Thanksgiving

"Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms." Psalm 95:2

Have you ever just walked around your home and started to give thanks for the things the Lord has blessed you with? Things that we certainly don't need and things that we certainly don't deserve, but extra things that the Lord has given you simply because He loves to give good things to His children? I am doing that today....

I am thankful for the beautiful flower baskets that hang from my deck.
I am thankful for the house the Lord has given us.
I am thankful for my Swiffer Vac....silly to be thankful for that? I think not! It is amazing! :)
I am thankful for the beautiful hardwood floors in my home.
I am thankful for an indoor restroom.
I am thankful for coffee. (Our little one was up at 6:15 this morning....I needed it!! :))
I am thankful for the laptop I am now typing on.
I am thankful for the health of my children.
I am thankful for the huge yard we have.
I am thankful for my dishwasher.
I am thankful for my washer/dryer.
I am thankful for my refrigerator....my full refrigerator.
I am thankful for the toys my kids have....soooooooo many toys! :)
I am thankful for silly 'ole Facebook that keeps me in touch with so many dear people.
I am thankful for my bed....beautiful and oh, so soft.
I am thankful for my kitchen cupboards...I love them!!! They were made just for me.
I am thankful for my vehicle.
I am thankful for my makeup. (and you should be thankful that I USE said makeup! :))
I am thankful for my clothes.
I am thankful for the American Flag that hangs from my porch.
I am thankful for the freedom we have in America.
I am thankful for my husband....almost 12 years of marriage and he still loves me! :)

......I could write all day and then some about things for which I am thankful. I am blessed. I am spoiled.

I am thankful. What are some of the 1000's of things you are thankful for today?

Friends

What a great weekend! Not only was church GREAT, and the preaching AMAZING, we were also able to spend some time with great friends.

We have known Dave and Donna Crews since college. (I am not going to admit how many years ago that was! :)) Dave and my husband were roommates their Freshman year, and Donna and I spent a summer together touring in a college singing group. Dave and Donna have been missionaries in Canada for the last 10 years. They started a great church in a very difficult area....British Columbia. They returned to the US for a furlough time and to get some additional needed support. While they have been back the Lord changed their direction....doors were closed to return to Canada, and doors have been opened for them to start a church in Florida. We are so excited for them.

They presented their ministry in our church last night. What a blessing to see them and also to see their heart for the Lord has not changed....only grown.

What a blessing it was to see our children playing together. It was so fun to talk about memories made in college. We laughed a lot. :)

It was also great to see that none of us have aged. Not one bit. :)

Distracted

I have been a negligent blogger.....again.

So much has happened in the last month, and so many times I would sit down to write about it only to be distracted.

Distracted by, oh, I don't know....say, the chicken pox....a toddler getting FOUR eye teeth all at once WHILE having the chicken pox....you know, little things like that! :) Not to mention the 'normal' day-to-day things like laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, playing with and enjoying our kids, spending time with and encouraging my husband.....'BIG' things like that.

Before you know it, months have just flown by.

I, like you, am a busy person. I, like you, enjoy my schedule and my routine. I, like you, dislike being unorganized. And I, hopefully unlike you, often forget PEOPLE in the midst of all of my organization. Distraction, to be honest, annoys me. (I know, I AM working on that!!) I like to do what needs to be done....do what is on my list....do what I have planned for the day....WITHOUT distraction.

I am trying, sometimes, successfully to SLOW DOWN....to not be annoyed with distraction - ESPECIALLY when that distraction comes in the form of the loved ones in my life. My children are only little ONCE....they will only desire me to hold them and rock them and read to them for SUCH a short time. I MUST put down my list....put MY plans on hold (as much as possible, of course!) and HAPPILY be distracted. :)

A cute pic

A cute picture of our cute kids taken while we were on vacation.....this was taken BEFORE the 'pox' took over and left the kids looking scabby and scary! :)

Sunday

The last month has just flown by....I am sure that is the case for everyone. Between end of the school year activities, the actual end of the school year, graduations, open houses.....the list goes on. I love this time of year. :)

We just got home from a week away on vacation. It was sooooooooooooo nice to get away.....no phone, no Internet - nothin'! Amazing....I CAN live without a computer...who knew?!?!? :)

I am home from church today with my girls - they both have chicken pox. Fun. (note the sarcasm! :)) I AM glad that they got them at a young age, but I am not enjoying the actual 'pox'....it is hard to convince an 18 month-old not to itch.

So - off I go to be nurse-mommy! :)

Have a blessed Sunday!