Posts from — November 2007

Maybe it’s my outlook on life right now but I really give more credit to the Holy Spirit working in my heart and life to sit here and say, I am more thankful this year than I can ever remember. I don’t necessarily have anything drastically different to be thankful for but for some reason, my mind and heart are focusing on all of the things I have been blessed with and in a very non-cliché way, this is the best Thanksgiving season ever.

Last year I was sick while my parents were here and my excitement to cook the every daunting meal for my parents, dwindled as I lay in bed. This year, I had the company of great friends and family and really enjoyed the day but much more have enjoyed remembering why I have a reason to be thankful and all that God has done in my heart and life and for the people He has blessed me with.

Now before you think that life is just peachy keen and going my way I would like to point out that everything has not been perfect. Even this week, I’ve been fighting the blahs and struggling a bit with how my life looks so different than what I thought it would be and even how I hoped and wanted it to be. I used to believe that if I had a desire or a dream, that God would not have given that to me if He didn’t want me to pursue it, or that He would change my desire completely. I believe that only in light of God’s sovereign reign and plan for my life. I will always desire to have my health, or that Daniel and I can live a long life together, but the truth is, God may choose to work differently but in dependence on Him, He will give me the grace and strength to walk through whatever circumstance I find myself in…whether reaching my dream or goal, or dealing with the loss of a dream.

So, in light of that, I choose to be thankful no matter my circumstances and trust the One who knows my circumstances inside and out.

The LBD Dual Significance: I like the picture above, not the part that shows my damp hair but the part that shows the leaf that is bigger than my head! Maybe its a cheesy analogy but walking that dreary path in Portland (as much as I loved it), was not the best traveled path. It was wet, slick, and kind of gross out. Living life is kind of the same way. Many times it is wet, slick, and gross all around us but if we have the perspective and open eyes, we can see amazing things around us. Like that HUGE leaf! If I was focused on how cold I was or how wet my jeans were or how ugly my hair looked, I might have missed the beautiful trees and this amazing leaf. I really want to live my life with my eyes focused on the big leaves rather than the wet clothes. I have lived the other way around and it is not nearly as cool.

Psalms 95:1-7 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

So I’ve been a little busy lately and only been home long enough to get laundry done, pack, and repack it seems. I’ve wondered how I ever survived last year at this time with a full time job on top of this usual travel schedule. I’ve just added our Portland pictures to the site so be sure to check out all the fishing pictures from Portland and our Columbia River Gorge excursion. I’m not sure I even mentioned that we went fishing and Daniel caught an 8 foot, 300 lb sturgeon. Seriously!!! It was awesome.

I have so much to say and have not made the time to say it. Here is the a quick run down of my life and thoughts:

*Portland was awesome
*My older brother & sister-in-law welcomed their 2nd son
*I shopped at Opryland for 2 days while Daniel worked and barely found anything
*I have close friends that are hurting, anxious, overwhelmed, and on huge faith journeys and I have been working through my own responses to each of these scenarios and how God wants to use me or not use me. It is hard to sit and watch people you love go through stuff and feel so inept but I know God calls me to pray which is the best thing I can do.
*Daniel rode 106 miles in the Smokey Mountains on his bike with some buddies and I got to visit Emily in Alabama!
*My car died and came back to life
*We went to camp with our high school students and loved it as usual. It was hard at first for me not to be on the team running it but I am so thankful for the quality time I got to spend with my girls. I also wore superman underwear on stage and now the picture is all over facebook. Lovely.
*I cried on Veteran’s Day for the first time. And I kept crying. The military has been a little removed from my life but this year, three different scenarios forced me to a strong realization and thankfulness for their service.
*I’m the most thankful that I can ever remember. I’m very excited to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends.
*I just turned on Christmas music for the first time.

The LBD Dual Significance: I don’t have time to thoroughly explain how this relates but simply the fact the God is able to do anything we ask, but if He chooses not to, He is still worthy of all our praise, faith, and trust.

Daniel 3:17-18 “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”