My 27 Thanks:

We ended our Thursday with family movie night. We thought Turbo was available to rent, but it wasn’t. Thankfully, Judah’s sad face truned back to a smile when we started Monsters University. Within 5 minutes, we were all laughing. Pixar does a great job with family, friendly films.

I really enjoyed watching this prequel to the first movie, Monsters Inc. The back story of Mike Wazowski and Sulley is so good and has many great lessons stored within it. Yes, I am one of those people. I am constantly looking for lessons in everything I watch and read. Here are some of the lessons I found in Monsters University…

Lesson 1: Mike Wazowski doesn’t fit the part of a scarer! He is small and doesn’t look scarey and his “roar” is more like a kitten than a lion. But, he doesn’t let the opinions of others distract him from his dream! 

Lesson 2: In Monsters University, Mike and Sulley don’t start out as good friends. In fact, their desire to beat one another becomes so competitive that they get kicked out of the Scare Program. In order to be readmitted, they join forces with some of the most unlikely of “scare” students to compete in the Scare Games. And, along the way they realize an important truth. Sulley tells Mike, “You can train them all you want, but you can’t change who they are!” So, Don’t try to be someone you are not. Be who you are called to be! 

Lesson 3: If you can’t change who you are, then use what you have to become the best you can be! Mike realizes that they may not look the part of Scarers and they may not sound the part of Scarers, but they do have skills that set them apart for greatness. They all learn to use what they do have to become great and most importantly gain confidence in who they are and what they can do. 

Lesson 4: Be Inspired. Always keep your dream in front of you. Hope is never lost. Mike and his team of Wanna Be Scarers are running out of luck. Defeat seems inevitable and morale is low. So, Mike has a brilliant idea. His team needs to be inspired. So, he devises a plan to break into Monsters, Inc. and show them what their future could look like. The plan works. The team is inspired to finish strong and do their very best. A dream always fuels your fire. 

Lesson 5: There is usually a back-story to every great relationship. After watching Monsters, Inc. I assumed Mike Wazowski and Sulley were always great friends. But, in the prequel, Monsters University, we learn that this was not the case. Mike’s and Sulley’s friendship was definitely tested. Fierce competition, jealousy, breaking of trust, lies, lack of care, and down right mean words, could have destroyed any hopes of these two ever having a friendship. But, their desperation to acomplish a dream brought them together as a team. They realized that they had to work together to if they ever hoped to make things right. The pressures of living up to a family name (Sulley) and the pressures of proving the world wrong (Mike) brought these two enemies together to reach a common goal. Through it all, their relationship survived and birthed a beautiful friendship filled with trust, care, honesty, and kind words. 

My 27 Thanks:

1. I stayed home one more day from work. It was definitely what I needed to kick this sickness to the curb.

2. Gary made me oatmeal for breakfast and I spent the morning resting in my fluffy chair.

3. I completed my small group discussion lesson for Kidmotion this Sunday.

4. In case we get bad weather this weekend, I went ahead and ran up to the church to prepare for Sunday’s service. Gary helped me setup. It saved me time and energy.

5. I am so thankful for a job with benefits. Paid leave when sick is a blessing.

6. Gary was able to help Jameson and the production team hang acoustic panels in the Sanctuary.

7. He got to spend the day with other men doing manly things. He loves working with power tools.

8. Judah and I spent some time on the floor making a boat out of craft sticks. I love spending quality time with my Judah.

9. Judah loves art!

10. Crest had their turkeys for .79 lb.

11. Gary went to the store and got us a turkey.

12. While shopping, he refrained and DID NOT buy anymore of that delicious Pumokin Pecan Spice Ice Cream!

13. A parent called me today and told me that her son (One of my KidMotion kids) is being awarded “6th grade student of the month” for his school. I am so proud of Seth!

14. My mom is feeling better after having a procedure.

15. My childhood best friend, Kristi, is getting to move into her new home. They have waited patiently for a while now and I am so glad she gets to move in and begin life in her new home.

16. Gary rubbed menthol stuff of my shoulders and neck. It really helps! Crazy enough, I am so stopped up that I can’t smell it!

17. Family laughter.

18. Judah kept asking us to rewind parts of Monster University so he could watch the “munny” parts again. He had a blast watching that movie.

19. I have a warm, cozy home.

20. My sister-in-law, Laura, is celebrating her 30th birthday today.

21. Laura had a great day and was blessed by so many people on her special day.

22. Laura is more like a sister to me than a sister-in-law.

23. She has held my hand through a few personal tough times. At 37 weeks of pregnancy with Judah, I had to be rushed to the hospital because my blood pressure shot through the roof. Laura was the one who held my hand and prayed over me and Judah while driving to the hospital. (Gary was at the fire station).

24. Laura is a really calm person. She is laid back and doesn’t let much frazzle her. She is like her brother Gary and her mom!

25. Laura has a big heart for others.

26. Laura loves to cook and she loves to share her food. She makes the best mashed potatoes. There are times when she has tried to trick me into eating weird types of meat. Usually, she seasons well enough that I don’t taste the difference!

27. Laura makes me laugh and turn all different shades of red and pink! I love her.