Thirty Days

At the end of last month, I was talking about dreams. It was rather ironic, actually.

You see, four years ago, in the middle of my senior year at college as a Creative Writing major, God asked me to put my writing--fiction writing--on the back burner. I knew He hadn't completely taken it away, but even the indefinite setting aside was painful.

I've tampered with writing a few short stories over the last few Christmas breaks, but always heard the whisper, "not yet."

When I found out I would not be taking any classes this fall, I wondered what on earth to do with my time. It did not take me long to think of National Novel Writing Month--where a bunch of crazy people sign up to write a novel in one month with the only prize being a congratulations. That would be my sister's definition, anyway. For me, it was a challenge and a goal and accountability and just the chance to write.

And the most important thing--God said "yes, now."

NaNoWriMo is completely customizable, but in general the goal is 50,000 words in one busy month of November. (On the 20th, when I should have been well over halfway to 50,000, I think I had just 15,000.) This past week and a half was crunch time, and thankfully my schedule cleared. As often as possible, I tucked myself away in a booth at some coffee shop and wrote like crazy. I am thankful that the twins I nanny decided to have nice long naps for the whole month! Although, at my other nanny family, I more often than not typed with a sleeping baby in my arms during Big Brother's nap, afraid that if I put Little Sister down, she would wake up again and then I would get no writing done at all.

I wrote over half of my words in the last 10 days, but I did it. My file stands at 51,071 words. I've sent it in and been declared a NaNo "winner" (everyone's a winner above 50,000 words :)).

For the past few years, I've lived through November and thought "someday."

My someday came, and I praise God for that.

Sometimes God gives dreams back, and in His impeccable timing, makes them come true.



I stayed up past midnight to begin writing right away on November 1st.
(Somehow, staying up until 2am writing a novel is much more fun
than staying up until 2am doing homework. Go figure.)
After decorating for Christmas most of the morning, I set out to finish
a few thousand words. It was official at 5:11pm today!



1) November 1st ~ Ready to get started!!
2) top left and bottom right=Coffee shop views
3) Formerly mentioned sleeping baby...
4) November 30th ~ Heading home, feeling accomplished and grateful



::Thankful Because::

...It's Sunday! :)

 

I was glad when they said to me,

"Let us go to the house of the LORD!"

{Psalm 122:1}

::Thankful Yet Again::

Today is the start of Christmastime. Not that I haven't already been lstening to Christmas music...but today it's official, with the tree up and the decorations out. I know I've said it here before, but I love that Christmas is the beginning of the journey to Easter.

A new CD I've been listening to has the song "Mary's Boy Child" on it. This song has a fun, catchy tune, but I almost don't like to listen to it. Part of the chorus says, "Man can live forevermore because of Christmas Day." It's not because of Christmas Day, folks. "Man can live forevermore" because of Easter Morning. But it did all begin with a Baby in a manger...

I am thankful...

~for the Baby in a manger

~that the Baby grew up without sin, and ministered perfect among men

~that Jesus Christ died, and then rose again Easter Morning.

And I'm thankful it started with a Baby in a manger...because I love Christmas. :)

 

 

::Thankful Still::

{So that no one will think that I'm not, in light of past posts...}

Thankful...

~for bosses who are friends

~for fellow employees to laugh with

~to be {still} a part of this restaurant that I've known for over seven years

~to look back and be assured that God knew what He was doing seven years ago to bring me here; and, this fall, in allowing me to stay here one day a week.

~It was nothing I had asked for...but everyting I had desired and needed.

 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.

{Ephesians 3:20-21}

 

 

 

 

::Thankful Some More::

On Monday, my twins each gave me a "Happy Thanksgiving hug" as they said bye-bye. Those are the kind of moments where nothing else matters! :)

It's a reminder to me...

It was about this time last year--October and November--that I was really struggling. God didn't seem to be doing anything.

Be gracious to me, O LORD,

for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD,

for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled.

But you, O LORD--how long?

{Psalm 6:2-3}

How long? It wasn't just about my occupation at the time--although, true, the prior months had held many of those "not-so-good-memories" times. There was a lot of things going on. But this one seemed the most obvious.

But even if God didn't seem to be doing anything, He was not silent.

Trust Me, He said. Love Me. Serve Me. Glorify Me. Delight in Me. Worship Me. Hold Me high above all else in your life--dreams, desires, plans, people, activities, ministries, expectations...

Do I still ask "how long" about some things? Yes.

But my two little Thanksgiving hugs remind me that time ends. Nothing in time is eternal. Even if something continues for the rest of earthly life, it's still not forever.

It also reminds me that someday a harvest of tears will be reap another bounty.

The LORD has done great things for us;

we are glad.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like streams in the Negeb!
Those who sow in tears

shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with

shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him.

{Psalm 126 3-6}

So today I am thankful.
~Thankful for the four little arms encircling my neck.
~Thankful for the reminder those two cute little voices are.

The weeping is hard. Painful. But it is not forever; rather, it is "preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." {2 Corinthians 4:17}

::Thankful Again::

~Thankful for the relentless pursuit that is going on...regardless of what I do.

~Thankful that nothing, as a child of God, can separate me from the love of Christ.

~Thankful that within that pursuit is a call for another pursuit...me of Him.

I will never pursue so well, so faithfully, so wholeheartedly, but Lord willing, I will be in this pursuit for the rest of my life.

It is worth living for and dying for. It is worth sacrificing for and delighting in.

This my mind knows...
O Lord, let my heart know and experience it as well!

Seek the LORD and his strength;

seek his presence continually!

{Psalm 105:4}

 

::Thankful::

 

I am thankful...for I know that even if I had nothing else to be thankful for, there would still be one thing...

 

 

Though the fig tree should not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;

I will take joy

in the God of my salvation.

 

{Habbakkuk 3:17-18}

 

 

 

And yes, I do have a lot of things to be thankful for. But all those things point to the One...

 



Counting Blessings, Part 2

See Part 1 here

20. Sleep (naps!)! (Yes, that's a double exclamation point. Enough said. :)

21. Contrast from last week's craziness

22. Reminder to be humble

23. Excitement of diving into God's Word

24. Celebrating Jesus (awesome Sunday of worship, fellowship, and service)

25. A little scrapbooking! (I was um, listening to lectures, but I really can listen, take notes, and do something else as well. It actually does help me concentrate better--I've been glad to be able to throw in a little fun here and there that I normally don't have time for. :)

26. The ministry of Scripture

27. Christian fellowship comes in all ages :)

28. Delight of service

29. A sure and strong foundation

30. God's love and comfort always surrounds me!

How many blessings from June can you recall??

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

for His steadfast love endures forever.
to Him who alone does great wonders,

for His steadfast love endures forever;
Give thanks to the God of heaven,

for His steadfast love endures forever.

{from Psalm 136}

Counting Blessings

God wants a grateful people. After all...He rescued me from sin and self, from eternity in hell, from days without purpose... He gave me Himself. He gave me His presence.

So...I have a little "praise book." I'm not all that faithful about writing in it--so this year, I set aside a calendar and every day I write one thing down. Even if I have to think really, really hard. Because after all, I don't deserve anything good...but God still gives it.

Yes, that's a Cow Calendar.
I love coffee, donuts, and Chick-fil-a... :)

Here's a peek into my June and what I'm grateful for...

1. Fun jaunt for free donuts :) (Yes, that really was my grateful moment for the day ;)
2. Joy in Christ
3. Fellowship in Christ
4. God's faithfulness
5. Encouraging friend at work (I work with a ton a people from church...and several close friends!)
6. Rest in Jesus
7. Moments of enlightenment :) (This is regarding school...)
8. Hope of Heaven
9. Grace for assignments (Again, for school. Saturdays often are crunch time.)
10. God love has no favorites
11. Bible on audio! (I had a lot of Bible reading to finish by the end of the week, and a lot else to do as well, and downloading a couple books onto my ipod was such a blessing! I was able to weed our neglected garden, do a few chores around the house, and listen in the car. I discovered listening (as opposed to reading) was a nice change-up...something I might be doing here and there!)
12. Grace for inconveniences
13. Grace to keep on loving
14. Knowledge that God is over the big and little things
15. Joy and lack of anxiety
16. Fun moments ... and yet still got everything done! (I don't have many Saturdays off but since I did have this one off, Rachel and I planned some fun. I didn't back out on my plans even though it turned out that I had a lot of homework left.)
17. Sweet babies (I work in the church nursery once a month. What can I say? :)
18. The joy of puting Jesus first
19. Peace about school (last week did not go well, but amazing things happen when you quit focusing on circumstances, and stressing about them, and just trust God that He knows what He's doing :)

Stay tuned--June's not over yet...

Thirty-One

Thirty-one days. I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve actually posted—I just know that I didn’t post the entire month of May. That’s a lot of days, a lot of happenings, a lot of God-moments. This Spring in general I’ve fought to retain joy and hope…May was a hard month. My circumstances have not changed, and so I know the battle continues, but my spirit is renewed. God is working—so there is hope. The grass is never greener on the other side—so I can find joy in the now stuff, even as I pray for change in several areas. May, as the 6-month anniversary of Thanksgiving Month, was supposed to be the theme of gratefulness again. I guess God knew I needed to really struggle through that before blasting it on the web world. :) I have several half-started posts that lie scribbled here and there but  now I sit with a completed post. So here goes:

God-moments and Happenings

1. God leads the way—I can trust His guidance.

      2. A brother graduates.

No, this wasn't for my brother. :)
It was a big graduation year!


3. God gives such undeserved blessings.

      4. An 1800-mile round trip is completed within 70 hours (graduations and work schedules are hard to correlate :).

5. God shows Himself in many small ways that in the grand scheme of things are relatively unimportant yet matter to me.

      6. A garden is planted!


7. God is still God of the impossible!

      8. A hair-cut is received

  

before...

after!

9. God gently replies “press on and rest in Me” to cries of “How long?”

     10. A school session ends by seeing God’s grace.

11. God brings hope and joy—we have the responsibility to press on regardless of feelings, but in the end it is always God who gives peace.

     12. A paper is researched. In the car. With flashlight when needed. And it’s written the day after aforementioned trip is completed.

13. God works in hearts, healing and restoring.

     14. A holiday happens: Monday-Monday without any school or work.

15. God waits for “the fullness of time,” and for “such a time as this” in my life, too. I can look with hope to the future and rejoice in the now!

     16. A camping trip is enjoyed (my young adult group at church)—beautiful weather, a great sleeping spot (last year’s was a tad…bumpy…so I rejoice in God’s blessing of good sleep. :)

17. God refreshes the soul…and sometimes uses a staycation and a camping retreat to do it. :)

     18. A summer school session is started…and the first week logged in nearly 400 pages of reading and 5 hours of lectures among other things (wanna trade places?).

19. God is full of steadfast love and faithfulness!

     20. A walk to the park with a couple of Littles is enjoyed…it was a lovely morning with a 4- and 2-year old. :)

21. God gives great blessings of family and friends.

     22. A new phone is bought…and I’ve found out touchscreen isn’t so bad as long as one gets rid of the fingerprints every few seconds ;)

23. God is at work, sanctifying me for His glory!

     24. A joyride is performed…perhaps in connection with Free, er National Donut Day. “Free” and “donuts” and I’m there, even though the offerings were a few neighborhoods away. :)

25. God gives grace for the journey. 

     26. An era was closed—I began helping out with Truth Trackers at church a few years ago, and we’ve had relatively few kids move up. This year is quite the opposite as the majority of our kids will be promoted tomorrow. Sadness.

27. God speaks through His Word—I love the encouragement and rebuke of Psalms! And I need to get back into the habit of memorizing…

     28. A new resolve for exercise has begun…the busy days of school have tended to override that priority, but little by little I’m working to incorporate it back in. So far, so good. :)

29. God gives beauty—in creation, in the little things, in the joy of a relationship with Him!

     30. A summer (post-Memorial Day) has begun. Mostly school, a little bit of work (well, probably a lot of work), and some fun to look forward to at the end!
31. God is the same “yesterday, today, and forever” ~ I can marvel at His works of the past, submit with joy to the works of the present, and look forward to the works of the future!

That, in a not-so-small nutshell, was May. And now June has arrived, and I will rejoice in great things He has done!

I will give thanks to You,

O LORD, among the peoples;

I will sing praises to You

among the nations.
For Your steadfast love is great

above the heavens;

Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God,

above the heavens!

Let Your glory be over all the earth!

{Psalm 108:3-5}

Giving Thanks...

...Even when walking on streets of gold.

"Although sins and punishments

will be forgotten,

this  will  not  lead

to forgetting its liberation,

or being ungrateful to its liberator."
{St. Augustine}

Giving Thanks...

for grace that never runs out
for mercy that has an endless flow
for patience that does not grow weary
for love that never fails
for peace than transcends understanding
for compassion that comforts my soul
for strength that gives me eagles' wings
for goodness that follows me always
for promises that always are fulfilled
for blessings that overwhelm me
for eyes that see the hurt 
for ears that hear the anguish and desire
for hands that have my name written on them

Shout for joy to God, all the earth;

sing the glory of His name;

give to Him glorious praise!

Say to God, "How awesome are Your deeds!

So great is Your power that

Your enemies come cringing to You.

All the earth worships You

and sings praises to You;

they sing praises to Your name."

Come and see what God has done:

He is awesome in His deeds

toward the children of man.

{Psalm 66:1-5}

Giving Thanks: Church

I am grateful for...

*the freedom to worship in public

*the fellowship of believers

*a building to worship in

*opportunities to minister (to be a part of evangelism, to cuddle babies :), to pray for needs...and that was just yesterday alone!)

*our encouraging ladies' Sunday school class

*godly pastors and other leaders.
  ~our church is blessed to have a pastor and associate pastors; I have enjoyed (yes, and been convicted by, as well) their sermon series this year--John, James, and Malachi!

Giving Thanks: Grad School

I had thought about posting Thursday. I had wanted to post on Friday. Here I am, posting on Saturday when I probably should just go to bed instead. Or at least finish my reading assignment... (but after 140 other pages, 4 writing assignments, and 2 lectures to listen to...you know.)

Grad school has been a tough adjustment. I've had to get used to a new school (Northland), a new format (8-week sessions online), and a new schedule (working 30+ hours with no set schedule in addition to either 4 credits one session and 6 credits another). Oh--I almost forgot: and a new grading system. So far, I've decided that I kinda prefer the usual 10-point grading scale over the 6-point grading scale Northland uses. :)

But I've seen God graciously at work. And so even though I've been tempted to be anything but grateful for grad school at times, and as overwhelmed as I've been on occassion, I'm reminded to be grateful.

I don't know for sure where this path will lead, but I'm confident that God goes before me and He knows where the path is going!

So I'm grateful for...

*strength, peace, and the knowledge of His presence
*that God has the answers and sees the future
*that I can't see the future
*that God guides the future
*that this life isn't all. We are being prepared for a glorious place where we will see Jesus face to face!