Thankful Mondays

It has been a long time since I have posted from my Thankful Journal. It is not because I have stopped counting my blessings, but is due to my busy life! :) Well, I have decided to be more purposeful and plan to post every Monday. (I will have grace with myself, though, too!)

2,149. having the day off!
2,150. for all the Veteran's who have fought or are fighting for our freedom
2,151. a nap!
2,152. J12 training ~ even more excited about the ministry
2,153. taking R bowling and out to Souplantation for his birthday gift
2,154. shopping at Michael's last night with Karen ~ laughter and fun! SHRINKY DINKS!!!
2,155. prayer time for Sadie Grace and Ben and Sarah McCraken
2.156. the way God spoke and revealed His design for Sadie and the encouragement for Ben and Sarah
2,157. breakfast at OPH with Sara and Holly
2,158. finding out something very exciting is happening for a friend!!!!
2,159. IKEA trip with Shelby, K, and D
2,160. doing laundry at Mom and Dad's
2,161. blessing Shelby with study time at home by taking K and D with me to Mom and Dad's
2,162. free burger coupons at Jack in the Box ~ thanks Mike!
2,163. Shopping with Kayla and Ryan for Operation Christmas Child
2,164. getting to bed by 10pm
2,165. J12 started!!!! the kids had a blast and so did I! :)
2,166. reading how the kids will change the world
2,167. packing shoe boxes with the J12 kids
2,168. R came to church!!!
2,169. taking R and D to see Mulan
2,170. Daphne's for dinner with D and R
2,171. D's pronunciation of lobby and hotel made me laugh ~ D: "how do you say lovy in Spanish?" me: "what's a lovy?" D: "a lovy in a hotowel" :)
2,172. Karen let me borrow three quarters! :)
2,173. it was a great Monday!!!
2,174. Sarah R. was inspired by me to start at thankful journal
2,175. a sweet note from Sharisa thanking me for being her teacher and for teaching her brother
2,176. Diane called me and left the most awesome and sweet voicemail ~ baby Chin called to say hi! :)

Happy 5th Birthday D!

Happy 5th Birthday, D! It seems like just yesterday that I was holding you in my arms for the first time. I love being your auntie! You are so much fun to be around...I love your laugh, your smile, your hugs, and the times you ask me to sit by you. You are full of life and your joy is contagious! You are bold, not afraid to voice your thoughts and opinions. You make me laugh and you bring me joy. I love you SO much! All my heart, Iesh

questions I've been pondering

I have been thinking a lot lately about healing. I know healing comes in many forms and at different times, but I have been wondering why some people are healed from things and others are not. I know it's all about God's glory and I know God has a plan and a purpose for everything in our lives, but still I wonder "Why" these things happen. When I think of all the times Jesus healed someone in the Bible, it often was because of their faith. How much faith exactly is "great faith"? If I am praying for healing for myself or a friend and I feel like I have great faith in His power, why doesn't the healing come? Is my faith not enough? Does it have nothing to do with my faith and everything to do with God and His timing? Is it a combination of both?

We had a discussion at work awhile back about the power of our words and how we can keep from getting sick if we tell ourselves we won't...I do believe that what we say and think influences our beliefs and our choices...but I am not sure how this actually works. I can tell myself I am not going to get sick, and I can pray to God and ask Him to keep me healthy, but what is to be said when I get sick? Would it be due to my doubt, whether I realize I was doubting or not? Is it just a part of God's plan? I have been sick with a cough and laryngitis for a week and now have had a fever that won't go away. I pray for God's healing and for the restoration of my health...I believe it is coming and I rest in God's timing and plan. Maybe that is the point. Maybe there is no magical word or prayer to be said to prevent me from ever being sick or to heal me instantly. Maybe the point is that it draws me closer to Him and causes me to have a deeper trust and faith in Him.

Happy 9th Birthday R!

It is hard to believe that 9 years ago, I welcomed my first nephew into my heart! What a joy it has been to watch him grow from a baby to the fun, energetic, loving, kind, wonderful boy that he is! I love him with all my heart and I am so glad he is in my life!

Happy 9th Birthday Buddy! I love you R! ~ Ieshy Pooh

Thankful Thursdays (on Saturday)

501. first day back after break was surprisingly wonderful

502. when N calls me mommy ~ the joy and laughter when he caught himself

503. my two new students had a great first day!

504. A and N's joyful heart to help me with the students' work boxes ~ getting new ones and putting the old ones back

505. D wanting to get out of the car on my side just because he loves me

506. my roomie is home!!!

507. Diane bought me the HSM concert DVD ~ so thoughtful of her to think of me on her trip

508. being thankful increases joy

509. the sound of violins makes me smile

510. getting a prayer time ~ prayer over my pain in my back, neck and shoulders ~ feeling a bit better and in less pain

511. hearing more about J and Ts' adventure and becoming a part of their inner circle

512. taking back territory and rebuking fear

513. care and compassion from friends

514. spending time with Diane ~ cheering for Biggest Loser

515. celebrating Jamie's life ~ I am so thankful she was born and is my friend

516. positive changes in my class

517. shorter staff meeting

518. sleep

519. forgiveness

520. Bianca was able to drive me to the chiropractor

521. speaking with the repair shop and finding out my car is most likely totalled

522. for seven years of driving my CR-V ~ thankful for a dependable, reliable, fun car

523. Alyssa's sweet, kind, encouraging words ~ filled me with love and joy

524. My God is for me and with me

525. remaining calm in my actions and reactions when things felt stressful

526. laughter and delight that kids find in simple things

527. P's sweet and loving heart

528. celebrating J's birthday

529. belief in His power to heal me

530. coffee date with Angela, Brittanie, and Erin ~ talking about our lives and the upcoming J12 ministry

531. finding out that the appraiser is the one who totaled the car

532. God took the jabbing pain in my back away

533. God helped me change my attitude from grumbling, complaining and being mad and bitter to an attitude of thankfulness

534. It's almost Friday!

535. laughter and joy

536. finishing my weekly summary

537. God's Word

538. God's unending forgiveness

539. His mercies are new every day

540. going to the women's retreat

541. praying with Leela and Janine ~ listening to how God wants to reveal Himself to us this weekend

542. my pain in my back and neck felt a lot less today, until the retreat

543. when my back and neck pain increased it made me more dependent on God for His healing and to help me focus on Him

544. It's Friday!

545. today was chaotic but I did not totally loose my cool

546. spending time with my friends at the retreat

547. time away to refresh and focus on God

548. payday!

549. dinner with my mom and dad

550. my date with Jesus ~ oh how He loves me ~ enjoyed listening to him describe the intimate ways He loves me

551. my prayer time with Jolene and Teresa ~ God showed up and spoke ~ His power was evident as was His great love for me

552. receiving a get well card from Betty

553. talking with Linda Jahnke

554. laughing so hard my stomach hurt and I could hardly breathe

555. the hilariousness of us trying to kill the mosquitoes in our cabin

556. rooming with mom, Teresa Jones, Denise Ormsbee, and Melanie Beckstrom

557. the bright moon

558. seeing the stars

559. pain has been surrendered to God

560. finally getting a hold of the insurance!!!

561. God's Word for me today ~ peace

562. being able to turn my car situation over to God and have His peace wash over me when I wanted to stress out or fear

563. "Oh, how He loves us"

564. trusting God to do His will ans trusting His plan

565. sleeping in my own bed last night!!!

566. feeling the least amount of pain since my accident!!!

567. seeing Shelby, K, R, and D at the dentist

568. healthy teeth and gums

569. sharing the Good News with my class

570. feeling the least amount of pain in my body since the accident

571. Biggest Loser date with my roomie!

572. feeling more peace with the car and insurance situation

573. going to the chiropractor

574. cooking dinner

575. hugs from my students

576. hearing A run by singing "Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh" by Justin Bieber

577. talking to my sister on the phone

578. ice packs

579. prayers and encouragement from friends and family

580. happy food with Diane and Bevs!

581. getting my hair colored and head massaged by Diane

582. my excruciating pain in my back and hips lessened

583. first rehearsal for the Easter show went well

584. my trust, faith, and dependency on God is increasing

585. joy and laughter

586. encouragement and prayer from my mom and dad

587. Tylenol PM

588. sleep

589. It's almost Friday!!!

590. chatting with Daniel on Facebook

591. roomie night ~ dinner and shoe shopping at Road Runner Sports

592. hugs from my kids

593. laughter in the midst of chaos and stress

594. how God knows all my needs ~ how He spoke through "Jesus Calling" ~ January 11 was just what I needed to read today

595. my dad going to Henson and Son to find out more details about my car and why it is now repairable and no longer totaled

596. my pain is not as constant

597. God's forgiveness and mercy

598. joy in the midst of pain

599. God is in control of it all

I love you, Dad!

I love my dad because...

he loves me

he is generous

he is strong

he is caring

he is compassionate

he is a prayer warrior

he is a man after God's own heart

he is faithful

he is dependable

he is trustworthy

he is a loving father

he is a loving Papa

he is a loving husband

he is tender-hearted

he is a friend

he is supportive

he is helpful

he is thoughtful

he is kind
there are so many reasons why I love my dad...I am so thankful for my dad and that God chose me to be his daughter! I love you SO much Padre! Happy Father's Day!

I love you with all my heart!

Your daughter,

Shaybug

Thankful Thursdays (on Tuesday)

470. rain

471. Spending time with K, R, and D

472. green mountains with giant puffy white clouds and blue sky

473. getting misconceptions cleared up

474. a productive talk with KT at Coffee Bean

475. God's beautiful creation

476. flowers of many colors and varieties

477. God's protection

478. pain is less and I finally feel recovery has begun

479. encouraging, loving comments from friends

480. sleeping in!

481. finishing Kristen's Africa pictures!

482. watching K play volleyball

483. being with my family

484. seeing Soul Surfer and feeling changed ~ nothing is impossible with God

485. Kleenex

486. K, R, A, M, Shelby and my mom went to see the movie ~ praying it will impact us all

487. dinner at CPK ~ great conversations and relationships deepen

488. I get to teach Sunday school tomorrow!

489. God has a plan and a purpose for my car accident (and everything in my life)!

490. Becky Hofseth ~ an amazing woman of God

491. freedom to worship God

492. praying over Travis and Jenny

493. hugs from Alyssa

494. friends lifting me up in prayer during Kids Hope prayer circle

495. making a healthy choice of oatmeal instead of a pastry

496. receiving Grace and Micah's wedding invitation

497. grocery shopping

498. the joy it brought the Mueller's when I gave them the recycling I've been saving for them

499. my dad praying over my back when it was spasming

500. choosing to pray instead of complain about my back pain

I'm half way to 1,000 gifts! wow! this has been an amazing journey and I am so thankful for how choosing to be thankful has changed my heart and my life!

Reflecting on His goodness

WOW! It was a month ago yesterday that I was in a car accident and my life hasn't been quite the same since. I am still SO thankful that I am alive! I am blown away by God's continual love and protection of me. I am thankful that my pain in my back, neck, and shoulders has greatly decreased! Looking back over the last month, I realized that this accident has caused me to be more dependent on Him and to trust Him more for my needs. While I wouldn't choose the accident, I am thankful for how God has used it to mold me and change me to be more like Him. How it has caused me to be thankful in the midst of the hard times. God is good all the time! ALL the time God is good!

Thankful Thursdays (on Friday)

420. God easing my pain or helping me to ignore it so I could focus on Him and worship Him and learn from Him

421. hug from Kim

422. sitting with the Padens

423. care, concern from friends

424. Ken suggesting I sign-up for a prayer time and me scheduling one

425. Kirsten's grandpa is stable

426. Mom and Shelby made their flight

427. I am a significant part of The Body

428. I have so much to be thankful for

429. God's grace

430. mini golfing with mom, R, K, and D

431. bumper boats with R

432. moving a little faster today

433. having the energy to clean out my car

434. getting a hold of the insurance companies

435. lunch on the patio with mom, dad, K, R, and D

436. setting the date and getting tickets to visit my grandma in June

437. getting my car repair scheduled

438. I am overwhelmingly blessed with so much to be thankful for

439. love from my family ~ D was especially loving toward me, greeting me, hugging me, snuggling with me

440. getting my car to the repair shop to begin repairs

441. meeting with Jenny W. ~ tea, hot chocolate, great conversations

442. Shelby calling to invite me to the movies, even thought I didn't go, it was nice to be invited

443. scrapbooking for Doshiers and being filled with joy

444. answered prayers ~ Kirsten's grandpa is out of the hospital

445. my mom is letting me borrow her car ~ I feel like a princess driving around in her fancy schmancy car

446. getting name tags and cubbies ready

447. I had extreme back pain and it has lessened

448. borrowing dad's cervical pillow

449. celebrating Beverly ~ so thankful that she was born and is my friend ~ great conversations, lunch, and a movie, Source Code

450. SO thankful that Wes, Joleene, and Teagan were born and are my friends

451. spending time with my mom talking, playing Golf, and dinner

452. seeing the chiropractor

453. my pain is less than the day before

454. aquaphor

455. hand lotion

456. God's amazing love

457. vacation ~ relaxing and recharging

458. check being written for my car repairs

459. God's joy overflows in me

460. God is good all the time

461. God is always good and I am always loved

462. delicious leftovers

463. God is always with me

464. I am a woman

465. God is trustworthy and true

466. God is faithful, dependable, reliable ~ He never fails

467. God is my healer ~ He is healing my pain

468. not being afraid of being alone

469. God has decreased my fear and increased my confidence

Thankful Thursdays (on Sunday)

320. the sun shining through the fog

321. puffy, fluffy white clouds

322. Katie telling me she has seen my countenance change and that I am more joyful ~ Thank you Ann Voskamp and 1,000 gifts!

323. today was better than yesterday!

324. God speaks to me

325. my special connection with Lucas

326. air conditioning

327. A was so respectful today

328. Katie and Carol stepping in to help cover the class with Jenny while I cleaned up the overflowed toilet

329. having a joyful servants heart instead of grumbling about the "flood"

330. SO thankful to be alive after being rear-ended!

331. thankful that my pain is minor ~ head and neck ache due to hitting the headrest, sore wrist and ankles ~ could have been much worse!

332. seat belts!

333. God was watching over me, protecting me, loving me, taking care of me

334. Carol was with me

335. my parents came to school to help me and drive me home

336. soaking in Carol's jacuzzi

337. car insurance ~ Costco insurance was helpful and thourough

338. caring and praying friends and family

339. my car has minimal damage

340.watching R play baseball

341. sleeping in

342. lunch and catching up with Sara Chapin

343. pedicure and conversation with Shelby

344. finding an ace bandage for my wrist

345. Jessica telling me I was like Ann Voskamp

346. special delivery of get well card and cupcakes ~ The Lowthers are a blessing ~ Nat drew a picture of the two of us

347. offers from friends to help me in any way they can ~ even Jess!

348. getting to bed early

349. the power of prayer

350. getting lots of sleep

351. celebrating Pat and Anna's new and upcoming baby girl

352. my hips are not in as much pain

353. The Amazing Race!

354. I can still walk, even if it is slower

355. my car is still driveable

356. I can be thankful in this hard eucharisteo

357. my jammies

358. the weekend

359. relaxing on the couch

360. I made it through the day at work

361. K gave me a short back massage

362. getting car estimates with my mom

363. car insurance

364. I'm not at fault

365. dinner at Souplantati0n

366. kids giving me gentle hugs

367. care and concern from the parents and co-workers

368. my wrist pain has decreased

369. I got the homework packets out and the test given on time!

370. hearing the laughter and squeals of joy and delight as I misread the Curious George books

371. heating pad

372. ice pack

373. Carol's generosity

374. jacuzzi

375. In-n-Out

376. Biggest Loser with Diane

377. fruit

378. shorter staff meeting

379. hot shower

380. finally getting a hold of the other insurance company

381. not having to pay or be responsible for the accident!

382. seeing the chiropractor and finding out the cause of the pain and getting help

383. S not being mad at me for the incident that happened yesterday

384. back pain was extreme and now it has greatly decreased in an hours time

385. Diane picking up the EBS kids

386. A family bringing me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers

387. receiving e-mails from Becky

388. grocery shopping

389. bed time!

390. S's massage on my back

391. spending time with my dad

392. eating dinner on the patio with my dad

393. jacuzzi with my dad

394. conversations with my dad

395. using my parents' fabulous shower

396. talking to my mom and hearing about Grandma

397. God works all things together for good

398. my dad's love and generosity

399. getting to bed before 10pm!

400. It's Friday!

401. seeing Ann at the chiropractor and getting her advice on the pain in my abdomen

402. celebrating Alyssa's 13th birthday

403. It's Spring Break!

404. Celebrating Beverly!

405. getting the work boxes ready for Monday after break

406. how sweet the kids have been ~ giving me massages, asking if I feel better, etc.

407. learning new games and having fun with friends

408. moments of pain feeling less

409. God is good all the time! All the time God is good!

410. sleeping in!

411. hanging with the Mueller's

412. spending time with my dad ~ talking, making lunch

413. eating lunch on the patio

414. free laundry

415. watching K and her volleyball team win all three games

416. spending the afternoon with K, R, D, and Mike

417. cooking with Dad

418. my pain is decreasing

419. eating healthier foods

a hard eucharisteo

As you know, I've been reading "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. The main idea in the book is eucharisteo, being thankful and joyful in ALL things, the good, the bad, the easy, the hard. I have been daily practicing eucharisteo, looking for things to be thankful for throughout the day and it has changed me in more ways than I expected and I am forever grateful!

On Friday afternoon, I was in a car accident. I was rear-ended and then hit the car in front of me. I was stopped at a stop light. The driver of the car behind me told me that he was looking down and when he looked up, he saw the light had turned green so he proceeded to drive. What he failed to realize was that no one in front of him had started moving. As he hit me, I fell forward, was stopped by my seat belt, and then went back and hit my head on the head rest. I think I was in shock, along with my friend Carol, who was sitting in the passenger seat. We looked at each other and said "were we just in an accident?" We all pulled safely over to the side of the road and exchanged our information. I called the police and they informed me that they only come out if it is an injury accident or if someone refuses to give out their information.

In the days that have followed I have been in a lot of pain...my neck hurts, my back hurts, my left wrist is sprained, my hips were hurting and I walk like a snail. I am so thankful for all the care and concern my family, friends, co-workers, and my students and their families! The kids have been giving me back massages, gentle hugs ,and asking me how I am feeling.

I have been going to a chiropractor and that has helped. Fortunately, the damage to my car wasn't too bad, it's not totaled! :) I've gotten a few estimates and they all have said that they will have to replace the back gate/door of my car.

As a result of this incident, I have been finding many things to be thankful for in this situation. Thankful that I am alive, thankful that my injuries and pain are not worse, thankful that the damage to my car is minimal...I know God is sovereign and that He has a plan and a purpose in this...one thing my dad said that really stuck with me was how much God loves me and how He is watching over me and protecting me!

Thank you, God, for watching over me, protecting me, and loving me! I know You are healing me and taking my pain away. I love You! Amen

Thankful Thursdays

260. teaching with Diane!!!

261. Happy Food for lunch!

262. Jammie and movie night with Diane and Carol

263. educational movies

264. the weekend!

265. remaining calm

266. preparing and planning and being 100% ready for Monday

267. Diane leading sharing time

268. Diane supervising Playball

269. laughter

270. watching R play baseball

271. D wanting to walk with me to my car and help me get my jacket out of the backseat

272. my warm and fuzzy crocs

273. free laundry

274. spending time with my parents

275. new music for my ipod

276. teaching my parents Dutch Blitz, even though they didn't like it!

277. seeing Beastly with Diane

278. wishing Johanna a happy birthday

279. sleep!

280. sleeping in

281. teaching Sunday school

282. grocery shopping!

283. healthy food in the house

284. spending the afternoon with R

285. not having to babysit, but surrendering my time and God blessing me

286. The Amazing Race!

287. going to bed before 9:30pm

288. playing games with R

289. relaxing at home

290. my new student had a great first day ~ his crying only lasted a few minutes

291. rain ~ the sound of it falling while I'm cozy inside

292. it didn't rain when I went to pick up the afterschool kids

293. leftover happy food!

294. meeting Bonnie Youngdale and having her observe my class

295. Charla's weekly encouragement ~ ir gave me to motivation to exercise even thought I was tired and hungry

296. walking to deposit my check

297. gigantic fluffy white and gray clouds, blue sky and sun

298. being prepared for tomorrow

299. iron pills

300. N calling me mommy

301. seeing the kids running around and having fun on the playground

302. making it through the day

303. cancelled staff meeting ~ more time to prep and leave at a decent time

304. hearing the kids pray

305. talking to my sister on the phone

306. talking to Sara and making lunch plans for Saturday!

307. laughter

308. Fruit of the Spirit

309. excitement for things to come!

310. fresh start each day

311. rain boots

312. spending time with D at R's baseball game

313. D making me laugh

314. taking R, S, and D home after the game ~ stopping at In-n-Out

315. playing Wii with D, K, and Mike

316. Group Hugs! ~ everyone but Mike

317. hearing D tell me "I love you!"

318. His mercies are new every morning

319. I survived the day!

Thankful Thursdays (on Friday)

196. the nap bags lined in a neat row

197. Sarah cleaning the top of the shelf the other day ~ without being asked

198. Emily listening to the kids read

199. It's Friday!

200. cooking dinner

201. relaxing on the couch

202. Thankful Thursday (on Friday)!

203. knowing I can sleep in

204. chocolate milk

205. sunsets

206. Julie Babione Complin ~ so thankful she was born and that we became friends!

207. the way Julie really cared and wanted to know how I was doing

208. watching R play baseball

209. socks

210. warm feet after being cold for 2 hours

211. car heater

212. Shelby's delicious cookie bars

213. great conversations with family

214. that Chris, Nozomi, Eve, and Russell are safe after the earthquakes and tsunami hit Japan yesterday

215. God has the whole world in His hands

216. R came to church!

217. walking out to my car after church and finding a note from Alyssa on my windshield

218. always having food to eat

219. worshiping God

220. God is always speaking

221. God's sovereignty

222. God's unending, unfailing, everlasting love

223. I'm forgiven!

224. I am free!

225. Rachel's pretend trip to Candy World that resulted in a sugar rush with her running around the house shouting "sugar rush!"

226. GNO with my mom and sister

227. spending time with Diane ~ watching her watch The Bachelor ~ funny to see how excited and stressed she was!

228. glorious sunrise shining about and through the mountains

229. beautiful sunset ~ color filing the sky

230. hugs

231. class discussion on respect ~ hearing the students' answers to what respect is ~ they're getting it!

232. Rick plunging the clogged toilet

233. increasing patience

234. my weekly encouragement from Charla and that it is encouraging and not condemning!

235. God is good all the time! All the time God is good!

236. Katie's compliment that the class seemed peaceful

237. C was a better listener today

238. Respect and being respectful is sinking in and changing lives

239. spontaneous hugs from the kids

240. A stroking and playing with my hair

241. the kids remembering what I taught them the day before

242. laughter and joy

243. The Office ~ laughing loud and hard ~ brought me much needed joy and stress relief

244. A's entry into our class thankful journal ~ "I am thankful for pirates"

245. spending time with my mom

246. free music download on klove

247. the short line at Subway

248. being a blessing to Diane by simply buying her a coke

249. C.W. and S.W.

250. Respect and respectfulness is sinking into their hearts and minds ~ when I say "show me respect", they do! for the most part!

251. getting to bed before 10

252. talking with my roomie ~ sharing our joys and struggles

253. Joe and Jess Mueller ~ remembering them on their anniversary and feeling so blessed and thankful for their friendship

254. how amazingly well Open House went ~ the kids really impressed their parents (and me!)

255. The pride and excitement the kids had in showing their work

256. God gave me the words to say as I toured the parents around the room

257. talking about how we get into heaven with the kids ~ one asked about doing a lot of good things ~ only Jesus gets us in was my reply ~ another child said, you have to believe in Jesus!

258. God's unending love and grace

259. God has a plan and a purpose for everything

I have been teaching my class about respect and being respectful and it has been amazing! One day I sat them all down and explained to them what it means to be respectful and what it would look like to show you are being respectful. I prayed and hoped from the bottom of my heart that this topic would sink deep down into their hearts and they would start living and being more respectful. On the days that followed, I reminded them to show me respect instead of disrespect. I could see the changes, slowly occurring in each child. I decided to write the word "Respect" on the board and ask them to tell me what respect is and what being respectful looks like...these are their amazing responses! They are getting it! It IS sinking in!!! woo hoo!!! SO thankful at what God has done and is doing in their hearts and lives! I am excited to see how God will continue to use this in their lives, and mine.

Thankful Thursdays (on Friday)

121. celebrating the 100th Day of School!

122. God is on my side

123. Dinner at Tofu House with my roomie!

124. encouraging conversations with my roomie

125. finding and buying Dutch Blitz at Bereab

126. Thankful Thursday!

127. Happy Food leftovers for tomorrow!

128. laughing

129. helping my roomie assemble her wedding invitations

130. finding out Daniel has a new walker and is doing a lot more walking!!!

131. fun times with friends

132. "Shake It" silliness

133. celebrating Sarah McCracken's birthday

134. food, fun, and laughter at Corvette Diner

135. spending time with Jeff and Kim

136. playing Disney Scene It and knowing almost every answer ~ and yes, my team won! :)

137. my friendship with Sarah for 18 years and counting

138. spending time with Diane and Chris ~ I love our conversations

139. being asked to be the photographer for the evening

140. It's Friday!!!

141. spending more time with Chris and Diane ~ watching tv and talking

142. walking to R's first Little League game ~ 4.27 miles in 1 hour and 2 minutes

143. watching R play baseball

144. watching his team win

145. D wanting me to sit by him in the car

146. D inviting me to dinner, even though it didn't work out it was still thoughtful and sweet

147. a warm sunshine filled day

148. the ability to push through my hip, knee and back pain and keep walking

149. safety and protection on my walk

150. my health
151. spending time with my sister and nephews

152. free ticket to Legoland for teacher appreciation days

153. meeting the pirate Lego man

154. enjoying watching D and R enjoying Legoland

155. laughing and screaming on the rides

156. holding D's hand while walking

157. The Amazing Race

158. getting to bed before 10pm

159. sleep

160. taking photos

161. 19 Kids and Counting

162. His mercies are new every morning

163. new perspective on anger ~ thanks Ann Voskamp and God for reminding me to look at Him ~ page 126 in One Thousand Gifts

164. learning to be thankful for challenging students and situation ~ what does God want to teach me? why is He causing or allowing it? don't just wish it away ~ learn from it!

165. rain

166. songs, singing, music

167. reading stories to the class

168. moments to sit back and observe

169. perseverance

170. endurance

171. kids missing doing the prayer box

172. how the kids make me laugh

173. re-reading page 126 and being reminded again how "I smother my own joy because I believe that anger achieves more than love?..."

174. no matter how many times I mess up, make mistakes, God always forgives. He always extends His grace and love. I can't out sin it!

175. the reminder to see others, especially those who annoy me, as God sees them and created them

176. hearing one of my student's laugh and seeing her whole face light up with joy

177. discovering a major factor to a behavior issue ~ need to teach compassion and empathy more ~ caring and loving others

178. great discussion about being respectful with my kiddos

179. running into Kaytee at Target

180. God's glory displayed in an amazing sunset

181. being calmer and more self-controlled today

182. the warm sunshine

183. motivation to clean the bathroom

184. finding new, cute, fun works for Practical Life

185. God giving me a great idea on making a book to display 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and to teach the kids about God's love and how we can love others

186. N calling me mom

187. A's laughter and joy

188. a cool breeze on a hot day

189. the way looking for gratitude and things to be thankful for are changing my heart and life

190. starry night

191. Scholastic Book order came in

192. great conversations about school and education with Jon and Sheryl Wu

193. dessert

194. unclogging the toilet at work and choosing to look for the joy and what to be thankful for in the situation ~ seeing the beauty in the ugly

195. my former roomie and friend Sara being born yesterday and that God brought her into my life

Thankful Thursdays

I had wanted to make each Thursday the day I post my current week of my gratitude journal, but I am realizing that it will be a lot to write...70 items...I think I will *try* to post more often! :)

51. God has given me a future and a hope

52. money to buy the things I need and the extra things I want

53. hugs

54. laughing so hard my stomach hurts

55. praising and worshiping God

56. the prayer box

57. teaching about gratitude and joy

58. starting the thankful list with my students

59. hope

60. mercy

61. the prayer box ~ listening to the kids pray for others, learning how to pray on their own

62. praising and worshiping God with my students

63. teaching my students about God and Jesus ~ how much He loves them, how He is the only way and how all we have to do is believe in Him, ask for forgiveness, and ask Him to be our forever friend

64. excitement and joy over possibilities

65. wisdom and advice from my sister

66. a great deal on new jeans

67. traditions ~ playing The Office Clue with the Hofseths

68. the smell of clean laundry

69. forgiveness and love ~ unending

70. my health

71. spending the day with the Hofseths

72. Our Tradition ~ The Office Clue

73. seeing Daniel walking!!!

74. great conversations and fun with the Hofseths, Josh, and a new friend

75. the joy on Daniel's face when he read my birthday card and saw I want to take him to see Kung Fu Panda 2 in the theater

76. driving Daniel to Brandon's house ~ being able to get his wheelchair out of my car by myself!

77. Daniel and Brandon's patience with me as they taught me how to play Call of Duty on the xbox and them not making fun of me

78. My mom, Shelby, Diane, Chris, and Sara sharing in my joy

79. God's goodness ~ all the time!

80. the sound of rain and hail

81. God's glory

82. Vitya and all the kids I met in Ukraine

83. unending forgiveness

84. God is always good and I am always loved

85. loving on my niece and nephews

86. spending time with my sister

87. sunshine after the storm

88. hugs from Gabi

89. leading kids in worship

90. snuggles and hugs from Dylan

91. Roomie Mondays!

92. the Spiritual gift of Mercy ~ I am thankful God blessed me with this gift, even when it overwhelms me

93. chatting with Daniel on Facebook

94. praying for Daniel ~ especially tonight as he was struggling emotionally and physically

95. my accountability partner Charla ~ our Monday check-ins and encouragements

96. water

97. peace in the midst of life's storms

98. comfort that He is strong when we are weak

99. eucharisteo in the midst of sadness

100. though the sorrow may last for the night, His joy comes in the morning

101. impromptu dinners with my mom

102. accepted friend requests

103. joyfilled smiles through the window

104. beauty

105. making it through the morning by myself so wonderfully that Katie forgot I was by myself

106. learning on a deeper level what it means to be thankful and giving thanks in all things

107. friendship

108. teachable moments

109. technology ~ communicating and keeping informed

110. increased boldness and confidence

111. the joy and excitement of my students as we celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday

112. wisdom and advice from Carol

113. God's protection

114. free books from Scholastic thanks to parent orders

115. renewed strength

116. His mercies are new every morning and every moment

117. my conversation with K.X. about kissing when you're married ~ he never wants to kiss ~ brought a smile to my face

118. M.S. pride in himself when I expressed my pride in him

119. M.S. joyfilled, proud-filled hug

120. patience ~ God's patience with me and Him increasing mine

Figuring Life Out - One Thousand Gifts

Thankful Thursdays

I've been reading "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp...it is an amazing book! You should read it! :) One main point in her book has been about Eucaristeo: thanksgiving, grace, and joy. Ann had been dared/challenged by a friend to make a list of 1,000 blessings. I decided to start my own list of 1,000 blessings and beyond! Every Thursday I plan to post my ongoing list of things I love and am thankful for!

God has given me SO many gifts and I am looking forward to all the joy that will come my way as I live in gratitude!

1. my loving family

2. my faithful friends

3. child-like joy in simple things

4. laughter

5. smiles filled with joy and excitement

6. hot chocolate on a cold day

7. excitement and squeals of joy-filled delight as I spent two days with Diane and Beverly at Disneyland, California Adventure, and the Disneyland Hotel

8. heart-to-heart conversations

9. praying for others

10. my eternal friendship and relationship with Jesus and God

11. the way God ministers to me through music

12. the Hofseth Family

13. feeling deep emotions ~ joy, sorrow, excitement

14. my roommate Diane ~ her friendship, her listening heart and ear, her joy and excitement with mine, praying for her and with her

15. my Sunday school class

16. my precious students at CCMS

17. a job that I love

18. a warm and cozy bed to sleep in

19. a warm and cozy bed to live in

20. wonderful neighbors

21. hugs filled with love from my students

22. an everlasting hug from my nephew, D ~ it stays with me all day long

23. smiles filled with joy on my students' faces

24. receiving an email from a friend

25. a car to drive

26. a bright blue sky with puffy white clouds

27. the warm sun

28. a hot shower

29. delicious food to eat and never having to go hungry

30. the ability to read and write

31. conversations with my wonderful roomie and friend, Diane

32. Daniel's post on FB about coming to visit my class ~ brought tears of joy to my eyes

33. N calling me mommy

34. living close enough to walk to the ATM to deposit my checks

35. motivating and encouraging friends

36. joy

37. God's Word

38. the power of prayer

39. God's sovereignty

40. God's timing and plan ~ it's perfect and best

41. my parents generosity ~ allowing me to use their washer and dryer, occasionally buying me groceries, inviting me to dinner, etc.

42. "I love you"s said randomly by my students

43. watching The Biggest Loser with Diane

44. my sister ~ a great friend, willing to help me, listen to me, laugh with me, cry with me, support and encourage me

45. playing cards with my dad

46. my dad ~ he listens to me, loves me, protects me, prays for me...

47. ice cream

48. the ability to walk

49. music

50. grace ~ never ending and undeserved

See my previous post for a powerful video by Ann based on her book!

On My Heart

Daniel has been heavy on my heart and mind lately. I know God is at work. I know He is doing something big. He is doing miracles. He is healing him - it just looks different than what I want or am praying for. I do long for complete healing from LEMS. I pray for increased strength in his muscles and for him to gain weight. I don't understand why it hasn't happened yet, but I trust God. I trust His timing. I trust His plans. God is good. God is sovereign. God is in control. God knows what He is doing. He is faithful, trustworthy, powerful, miraculous. So while I long for the miraculous I wait and I trust. I want to be changed through this.

God is doing big things in my heart and life and is using Daniel and his situation. God is increasing my faith, trust, and dependency upon Him. He is my hope. He is my rock.

I love how God uses music to touch me and minister to me. I've been listening to Brandon Heath's new album, Leaving Eden. It came out on Tuesday, January 18 and I've been listening to it as much as I can. There is a song that has ministered to me the past couple of days. It came on and I was overcome with emotion. I was praying and crying out to God for Daniel last night. In the midst of the tears and the prayers I kept repeating that song on my ipod, allowing the words to bring comfort and hope. While the song makes me cry, it fills me with hope and peace. As I was listening to it, I was asking God to make His presence more known...I desired to feel Him more, more than I ever have before. My head knows He is right there with me, comforting me in my sorrow, but I wanted to feel it more in my heart, and in a fresh and new way. That continues to be my prayer and desire.

It's Alright ~ Brandon Heath

Tiny boat on an angry sea

Sails torn and tattered

How could Jesus be fast asleep

Like it doesn't matter

Soon as He opens His eyes

The storm dies

It's alright

Everything will be okay

You just hold tight

I'll be with you the whole way

When you're weak, I'll be strong

Keep going, we're almost home

It's alright

Everything will be okay

Mother Mary's got a broken heart

From the words they're saying

Her baby boy's being torn apart

By the world He's saving

He says, Mother, don't cry for Me

You know where I'll be

It's alright

Everything will be okay

You just hold tight

I'll be with you the whole way

When you're weak, I'll be strong

Keep going, we're almost home

It's alright

Everything will be okay

No promise of an easy road

Just a destination

Next time you forget your hope

Somebody's waiting

Soon as you open your eyes

You realize

It's alright

Everything will be okay

You just hold tight

I'll be with you the whole way

When you're weak, He'll be strong

Keep going, we're almost home

It's alright

Everything will be okay

Happy Birthday Diane!

My fabulous roomie's birthday is on Thursday, so I proclaim this week "Birthday Week"! I have many surprises up my sleeve for you, Diane! The first surprise is this blog post. I want to let you, and the world, know 26 reasons why I love you and think you are so fabulous!

1. You are a spectacular roommate!

2. You are thoughtful

3. You are generous

4. You are caring

5. You are fun

6. You are encouraging

7. You are beautiful

8. You are kind

9. You are helpful

10. You are loving

11. You are compassionate

12. You make me smile

13. You bring me joy

14. You make me laugh

15. You are a good shoulder to cry on

16. Your hugs bring me comfort

17. You are a great listener

18. You are a good cook

19. You are a godly woman

20. You are supportive

21. You are adventurous

22. You make our roomie times special

23. You are fabulous

24. You are tender-hearted

25. You are a great friend

26. You are deeply loved by God and by me!

Fresh Perspective

I love how God speaks...He can take something I have read or heard many times before and somehow it jumps out at me, shows me something I hadn't realized or thought of before. I have been reading "The Greatest Moments in the Life of Christ" by Max Lucado. Max takes familiar passages, stories of Jesus from the Bible and then puts his own thoughts on it.

The other evening I was reading about Jesus healing a blind man. I have heard the story and read it myself many times. When I read it the other night, the following words leaped of the page..."this man was born blind so that God's power could be shown in him..." Jesus spoke these words to His disciples in response to their question as to why a certain man had been born blind. They wanted to know if it was his sin or his parent's sin that caused his blindness. "so that God's power could be shown in him..."...such powerful words, I'm not sure if I never noticed them or if when I had read them before, the words didn't speak to me in the same way they did the other night.

After I read that, I thought/wondered, "Is that why Daniel has LEMS? So that God's power could be shown in him?" It brought tears of joy to my eyes to think that God would choose to give Daniel LEMS so that His power would be shown in him. What an honor! I believe that I heard God say that is one of the reasons Daniel has LEMS, not the only reason, but a huge one. WOW! This is a better way to look at it ~ not to be heartbroken and sad or angry that he is still suffering with LEMS, but to know that through this, God's power will be shown!

Thank You, God, for that word! I am still sad, but I have increased faith and hope that You are up to something huge! I still long for his healing and cure, but cling to You and know Your power is being shown in and through Daniel.