Thankful Thursdays

I'm thankful for giraffes in my dishwasher.



I'm even more thankful for the Littles that put him there and made me smile with the pretend games he played while helping me unload the dishes. You know, the whispered dialogue, narrating his play, accompanied by various sound effects.

I'm so deeply thankful. These are blessed days indeed.

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Seeking Perspective

I've had such strong, yet conflicting feelings lately about money. Money, money, money... a necessary evil. As we undergo changes in our home, we are, of necessity, re-evaluating our financial situation. It makes my head spin. Now is the time I wish I could sit down with an older, wiser preacher's wife and just chat about these things. I feel like I could use some wisdom.

Because I think starting at the end will help me piece things together... the conclusion I am reaching is that things are not always what they seem, so I need to just keep my heart, mind, and thoughts focused here on our little home and not worry about others.

For instance, today when I was driving to the grocery store, there was a nun driving a new red jaguar in the car behind me. My immediate thought was, "What on earth is a nun doing driving a new jaguar?!?!" It was just so discombobulating, especially considering the concerns I've had lately. Then I thought... maybe things are not what they seem. I do not know her situation. Maybe she has no car, but needed to get to a doctor's appointment, so a wealthy person lent her the car to drive. Maybe the car was a gift. Maybe she stole the car and the nun's habit was her disguise. (Just kidding on that one!) The thing is, I just don't know and can't know, so I need to not worry about it.

The situation with preachers and their money is a very, very, very tricky one. I think some of you may be able to sympathize. For one, other than the military where salary is by rank, there are not many professions where your salary is widely known and publicized. As we are seeking financial support to do the Lord's work, we just sent letters all over the country publicizing our income. Eeeeep. It's also one of the few professions I know of where you essential set your own salary in many cases, though this is not without checks and balances. We put hours of work into determining our budget and we still struggle with wondering if it is too much or too little. Our household budget is available upon (reasonable) request. We endeavor to live above reproach, but it still makes me slightly uncomfortable. I don't like the feeling of being judged.

Preachers are not known for their cushy salaries, but what about when you see a preacher with a nice home, a nice new car, new furniture, an iPhone, wearing designer clothing, etc... Does your mind rush to make a judgement? I admit it, I have been guilty. And I am ashamed. I have to remind myself, "maybe things are not as they seem". Maybe that iPhone was a gift, maybe the family saved for that new car for 5 years, maybe the new furniture was bought with a mind to dedicate it to the service of hospitality, maybe those designer clothes were given to the family and free designer clothes are cheaper than cheap clothes at Target... I just don't know, I can't know, and really, it is none of my business.

Then on the flip side... More than ever before, comes the realization that our living comes from money that has been dedicated to the Lord and His work. Hardworking families give of their means to allow us to be here doing this work. We MUST be wise stewards with these gifts.

And I must remember that we are not the only ones. I know of too many preachers that are struggling to get all of the financial support they need. Families are struggling, yet they continue working hard for the Lord. My prayer: God, bless them in their work. Help them and help us to have our need freely supplied.

I remember stories of preachers in the past... A dear man that has since passed on told the story of his time as a traveling preacher during the Great Depression. The custom was that he would preach for whatever was put in the collection plate that Sunday. One Sunday, he was paid $.35. When he and his wife got in the car that day the preacher said, "Well honey, I put in the quarter." She replied, "Honey, I put in the dime." Preachers need not take a vow of poverty and yet I know many who did just that in their dedication to the Lord and His work.

In this country, being rich or poor is entirely a state of mind. I read the story of The Rich Family in Church today and it was so timely in helping me gain perspective. We live in America (well, most of us), the richest nation on the planet. I haven't kept up with all of the Wall Street garbage, so forgive me if I say this poorly, but America's 99% are still the world's 1%! I've seen true third world poverty with my own eyes. We do not have a poverty problem in this country, we have an entitlement problem.

When I keep my eyes from wandering, when I look around at my comfortable surroundings, my beautiful gifts, my healthy, well-fed children, I am very content and I feel RICHLY blessed. God has cared for me, and he will continue to do so. I am so deeply thankful. I just need to keep these thoughts on the forefront of my mind. There are so many verses I could use here, but I'm sure you know them too. They, too, are on my heart and mind as I seek wisdom from above.

I almost didn't publish this post. As I said, talking about money is so very tricky. But I needed to sort out some thoughts and this is my forum for doing so. Advice and perspective on the matter is very much welcome. Feel free to e-mail me if you don't wish to comment publicly. churchmouseathome at gmail dot com

Thank you, kind readers. May you, too, be richly blessed!

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Hymn of Thanksgiving

Be Present At Our Table, Lord

by Louis Bour­geois

Be present at our table, Lord;
Be here and everywhere adored;
Thy creatures bless, and grant that we
May feast in paradise with Thee.

We thank Thee, Lord, for this our food,
For life and health and every good;
By Thine own hand may we be fed;
Give us each day our daily bread.

We thank Thee, Lord, for this our good,
But more because of Jesus’ blood;
Let manna to our souls be giv’n,
The Bread of Life sent down from Heav’n.

My prayer is that you will be surrounded by family and loved ones, but more so by the love of our Savior. May your day be blessed!

~ CM

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Psalm 44:8 - "In God have we made our boast all the day long, And we will give thanks unto thy name for ever."

I was struck by this passage today. Do I indeed boast about God all day long? Do I speak His name when I tell of all of the blessings He gives? I think I need to be not only more thankful, but more outspoken when it comes to naming the One "from whom all blessings flow".

Today, I am thankful that Preacher Man tells me that I am beautiful. I'm inclined to quickly shrug it off when he says that, but today, I tried to take the moment to revel in the thought and be thankful in the blessing. I am loved and I am blessed. For this, I am undeserving, but I am still deeply thankful.

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Giving Thanks

Better than Thanksgiving is ThanksLIVING! Don't forget to give thanks!

John 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."

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"Wonder Song"

Thankful Thursday

The writings are from Mrs. Wilder, the photo is from me. If you look carefully in the background, you can see the workers harvesting the pumpkins. They were tossing them down the line until the pumpkin got to the closest person to the truck. Not the ideal day to visit the pumpkin patch, but it had its own sort of beauty.

King Winter has sent warning of his coming! There was a delightful freshness in the air the other morning, and all over the low places lay the first frost of the season.

What a beautiful world this is! Have you noticed the wonderful coloring of the sky at sunrise? For me there is no time like the early morning, when the spirit of light broods over the earth at its awakening. What glorious colors in the woods these days! Did you ever think that great painters have spent their lives trying to reproduce on canvas what we may see every day? Thousands of dollars are paid for their pictures which are not so beautiful as those nature gives us freely. The colors in the sky at sunset, the delicate tints of the early spring foliage, the brilliant autumn leaves, the softly colored grasses and lovely flowers-- what painter ever equalled their beauties with paint and brush? I have in my living room three large windows uncovered by curtains which I call my pictures. Everchanging with the seasons, with wild birds and gay squirrels passing on and off the scene, I never have seen a landscape painting to compare with them.

As we go about our daily tasks the work will seem lighter if we enjoy these beautiful things that are just outside our doors and windows. It pays to go to the top of the hill, now and then, to see the view and to stroll thru the wood lot or pasture forgetting that we are in a hurry or that there is such a thing as a clock in the world. You are "so busy"! Oh yes I know it! We are all busy, but what are we living for anyway and why is the world so beautiful if not fur us? The habits we form last us through this life and I firmly believe into the next. Let's not make such a habit of hurry and work that when we leave this world we feel impelled to hurry thru the spaces of the universe using our wings for feather dusters to clean away the star dust.

The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes and surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies.

I strolled today down a woodland path--

A crow cawed loudly and flew away.

The sky was blue and the clouds were gold

And drifted before me fold on fold;

The leaves were yellow and red and brown

And patter, patter the nuts fell down,

On this beautiful, golden autumn day.

A squirrel was storing his winter hoard,

The world was pleasant: I lingered long,

The brown quails rose with a sudden whirr

And a little bundle, of eyes and fur,

Took shape of a rabbit and leaped away.

A little chipmunk came out to play

And the autumn breeze sang a wonder song.

Mrs. A. J. Wilder. "An Autumn Day." Missouri Ruralist, (October 20, 1916): page 9.

Are We Too Busy?

The sunlight and shadows in the woods were beautiful that morning, the sunlight a little pale and the air with that quality of hushed expectancy that the coming of autumn brings. Birds were calling to one another and telling of the wonderful Southland and the journey they must take before long. The whole, wide outdoors called me and tired muscles and nerves rasped from the summer's rush pleaded for rest, but there was pickle to make, drying apples to attend to, vegetables and fruits that must be gathered and stored, the Saturday baking and the thousand things of the everyday routine to be done.

Are we too busy? Read the rest here.

This lovely piece of prose was written by the same woman who wrote these:



(Found these hardcover volumes at a yard sale for $.50 each. What treasures!)

My Dad read the Little House books to me when I was a child and when I learned to read myself, I read them over and over again. Now I am blessed to be able to share them with my own Littles and am gaining even more of an appreciation for them. Her writings speak comfort to my soul. I don't know what it is about farm folk, but I feel very at home with such people, and Mrs. Wilder certainly has a way of making readers feel like friends. Did you know that Mrs. Wilder was a popular columnist with the farm paper, The Missouri Ruralist before she wrote her famous Little House series?

You can find all of her articles for the Missouri Ruralist here.

I love the way she ended this article, "Thanksgiving will soon be here and it is time to be getting our blessings in order. But why wait for Thanksgiving? Why not just be thankful now?"

Thank you Mrs. Wilder. I am indeed thankful! We are so richly blessed!

Thankful for Summer Produce

We have had some goooooood eating lately! I get such a thrill when I pick something from the garden and get to cook and eat it within a matter of hours. I also love the freedom that it gives me in my cooking. I freely add fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, oregano, chives, thyme), chop in some kale, throw in some fresh diced tomatoes, and add fresh green beans to whatever I am making. Being able to cook and eat this way makes me feel as rich as a queen!



linguine with fresh tomatoes, basil and oregano

For the most part, we eat seasonally, meaning we eat produce when it is ripe and in season locally. This means we enjoy buying fruits and vegetables at their lowest price, highest content of nutrition, and at their best flavor. It also means I thoroughly enjoy each food in its time. I'm not buying strawberries right now, but that is ok because I enjoy them in May and June. Right now I'm enjoying the delicious local peaches that are in season and am looking forward to the apples that are just around the corner.

Every couple of days, we enjoy eating crisp, fresh green beans cooked Italian style. They are DE-LI-CIOUS! Here's how I fix them:



Italian Style Green Beans
Saute a red onion in olive oil over medium heat until it starts to turn golden brown. Add a clove or two of minced garlic. Then add some fresh, young green beans (trim the ends first) and stir fry them. Cook until crisp-tender. They should not be mushy and should be bright green. Add in a diced fresh tomato and season with some salt and pepper and some fresh chopped herbs. (I like basil.)

You can do zucchini the same exact way.

Have you ever noticed that the best way to start a dish is to saute some onions and garlic? Yum!

Yesterday I told Preacher Man I could eat this every day. I could, but I won't, because when green beans are no longer in season, I'll be in love with fresh roasted brussel sprouts again. :) God is good and I am thankful that He has given us foods to enjoy in season!

Moses' blessing for Joseph's children in Deuteronomy 33 -

Blessed by the LORD be his land, with the choicest gifts of heaven above, and of the deep that crouches beneath, with the choicest fruits of the sun and the rich yield of the months, with the finest produce of the ancient mountains and the abundance of the everlasting hills, with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwells in the bush.

Garbage

Today I'm thankful for Preacher Man and the way he helps out with house chores without my even asking. I don't realize just how much he does until he is gone and I have to do it all! He always carries out the recycling and garbage for me (often with help from a Littles). I'm oh-so-thankful for my Preacher Man.

I can't wait until he's home again and it isn't so I can have a garbage collector. I just miss having him around.

Well, it's off to bed for me. G'night!

Brown Bear

Today I'm thankful for picture books, especially what I call "singing books". I have a musical background and one of my greatest joys in life is sharing musical books with children. Books do not have to be based upon a song or about music to be musical. Reading a book with a child is a very special experience, but singing a book with a child adds an entirely new dimension. Music, even at its most basic level, touches the very soul of a child.

The very first book I sing for my babies is Eric Carle's Brown Bear, Brown Bear. I just love Eric Carle's gorgeous illustrations and the bright, simple pictures are very appealing to the eyes of a newborn just learning how to focus. The words of this book are set to a simple tune, and if you pay careful attention to the video, you will notice that I've made some slight modifications to the words and when to turn the pages to help it make more sense to babies.



Now if you are interested in the more technical aspects of what makes this such an enriching experience for babies, read on:

• The tune is a "sol-mi" melody with with a "la" and a "do" thrown in for those who are familiar with solfege. The sol-mi interval is the most natural for young children to sing. It is the same interval children sing when they taunt with "nanny-nanny-boo-boo". Did you know every culture has a "nanny-nanny-boo-boo" song? There are different syllables used, but the tune is universal. Fascinating isn't it?
• When you sing, use a high and light voice as I demonstrate in the video. Children find it easiest to match pitch when singing between the D just below the treble clef staff up to the C on the staff. Most adults tend to sing way too low for children to be successful matching pitch. Try to listen to the pitch where your child naturally talks (if they talk yet!) and match them.
• You don't need instruments to sing with children. A simple guitar accompaniment can enhance the singing a bit, but anything else becomes a distraction. Most recorded children's music is rather overwhelming in the amount of noise bombarding the child. Just sing using your natural voice! Your child will love it and it is the best way for them to learn!
• So you can't carry a tune in a bucket? That's ok, sing anyway! Do your best and realize that your baby is not a critic. Your baby will love your singing because it is YOU. Every baby thinks his mother has the most beautiful voice in the world, so soak up those adoring looks and relish in it. After you sing a nap time book or two, rock and sing a few lullabies. Years later, you will be thankful for those sweet times together.
  

Finally, Brown Bear is not just for babies! Pre-school children love it too! When I share this book with pre-readers, it often becomes the first book they are able to "read" on their own. I have the sweetest video of Big Littles "reading" this book, singing it perfectly in tune by himself when he was just two. I'd love to share it, but it shows his adorable face, which is just way too adorable for this blog. ;)



This post is a part of the Four Moms Read Aloud linkup. See here for some other wonderful nap and bedtime read alouds.

In addition, each of the Four Moms talk about having a daily quiet time each afternoon for children of all ages. I highly recommend the practice. Mrs. Smockity posted some of the best advice EVER for quiet time and it made all the difference in making it work with our pre-school child. I'm ever thankful for these four ladies sharing their wisdom every week! (Hey, another reason for Thankful Thursday!)

Thankful for My Mother(s)

Today, I am thankful for my mothers. First, my own mother, who was the first person I learned to love. I have so many lovely memories of spending time with her, first as a child, learning how to bake, how to sew, and how to read. Best of all, she taught me to love God. As an adult, my favorite times with her have been just working together - canning 200 pounds of tomatoes, helping with their house construction, working in the garden, weaving baskets... She is such a strong, Godly woman, and I am so blessed to be her daughter.

Second, my mother-in-law, who is another strong, Godly woman. None of the mother-in-law stereotypes apply with her. She treats me wonderfully, and though she came into my life so much later, is someone I learned to love so easily. She's such a fun, witty lady, and is always kind to listen and advise. I am so grateful for the way she lovingly raised and taught Preacher Man, being the greatest influence on forming him into the amazing Godly man that he is.

I am blessed to have such wonderful grandmothers for our Littles, and so blessed to have two ladies I call "Mom" who are also such good friends!

Thank you both for the wonderful blessing that you are in my life!

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.
-- Washington Irving

Thankful Thursdays

Psalm 57 -

¹Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in You my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
²I cry out to God Most High,
to God Who fulfills His purpose for me.
³He will send from heaven and save me;
He will put to shame him who tramples on me.
Selah
God will send out His steadfast love and His faithfulness!

So much here for which I am thankful...
God's mercy, refuge, salvation, love, faithfulness, and that He has a purpose for ME!

God is good! God is faithful! Always.

Thankful Thursdays: Spring!

It is my favorite time of year! Spring! Aren't these tulip trees breathtaking!?







Lovely spring days like today are so refreshing to the soul! I am thankful for God's marvelous creation! He sure is an artist to give us so many delights for the eye.



I don't know what this tree is. A weeping something or other, but it sure is beautiful!



And then some lovely daffodils and grape hyacinth. I just love hyacinth. They have such a delightful perfume.

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

From "A Prayer in Spring" by Robert Frost

My Sewing Machine

Thankful Thursdays



Today I'm very thankful for my sewing machine. I'm almost equally thankful for a large desk that I use as my sewing table and the fact that I have the space to keep my sewing machine and iron set up and ready to use at all times. Not having to haul everything out every time I want to work on a project means that I use it MUCH more often!

Anyway, my lovely little Bernette was just given to me by my mom when my machine was near the end of its life. This is my mom's old machine that she bought back in the early 90's, but it is still humming along beautifully for me! My sewing machine saves me a lot of money. I am able to make frugal gifts for friends, make my own curtains, mend clothing easily, sew modest clothing, or make alterations to make things modest. Personally, I think every girl ought to have some basic sewing skills. Mine sure have been useful!

I've been doing some mending lately, working on patching some jeans and I put new elastic in a waistband for Big Littles. I have a pair of pants that need hemming as well. I'm taking pictures as I go, with the idea of posting them as a tutorial here. Any requests for sewing tutorials? It would need to be something I would do anyway, but I'm happy to hear what my readers would be interested in learning.

The internet is such a wealth of information, but if you want to acquire some basic sewing skills, your library probably has a copy of the Singer books. My favorite is the Sewing for the Home volume. You will find step by step instructions complete with pictures - they make it very easy! This book is where I learned how to make curtains and make a mitered corner.

What do you like to sew? What would you like to learn how to sew?

Thankful Thursdays: Living Water

Psalm 42:2 - My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;

John 4:13-14 - Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Matthew 7:7-11 - Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Back in October when I first started this blog, I described myself as being spiritually "as dry as a desert". I cried out to God about my thirst, and He heard my prayer. Today, I am thankful for His living water which He has been pouring into my life ever since. I still don't often hear an entire sermon, and my time for personal study is as rare as it was before, but God has blessed me with spiritual nourishment just when I need it the most in the form of encouraging fellowship, a kind note, encouraging lectures, Godly advice, and insightful books. The Lord has been mindful of me, and I am grateful for His blessings.

I've not yet finished the book, but I have been so encouraged reading Diapers, Pacifiers, and Other Holy Things by Lorraine Pintus. This collection of encouraging words from a mother who has been right where I am now has been a balm for my soul. Being a mother of Littles is tough work. Here's an excerpt from the first chapter:

I love You, Lord, I prayed. I want to spend time with You. But the days of hour-long quiet times with You are gone.

God agreed. You don't have an hour, Lorraine. But you have a moment!

Day after day, I worked hard to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (II Cor. 10:5). Seeing God in every circumstance became easier, more natural. Then a strange thing happened. I began to sing! In the midst of mundane duties, God was allowing me to glimpse His glory. Even as I wiped spit up off the floor or cleared strained peas off the wall, I rejoiced. I was in the presence of the living God.

Before having kids, I had compartmentalized God, sticking Him into time slots labeled Bible Study, Quiet Time, and Church. Now the compartment walls had fallen down. God spilled over into every moment of my life.

Ironic isn't it? It took not having an hour with God to realize that I had the whole day with Him!

Thank you God for these moments. They are like streams of water in the desert, quenching the thirst in my soul. Thank you God for Your Word, the Living Water in my life.

Isaiah 35:6-7 - For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water

Thankful Thursdays - Answered Prayers

I am so thankful that prayers made yesterday were answered so favorably for the tiny baby man and his surgery. Mrs. DH posted here in The Common Room if you want to read the update yourself. They still need prayers and I plan to continue them, but I'm just so thankful and joyful that the surgery went well.

Ephesians 3:14-21 - For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)

THANK YOU GOD for answering our fervent prayers!

Food for Thought

I have a feeling many of my Thankful Thursday posts may have to do with food/grocery shopping, as it is the day I usually go do my shopping. :)

Today I am most thankful for the abundance and variety of food that we have, both in our cupboards, and at the store. We have so much more than what we need for our "daily bread" and basic nutrition. We can buy and enjoy food from almost any country in the world! Sweets and treats are abundant! I customarily eat foods that are in season, but If I'm in the mood for fresh tomatoes and raspberries in December, I can buy them! If I want really fancy food, I can buy it! Incidentally, I saw lump crab meat ON SALE for $15 per pound!!! ACK! But if I wanted some, I could buy it! I usually have many choices for each item, too: generic, store brand, several name brands, organic, low sodium, low fat, low sugar, etc... Our ancestors did not grow up with such luxury. Sometimes I wonder if we are so spoiled with our abundance so that we no longer appreciate the bounty of our blessings. Most of us probably pray before each meal to thank God for our food, but has it become just a matter of habit, or are we TRULY thankful? I try not to take any of these blessings for granted.

Some spiritual food for thought:

Matthew 6:11 - Give us this day our daily bread

Matthew 6:25-26 - "Therefore I tell you,do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?


vs. 31-33 - Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

And let us pray that we do not become ungrateful like the children of Israel:

Numbers 11:4-6 - Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, "Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at."

Deuteronomy 8:15-17 - Who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.'

Thankful Thursdays

Today I'm thankful for magnets! Magnets are such useful things! I really love my magnetic pin cushion as it has saved many a lost pin that is later found by a foot. I love the magnets that hold up the artwork on the fridge. Today, I am especially thankful for the magnetic key holder we stuck underneath the car, the spare key kept there, and for my wonderful Father for insisting upon such a thing when I was young in the pre-cell phone days.

While loading my groceries at the store, in the parking lot in the below freezing WINDY weather with the littles, I put my purse inside the trunk with the groceries. I never do that. I don't know why I did it today. I just wasn't thinking. I also wasn't thinking when I slammed the trunk shut. Oh, but I very quickly started thinking when I realized what I had done! I still don't have a cell phone, and we are a one family car, so I was in a bit of a pickle. Poor Preacher Man would have had to ride his bike in the freezing weather to bail me out with a spare key were it not for my handy magnetized key stashed underneath the car. I admit, this is not the first time I have been seen crawling under my car in a skirt to find the spare key!

So today, I'm thankful for magnets. :) It's the little things, you know?

Thankful Thursdays

Squeezing this one in at the last minute...

I am deeply thankful for my husband.

He most certainly embodies 1 Peter 3:7 - living with me in an "understanding way". My man is always looking out for me, taking care of me, and is quick to jump in when he sees me overwhelmed. I could not be the kind of mother I am were it not for him. We compliment one another so well and he both brings out the best in me, and motivates me to work harder and do better. He is an AWESOME Daddy for our little ones. They just adore him!

I could go on and on.

I'm just so thankful for my Preacher Man!

Thankful Thursdays

This Thursday, I am thankful for our Ladies' classes. It is the one group Bible study for the entire month that I get to really focus and have an open Bible, and even take notes! Now, I don't mean for this to turn into a complaining session... I am just deeply thankful that my Preacher Man takes the Littles for the hour or so and that I can focus my mind on the Word. I also enjoy my fellowship with the other Christian ladies - young and old and in between. It is a refreshing hour that I look forward to every month!

Do any of you other mamas out there feel utterly brain fogged... basically at all times? I do. There are probably several reasons for that, including the fact that I think it has been several years since I have had a FULL night of uninterrupted sleep, and a teething Little Littles has kept me up much more lately. The aforementioned constant distractions lend to that, but sometimes I just feel plain dumb, and in my pre-children days, I considered myself to be someone of greater than average intelligence. Now I have a difficult time getting my mind to work through tangles of thoughts. It's so much easier just to brush off challenging ideas and go the route of "ignorance is bliss". Some things, I have decided, are just not worth my time, but I try to keep my mind sharpened with thoughts that are worth thinking in hopes that one day I will be able to salvage my muddled brain.

Tonight, this verse jumped out at me and I was filled with such a strong longing...

Psalm 27:4 - "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that shall I seek; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to meditate in His temple." (NASB)

In the past, I would have focused more on "dwell in the house of the Lord" or "behold the beauty of the Lord", but at this stage in my life, I long for that peace... to meditate in His temple...

Quiet.

Clear mind.

Meditating on the Lord.

Aaaaaaaah...

There are different seasons of life, and this is not my season for meditation in the temple, but I will not stop seeking it, and in the meantime, I will meditate in the shower, in the wee hours of the morning while I am nursing my baby, while I am pushing the double stroller down the sidewalk through the autumn leaves, and while I wash dishes.

Psalm 27 -
v. 8 - "Your face, O Lord, I shall seek"
v. 14 - "Wait for the Lord... Yes, wait for the Lord."