Thankfulness

I am speechless.  Well, not completely.  Finding more and more to be thankful for.  Today I heard the words, "Everything looks good.  Not any cancer that we can see."  Wow.  It's weird, but I didn't think it was cancer, but just to make sure I made the appointment anyhow.  Especially since we found out that Glen's insurance will expire shortly.  While sitting there waiting for the results of my tests I was overwhelmed with God's kindness and love for me.  How many times do I truly trust Him, or ignore Him and His teachings?  AND yet through it all He loves me the same.  THAT is an amazing concept.

That's all for now.  Thankfulness.  I am writing this while listening to the David Crowder Band sing "Oh, how He loves us!"

Weariness

Today we had some bad news.  Glen's former employer evidently is contesting his eligibility for unemployment.  THAT news didn't thrill us too much, but I know that my trust is not in man, but in God.  I had a long 55 minute conversation with my parents.  What a blessing they are in my life.  Let's see if I can get a photo from their wedding up here.

TAHDAH!  How about that?  Just been thinking about their love story.  AND realizing that I know very little about it.  THAT is a sad thing!  I'll be working harder this year to learn more and more about my parents.  I just love the black and white photos!  When we go to their house I have times where I get completely absorbed in the old photos my dad has.  He has more than SEVERAL books full of old photos.  My!  How I love photography.  Capturing a moment in history is spine tingling for me!  Some favorites of mine:

Jonathan's feet.  He used to sit like this all the time and I didn't want to forget about it.

Anna Grace in Massachusetts with the hat on Miss Dottie gave to her.

My Dad and Anna Grace.  Love this picture!  Photography is my first choice of "careers."

Praises

Great news today!  Glen qualifies for unemployment! What an answer to prayer.  AND Jonathan got his glasses today.  He's so funny.  Can't stop talking about it!  Oh, and now we have to get him a little table to put beside his bed so he has "somewhere to put his glasses case."  What a hoot!

Addictions

Most of the time when I think of addictions I think of alcohol, drugs, etc.  WELL!  I'm finding out that I have an addiction to food and to having it whenever I want, whether it is eating out or getting it at the grocery store.  It's been so weird to think that every single time that we go out of the house we can ONLY do what we intended to do and nothing else.  No stopping by McDonald's or Burger King and no late night runs for a burger.  GASP!  It's so depressing to know that I have allowed myself to become so addicted to (basically) just having my whims satisfied.  I have a friend that has a goal of paying off a $30,000 debt.  One of the ways they are doing that is to never get fast food.  They eat out occasionally, but they never get fast food.  Amazingly they have already paid off over $5,000.  Uh-Oh....I feel conviction coming on.

Today I didn't want to get out of the house at all (afraid I would be tempted to spend money we don't have).  So this afternoon we went to Walmart to pick out Jonathan's new glasses.  Yep, the little man needs glasses.  We've thought he might for a while and just never got around to it.  His eyes aren't bad, but he still needs them.  He picked out some darker blue frames.  All the frames were really too big except one pair and he didn't like them...of course.

We're doing okay, five days into our unemployment.  We have clothes to wear, food to eat, a place to live, cars that run and friends and family that are completely wonderful in every way.  How thankful I am that even in the midst of this trial I can still see HIS hand in my life and have joy.  We know that HE is in control.  Thank goodness we're not!

Basketball and the Wii

Today was Jonathan's mini-basketball tournament to start off the basketball season.  His team won 3 of the 4 games they played!  AND he made one of the baskets.  Needless to say, he is ecstatic about it! 

I think the basketball is as good for him as it is for his parents.  We have many friends that have children that play basketball also, so we all get to visit, which is so wonderful!  Now Jonathan and Glen are playing football on the Wii.  Ahhh....the Wii.  Yes, we have a Wii.  It was one of the last wonderful things that Glen got for free for doing such a wonderful job at work.  Hmm....seems weird to ME that they had to let him go if they were willing to give him FREE stuff.  Oh, well.  Just MY opinion and my cynical nature rearing it's ugly head. 

Psalm 20:1-5

"May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice.  Selah

May He grant you according to your heart's desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.
We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions."

This is our prayer.

How quickly life can change.  It's in the blink of an eye.  So much I take for granted.  Lord, please help me keep my eyes on you and not our circumstances.

Yesterday we found out that Glen was losing his job.  This is not the first time he's been let go from the same bank.  BUT this time there is no money coming in from anywhere.  THAT is a scary thing.  BUT (again) what an opportunity to trust God for everything.  He is bigger than this situation and already has it worked out for our good.  We do not want to waste this opportunity to see him work and grow us in Him.  We are so thankful for our friends, family and church family for their love and support!  I am once again (and again) amazed by God!

Now that I have "started" blogging again I would like to post some pictures from the end of last year.  So much to be thankful for.  I'm really excited to see what God is going to do with us in 2012!

Sound-off...Sort of...

I was just sitting here wondering.  I'm wondering about extreme couponing.  Not the show necessarily, but the obsession with couponing.  I understand the reasoning behind wanting to save money and be good stewards of what we have, but I think a lot of America has gone coo-coo.  On several occasions I have attempted to "coupon" and have been (WOW!) completely blown away by how much time it takes to put together a shopping trip.  We're talking hours and hours day after day.  There's so much of my children's lives that I want to be a part of and I think it is important to be in their lives.  AND if I'm spending all that time on the computer and clipping coupons what message am I sending to them?  I can think of a few...1) Mommy doesn't have time for us, 2) Saving money is more important than listening to my heart, or 3) We don't matter to Mommy or Daddy or to this family.  THAT is just 3 things.  Time goes by so quickly and we have our children for such a short amount of time before they are grown and gone, I think it's just a shame that we are so taken with the "going thing."  It's exactly what I want to guard against with my children.  Teaching them to love their neighbor, give back to the community, love God and country, yep, those things are what we should be more concerned about.  If it's something that draws us away from God and Godliness we should steer clear.