Two Days of Thankfulness

November 9,
Thankful for:

• A refreshing walk in the crisp autumn air with good music.  
• An easy pre-made dinner.  I just warmed it up and we ate.  (So thankful for those snow days we've had in the last few weeks which bought me the time to make quite a few meals ahead of time for the freezer!)
• A dog groomer who let us sneak in an emergency bath after Grace rolled in something I don't want to talk about.
• Survivor.  Our family loves that show.
• Time all by myself yesterday afternoon.  Since The Hubs works from home (which I am also VERY grateful for) it's a rare occasion that I get the whole house to myself.  It was nice.

Today:

• My first day, in MANY years, back in the classroom.  I had my first sub job today at the kids' school, and it went great!  
• Two kids with two great report cards.
• Red Robin.  The place we celebrated the great grades, and where I found reprieve from making dinner.

The Picture Does No Justice

After picking up The Girl from drama club, I got to see this beauty on the way home. 

I know you can't tell from my stellar iPhone photography (that I waited until I was at a stop light before I took thankyouverymuch), but the sun was actually pink.

Not the clouds around the sunset, but the actual sun.

Pink.

Awesome.

Of all the different ways God could create the world we live in to look like, He chooses beauty.

Thankful.

Not For The Faint of Heart

I'm not too easily scared by animals or insects.  It's not like I enjoyed it when I went into my garden four summers ago and found it infested with six or seven large garter snakes.  And yes, I get a little jumpy if there is a rodent in the vicinity.  Also, if a bee or spider is in the area, I'll leave the area quickly, or quickly stomp or swat the little bugger.   But, you won't usually find me squealing, jumping up and down frantically (well, sometimes a mouse will get me in a small tizzy if I'm caught off guard), or avoiding activities/events because I have a fear of an animal or insect.  (Mostly because I try to channel all of the fear I can possibly have in life towards something else...which I will not mention because I can't without sweating.)

However, today, as I was reaching into a corner to put away some of my photography equipment, I saw this:

Yes. 

That is a Black Widow. 

Yes.

A poisonous spider in a living area in my home. 

There she is hanging out near the carpet along one of the baseboards.

IN. MY. HOME.

I was a little freaked.

Actually, I wasn't too freaked in the moment, even though I did have The Hubs come and kill her.  But that was mostly because I wanted confirmation of what I was looking at.

No, actually after she was dead, that's when I really got scared.  That's when I started running through all the "what-if" scenarios. 

What if I would have reached down without seeing her there?  What if she would have climbed into my camera bag and then I reached in later?  What if she would have not crawled to that corner in the wall, but instead over to the pair of shoes that The Little man left out just a few feet away? 

Then my mind went to thinking about where in the world she came from.  As I looked around the room at all my studio equipment and props that I had gotten out just a few days ago for a session over the weekend, I realize that I knew exactly where that spider came from.  She came from my equipment or props which I haven't pulled out from storage in about six months, since all my sessions have been outdoors.  Then my pulse quickened again as I realize that the poisonous spider that The Hubs just killed could have just as easily bitten one of my clients (one of whom was only seven weeks old) who were using all that equipment and props.

Today, I am thankful for God's protection.  So many bad scenarios could have happened, but they didn't.  Recently I've been praying back, and meditating on, Psalm 91 over my family.  Here are verses 3-6, 9-14.

"³ Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday..."

"... ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name."

Thank you, Lord, for your protection over my family as well as the people I invited into our home.

Weekend Catch-Up

Yesterday (and every day since I bought this devotional), I was super thankful for one of my morning devotionals, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  Yesterday she had this reminder from Philippians 4:12, Genesis 28:15, Philippians 4:19, and Romans 8:38-39.  The way that this devotional is written is from God's perspective to us, His children.  Each morning, I am so touched by what is in this devotional.  It always seems to hit a soft spot in my heart.  Yesterday morning was no different.  Not only did it hit a soft spot, but it was also encouraging, as well as a wee bit (OK, may be a LOT) convicting.  She writes:  "People tend to think their circumstances determine the quality of their lives.  So they pour their energy in to trying to control those situations. They feel happy when things are going well, and sad or frustrated when things don't turn out as they'd hoped.  They rarely question this correlation between their circumstances and feelings.  Yet it is possible to be content in any and every situation...Don't let your well-being depend on your circumstances.  Instead, connect your joy to My precious promises: I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.  I will meet all your needs according to My glorious riches.  Nothing in all creation will be able to separate you from My Love."

I was even more thankful that The Lord gave me an opportunity, not too much later in the morning, to encourage and love on someone else with these exact words.   I love it when He does that!

Today, I am so thankful for our church.  Sunday is my most favorite day of the week.  Nothing can be sweeter than having a full day devoted to worship, praise, and spiritual cleansing, especially when it is done with other believers.   I am fully aware that not all people have the opportunity to worship with others freely, as I do each Sunday.   It's such a gift, and I am thankful.

I Heart Teacher In-Service Days

Thankful today for the kids having a day off of school.  I rolled over, looked at the clock, and it was 8 am.

That may not sound too terribly late to you, but normally on a school day, I'm up at six.

An extra day to catch up felt wonderful.

Looking in the Right Direction

1.  So thankful, today, for the warm sunshine to return.  After a snow day, like yesterday, it's always good to see the sun again.

2.  On Thursdays, I have been volunteering in The Little Man's classroom teaching some of the higher level math kids in a small group.  After having a few lessons fall a bit short, I was so thankful today for a smooth flowing lesson, where all the kids participated, and where no one was left behind.  I am really enjoying doing some teaching again, and am amazed at the change in my heart towards this.  Since having children of my own, I was certain I would never return to the classroom again.  Teaching and raising my own kids at the same time sounded like a nightmare.  In the last few months, God has really changed the way I feel about this.  It's actually been an answer to prayer.  Even though the answer looks so much different than what I expected, I can see how He is answering. 

3.  On the same note, I am thankful for the opportunity given to me today to come back and do some substitute teaching next week.  I am excited to get back into the classroom, and also nervous to find out how rusty I really am.

4.  I am thankful for this blog post that I stumbled upon while on Pintrest today.  Each year I try to find something to prepare our hearts for the holiday season, and I think this is it.  I know she did her 35 random acts of kindness to celebrate her 35th birthday, but I think I may adapt this for advent this year.  I have been thinking all day of all sorts of different ways we can serve and show the love of Christ to others in our own community.  While I do have some ideas of my own, I am totally going to steal many of hers.  I can't wait!

All in all it was a great day.  I felt like I was continually looking for that "thing" to be thankful for.  So much better than finding something to be crabby about!  The Lord gave me this great reminder before I started my day today:

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." -Col 4:2 NIV

I also loved the way The Message translated the same verse:

"Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude."

A good reminder that I must be devoted/diligent to being thankful.  My eyes need to be "wide open".

Thankfullness

So, remember last year when each day (or as close to each day as I could get) of November I posted about something I was thankful for?  Well, I wanted to do that again.  In fact, I had every intention of doing that again.  Except, it's only the second day in November, and I'm already behind.  I fear that this might be some horrible foretaste of what's to come.

However, while I thought about it today, I decided I wasn't going to let getting off on the wrong foot stop me from doing something I really wanted to do.  Plus, it's my blog.  So, you know, I totally make up the rules, and there is no one to contest them.  Score. 

I think the best way for me to keep up with this is to keep things very simple.  Maybe some days just a few words, on others lists, and maybe a real post here and there.  This is what I am going to tell myself so that I won't feel too overwhelmed, at least.  I think this exercise is important for me because I am feeling as though I really need to work on my perspective in life.  It's pretty easy, in this world, to see all the bad things around us.  People's negative attitudes, listening to others tear one another down, focusing on what's fair and what's not, etc.  But none of that breathes life.  None of that builds each other up.  None of that encourages, loves, or helps.  It doesn't help us see others, but keeps us continually focused on ourselves.  Which in turn breeds a negative attitude, keeps us focused on what's fair and what's not, etc. It's a vicious cycle.  Unfortunately, I can get sucked in pretty easily.  Thus, I really need to set up a focused time in which I concentrate on gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise.  It might sound silly, but in the few times that I have done this, it has done wonders.

So, here's to a Month of Thanksgiving 2011:

November 1:
So thankful for the beautiful weather that we had.  The weather reports told us that there was a blizzard waiting for us later that evening, but you would never have known.  So beautiful and calm.  I am thankful that I got to spend some time outdoors soaking it up before the storm.

November 2:
It was a snow day today!  I am so thankful for unplanned time off.  It's such a wonderful gift to be given a free day when you are totally not expecting it.  This lavish gift of time was not wasted today.  I never felt rushed and enjoyed living in each moment. 

I am also thankful for the abundant provision of a home, warm clothing, and food.  On a day like today, when it is horribly cold, snowy, and windy, I am reminded that not everyone has these things.  We have been blessed beyond measure to have what we do.

Lord, help me to be a good steward of the abundant blessings you have given to me.  Help me to see needs and be as generous as possible, knowing that when I "serve the least of these", I am really serving you.  Amen.