

{Gratitude} 3 of 30

A beautiful day: sunshine, blue skies, perfect temperatures, fall foliage.
Beauty everywhere!
Time to breathe deeply, take a longer walk, and give thanks to a very good God!

{Gratitude} 2 of 30

For the voice of a loved one. A phone conversation punctuated by stories, laughter, advice, plans. Knowing there's one who wants to hear my venting, my stories, my life, and sometimes the same things over and over and who still won't get annoyed (too much). Being the one for her when she needs to do the same.

{Gratitude} 1 of 30

For a sweet family that invites me in and lets me spend time with them; just watching their interactions, hearing their stories, sharing pictures and laughs. For not feeling like I'm on the outside looking in but rather for being able to catch a whiff of the feelings of home.