Right Here - A Thankful Thursday

The tree is down, the hearth swept clean, the twinkle of lights removed, and suddenly it seems like the magic of Christmas is boxed up in the garage. The new semester is off with a running start leaving silent night just a distant memory. 
Yet the greatest part of Christmas lingers still. Immanuel is here. His purpose is here. Yes, even here among the many lists to memorize, textbooks to read, and essays to write; even in the hallway conversations, late night study sessions, and early alarms--God is with us. 

Remember...

II Peter 1:3-15
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Remember, remember, remember...
How easily I forget the ways that God has shown his love and faithfulness in my life. How often I forget the things that I have learned.

Life is a Dance: Just Take the First Step

Open eyes, close, bury in pillow--then remember great triumphs. 



My feet dangle over the bed and I remember.

I remember back to what seems like another life when my toes would touch the worn wooden floors and I first learned this. I remember back two years ago when carpet would meet my feet and I daily lived this out. I remember back to last year when my feet would hit the cold tile and I struggled to stand on this.

Endurance and Patience with Joy - a thankful thursday

1680: remembering all that God has done gives hope for tomorrow -- Pentateuch class

1681: waking up to birds outside my window - let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

1684: warm wind blowing across campus


1685: my favorite study spot on campus

In the Morning - a thankful thursday

(Remembering God's faithfulness to me this past year in this post--something I started writing back in February.)

In the morning I see His face,

In the evening His form I trace,

In the darkness His voice I know;

I see Jesus everywhere I go.

Just a Glimpse - a thankful thursday

(Just a glimpse of God's many blessings to me this past week)

1017: a weekend at home
1018: homemade bread
1019: box lunches
1020: God's Sovereignty
1021: His promise to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness
1022: daily all sufficient grace
1023: laughter with friends

Alive in Christ - a thankful thursday

701: chocolate cherry goodness for desert - and watching Titus eat his own special cup

702: golden light and "photo-bombers on bicycles"


707: eight verses memorized in Romans eight (The Romans Project)

709: school on the sunny grass

711: little hands clinging "sit by me!"

723: this alive in Christ promise

Scripture & a Snapshot

Hope in Christ - a thankful thursday

696: new green growth - spring is near
697: waking up fully alive
698: this time today
699: freedom from perfectionism
700: this hope within me

The Light of Christ - a thankful thursday

 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

467: a bright moon reflecting the sun to all the earth

469: movie night as a family

470: a safe drive home through the snow

471: reminders of love

472: lost things found

474: an old--but ever true--hymn of faith 

475: long road trips and the rushing back of memories

Breathing His Name - a thankful thursday

456: family time in the car - "always bring a flashlight!"
458: words from a brother -"Thank you for suggesting to play a game with Titus when he was just sittin' on the stairs bored. I remember that!"
459: late night games with little siblings


460: giggles late into the night
461: early morning light and snow dusted branches


463: cold prayer walks - even though they are hard
464: breathing His name - YHWH

"The letters of the name of God in Hebrew.. are infrequently pronounced Yahweh. But in truth they are inutterable...

This word {YHWH} is the sound of breathing.

The holiest name in the world, the Name of Creator, is the sound of your own breathing. That those letters are unpronounceable is no accident. Just as it is no accident that they are also the root letters of the Hebrew verb 'to be' ...
God's name is of Being itself."

- Rabbi Lawrence Kushner (read on a holy experience)

The Sound of Our Breathing - Jason Gray

465: grace gifts
466: reminders to be intentional  in everything
462: daily putting on 'love' - a physical reminder through this necklace to share His love to those around me

The Unfailing Promises of God - a thankful thursday

404: life -- full of abounding joy!

405: family -- whole & complete

Please be praying for a family who lost their eight year old little boy during the storm on Monday. He was hit by a falling tree limb. I taught his class at Church on Thursday nights last year and he played soccer with my brother--so hard to believe that he's gone.  But we know he's in the arms of his Heavenly Father.

406: Singing "I Love My Lips" VeggieTales silly song with Titus while cooking supper...Ten days after I turned 8, Got my lips stuck in a gate, My friends all laughed…And I just stood there until the fire department came and broke the lock with a crowbar and I had to spend the next six weeks in lip rehab with this kid named Oscar who got stung by a bee right on the lip and we couldn't even talk to each other until the fifth week because both our lips were so swollen and when he did start speaking he just spoke polish and I only knew like three words in polish except now I know four because Oscar taught me the word for lip, “Usta!”

407: a home overflowing with music -- constantly -- someone is always playing or singing =)

408: the promises of God's unfailing love Psalm 103

Because He Loves Me So - a thankful thursday

401: Evening laughter on the deck -- someone telling mommy that someone else was picking the buds off of the green bean plants as they were picking the beans... What one will do for the hope of not having to pick green beans again!

402: Reading through old journals and remembering all that God has done for me!

403: Silly faces that make me laugh.

A blooper from his back-to-school photo session...see the rest here.

404: Encouraging but oh so challenging articles (have you read the newest SetapartGirl Magazine? Read the article on page ten first!)

405: Having this song stuck in my head all day long: 

How deep is Your grace

That you could see my need

And chose to take my place

And then for me, these words I'd hear You say

Father no

Forgive them for they know not what they do

I will go

Because I love them so

Glorious Light - a thankful thursday

365: extra time for a glorious sunset...because the car wouldn't start







366: grease on hands. wrenches, nuts, and late long night. bare toes on cold cement. a working starter for tomorrow's trip.


367: the strength to step out of my comfort zone...it is beautiful







368: simple joy - a baby tooth lost, leaving a big tooth sized hole and an even bigger smile on a little boy's face


369: golden light made even more glorious by previous days of April showers, both rain and snow

a self portrait..

entering the above photo

370: my God, the light of my world, in whom I have the light of life. (John 8:12) Glorious light!

His Goodness - a thankful thursday

364: the way He loves me so...

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

- Psalm 27:13

355: the joy in our Church - an april fool's joke played on us all by the pastors, "who's turn to preach?! not mine!"

356: Briella Mae, the way she practices her violin and makes it fun...
357: Marcia Anne, the way she wears her heels all over the house, just so that she can be taller than everyone else...

358: Mother, the way that she spends long hours in the sewing room, a labor of love to make a little girl feel special...

359: Jared Clark, the way he grins so proudly...

360: Grandma Jane, the way her hands tell the story that she labors long in the kitchen - making it always smell good and stay clean...

361: Grandpa Verlin, the way he is always willing to play a game, making great memories with checkers, wizard, and would you rather...

362: Daddy, the way he thinks of others, laboring in love...carrying wood in by the armful so that I don't have to do it

363: Titus Henry, the way he makes us all laugh, ever the cheerful entertainer

"The gift list is thinking upon His goodness -- and this, this pleases Him most! And most profits my own soul and I am beginning, only beginning, to know it. If clinging to His goodness is the highest form of prayer, then this seeing His goodness with a pen, with a shutter, with a word of thanks, these really are the most sacred acts conceivable. The ones anyone can conceive, anywhere, in the midst of anything. Eucharisteo takes us into His love."

--Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

Day by Day - a thankful thursday

I have so enjoyed recording these graces day by day...

(three things blue)
394: time spent with a dear friend working on a design of blue
395: a homecooked meal still steaming on dishes of blue & white
396: the empty pages of a blue notebook waiting to be filled with grace

(one grace borrowed, found, inherited)
397: a camera that I use every day
398: encouragement in the simple things
399: love of cooking






(a gift before 9am, before noon, after dark)
400: sleeping in only to wake up to a room brightened by the sun
401: encouraging notes from friends
402: a clear night with stars shining bright

see the rainbow? =D

p.s. My daddy had surgery on his foot last week, he is healing and doing well. You can keep him in your prayers. =) It has been nice to have him home from work this past week!


Have a wonderful evening!

Reflecting the Light - a (belated) thankful thursday

388: laugh lines (one grace wrinkled)


389: clothes washed, folded, placed away in drawers as an act of love (one grace smoothed)


390: a new semester, new beginnings unfolding (one grace unfolded)


391: the encouragement found in being told "You are different from all the other girls...the light of Christ shines in your spirit...you are beautiful!" Matthew 5:16 

entering here

love of my Savior - a thankful thursday -

338: lens pen cleaner--love of a sister (something that's in my bag)

339: amish bread--love of a grandmother (something that's in my fridge)

340: love for others--love of my Savior (something that's in my heart)

341: time spent in prayer for me (a grace from someone I love)

342: time spent talking through life and school with me -- love of my Daddy (a grace from someone I love)

343: Titus smiles and asking to play a game (a grace from someone I love)

"take a picture of me pretending to eat all the peanut butter!"

344: winter sunrise through the dining room windows pouring across the table (a light that caught me)

345: the moon reflecting on the frost covered world (a reflection that surprised me)

346: shadow from the flickering firelight warmth (a shadow that fell lovely)

348: a necklace made with hope--all the way from Nicaragua (a gift in my hand)

349:Titus sleeping on his 'comfy bed' --couch+sleeping bags+pillows! (a gift I walked by)

350: little girl learning to read sitting on my lap in sunday school  (a gift I sat with)

351: tears.  (a gift that's sour)

352: tears that soften into repentance and forgiveness.  (a gift that's sweet)

353: challenges that challenge. and turn out just. right.  (a gift that's just. right.)

entering here | photo credit

fonts: sell your soul, pea olson, perpetua

354: yellow sticky notes covered in lists with check marks (a yellow gift that strikes me as fresh mercy)

355: yellow lego creation that he explains to me in great detail  (a yellow gift that strikes me as fresh mercy)

356: yellow corn bread with steam still rising  (a yellow gift that strikes me as fresh mercy)

357: a humming fan--out with the cold air, in with the warm  (something above me)

358:   (something below me)

359: a stack of finished projects and a stack of ones to do  (something beside me)

360: a new discovery of b+w mode on the dslr and falling in love with the dramatic light it captures once again

p.s. are you participating in the joy dare?

january's joy dare - a thankful thursday -

  thank You, Lord, for...

231: the comforting knowledge that others are praying for me

232: the space between the woodstove and wall--perfect for warming cold toes


233: spiritual food and nourishment along with the physical

234: a challenge to keep me striving towards gratefulness

today's 3 gifts of something I'm reading, I'm making, and I'm seeing...

235: a new perspective on the life of Daniel (Exiles in Babylon by A.L.O.E) --oh that I would have the courage to stand up for what I believe in as he did!


236: the progress I'm making in catch-up work for school

237: for opening my eyes to see just how powerful words are. they have the chance to encourage immensely or to degrade and tare down others. Lord, that words of my mouth would be pleasing in Your sight!

a surplus of grace - a thankful thursday -

The other day I came across a post that really, really caught my attention. Why? Because it spoke straight to my heart--it was what I've been thinking and living, but in words.

I have thanked Him. For many things. 

I haven't thanked Him. For many things. 

He can change me. 

I ache to be thankful. 

Yes, yes, YES! my heart cried out as I read:

The surplus.

by noelle at seeing beauty.

What do you want?, He asked.

To be whole.
To be free from bitterness.
To see the good, true, and beautiful.
To live fully.
Ultimately, to give thanks.

Have you?

I have thanked Him. For many things.
For His grace, His kindness, His goodness and mercy.
I have given thanks for my few accomplishments.
I have thanked Him that I am so fortunate
And so blessed
And so full
And so able to get it all done.
(Silently, bitterly
Grieving the emptiness
Counting failure after failure.)

False gratitude.
Easy gratitude.
Like thanking my Savior for helping
(the same way I’d thank a small child for “helping”)
when in reality, I owe Him my life.

I haven’t thanked Him. For many things.
Consciously, unconsciously, I don’t really know.
But I know how bitter I remain
How it gnaws and aches in the silence
How I don’t understand
How I cling to “This shouldn’t have happened,” and “I never deserved this,”
How I wonder what I did wrong
And still think I could have prevented it.

I’ve conceded His goodness
Thanked Him for redemption,
for evidence of grace,
for sparing me from a harsher fate.
Thank Him in all? I’ve tried.
But thank Him for all?

How? Is that even required?

Can I force my soul to do the seemingly impossible,
To be thankful for that which reason does not permit us to appreciate as “good”
To be thankful not for the byproduct or some secondary effect, but for the very circumstance
To acknowledge as worthy that which pain deems unworthy of thanks
To call the deficit itself a surplus of grace?

No.

But He can change me.

I ache to be thankful.
Not to tally my losses, because our God is not a glorified thief
Not to even the score, because our God is not a scorekeeper
Not to make it easy, because our God is an artist of broken pieces
But to live with unreasonable gratitude
And in so doing, to live fully
Beyond the threshold of joy.

So I thank Him. For many things. 

For a surplus of grace.

211: Thank You, Lord, for my Daddy's job six hours away. Thank you for the time with him on weekends made special by that circumstance. 

212: Thank You for the cold. The cold that makes me appreciate a warm house all the more. 

213: Thank You, Father, for human sinful nature causing strife and arguing resulting in separation. Thank you for the growth in my life that those circumstances caused.
214: Thank You that I sin. Thank you that I'm not perfect. Thank you that my failures cause me to fall on Your sinless, perfect, unfailing grace.
215: Thank You for a surplus of grace.

falling on Christ's grace,

all is grace - a thankful thursday -

162: encouraging songs to assist in the morning attitude adjustment necessary to have a good day--full of love, joy, and laughter.

All is Grace
shaun groves

all is grace
all is grace and grace enough

184: Yahweh - I Am that I Am

185:: birthday wishes --joyous, loud & laughing

186: balloons reflecting the snowscape out the window and the sweet little sister who thought them up






187: siblings with servant hearts - a day without chores as a gift of love to me

188: family traditions bringing back many memories of old

190: Daddy who comes home cheerful and makes us all laugh

191: clean rooms just vacuumed

192: Adonai - my Great Lord

198: Titus phrases that make us all laugh loud "eliminate the house!"