30 Days of Thankful--Day 25

I am thankful for social media. I know, I know...there is a lot of negatives to things like twitter, facebook, and even blogs. However, there are also a lot of positives. The biggest for me is the ability for me to keep in contact with friends that I have all over the states and the world. I feel so blessed to have these friends and to be able to keep in such great contact with them.

30 Days of Thankful--Day 24

I am thankful for Christmas pregnancies. One of the mom's I babysit for is due any day with her second child. I am so excited to meet this kid! It got me thinking about my own pregnancies. I had the privilege of being pregnant with three of my four kids during the Christmas celebration. I found in each of those years that Christmas took on a whole new meaning to me. The helplessness of Mary and my Savior seemed so much more real. Even in those moments, or maybe even more so in those moments, I can't seem to fathom the humble beginnings of my Lord.

30 Days of Thankful--Day 23

I am thankful for my health. I stepped on the treadmill this morning for the first time since mid-July. I had an entirely new appreciation for being able to get on the treadmill. I've been having some health issues and while the root cause has turned out to be fairly minor, the symptoms have been anything but minor. I'm starting to feel like myself again and it really felt good to be able to run some this morning. I am so thankful that I am in good health and can experience life to its fullest.

30 Days of Thankful--Day 22

I am thankful that I get to share the holidays with family. Several years ago when Joe and I were in Dallas we spent a Thanksgiving without family. I have been so blessed because it has been the only holiday that I have had to spend without family. That one day has given me so much perspective. I will never take my family gatherings at the holidays for granted.

30 Days of Thankful--Day 21

I am thankful to be a pastor's wife. Ten years ago this month Joe started his first pastorate position. It truly is a calling. In those ten years I have experienced some of the most painful moments of my life, but I have also experienced some of the greatest peace and unspeakable joy as I have gotten to sit in the front row of life and watch God work.

30 Days of Thankful--Day 20

Today I am thankful for plastic ornament balls for my Christmas tree. I was able to find some really pretty red tree ornament balls for my tree on clearance at Target last year. We got our tree out last night so that we could be ready for all our Christmas festivities when we get back from Thanksgiving. I was so delighted to discover that they were plastic. With four children and tile floors, plastic ornament balls are priceless!

30 Days of Thankful--Day 20

I am thankful for grace today. Because I needed some badly...and my God is so faithful.

30 Days of Thankful--Day 19

I am thankful for a husband who shares his toys! I got Joe a Kindle last Christmas. While I have always enjoyed technology and found new technology easy to navigate, I have typically been very resistant to transform some of my paper stuff to computer/phone. Take my calendar for example...for many years I LOVED my paper calendar. I was frequently spurred on to go the computerized variety and attempted it a couple of times, but it was only recently that I truly transitioned to a computerized form. (It took me getting a phone that could contain my calendar for me to be won over and an app like Cozi.) I was the same way with books. I love the feel of a book in my hands. I didn't want to hold a piece of plastic or read a screen. I wanted to have to have a bookmark, feel the paper in my hands, and smell the crisp pages of a new book or the old worn pages of a well-loved book. However, recently my frugalness has won me over to the Kindle. I can't believe how many books you can get for free or borrow from their library. And the screen on a Kindle is not like a computer screen. It really looks uncannily like you are reading a real page of a book. I have enjoyed Joe's so much that we decided to get our book loving daughter one for Christmas (shhhh...it's a surprise!)

30 Days of Thankful--Day 18

I am thankful for a God who knows what I need better than I do. The last 3 or so months I've been struggling with some health issues and it has caused me to pretty much clear my schedule. I babysit and am a wife and mom. I work in the nursery about once every six weeks or so at church and I teach children's church once a month. That is it. For most people, they would say "That is plenty! You have four kids and your husband is a pastor!". But it has only been recently that I have cleared my schedule to include just those things. Prior to mid-July it was filled with a whole lot more. It was a struggle for me to say no and resign from some things. But now, as I have had a whole lot of time to reflect and think, it has been so very good for me. And I have regained some joy that was really missing from my life. I have also rediscovered my love for books and baking. The apple bread has been rolling out the oven this fall and I have come to really appreciate my quiet afternoons where the only thing pressing I have is to listen for the kids I babysit for as they nap and enjoy some really good books. I can truly say Thank You God for forcing me to STOP!

30 Days of Thankful--Day 17

I am so thankful for Sara, Nathan, Ashley, and John. I am so blessed to be able to call myself mom to these four incredible kids.