Tuesday, January 28

My 27 Thanks:

1. Judah always hugs and kisses me goodbye.

2. Gary is off work today and Judah is so excited to spend the day at home with his daddy.

3. Gary made me oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. He blesses me all the time.

4. Even though it snowed, the roads were not too bad. I have great breaks and a slide proof thing on my 4-Runner.

5. My friend, Lorry Gail, was in a wreck today, but she wasn’t hurt. No one was hurt and she has great insurance.

6. Pastor Sam taught staff chapel. He always does a great job and is so passionate about the topic he is assigned to teach.

7. He got everyone engaged in discussion. Lots of people participated in the discussion. I love hearing the opinions of others.

8. We sang Happy Birthday to Natasha. She celebrated her 30th birthday. It embarrassed her greatly, but she deserves to be honored. Natasha is a reliable leader and makes our facility shine. I am glad she is on my team.

9. Gary and Judah were able to go to the YMCA today to swim and play. I am glad that Gary does active things with Judah.

10. My friend, Deborah, got a bonus at her work today. I am so proud of her hard work. The favor of God is on her life.

11. Lorry Gail has stars in her eyes and is super excited about a possibility.

12. Staff meeting was cancelled for today, so I got in some extra work time.

13. I love working with Starla and Abby. They make me smile.

14. My friend, Rochelle, is having her first biological baby. She is so excited. Today, she found out the sex of the baby. She is so excited. I am so excited for her.

15. Pastor Sam and I had a great conversation. He cares deeply for others. I am thankful for his sincere care and support.

16. Judah loves to hide in the house as soon as he hears my car pull into the garage. Well, today as I was unloading my things, he jumped out from underneath the bench of the mudroom. It scared me and I yelled. Judah thought that was hilarious and we all got a good laugh.  Then, we had a fun game of chase.

17. Spontaneous games with my sweet family.

18. Gary had dinner ready when I got home from work. And, it was super healthy.

19. Judah ate! Praise God…he even ate a vegetable. I covered the sweet potato in brown sugar, but he ate it.

20. When I feel lost, God knows the way.

21. When I feel confused, God has the answer.

22. When I feel stuck, God is the crowbar.

23. Romans 8.

24. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

25. When God is for us, nothing can be against us.

26. Inspiration.

27. Time set aside to be inspired.

Sunday, January 26th

My 27 Thanks:

1. Per Proverbs, those who listen to instruction prosper.

2. I love instructions.

3. Today’s kidmin message is so good.

4. I get to teach kids about God.

5. Smiling Faces.

6. Every Sunday, I am greeted by people who are excited to be at church.

7. Royce and Jan Petty are so faithful to serve. Every Sunday, even when it is super cold, they stand by the doors I enter and greet everyone who comes through. They are always there…

8. My friend, Sande, got the best news. She is continuing with her doctorate degree. I am so proud of her and all the hard work she is putting into furthering her education.

9. Sande, Ava, and Holly are so faithful to our check-in team. They are the best faces for first impressions.

10. I got to spend most of my morning in the hall greeting people and checking on my team.

11. Smooth mornings of ministry.

12. The kids are loving the Robot series and remembering what we are teaching them.

13. The kids are bringing back their parent devotionals. I am so excited that more than 1/2 of our kids are talking about the lesson throughout the week in their homes.

14. Partnership with parents.

15. Together everyone accomplishes more.

16. Judah loves the preschool ministry at our church. Mrs. Lori and the team make it so much fun, energetic, and action-packed.

17. They know how preschoolers learn best.

18. Gary, Judah, and I had a nice quiet lunch at Qdoba. We sat outside and soaked up the sun. It was a beautiful day.

19. Gary played with Judah and let me get some work done.

20. Kidcrew practice went well.

21. We have several new kids joining our team.

22. Several parents told me how excited their child was to join kidcrew.

23. Maxton helped Abby with the Big Answer skit today. He was so funny and acted it out well. His role really helped drive how the importance of listening to instruction.

24. Pastor Ted and I always give each other feedback on our ministry days. We both decided that today was a grand slam kind of day.

25. Gary is going to start practicing acoustic sets so we can do some live worship in Kidz Ministry.

26. Progress.

27. Per Proverbs, those whose trust is in the Lord will be joyful.

Saturday, January 25

My 27 Thanks:

1. We slept in again. Wow, two straight days of sleeping in until 8:00 a.m.

2. I love having time in the morning to read the Word and pray. I had a great time this morning.

3. The woman who was forgiven much, loved much.

4. Jesus radiates love, grace, and compassion.

5. When others see your past, Jesus sees your possibility.

6. Possibility.

7. Gary helped me fold the heaping loads of laundry.

8. Judah didn’t knock down the laundry piles and we didn’t have to threaten him with a spanking. I don’t know if I should be thankful or sad…this may mean that he is growing up even more or he is learning to be obedient right away! I am going with the second reason.

9. The laundry is caught up for today.

10. The weather was beautiful.

11. We had a great time playing on Judah’s fort/swing set. We pretended that there was hot lava on the ground and hungry crocodiles who can climb. It was an eventful play date.

12. Judah thought it was so funny when he pushed me down the loop slide. I am glad that I provided him with laughter.

13. Judah is healthy and active.

14. My mom is having a great time with two of her nephews today. I know how much she misses all of her grand boys…I am glad she is having this time with Gage and Kolt.

15. Gary loves to hold my hand. He always reaches for it anytime it is available.

16. We enjoyed a late lunch at Pei Wei. I love spending quality time with my family.

17. We were greeted by the sweetest of people at Sams Club. I love friendly people.

18. Sams club provides great employment opportunities for the elderly. I love seeing them thrive with life and purpose even in the later years.

19. You can lead at any age and from any stage of life!

20. God placed me at the right time and in the right line at Wal-Mart to be a blessing to the woman and two kids  checking out in front of me. I am so glad that I was in the line behind her and able to help her out.

21. Opportunities to be a blessing.

22. We get to be the best examples of Jesus’ love to this world.

23. Gary gave Judah his bath so I could have some quiet time to work on my lesson for kidmotion a little more. We make a great team.

24. Judah went to bed at a decent hour tonight.

25. Gary watched a Hallmark movie with me.

26. Gary and I laugh together.

27. My life is full of love and laughter.

Friday, January 24

My 27 Thanks:

1. We slept in.

2. We now have a family YMCA membership.

3. We live right down the road from the YMCA.

4. I love the atmosphere of the YMCA. It is clean, comfortable, and classy.

5. Family oriented environments.

6. My mother-in-law, Gary, and I all swam laps together. It was so nice and relaxing, but great exercise too.

7. A sweet, elderly Asian man in the lane next to me loved having conversation in between laps. At one rest, he asked me how long I had been married. When I told him 9 years, he responded, “Wow, you look so young. You are very attractive lady.” He was super sweet. I had a swim cap and goggles on and he still found me attractive…ha ha ha.

8. After we swam for exercise, we brought Judah into the pool for family swim. It was so much fun. I love to experience fun times with my little boy.

9. Judah was really afraid of the water last year, but is doing so much better at the Y pool.

10. Judah was brave enough to let go of our hands and float with his floaties for a while by himself.

11. My friend Abby finally got her bulldog. She is so excited.

12. My sweet friend, Miss Molly, gave up her Tim Hawkins ticket because she wanted to watch Judah instead.

13. I am so thankful for the Gramling kids. Madilyn, Molly, Mason, and Maxton are some of the most kind, obedient, and respectful kids I have ever known. I am glad they are in our lives.

14. We were able to get a few more Tim Hawkins tickets and bless some of our family with them.

15. My mom got me the cutest outfit. Wow…she is so thoughtful and knows exactly what I like. She sent the outfit with my sister. I loved it. My mom always likes to find ways to bless her kids.

16. I got to see my sister for a short while and she came to Tim Hawkins. It is nice to get to see my lil sister.

17. Gary and I had special prayer for one of our KidMotion kids. There is power in prayer.

18. Corporate prayer is powerful.

19. My husband prays all the time.

20. We  got great seats at the Tim Hawkins show.

21. My family all got to sit together.

22. Tim Hawkins and Johnnie W are hilarious and true, gifted talents.

23. Comedians. I love to laugh.

24. God gives creative insight into ways to share the Gospel through multiple genres.

25. The church sanctuary was full. I loved seeing a full house.

26. My super crafty and card making friend sent me a really special hand-made card today. I love getting cards in the mail. She prayed a specific prayer over my life. Her prayer was spot on.

27. Words of encouragement.

Thursday, January 23

My 27 Thanks:

1. There is wisdom in a multitude of counsel.

2. Godly counsel.

3. Creative meeting was creative.

4. We made final decisions on many items that were up in the air.

5. This year is a year focused on ministry outside the church walls.

6. We have many great opportunities planned to do kids ministry at the City Rescue Mission and the Salvation Army.

7. Partnerships.

8. Gary and Judah had fun at the YMCA. I am so glad we joined. Judah is loving the open swim time.

9. They brought lunch to the church after the Y. I love being able to spend lunchtime with my sweet boys.

10. Gary created the arms for the Robot. It is looking so good. I am excited to see it move at the end of the series.

11. Our kidz ministry is blessed with great resources. I am so thankful for the financial backing of our church. We get to do great things in Kidz Ministry.

12. We have an awesome space for our kidz ministry.

13. Our facility team does an amazing job keeping things clean, as well as setting up and tearing down events. I am amazed at how much work they accomplish each day.

14. Pastor Tami makes me laugh. She is such a fun lady.

15. Kidz ministry was blessed with some awesome stage design props today.

16. Much was accomplished today.

17. Gary, Judah, and I had an awesome dinner at Chilli’s. We had great food and great service.

18. We enjoyed the graduation ceremony of Vine Life Ministries tonight. I am so thankful for ministries like Vine Life.

19. My friend, Laura, received 3 great awards tonight at the Vine Life Graduation ceremony. It was awesome to see her celebrated.

20. It was so cold today. I am so thankful for a warm coat and an awesome heater in the car.

21. Gary pulled the car up close to every building tonight so Judah and I didn’t have to walk to far in the cold. He is such a gentleman.

22. Judah told me tonight that he will always be my little baby…just not a little, little, little baby. He is right, he will always be my baby.

23. My sister is coming into town and she is going to come with me to the comedy show!

24. Judah loves to talk. I love having conversations with him.

25. Evenings at home with my family.

26. I had time tonight to catch up on my Selah journey. My daily routine has been packed with so much. I am so thankful for time to catch up and give thanks to the Lord.

27. My life is so blessed.

Wednesday, January 22

My 27 Thanks:

1. Judah and I had a great morning getting ready for school and work.

2. When I dropped Judah off at school, I realized I forgot his drink. But, Laura told me not to worry because she could share a bottled water with him. I am so glad I didn’t have to go back home to get his drink.

3. My friend, Debby, came in today and helped out in staff childcare. We have had several leaders come down with different virus bugs. I am so thankful for subs.

4. Abby also helped out in the morning shift of staff childcare. She loved having baby time, but was super glad that she only had to stay in there until 10:00 a.m.! I am thankful for her heart to serve in multiple areas.

5. I had the chance to spend the entire morning working on a BIG project. It was so nice to devout ample time to figure out some items of importance for the future.

6. Quiet, uninterrupted time to work.

7. Podcasts. I love being able to listen to useful pieces of information throughout my work day.

8. The shared experiences of other people stimulates creative thought in my mind! I love creative thought.

9. We are finalizing plans for a really exciting, busy quarter in kidz ministry. We are taking kidz ministry to the streets and I am super excited.

10. I have a team who will go with me.

11. My mother-in-law picked Judah up from school. This allowed me to work a little longer in the day.

12. We had several call-ins from leaders who were scheduled to serve tonight at church. But, we were able to find covers for every position.

13. People who are willing to fill-in-the-gap.

14. I decided to spend an hour at my in-laws before church. It was some nice downtime and Judah got to play with his cousins.

15. Jeremy Barton is a multi-tasker at the sound board. He can run lights, sound, and pro presenter. He is a one man show and I am so thankful for his service to kidz ministry.

16. Church service ran so smoothly tonight. Great ministry happened at every level.

17. Dustin fixed the check-in printers. I am so glad he caught the problem before check-in started.

18. A team is made up of many different people who hold different gifts and talents. Everyone is important. I serve on a team.

19. I am so thankful for the awesome security team at Crossroads. They are so helpful and provide a nice, secure atmosphere in the kids area.

20. The greatest kids in the world walk through the hallways of Crossroads Kidz Ministry.

21. I get to minister to those kids on a weekly basis.

22. Open, honest conversation amongst friends.

23. I have the opportunity to be more present in the kidmin hallway these days. I love being able to greet each family, as well as say goodbye when they leave.

24. Judah and I had a late night rice krispie cereal snack. We were both super hungry when we got home from church. I love late night conversations and snacks with my little love.

25. Gary and I are blessed with amazing jobs.

26. Bedtime prayers.

27. Momentum.

Monday, January 20

My 27 Thanks:

1. I have a home alarm system and it works well. Gary accidentally set it off this morning on his way to work. I have never gotten out of bed so quickly.

2. Our alarm company is super quick to respond.

3. I feel safe in my home.

4. Judah was super excited to spend the day at his mom moms house.

5. My in-laws took Judah to a children’s museum in Stillwater, Ok.

6. Judah had an absolute blast. He told me it was the most awesome place he has ever been.

7. Gary ‘s family is really good at finding interesting, fun places to take kids. Well, Laura is really good at it. Ha Ha Ha…

8. I work with people who I really like spending time with.

9. Today, Pastor Marc told me how much he enjoyed kidz ministry. He was super impressed with our smooth transitions and our delivery. His accolades meant a lot to me. He is a great team player and I value his opinion.

10. Today was evaluation day at work. I love having an opportunity to review my 2013 professional and personal happenings. It is nice to have an understanding of what was seen as a success and what could become an area of improvement.

11. Evaluations. They keep things healthy.

12. Dorothy blessed Pastor Marcia and I with lunch so we could keep working through it.

13. I have learned so much working with Pastor Marcia. She has so much wisdom.

14. There is wisdom in a multitude of counsel.

15. I am appreciated at my job.

16. Judah and I had a relaxing evening.

17. I enjoyed hearing him tell me stories about his day. He uses great inflection when retelling stories. I love how his eyes light up.

18. I am not an aggressive driver and I don’t have problems with road rage.

19. Today, while I was driving home, I passed a very disgruntled woman who honked at me and flipped me off. I don’t know if she thought I was someone else or what. Thankfully, I didn’t get angry. I felt sorry for her. What a sad life she must live.

20. My friend Valarie is celebrating her birthday today and her 6 mos. wedding anniversary. I am so thankful for Valarie.

21. Valarie and I have so many good memories. Valarie brings so much joy to the lives of others and she can tell some pretty amazing stories from personal experience. She makes my heart smile.

22. Valarie is so thoughtful. One year for my birthday, before Gary and I were even dating, Valarie made me a photo book of Gary. I had a huge crush on him and Valarie put together all these pictures of him with funny captions. It was totally my favorite gift. A month later, Gary asked me out on my first date. I didn’t tell him about the photo book until after we were engaged!

23. Photography. I love how pictures tell stories and capture moments of time.

24. Experiences that teach us something about ourselves or others.

25. Judah and my family had safe travels today to and from the museum in Stillwater.

26. Jesus is our defender, our protector, an ever-present help in time of need.

27. He is more than enough for me.

Sunday, January 19

My 27 Thanks:

1. I slept all night long without the TV on. Usually, I must have some noise, but tonight, I was fine in the quiet.

2. Progress.

3. Baby Steps.

4. We made it to church ahead of schedule.

5. Gary was so great to go and pick up our breakfast food for the 6th grade breakfast today.

6. We had a great morning of ministry. Things went smoothly and all the details fall into place.

7. Kids were super excited about church today.

8. I serve with a great team of men and women.

9. Pastor Marc spent the morning in KidMotion. He was an awesome guest.

10. We are making some great strides bridging the gap between kidmin and youth.

11. I am so thankful for our awesome youth ministry.

12. Our 6th graders felt so special and honored at the breakfast.

13. Gary and I enjoyed a spontaneous lunch with some of our team.

14. We had an opportunity to relax some this afternoon.

15. The weather was perfect for more work on Judah’s fort/swing set.

16. I helped share some of the work load and put a hammer to good use on a few boards. I love working alongside Gary.

17. Judah and I had a fun time playing on the slide and swinging together. I see so much fun in our future on that swing set.

18. Gary and I enjoyed sitting through an entire church service tonight.

19. I finally heard Pastor Tami sing the song, Oceans. Wow! I love that song…so powerful…so anointed…I am thankful for the words spoken in that song.

20. Pastor preached a great message of the Doorway to the Supernatural. It was a timely message for me.

21. I go to a church that believes in the supernatural power of God.

22. There is great excitement and momentum building for the awesome things in the works for 2014.

23. It is going to be a year of the supernatural.

24. We launched our Jesus > __________? campaign. I am excited to be a part of this campaign.

25. We had great turnout for our team meeting.

26. Simplified systems that help us better care as we grow are being put into place.

27. Gary hates feet, but tonight…he rubbed mine! They hurt so bad after standing so much of the day. Yep, I am loved.

Saturday, January 18

My 27 Thanks:

1. Judah and I spent the entire day together.

2. We slept in.

3. Judah, out of nowhere, kissed me on the cheek.

4. I made a decision today that was best for my health.

5. Today is my last day on antibiotics.

6. I am feeling better. I am so glad this is behind me.

7. Abby is feeling better too.

8. My shampoo and conditioner was in stock. It truly pays to use good hair care products, especially when you have color on your hair.

9. Judah and I enjoyed lunch together at Panera Bread.

10. I love having conversations with my sweet 4-year-old. He processes information in the most fun way!

11. Judah made two people laugh in Wal-Mart. He is such a funny kid. I am glad he brings joy to others.

12. A sweet elderly woman kept teasing Judah in Wal-Mart. She kept saying, “I am going to kiss you.” Judah thought that was too funny and enjoyed playing this “game” with her.

13. Gary sent me a sweet text saying he missed me.

14. Judah took a nap.

15. I enjoyed some quiet time preparing for KidMotion.

16. During my prep time, I came up with a simple, creative game idea to illustrate a key point.

17. Laura and the girls came over for some evening play time.

18. The kids stayed in the same room with us the entire night. But, we enjoyed putting together puzzles.  I love activities that help your mind to focus.

19. I have been blessed with some really awesome sister-in-laws. I enjoy spending time with all of them. I am so glad that several of them live nearby.

20. I have a great relationship with Gary’s family. I am so glad that I have such a close, wonderful relationship with them.

21. Judah refers to his cousins as his brothers and sisters. What a blessing it is to have such close friends as cousins.

22. A friend prayed Psalm 91:1-4 over me today. Those words are so powerful. I am thankful for praying friends.

23. I can find rest in the Shadow of Almighty God.

24. He is my refuge and my place of safety.

25. He rescues me from every trap and protects me from deadly disease.

26. He covers me and shelters me.

27. As I lay my head down to sleep, I have peace.

Friday, January 17

My 27 Thanks:

1. I woke up after a great night of sleep.

2. I slept all night. I didn’t wake up at all throughout the night. This is a huge win for me.

3. Gary and I had the day off together.

4. I enjoyed morning quiet time with the book of Luke.

5. I finally had enough energy to clean up my house.

6. Gary helped me clean.

7. Gary knows exactly when I need a great big hug.

8. Hugs.

9. We needed to run some errands, but instead made a spontaneous stop at the movie theater to watch “The Nut Job.” It was cute and we had a great laugh together.

10. Judah had fun and sat on my lap during the movie. I love snuggling with that little boy.

11. Judah laughs all the time.

12. “The Nut Job” had a great storyline about selflessness. When you learn that it isn’t all about you, great things happen.

13. The power of friendship.

14. Clean, public restrooms. I love when businesses care enough about their customers that they employ someone to make sure the public restrooms are clean ALL the time. It says a lot about quality.

15. I had a catch up conversation with a good friend today. Amazing things are falling into place for her family and their future. I am so excited for what lies ahead for them.

16. The $4 tube or iron cleaner worked. Now, we don’t have to spend $30+ for a new iron.

17. Even when I wear minimal makeup and my hair in a ponytail, Gary tells me that I am beautiful.

18. Gary always says kind, encouraging words to me. In the 10 years I have been with him, I have never felt anything less than a princess.

19. The days seem to be getting longer. Spring is approaching.

20. After watching the evening news, I am so thankful that I don’t have a sketchy past or future. I am so thankful that my family, or anyone that I know isn’t involved in crime. My heart breaks for those who only know that type of life.

21. My friend had a great report from the doctor today.

22. Judah fell asleep in my arms. I love experiencing those moments in life.

23. Gary and I shared a heartfelt conversation. It feels really good to share deep thoughts with your best friend.

24. Yesterday, my nephew Gage celebrated his 7th birthday. It seems like yesterday we were headed to Dallas to welcome his arrival. He is the oldest of the Ellison grandsons. He is full of adventure and loves to tell jokes. He is a fun kid!

25. Today, my dear friend Bethany is another day older. I miss her more every day. We had so much fun together. We laughed, we cried, we dreamed, we made messes, we planned, we executed….we were a great team! Happy Birthday, Bethany! I am glad God created you.

26. Birthdays.

27. God is for me, not against me.