Many Things to be Thankful For

It has been a couple of weeks since I did the Thanks Tank and even today I don't have lots of time to spend on this post....but.....there are 4 things I am most thankful for this week. Things that are "filling up my tank" as Pam from Without Fear likes to say!! So..thank you Pam for hosting the Thanks Tank meme.......here's my list for the past week:

• The Word of God. How thankful I am for the written words of our Lord. They bring comfort, guidance, strength, peace and hope. I have not done my weekly Bible study book in over 4 weeks as the friend I was doing it with is super busy....but....even if we can't finish it together, I do plan on finishing it and sharing what the Lord has shown me personally through it. I have kept in the Word by reading through various portions of Scriptures that He has put on my heart plus I am making my way (STILL!) through the prophets. I am amazed at all the things we learn when we turn to the Bible and spend time in His Word. We are never too old to learn something from the Word of God....thank you God for your Words to us!!

This Friendship Quote!

• I am thankful for friends. I have a couple of close friends whom this quote talks about. Those people who come alongside me and let me be real. People who have touched my heart in ways that they may not really realize unless I choose to tell them. Which I don't do nearly enough, I know! I appreciate each and every one of them....and am so thankful to the Lord for their place in my life! In particular I want to give thanks for: Ann (from Michigan), C (local), Melissa (local), Erin (local) and Deborah (from Tennessee whom I've reconnected with via Facebook!). Thank you God, for all these friends who have truly touched my heart.

Lunch!

• A friend of mine from church has a December birthday like me. Each year, for the past 4 years (which is how long we've known each other; we joined the church the same year) we have gone out to lunch or exchanged gifts. This year we went to one of our fave places for a great lunch. All the soup and salad you can eat for one low price. This year we even had time to linger over coffee. She is an encourager, and an intercessor. I have been blessed to know her and pray for her and her family as they work through some stuff that only the Lord above could turn into good. Thank you God, for Lynn! Thank you that I can be that listening ear that she needs and that she encourages me with Scriptures. Although we both tend to be busy moms with elementary aged children (plus I have the teenager!), we do try to carve out time to keep in touch.

My teenager!
Sitting at an outdoor cafe
in Williamstown, MA
on a field trip to
Clark Art Museum
for French IV Nov.2009

• I am thankful that my teenager is turning into a godly woman. Most of you know, from my posts this past summer, that she took the purity pledge and wears a purity ring until she becomes engaged. She is also a great help with her youth group, acting as a student leader, both at church and at school. She takes on many responsibilities at school and youth group, yet continues to be on the HighHonor Roll.....her first report card for this year (11th grade) was wonderful! Her GPA is a 94.88 which includes 2 university in the high school courses, and 2 Honors level courses. I am very proud of her and so thankful that the Lord gave her to us! (and she still continues to play the violin which totally surprises me each year she signs up for Orchestra!)

And I am thankful for snow days....because it enabled me to get this post written a day before I want it to appear here!!

How about you? What are you most thankful for this week??

Leave me a comment and let's thank the Lord together!!

Thankful for Favorites!

I am combining my Thankful Thursday post with the Friday Fave Five post.

Thank you to Pam and Susanne for hosting these each week.

My favorite things are shown in pictures and the things I am thankful for are in bold type.

Tomorrow is a busy day with work until 12:30, then dash home to greet my parents who are coming in from the central part of the state to see the HizKidzPraise show and spend the night. I need to get the girls settled after school and dinner made early as we need to be at the church by 6 pm. One of my sisters and her husband are also coming for the show. We all will meet back at my house for dessert after the performance. Then at 10 pm I need to be at the airport to pick up my husband who has been on the "left coast". (e-mom....if you are reading this, let me explain. We don't say "left" because of political leanings...but rather, because when Courtney was 2 (she is now 16) we taught her that the west coast was on the left side of the map and the east coast was on the right. For "left" I taught her to make an "L" with her left hand so she would remember. The name "left coast" has always stuck. :)

Ok....here are my 5 fave things from this past week:

This holiday dress.
SALE!!

A favorite moment this week was when I saw this dress hanging in the mall and that it was on sale! It was originally $90 and I got it for $20 less!! It was some kind "holiday dress" sale. And...I was specifically at the mall to purchase a holiday dress, not knowing that this particular store had a sale going on. In fact, this was the last store I looked in. My husband's company Christmas party is coming up. My friend Lynn's husband owns the band that plays at the parties......and they play awesome music for ballroom dancing. This dress fit perfectly so of course I bought it! I usually wear black to formal events so getting it in cranberry was a plus for me. The full skirt will be fun for dancing in! Thank you, God for seasonal sales!!

No, one of my favorite things
is not actually Facebook itself.
BUT....
One of my fave things this week was
the inbox message tab.

I had saved a message from a friend that I really needed to re-read this week. I usually just read and delete. I hate cluttered inboxes whether it's Facebook or emails. So...I read them, reply when necessary, and then delete.

But....I saved this particular one from early July. It was about how thankful this friend was and how something the Lord showed me through journaling ministered to her...so I am thankful for saved messages that mean something to me, to read when I need an encouraging word!

Sunrise
on Tuesday morning
as seen from my deck

I am so thankful that this week has been good weather! We are having a very mild autumn here in the capital region of NYS. I am hoping this is a sign that winter will be equally mild....as in not much snow or sub-zero temps!! When my husband is away, I often awake very early and tend to stay up late.....so...I have been a bit tired this week.....but....Tuesday morning I had lots of energy and snapped this pic while the coffee was brewing. Thank you, God for gorgeous sunrises!!

"The Birthday of a King" dance

I am thankful that the dancers for this song came out on time during Monday evening's rehearsal. The night before, they were quite late. I always breathe a prayer during what I know are the costume changes for the dancers. There is alot of confusion sometimes and it isn't always with the children....it is often the volunteers! So....I was so excited when I saw them actually get out on stage on time for this number. There are LOTS of children in this dance so it makes it challenging in the changing room.....but.....don't they look beautiful singing for the Lord?? Thank you, God for this group of dancers and their hard work!

Claire worshipping the Lord
through lyrical ballet
at the
Parent Preview rehearsal
on Monday evening.

I am thankful for this children's ministry at our church. HizKidzPraise is a wonderful way for elementary and junior high children to use their natural giftings/talents for the glory of God. Many of the children have a passion for drama, dance and/or music and it shows in their performances. Now, I believe many of them do get involved because their parents want them to, but for several of them, they really show talent in those areas of the arts. I am so thankful that the director (she is also a friend of mine) is one who encourages the children to use their secular training in this capacity.

So...thank you, God for the HizKidzPraise ministry and for all the volunteers......we have lots of fun putting it all together but the best part is seeing God work through these children.

Tomorrow evening is the opening nite of "Operation Christmas Child" which is the musical from which the above dance pics represent. I will post more pictures next week before leaving on Thanksgiving vacation. Please, my praying friends, keep this show in your prayers.......my daughter is so excited and I just pray that the non-Believers that we invited will be filled with the Word of God and the Truth that is represented in this production. Have a wonderful weekend.......... and leave me a comment before you leave, about what you are most thankful for this week!! If you don't have a blog, just sign in as anonymous and then leave your initial(s). THANKS!!

(note: to see the pics up close, just click on the photo. This applies to the dance and sunrise pics!)

With Thanks

Well, usually on Thursdays some of us participate in the "Thankful Thursday" meme.
I am on a computer tho that doesn't have the image of the button for that meme so decided to use the above quote to talk about why I am thankful today.

I was diagnosed with a staph infection earlier this week. In a most uncomfortable place. 'nouf said.

The antibiotic should start kicking in to rid my body of the bacteria. The pain from the cyst has been horrid. I have a very high tolerance for pain....I gave birth TWICE with no medical intervention, meaning all natural....no drugs or anything!! I used the Bradley Method for both births and loved the experience. The "pain" which I didn't even think of as pain because let's face it: the word "labor" means "work" not pain, did not phase me in the least. I just breathed through it, rocked, etc. etc.

And some of you know the pain I had with the lyme disease...that was pretty bad.

But this was far worse. So bad that I was in tears. And I do not cry from physical pain. Ever.

So....to summarize: I was miserable last nite. Couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. Feeling alone because my dear hubby had to fly to another state for work for 2 days. Have LOTS to do before this musical Claire is in and before leaving on Thanksgiving vacation. I couldn't walk, drive, sit. Had to call in sick today from the classroom. You get the idea: miserable.

However: through it all, I had the words from Psalm 91 running through my mind. I turned to that Psalm before lying down to sleep for the 3rd time late last nite. I will post it below.

• I am so thankful for the Word of God. What comfort it brings when we are in pain or feeling dejected.
• I am thankful for my good friend and neighbor who told me today that she will go out and buy the black socks my youngest daughter needs for this musical she is in....the final dress rehearsals are this weekend and I just found out she needs socks for one of the dances. Talk about last minute! So....thank you Melissa!!!! You are wonderful.....her husband is even picking up some stuff at the elementary school that I need.....what great neighbors and friends. Thank you, Paul.
• And 2 friends emailed me today to see how they could pray. How I love that! It shows me that they are taking time out of their busy days to lift up burdens. This made me so thankful for them. Thank you Cathy, Rhonda and Ann!!
• Even my mom said she'd pray....we had a good conversation on the phone.
• My sister in law is praying and I am praying for her. She has had some physical issues lately and it is so awesome that we can turn to prayer to encourage each other. So...thank you Kathy!!
• Thank you to my blogging and Facebook friend for sending me an awesome note...she is a long-distance friend from the west coast whom I have never met in person. But...that doesn't matter, does it, when we are one in Christ? Her words of comfort and her prayer she typed really ministered to me. It got me thinking that it really only takes a minute to lift someone up....we all need to be doing this more!! The Bible says to bear one another's burdens. So.....a huge thank you to E-mom!!
• And a super huge thank you to my hubby who texted me that he is praying....to my oldest daughter for making that school bus and for helping around the house....and to my youngest daughter for her awesome hugs, her praying and her sweet spirit.

If I left someone out I am sorry!! But those are the people who came to my mind........you are appreciated and loved!!

I have lots to be thankful for........Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.....

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.".......
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.......
For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands......Psalm 91, 1&2; 3b, 11

and....miracle of miracles!! Just when I was lying on my bed, hotpacking the cyst and crying out to God to help me get the darn thing drained......it did!! I was able to get some of that "gunk" out and feel some relief. Yes I have some pain still. It was not an instant miraculous cure....but...the timing was not coincidental. I was at a low point. Couldn't take that pain anymore!! And just as I cried out to God for what seemed like the 100th time.....He intervened.....THANK YOU JESUS!! And although I still have the cyst, there is some relief.....and the miracle of modern medicine in the form of antibiotics...and a caring staff, friends and family.

God is good. He is faithful and His promises are true.

What are you thankful for today??

What makes you Thankful?

What makes you thankful this week?

Is there anything new in your life that is causing you to say "thank-you" to the Father in Heaven?

My list is short this week because of time restraints but there is so very much I am truly thankful for: family, friends, church leaders, the new school year, the weather, good health, financial security, which in this economy is a huge blessing, Scripture, the power of prayer.

But...there are a few things I want to give special thanks to this week:

• this study book. This is a book for women on the topic of "restoration" and finding healing from the Lord because of past hurts or sins. Things like abuse, adultery, betrayal, unforgiveness. I just started this with one of my best friends. We both need this study and we are expecting God to do great things with this time we have set aside. I thank God that He gives us those kinds of friends in which we can be real, and share the deep things from our hearts. I thank Him for His healing power and for being a Father to us when we don't "feel" like His children or when it is difficult to view Him as a father. I am so thankful that I can come alongside someone and share some of my own struggles and can relate some of what He has shown me....and I am thankful she can do the same! I am expecting God to move in a mighty way in the next few months.
  

• My oldest daughter: I am so thankful that God me my darling Courtney. She reported to me that there were not alot of students gathered around the flagpole this year (see post below this one). But...she is not discouraged about that. She is very sad about some things that have happened in our youth group at church. But I think she knows that she is loved unconditionally by God and that her dad and I are here for her. She keeps pressing in...she is very persistant in her faith. She was also not worried at all about the peers who would jeer. She said it happened last year but she was not worried about it. She does not let other people get in her way! I LOVE that about her......I am thankful that God gave her a heart for her school and her peers and that she wants to take a stand for Jesus Christ.

• Time with my husband: I am so thankful, because it is so rare, that Dave and I had almost all of last Saturday to kayak together and just spend that time talking, relaxing and laughing together. It is something every marriage needs and that most of us just don't do on a consistent basis because we are just so darn busy! but...our Christian marriages are a covenant relationship...and God is in the midst of it. Our marriage is not perfect by any means nor am I the perfect wife nor Dave the perfect husband. Nope! In fact, no ones is! There is no marriage on this earth that is perfect. We are all sinners! We need God to stay in the center...and sometime He gets a bit off-center in our marriages,dosn't He? because of us. So....although things are not perfect, Dave and I do try to carve out time every couple of months to just be together. With no children. To try and NOT talk about the children. (which is hard!). We focused on just us. Everyone needs this! I am thankful we had that time.....because the next month is busy and he won't be around much during the weekends :) I am thankful for the time we DO have and my goal is to overlook the stuff that "bugs" me about him, and try to meet his love language daily. I am thankful for the husband God gave me.

How about you?
Leave me a comment with at least one thing you are thankful for!!

And enjoy this gorgeous weather!

With Thanks

This week has flown by!
I cannot believe it's Thursday already! I guess it's because we are just ending our first full week of school and with the new year, we are back into our busy-ness with church/ministries, after-school clubs, dance, orchestra, homework, chores, errands, open houses, and trying to establish a good routine!

I am thankful that it has been a fairly easy start to the school year. Both girls got right up last week on the first day of school, made their beds (altho my oldest tends to wait until she gets home...sigh...I have learned to pick my battles....it's more important for her to eat breakfast I guess than to make her bed......sigh....!). My husband and I have a good a.m. routine going...he has blessed our oldest with offering to bring her to the high school each day, rather than taking the bus which comes at 6:40 a.m.! This way she gets to sleep 15 extra minutes (which teens really need) and actually EAT breakfast. So........here's my list of thanks to God:

• a godly husband who helps out with our daughters. He even attended Open House on Tuesday nite with me (for Claire, 5th grade). He plans on attending Courtney's Open House next week at the high school. Which is great because I will be totally lost in Pre-Calculus, Chemistry and American History/Government. My eyes tend to glaze in those classes, especially the math and science.

• a teaching job that still allows me to work part-time. I LOVE the class....we have 15 kindergarten students (10 boys, 5 girls, and 7 out of the 10 boys have special needs....we are busy this year in the classroom!).

• our church: I am very thankful for our church as I have often mentioned before. Particularly this past week because the latest sermon series our pastor is doing is practical, simple and yet challenging.......we are blessed to have a pastor who knows how to preach to the unbeliever and yet challenge the seasoned believer, all at the same time! I thank the Lord for him and the other leadership!

• Our youth pastor: he has a tough job. He has great vision....I'll be sharing more on that at a future date.

• Good friends: I am very thankful for the friends God has placed in my life. From my oldest friend from way back in 2nd grade in 1967 (yes, Cheryl B, that's you if you're reading this!) to my newest friend (just since like June) who encourages, prays, listens, and is oh so patient......(thanks, Candace!). I am also thankful for fellow blogging friends whom I hope to one day meet (Susanne, Amy, Connie-Marie, Sandy, Christy Rose, and many others.....)

• This Scripture: "...He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17b. This verse has been "in my face" all summer long and even last nite it was listed in my evening devotional. God rejoices over us! His Love will quiet our spirits and He sings over us.......amazing....His mercy and grace are true gifts.

What are you thankful for this week? Feel free to share.........

It's the Simple Things

It's been quite a few weeks since I participated in the Thursday Thanks Tank post.
Thank you to Pam for the idea of giving thanks weekly via our blogs! If you have never visited her, go here......she has a great blog!

I am supposed to be taking my 10 year old daughter and her best friend from school to one of our local lakes today....but...looking out this basement window I see quite a bit of grey sky....so....a new plan might need to be made :(

and therefore, I'm going to have to keep my list short and simple. But...sometimes, it's thanking God for those simple things that get us stirred up to start thinking on the "bigger" things He blesses us with...or the more spiritual.....

the Simple Things that I am thankful for this week:

• lazy summer days to sleep in until 8

• a.m. coffee on the deck in the morning sun....it's been a nice, hot, sunny week

• hugs from my 10 year old daughter

• a 16 year old daughter who is less moody and more willing to do chores around the house, including baking banana bread last week with her lil sis! LOVED THIS!

• keeping in touch with high school and college friends via FB....so much fun to catch up!

• this Scripture: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you." Jeremiah 31:3

• the profusion of wildflowers in my backyard......Claire and I plan on planting even more seeds next spring...they are so beautiful and maintenance free!!

• Sweet tea from McDonalds on a stifling hot day after running all over town looking for just the "right" pair of sneakers for my 5th grader.....

• sales coupons for sneakers!

• the 40% off sale this week at Macy's and Gap: got some great buys!

• friends who easily forgive

• a fantastic music ministry at church who make it easy to enter into praise and worship, even when I don't "feel" like worshipping or am distracted by the "stuff" of life

• for a Redeemer who loves us no matter what....and Who never rejects us or turns away

What are you most thankful for this week?

Feel free to share in the comment section or do your own "thankful Thursday" post and I'll come and read it!
Enjoy the rest of the week everyone!

Thanks, God!

It's been awhile since I've done one of these "thankful Thursday" posts.
Pam over at Without Fear is our host......thanks, Pam!


It has been quite the ride this week.......life, for me, ever since leaving for our vacation, has been like a roller coaster ride. You know.....the BIG kind, with all the swoops, and loops, and backwards loops...the kind I can't go on anymore....but....

God has filled my heart with thanksgiving.
Here's a quick summary.....

• for His Word: especially for the following verses:
  

James 5:16 "Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." I have experienced the power behind these words this week. I have a friend who has been praying for me...and I have seen healing in an area....so I am so thankful for this! And I am thankful that I can now pray for her.....I LOVE this Scripture!

Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One to save, He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." It is amazing to me that God, in His mighty power, rejoices over us! He sings over us....how cool is that?? He embraces us when we run into His arms.....I am so thankful this has been pointed out to me by Him, through the reading of His Word and I, in turn, can pass this on to my friend....how thankful I am for when He quickens our spirits to certain Scriptures.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 & 10 "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up." The little title right above this portion of Scripture, in my Bible, is "The Value of a Friend". How very thankful I am for God providing me with exactly the friend I have needed these last 2 weeks. The amazing thing about it is that we barely knew each other before I left for vacation.....but because of the wonderful technology of Facebook/Wifi service, we have stayed connected while God has done another kind of connection.....a spiritual intimacy that is so different from any thing I have ever experienced before in a friendship that I really don't even know how to write about it. Just trust me on this: if you are looking for a close friend to share with, to "do life with" (as our pastor likes to say) then PRAY! God hears our cries....and He is so merciful to give us what we need when we need it.

• For restoration: an area of my life, that I have held on to for awhile, all the time knowing that I've needed to give it over to the Lord, has been restored. It wasn't easy nor was I super obedient to do this when God first told me to! But again, through His Word and through prayer and crying out, this area has been restored for me. I give Him thanks for that and I am so thankful He has mercy on us and is quick to embrace us even when we are so darn stubborn!

• For the weather: I have loved the cooler temps this summer. No central air has been needed and yet it still feels like summer....we have had some cool evenings, but I love those....I like sleeping with the windows open and not be sweating. Today is supposed to be foggy all a.m. and then the sun is supposed to be glorious........I am hoping that is true because.........

• I am thankful for a free day to bring my youngest daughter to one of her fave lakes (pictured below) and she has a friend coming.....and I have a friend coming.....I love when people can join me for a day of relaxation and watching the girls play....and I'm thankful I have a job that allows me to have my summers off!

There is so much more that I'm thankful for.......if you scroll down to the next post, that pretty much sums up what my roller coaster life has been like the last 2 weeks.....

Satan tries to steal our joy. He tries to rob us of trust and love. But you know what?

Jesus wins every single time. And, if we are open to a little bit of pain, in the growth process, we win, too!

Have a blessed day!

The Lake at
Cherry Plain State Park

Thankful Thursday

View from the Summit of Hadley Mountain
Lake George Region, Adirondacks

I haven't been on here much lately, mainly due to the fact that, like the holidays, this is our busiest time of the school year. With 2 daughters in their respective school Orchestras, and my youngest in Chorus and in a busy Dance Academy; my oldest in the Honors program plus taking a college level course, plus preparing for the big Spring Banquet at church, plus her life::group, plus her Youth Group activities....well....it sure keeps us whirling! And I have stepped up my daily workouts......which does take time! And my husband has been mentoring junior high kids as well as a college boy so....... We are all looking forward to the end of the month when we go on our summer vacation to Maine. WOW....do we ever need that week to regroup, relax, and recreate! So....what am I thankful for this Thursday?

• Psalms. The peaceful feeling that reading the psalms gives to my spirit.
• Prayer. I can always pray! I like letting go of stress by just offering a few words of "HELP" to God.
• Moms in Touch group: I am so thankful for this group of women who have been my friends this past year. It is a pleasure to come alongside of them.
• Youth Group leaders: I am in one amazing church. We have a Youth Pastor (whose wife is also involved with the teens) and several junior and senior high youth group volunteers. We have a coordinator who is hired to keep things running! And she actually took time out of her very busy schedule to bring her little boy to Courtney's orchestra concert on Tuesday nite. We are very impressed with how the Grace Fellowship Youth Ministry comes alongside the teens and encourages them, attends their events, etc. It is a HUGE blessing! (THANK YOU KEESHA!!)
• The fact that there are only 12 full days of school left and 2 half days!!! And I did not choose to work during the summer school session so I am home with my daughters ALL summer long! YEAH! I figure by next year, Courtney will be driving and probably working to save for college so...we are gonna enjoy every minute this summer.....I am SOOO ready for a nice long vacation with many days at the lakes, kayaking, hiking, and day trips.
• Spring flowers: I love how everything has come out early this year and that we have had a real spring for once. Perfect weather: warm days and cool evenings. Perfect for my walking work-outs, perfect for biking, perfect for outside gym days and perfect to just sit on the deck with a good book and relax after work. The scent of the various flowers around my yard is so intoxicating!
• Majestic Mountains: I was browsing through some of our hiking pictures and the one at the top is one of my fave views. We hiked this mountain about 4 years ago and what a glorious climb that was. We did it with our good friends/neighbors and the real treat was that at the summit the firetower was open! There is nothing like getting to the top of a mountain peak and being able to climb even higher via a tower! The air is so clean and crisp. I am so thankful we are all able to hike and enjoy even more of God's Creation.
  

It's almost time to enjoy a dinner out with my youngest at our fave diner, while my husband teaches at the Youth Center tonite and my oldest works on her final art project at the high school for a couple of hours this evening. I thank God for every moment I have had this week to reflect on His goodness and care for us!

What about you??
What are you most thankful for this week??
Please share!

Thanks Tank

Thursdays, among many of my blogging friends, have been set aside as a day to reflect on what is "filling our tank" and making us thankful for all that God does in a week. After reading the morning paper during my breakfast this a.m. it dawned on me just how blessed my husband and I really are. And the poor people in this country are STILL better off than the poverty-stricken people in African villages, in parts of Asia, parts of Central and South America. Seriously....Americans should not be complaining right now.......but rather, giving thanks for what we DO have.....like our freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Freedom to express ourselves. That is the main thing I am thankful for this week!

Other things that have "filled my thanks tank" this past week:

• Bright, Pink Roses that my teenager brought to me on Sunday evening. A wonderful ending to my Mother's Day. My family sure does know my love language!

• Scriptures that speak to my heart and mind. Too many to list here but I will soon be doing a post on some meditations and Scriptures I have been pondering on.....just need to find a chunk of time to sit and write my thoughts.

• Health: everyone in my family is healthy and has been for a very long time. This is huge to me. Although each child has her struggles (Claire with some new spring allergies, and Courtney's treatment with the Accutane is winding down), overall, God has truly blessed us. Everyone in the family is motivated to staying healthy, exercising either on the bikes or with the Wii Fit (and of course we are counting down the days until we can get those kayaks in the water!), and with eating healthful foods. My husband is dropping pounds and (I think) some inches around his waist and my goal is to drop about 5 more lbs. Although I am in the midst of peri-menopause and the only added weight is that horrid middle-aged ab weight, I am now motivated more than ever to firm, tone, and tighten thanks to the latest Prevention magazine and some new Strength Training exercises I have unlocked on the Wii Fit!

• Hugs and kisses from my youngest daughter. She is so physical touch! She is also acts of service but her physical touch language needs to be spoken each and every day and I love it as much as she does! There is nothing like hugging a happy 10 year old child! I thank God each and every day that my husband and I were given the added blessing of another daughter!

• The simple things in our daily lives: I am thankful for such things this week as Steam Cleaner service people who show up, get the job done and don't charge an exorbitant fee. For $149 I was able to have the family room, living room, stairway, upstairs hallway, and master bedroom steamed cleaned! Come autumn, I will have the girls' bedrooms done. Other things that are simple but I am sooo thankful for:
• fresh flower-scented candles for days like today that are grey, dreary, chilly and rainy. We need the rain but the gloominess is something I have never liked. Lighting a candle for my "after work" afternoons is a nice way to get the housework done.....I usually have about 2 hours before daughters start walking through the door and candles help me get through my chores with a peaceful feeling and a cozy ambience after a loud morning in the classroom!
• Great coffee: yes....drinking a cup of awesome coffee is something I am always thankful for. This week I have been enjoying the French Vanilla from DD. I am also thankful for my coffee brewer and that I can buy the DD coffee right at Target!
  

Other simple things:

• Holding hands with my hubby in the evenings,
• walking with my hubby,
  
• chatting online with FB friends near and far,
• good novels to read, good hiking books to peruse, a good Marriage book (Christian) I am studying....and moments I have carved out of my day to read....
• children who do their chores in a timely manner,
• children who are getting high grades in school and are working hard at maintaining those grades,
• listening to Claire practice violin,
  
• watching Courtney sketch something for Drawing,
• listening to Courtney tell me about Math/Trig that I don't understand but I love to see and hear the excitement in her voice. (how come that math gene skipped me???)
• buying groceries and not worrying too much about the budget....we're not millionaires but we are not suffering either...glory be to God!
• Sunny evenings talking with my neighbor in the yard between our homes....and knowing we are there for each other....
• The scent of my lilac bushes as I sit on the deck before dinner.

See how much we have to be thankful for, if we just pause for a moment and reflect??

What are you thankful for today??

"Surely you have granted him eternal blessings
and made him glad with the joy of your presence".
Psalm 21:6

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

Thanking God for the freedom of religion we experience in our country and for the power of prayer!

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER!

"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

PLEASE keep my daughter Courtney and her friends from Grace Fellowship and LIFE club in prayer. They are going to the prayer events at our state's capital this morning in lieu of some classes at Shaker High. We gave our permission and as long as we didn't mention LIFE club in the excuse, the school can dismiss them. They will be gone from 10 a.m. until about 1:30 so they can attend their last period classes.
This is huge....I never expected my teen to want to attend this.
The youth pastor from one of our local Catholic churches is driving that church's van and bringing the LIFE club members. (Thank you, Mark and thank you to Youth for Christ for making LIFE club a reality at our public high school....thank you GOD!)
I have stressed to my daughter than not only is she "representing" Shaker High but she is an ambassador for Christ.
Please pray that the teens will see the importance of praying for our nation, our leaders, and our state politicians. And remember: There IS power in PRAYER!

Trusting

When it comes to parenting, do you trust your instincts?

or do you trust the self-help/parenting books that are on bookshelves and touted in magazines, both secular and Christian ad nauseum??
What about the trust/counsel of leadership like church leaders, youth group workers, community leaders, teachers, principals, politicians?
What about the pediatrician, dermatalogist, pyschologist, school counselor, mentor?
What about your spouse?
What about other parents, grandparents, extended family members?
What about your own children?
What about God?
In whom do you place your trust?
Who do you turn to for parenting advice, for venting about teen angst, for a sympathetic ear?

Our sermon series for the next few weeks has been about "life2gthr". Catchy sermon series title, isn't it? Pastor Rex is very creative! So far he has talked about having close friends that we do life with. And that we have different levels of friendships.
This has led me to think about in whom do we confide our greatest fears, worries, anxieties, accomplishments, successes, celebrations?
I have often felt "alone" in my parenting. Keep in mind that I am not actually alone. I have a very involved husband who is a very involved dad...well...involved in certain ways. I doubt he can tell you the name of the girls' orthodontal group or the principal of the wing that his teen daughter is in at the high school! I have taught parenting classes to inner city parents. I have run parent-teacher conferences and IEP meetings. I have mentored other parents of tweens and preschoolers. Most of my friends are parents. We have common experiences, beliefs and value systems. But.....sometimes....although surrounded by family, friends and the faith community, I have still felt alone. Especially in my thoughts for the girls' futures.

Has anyone else felt this way?

Do any of you wonder about which college your child will choose?
Do you wonder about what type of man your daughter might date....and maybe marry?
Do you worry about money for college? and that most children have to take out large loans to just pay for books, let alone tuition?
Do you worry about their purity, innocence, safety?
I know I do at times.
And it is at those times that I try to remember to just trust. To trust in the One who brings ultimate Peace. Philippians 4:6 is probably one of the more familiar verses for talking about peace: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
As we begin to trust God, that Peace will envelop us. You might have to picture your self laying your burdens, worries, anxieties, hopes and dreams for your children (or your self!) down at the foot of the Cross and leaving them there. Or maybe you need to imagine your self taking Jesus' hand and walking through this life together. That is what I am currently doing.
Sometimes I have to recite over and over my favorite verse from Proverbs: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." (Prov. 3:5&6)
I don't know which college my daughter will be applying to and attending.
I don't know whom she will marry, or if she marries.
I don't know what kind of a driver she will be when she starts learning this summer.
I don't know if she will choose to be baptised at Grace Fellowship or if she will wait.
I don't even know if she will continue in the faith/beliefs we are raising her to know.
What I do know is that there is Someone who walks beside me, who is closer than a brother.
He brings Peace to my heart as I learn to trust Him more and more. Yes, I use all the help aides I can get my hands on. Yes, I know which friends to turn to when I have questions about teens.....I am thankful I have friends who have been through the teen years in their parenting experience. Yes, I sometimes just "go with my gut"...my maternal instincts, my common sense, or my educational background.
But...as I continue to parent a teenager (and a tween!) I am finding that I am reaching more and more for His Hand to help me do life. We are doing life together.
It's all about Trust.

In whom do you place your trust today?

With a Thankful Heart

I have often done these "thankful Thursday" memes with not much effort. I have lots to be thankful for, and I delight in giving thanks for even the "little things" or the "simple things". It usually takes me just a few min. to type my list and I don't put much thought into it at all.
But..this week...I am putting much thought into what I want to post.

I am so thankful for my wonderful, loving, faithful husband.
This week I want to honor my husband by saying a huge "thank you" to him for oh, so much!

• for filling my love tank: my primary love language is Gifts followed by Quality Time. He has met both of these languages this week by surprising me with the Point of Grace cd he gave me on Easter Sunday morning. The one with my absolute fave song by them on it: "How You Live" Powerful lyrics! He also has met my quality time by actually wanting (i.e. he initiated this!) to power walk or just casually stroll, with me in the evenings this week after dinner. It is a great season for us: we have a teen daughter who is extremely capable of watching her 10 year old sister and making sure the evening routine gets done (dishes in dishwasher, showers, reading time, etc.), and with the use of cell phones we can be in touch if something comes up. My 10 year old gets her homework done before dinner and needs no reminders to practice the violin after dinner before her shower. My teen sometimes has HW left after dinner or is good about putting away her laundry, overseeing Claire, etc. It is a nice season for us to be in: we can walk together for a work-out or just stroll to talk without pushing a stroller, guiding a child on a bike, or just not getting out due to them being too young to leave alone. I am so thankful for every stage my children have gone through but I am especially thankful for this current one as it gives Dave and I some "talking time" while still awake, still functioning emotionally and mentally, and being outside together! I am thankful that he wants to take care of his body and work out more and that he bought the Wii Fit to help him stay on task!

• For taking care of the lawn: here in NYS this is the month when the fertilizer should be put down and the weed killer applied. He did all of this last Saturday and even watered my tulip plants for me. (we are having quite the dry spell here). He also did some little things in the house for me, and went to the ATM for me (I despise that errand...not sure why but it always seem so "out of my way" to get cash)

• For taking us out to one of my fave restaurants on Easter Sunday. There will be more about this in my Fave 5 post tomorrow.
  

• For not minding all the spending I have done lately: both girls needed new spring and early summer clothing. They both have gotten taller a bit and Courtney's summer shirts are a little too tight....she is 15 and has a figure now :) They also wanted new Easter outfits which I didn't get last year so...we did that. I am thankful that I have a husband who doesn't mind me spending money. He knows I shop the outlets and sales and use my paycheck for those little "extras". He is very different from a boyfriend I had who wanted to keep track of every nickel and dime. That was so controlling and so unhealthy!! but Dave likes to shop, too, so that helps! I have also been updating some things in our home like new lamps, curtains, drapes, quilt, pictures and donating "old stuff" to Goodwill or Salvation Army. I am thankful that I have a husband who helps me balance career and home and children and who actually enjoys talking to me about my job and the students and enjoys helping with the girls. I still do most of the housework (I actually want to...partly because I am a control freak and partly because I really do love it and take the "manage your home" Scriptures fairly literally.) It also helps that I only teach part time and am home each day by 1-2 pm! He makes it easy for me to balance work, home, children, ministry/church, and social/friends/hospitality/entertaining, and "me time".
  

• I am thankful that Dave is the man he is: he is a true "student of the Word". He is always bringing home some new John Piper book or Philip Yancey book or some such thing to aid his Bible study. He mentors a couple of young men in our church; one is only a senior in high school but he actually takes the time to invest in Z's life. He doesn't mind shlepping a bunch of teens around with his 15 year old. He shares his struggles with me, his concerns for our daughters' future, his dreams and visions as a Christian family and his vision for serving in the ministry. I am so thankful he feels free to talk with me about these things.

• I am thankful that he still loves me even after days when I am pms-ing and a tad bit "grouchy" (usually because some chore or something on "my" agenda didn't get done). I am thankful for his patience with me. I am thankful for 19 (almost!) years of marriage to my best friend!

• I am thankful that he is a leader in our church that other people look up to: the junior high teens and their parents; the senior high teens who know him, the other Life::Redefined volunteers and staff members, the pastor of Student Ministries and our Senior Pastor. He has done alot of serving in our 3 1/2 years at this church and he plans on serving many more. I am thankful that he encourages me and my ministries (mentoring, Moms in Touch) and with serving and spending so much time with the HizKidzPraise ministry that Claire is in. I am thankful that he took marriage small groups with me and that he was open to getting to know other couples and likes to entertain and be hospitable. I am thankful he is a Believer and has embraced this Evangelical church as his own.

• I am thankful he is a smart, funny, kind, patient, loving Daddy and husband. Thank you God for Dave!

Easter Sunday afternoon
12 April, 2009
High Rock Park
Saratoga Springs, NY

With Thanks

Haven't done a "thankful Thursday" in a few weeks so here goes!
I need to make it short and sweet tho as I wanna get out to do my work-out and then tackle some more closet organizing. It's spring cleaning time!

Here is what I am most thankful for today:

• Sunshine and warm temps! Windows are open in my house. Not all the way but just enough to let in the nice spring breeze. Temp is 61 according to my car while driving home from work/groceries at 12:15 pm. Thank you God for sun and warmth!

• The director of our children's music/drama/dance ministry at church. You've seen some pics of past HizKidz Praise musicals. This is a dynamic children's ministry where children in grades 3-8 can use their natural giftings in the arts. My youngest loves dance and I am so thankful she has this ministry to participate in and be able to use her secular training. The director puts so much time into each musical and not only rehearses with the children but actually teaches them drama/stage stuff and has them learn spiritual lessons as well. She is constantly reminding them that their performances are for the glory of God and to help spread the message of the Gospel. Thank you God, for Candace!

• For fresh fruit that was on sale this week! Blueberries, strawberries and grapes were all on sale today at my grocers so I made sure to stock up! I still have a wonderful melon from last week so tonite I will do some fruit salad to go with whatever I toss on the grill. My daughters love fresh fruit and I love the blueberries on cereal every a.m. Thank you God, for fresh, affordable fruit!

• For a husband who likes to bring surprises: Dave totally surprised me last Saturday afternoon by buying me 4 tulip plants to place in the front flower garden. I had lost several bulbs last spring due to rabbits digging them up and this past autumn I really had no time to work in that garden and replace the bulbs. He not only bought the starter plants but he actually put them in the ground for me! Remember: my love language is gifts so this really made my day! Thank you God, for a great husband who likes to surprise me!

• For the power of prayer: my husband's brother in law (and mine) who is married to my husband's youngest sister, was rushed to the hospital for complications after a surgical procedure. We prayed and I hear he is doing better! Glory to God! AND...I am thankful that God helped Claire's legs/hips to feel better this morning. Yesterday she was quite achy due to a ballet routine the teacher put them through. The teacher did warn us that the girls would have very sore legs on Wednesday, the day after Ballet. Sure enough...and Claire was a bit worried as she has to dance 2 modern dances that are quite challenging for her, this weekend during the HizKidz Praise show. So...thank you God for the power of prayer!

That's it for me today!
I am changing out of my teaching clothes, grabbing a bottle of water and heading outside for my power-walk. My goal is to do 1 1/2 miles and then I need to run another errand & finish organizing closets before overseeing homework and dinner.

Are you thankful for anything specific today?

What are you most thankful for??

With a Grateful Heart

It's been a couple of weeks since I've done a Thankful Thursday post.
I'm once again short on time due to a busy work week.
Tonite we have Courtney's orchestra concert at school and I have been busy with the house after teaching all a.m. as well as power walking for the Homestretch Challenge which I will be sharing about tomorrow for the Friday Fave Five.

So....here's what I am most thankful for this week:
At the Moms in Touch meeting on Tuesday, I lifted up both daughters with specific requests for each of them. Our theme for the week was "God is merciful". I prayed that both girls would learn to show mercy when needed with peers, family members, etc. Mercy is a tough thing to extend at times, isn't it? Sometimes we are just too quick to judge.

So...I prayed that my teen (Courtney) would continue to show kindness and mercy towards her school and church friends. I also prayed for her time management skills and that they would improve in certain areas.

And the Lord has started to answer my prayers!

I am so thankful we can go to Him, alone, or with other Believers, like in my group, and lift our concerns to Him to carry.

Courtney decided, on her own, to skip her one study hall she gets per week (yes, she is an overachiever) and take her Science test so that she could miss her science class to attend her violin lesson. Typically she is allowed to miss a violin lesson if a test is scheduled for that time period. However, she really wanted to attend the lesson as it was today, the day of a concert and she wanted to make sure she knew her piece. I felt like this was a direct answer to prayer about her time management skills. Her other option was to stay after school to take the test or just skip the lesson. I think she made a wise choice!

The other answer to prayer: (this was taken from the Rachel Scott website)

"Rachel Scott was the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Her acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her six diaries have become the foundation for one of the most life-changing school programs in America.

Powerful video/audio footage of Rachel's life and the Columbine tragedy holds students spell-bound during a one hour school presentation that motivates them to positive change in the way they treat others.

This is followed by an interactive 45-minute training session involving both adult and student leaders that shows how to sustain the momentum created by the assembly. The assembly creates the “want to” or desire for positive change. The training session teaches the “how to” and ensures that the positive impact will continue.

That evening the Rachel’s Challenge speaker conducts a powerful session with parents and community leaders. This session is similar to the assembly program and ends with a specific challenge to parents and community leaders, showing them how they can reinforce the decisions their youth are making.

Entertainers, politicians, sports celebrities, educators, and even two Presidents of the United States have been impacted by Rachel’s Challenge. However, students are the target audience and they have proven that they will respond with positive words, attitudes, and actions.

Your school will never be the same after being exposed to Rachel’s Challenge!"

Our school, Shaker High, will be doing this next Thursday!
And only 10% of the student body (we have about 2000 students in grades 9-12)have been asked to be a part of the training team during last period after the presentation. (The entire student body will attend the multi-media assembly).

Courtney was referred by one of her teachers to attend this!
WHY? because of her leadership potential, her compassion for others and her strong faith!
Praise be to God!!!!
My prayer is being answered in marvelous ways. She used to be rather shy and introverted and since becoming a part of the Life::Redefined Youth ministry at our church she has become more extroverted about her Christian walk as well as in general. She is even on the student leadership team after taking the leadership classes. So.....
I thank God for answers to prayer.
I thank my Lord for our church, the youth ministry, and the leaders.
I thank God for our school district for bringing Rachel's Challenge to us.
I thank God for my daughters!

(and the prayers for my youngest were answered in a positive way as well: she had been a little anxious about the NYS Math exams and after the first day (it is a 3 day exam) she said it was actually easier than her normal tests at school and she was no longer nervous! )

Has God done something specific for you this week?
What are you most thankful for today??