Monday, February 17

My 27 Thanks:

1. Gary chose to work out later in the day and spend the morning with me while I got ready for work.

2. My nephew, Kaden, is celebrating a birthday today. Kaden is the oldest of the Hendrickson grandkids. What a blessing he is to our family!

3. Kaden is so respectful, loving, well-mannered, and a great kid.

4. My brother-in-law, Nate, is coming home soon. He has been away for a year tour of duty with the Air Force. But, he will be home at the end of this month.

5. My father-in-law is feeling so much better. The pain from his wrist surgery is finally subsiding.

6. Judah had another great day at school.

7. After school, the twins came over to play with Judah on his swing set and in the dirt pile. I don’t know if they had more fun on the swing set or in the dirt!

8. Eric, my Brother-in-law, helped Gary plant our last tree. The trees are bare, but still look so good in my yard!

9. Warm weather.

10. My friend, Debby, surprised me with a basket full of gala apples. It was a super sweet (no pun intended) surprise. I love apples.

11. Acts of Love.

12. I have received some very sweet cards of condolences in the mail. A hand-written card is such a treasure. They show another level of care and I hope that kind gestures never completely ends.

13. Angela Lewis and I shared some great conversation today. She has such a sweet, tender heart. And, she loves people and her church.

14. My kidmin directors met today and had an awesome conference call with the specialist representing a new curriculum that we will implement soon in kidz ministry.

15. I have a wonderful team of directors in kidz ministry.

16. There is wisdom in a multitude of counsel.

17. The brick layers finally came back to my house today and fixed the outside brick and our fireplace!

18. Gary and I worked together to clean up our floors. Because of all the dry grass we had tracked in, I didn’t know if I had wood floors or grass floors.

19. I got our laundry completely caught up. Completely! Well, until tomorrow, then it will pile again.

20. Gary and I got to watch “When Calls the Heart” together. I had recorded it from the weekend and Gary knows how much I enjoy that show and he wanted to watch it with me.

21. The Life of Paul the Apostle.

22. Paul was small in stature, but mighty in the Spirit. His example to us is powerful.

23. He was a “Holy Terror” against the devil. No matter how weak we feel, we can be “Holy Terrors” too.

24. I can put on the armor of God.

25. When you are clothed in the armor of God, you can win the victory every time.

26. Today was a great day, but tomorrow is going to be even better.

27. Hope.

Sunday, February 16th

My 27 Thanks:

1. Gary made it home early from the station. It makes our morning routine so much easier when he is home to help.

2. It’s already warmer outside.

3. My dad helped Gary move our 3 trees into their spots.

4. We had a busy morning and still made it to church on time.

5. The new Kids Check-In area looks awesome. The team loved it.

6. We have an amazing church facility. We are so blessed.

7. Peaceful mornings.

8. Robots, Inc. continues to be a big hit. Kids are loving this series.

9. Our take home devos for this series are striking it big with parents. And, a large number of kids are returning them completed.

10. We had an awesome training session with our small group leaders. We are empowering to lead small.

11. My team is on the same page.

12. They love to lead together.

13. Gary and I had time after our training meeting to run home and plant a few trees.

14. Judah and I played on the swing set and watched Gary plant trees:)

15. I have trees in my backyard. I am so excited to watch them grow!

16. I have a big backyard and I live in a neighborhood.

17. After a year off, I approached the stage and did the Guest Welcome segment in Big church.

18. I did it afraid.

19. I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

20. My team members support me well.

21. Pastor Tami encouraged me with sweet words.

22. Pastor Ted’s message on Dreaming Again was timely and had many tweetable comments! But, I didn’t tweet them because I didn’t want to be on my phone during service.

23. My friend sent me a card in the mail. Her words were in the form of a prayer claiming that I too would dream again in some areas of my life. Her words were like honey to my soul.

24. We enjoyed a late night dinner with the Hoovers. It is always nice to catch up with them and share stories and watch our boys talk with each other.

25. I am learning to trust more even when I don’t understand.

26. Progress.

27. Gary and I enjoyed an hour sitting alone together talking.

Saturday, February 15

My 27 Thanks:

1. Judah and I slept in.

2. I worked with Judah on writing his name. He is doing better and I am having fun working with him on this great task.

3. Preschool teachers. They are special.

4. Patience.

5. Judah likes to learn. But, he likes rewards more.

6. God loves to reward His kids too.

7. I am so thankful that we named Judah…Judah. There were times that I concerned myself with the thought, “Will I be upset with my child’s name after some time?” No! I love his name.

8. We enjoyed lunch at Pei Wei with my parents.

9. My mom and I enjoyed a fun afternoon of shopping. I enjoy times of fun with my mom.

10. Judah was so well-behaved and even wanted to stay in the cart.

11. We got some great deals.

12. Comet, my sister’s dog, loves Judah. Judah held him in the car and kept him from yelping loudly in our inclosed space!

13. I love the convenience of my town. I grew up in the country and we had to drive for MILES to go anywhere. I love convenience. My brothers would disagree with me. They think town life is the worst ever. Ha Ha Ha.

14. Beautiful weather.

15. Judah and I met our new neighbors. They seem really nice. Now, we only have two more empty homes on our street. I like having neighbors.

16. I went to Crest on a Saturday by myself and I didn’t get anxious with the crowd and long lines.

17. Gage and Kolt came over to play with Judah. Judah was excited to see them.

18. Kyle and Meg got to have some time alone while Gage and Kolt stayed with us.

19. My brother told Gary that he was so glad to have Gary in our family. That statement meant a lot to Gary.

20. Gary is having an awesome shift and is really enjoying his new assignment.

21. My husband loves his job and even if he didn’t he would find ways to see the “glass half-full.”

22. Abby brought her English bulldog puppy, Oliver, over to play. He was a hit with the boys and oh so cute. We may have to get Judah a small dog!

23. Abby brought me a training manual for review before our big training tomorrow morning. The manuals look great!

24. The Word of God is powerful.

25. Jesus used the Word to defeat the devil too.

26. Today is my friend’s birthday. Lori Rowin is definitely a person to celebrate! She is dependable, kind, quirky (she wears fleece in August), willing to do act goofy for preschoolers, and a hard worker committed to building the kingdom of God.

27. Lori is on my team!

One year, I bought Gary a metal detector for his birthday. He loves to find buried treasure. He is incredibly nostalgic and gets so excited when he discovers something from the past. Gary has even mentioned to me on several occasions that the coolest job in the world, next to fire fighting of course, would be treasure hunting. Think about it, Treasure Hunters scour the earth looking for treasure left behind from past civilizations. Sometimes, they discover the “X” and win their treasured prize. There is something very enticing about the actual “hunt for hidden treasure.”

BUT, 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” Think about it…the greatest treasure in all the universe lives on the inside of us! It is a treasure that I don’t think we will ever completely discover or discern. The fullness of God is so vast and immeasurable that we will never be able to completely “dig” it all out.

If Paul were a treasure map creator, he would have been a poor one. The first thing he tells us in this verse if where to find the treasure. He says…”the treasure is buried in us!” He not only tells us where it is, but he says, “we have it.” We have the right to possess and not give back this treasure that is found on the inside of us. Thankfully too, this treasure isn’t only reserved for the lucky one who finds it first, but rather, reserved for all who believe…”WE have this treasure.”

God chose to put His greatest treasure, the Holy Spirit, on the inside of us. Even though our earthly bodies are fragile and eventually die, God chose to deposit his greatest gift on the inside of us. And, we don’t need to scour the earth searching for it. It is on the inside of us. WE ARE THE “X.”

Thursday, February 13

My 27 Thanks:

1. God chose to place His greatest treasure in the secret chamber of my heart!

2. I am special and valuable to God.

3. As a believer, I possess the richest of treasures!

4. Judah and I had a great morning together. We both woke up rested.

5. Judah spent the first hour in my office relaxing. He just needed more time with his mommy. He sat quietly on my office couch and watched a movie.

6. Abby did a few math manipulatives with Judah and he did so well. Abby is a great teacher too.

7. Judah and Aaron, Pastor Marc’s little boy, are becoming great friends! I love watching them play together.

8. Mindy and JaQuisha make staff childcare fun for the kids.

9. Brandon, Kayla, Mark, and I had a great lunch together. It was fun to sit down to eat and visit.

10. Brandon paid!

11. We mapped out all the locations for the Easter Egg Hunts. It is going to be so much fun and a great blessing to our community.

12. Community. I love my community.

13. Outreach focus.

14. I spent the afternoon doing work outside.

15. The sun in shinning and Spring is on its way!

16. Abby has worked really hard on the small group training manuals for our elementary team.

17. I have a great assistant who is helping carry the load for Kidz Ministry while I work on a big future project.

18. My friend, Deborah, made it to the next round of Dental Hygiene admissions process. I am so proud of her!!!!!!

19. Someone thought that I was Abby today. We are often mistaken as sister. But, to be mistaken as actually her….BIG compliment.

20. Debby Torres loves well. She is so faithful to encourage her friends.

21. The world is a better place because Amy Hoover lives in it.

22. Judah and I had a lot of snuggle time tonight.

23. We watched my Big, Big Friend and laughed a lot. I love the giant, blue elephant, Goliath. He is so funny and it is really a cute show.

24. Judah’s laughter. He shrugs his shoulders and crinkles his nose when he laughs. And, he has my cheek dimples.

25. Daystar plays instrumental music and puts up scripture verses on their channel throughout the night. I love falling to sleep with that channel on…it fills my room with scripture and soft music.

26. Peace.

27. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and Gary is off work!

Valentine’s Day

My 27 Thanks:

1. Gary is off work today.

2. Judah and I had a great night’s sleep.

3. Gary surprised me with a dozen pink roses. Pink is my favorite flower color.

4. Gary writes me the sweetest cards. I received one of those too.

5. Chocolate. Gary and Judah got be a boxed heart of chocolates. I think I ate 2 pieces. They ate the rest.

6. My niece, Abby, came over and spent the day with us. She is a funny little girl. She loves well. She is always super excited to see you and makes you aware of how special you are to her.

7. Judah had a playmate for the day.

8. We went and picked out 3 big trees for our back yard. Rony, who runs the nursery, gave us an unreal deal!

9. I went thinking that we would get 2 trees tops! But, the deal was so good, I got another tree too.

10. Gary’s parents let us borrow their truck to pick up the trees.

11. Austin, our builder, let us borrow his trailer to pick up the trees.

12. Mom Mom and Pa Pa invited Judah to stay at their house while we went back and picked up the trees. Judah got to play with more of his cousins and he was so happy.

13. Gary and I shared many laughs while trying to work together to get the trees out of the trailer. It was quite comical. I also learned that dirt, when compacted together, is HEAVY!

14. Spontaneous moments.

15. Judah was excited to spend the evening with Miss Molly. He always has such a fun time with the Gramling girls. I am so thankful for good, trustworthy babysitters.

16. Gary and I are preferred members at Saltgrass Steakhouse. So, it is a no brainer where we have Valentine’s Dinner. Once again, we got seated immediately and didn’t have to wait in the hour+ line. That card was worth the $25 hands down.

17. One of my former freshman English students is working at Saltgrass and recognized me. A young man changes a lot from freshman year to age 22. I am so thankful that he grew up! Ha Ha…he was such a class clown when in my class, but a great kid. Now, he is on medical leave from the Sheriff’s office. He fulfilled his dream of working in law enforcement.

18. Gary and I enjoyed great service, great food, and great conversation.

19. Traffic was crazy. I am so thankful for safe travels.

20. Gary is well-respected at his job.

21. Ideas.

22. The weather was enjoyable and warmer weather continues in our future.

23. Gary cares about my heart.

24. Conversations that lead to a mutual understanding.

25. We ended the wonderful day with a romantic comedy. Judah spent time snuggled up on both of our laps.

26. I am loved well.

27. Valentine’s Day.

Wednesday, February 12

My 27 Thanks:

1. Gary got to sleep all night.

2. He enjoyed his first shift on the green at station 31.

3. I enjoyed hearing his stories about his first day. He has a lot to learn.

4. I slept better than usual too.

5. Judah was excited for school and couldn’t wait to have his Valentine’s party.

6. Holly helped me decorate the Easter Egg Candy Drop-Off area.

7. I came in $75 under budget. Holly is skilled at coming in under budget.

8. The drop-off site turned out so cute. It is better than I expected.

9. Abby drove to several Wal-Marts so we could get enough of the black binders for our training manuals.

10. Quality is in the unseen details.

11. Gary came up to the church to help me sort Sunday School curriculum.

12. I enjoyed spontaneous hang out time with Holly.

13. My job is flexible and supports parent involvement with their kids.

14. I got to go to Judah’s Valentine’s party. Gary got to go too. He was the only dad there. Sometimes his days off fall perfectly for involvement.

15. The moms of Judah’s class make each party so fun. They are a sweet group of ladies.

16. Mrs. Stacy told me that Judah is great–sweet, polite, and quiet.

17. I had a great conversation with the Watoto’s. We were able to clear up some questions and move forward. I am excited for their visit.

18. My Father-in-law’s surgery went well today.

19. I was able to get a lot of work done from home.

20. Quick, fairly healthy dinner options. Biscuits and Eggs never fail.

21. The kids loved the opening ceremony game in Wednesday Night Kids. They were so hyped up!

22. Gary leads songs well. I love how he has grown in confidence on stage.

23. Pat and Rochelle have blessed our kids ministry with great snacks. Our kids are so blessed by this.

24. Judah made me a really sweet hand print glitter craft.

25. I love great nights of ministry. Tonight was a good, smooth night.

26. Jesus > and Superhero!

27. He is my best-friend.

My friend, Lindsey, and fellow 10K reasons blogger, wrote an ABC’s of thanks a while back. I liked her idea and thought I would use it to switch mine up a bit. There are only 26 letters in the alphabet, but I will figure something out for 27.

Here goes.

1. A-Apples. On most days, I eat at least one apple. My favorite are Gala and Honey Crisp. An apple provides more energy boosting power than coffee and it is much better for you. I love apples. I have been known to eat 3-4 a day.

2. B-Books. I love to read them. I am so thankful that God gave some the talent to use words to collect together in written form and make books. Books can take you on adventures, inspire you to be a better you, or make you dream again.

3. C-Car. I have a great, dependable, paid-off car. It comfortably carries my little family around and we can rely on it.

4. D-Deliverance.

5. E-Ellison Family. I am honored to be an Ellison. I love that group of interesting, talented, smart, and lovable creatures of the Most High God.

6. F-Freedom. It truly isn’t free. It has been provided to me sacrificial by men and woman who care more for others and the future of our great country than they do for themselves.

7. G-Gary. He is my helpmate, my best bud, and my loudest cheerleader. I love him.

8. H-Hendrickson Family. I love them all so much. They receive me as their very own and treat me with kindness, care, and overwhelming love. They are fun, caring, and quirky people. I love them.

9. I-Integrity.

10. J-Jesus and Judah. Jesus gave me life and every good thing in it. One of the best blessings He gave me is Judah. Judah makes my heart smile everyday. I am so honored to be his mommy.

11. K-Kisses. Gary always kisses me goodbye and Judah loves to shower his mommy with sweet kisses.

12. L-Love and Laughter.

13. M-Memories.

14. N-Neatness. I love being tidy and neat. I am thankful for the neatness qualities my parents taught me. I am also thankful that Gary is really neat too. We are neat together! Neat is a funny word to say over and over and over again…it is really neat…try it.

15. O-Obstacles. They cause us to think, find solutions, and grow stronger.

16. P-Peace.

17. Q-Quirks. I love sweet, endearing quirks. They set people apart and make them extra special. I have quirks, my sweetheart has quirks, and some of my other most favorite people have quirks.

18. R-Redemption.

19. S-Stories. I love to hear the stories of people’s lives and I love to tell stories. Judah loves my stories. He is my biggest fan. He has made me a better storyteller.

20. T-Trees. I grew up in a neighborhood in Broken Bow, Ok called Bellpine Estates. It was called Bellpine because of the large, beautiful pine trees. I love trees. I wish we had BIG trees in the neighborhoods of South OKC.

21. U-Understanding.

22. V-Volume. Don’t be jealous, but I have always had great volume in my hair. I have to give credit to my “super bone tail comb.” My college roomie, Jahni Suzanne Tapley, introduced me to the Super Bone Tail Comb in college and my hair has never had a flat day since.

23. W-Water. I am thankful for the LIVING WATER, as well as drinking water. It is about the only thing I drink. I love cold water and I drink a lot of it on a daily basis.

24. X-X-Rays. Even though I almost pass out when looking at the insides of body parts, I am thankful for X-Ray technology. Also, it was the only thing I could think of that started with the letter X.

25. Y-A Yielded Spirit.

26. Z-Zeal. I love energy and passionate pursuit of one’s desires.

27. Judah knows his ABCs and I love to hear him sing the song to me.

Monday, February 10

My 27 Thanks:

1. My house has been able to host  lots of people over the last few days.

2. Every one felt comfortable and had room to spread out.

3. We all had breakfast around the table together.

4. Gary always checks in on the condition of my heart.

5. Judah gave me lots of kisses today.

6. Judah told me he loved me.

7. Our hot water has not run out! We all took showers within the same hour and everyone (7 people) had hot water!

8. My brother, Kyle, told me I looked beautiful.

9. Judah and the boys were great during my grandma’s memorial service.

10. Judah provided sweet, funny commentary during the memorial video.

11. Child-like innocence.

12. An understanding of Heaven.

13. My friend, Debby, came to the funeral.

14. Pastor Marcia and Dorothy were at the funeral. I am so glad that got to know a portion of who my sweet grandmother was to me.

15. We got to see many family members that we haven’t seen in a really long time. Every one grows up.

16. My grandma was honored well.

17. The Pastor preached an awesome message about being ready.

18. Funeral dinner ministry is a great blessing to people. Chisolm Heights Baptist Church in Mustang hosted us well.

19. My family had safe travels home.

20. All video and songs worked great-no complications.

21. I got to keep a beautiful plant from my grandma’s service.

22. I had fun picking out Valentine’s with Judah. He doesn’t understand though why he can’t eat all the candy.

23. Honesty. The cashier didn’t charge us for 12 heart-shaped tubes of m&m candies. How she missed it, I don’t know?.?.? But, when we realized the mistake on our way out the door, we went back inside and made it right. She was so surprised by our honesty!

24. There are still honest people in the world.

25. We had a chance to see my brother’s new chiropractic office. It is going to be beautiful!

26. Gary helped me clean our house. It smells like pine-sol (my favorite). All the blankets are washed and put away, laundry caught up, and dishes done. Now, back to life…back to reality.

27. Warmer weather is in our future.

Sunday, February 9

My 27 Thanks:

1. Abby had everything ready to go for an awesome Sunday morning kids service.

2. My parents kept Judah for me so he could have a restful morning and spend more time with his cousin, Gatlin.

3. We made it safely to church.

4. My team all made it safely to church.

5. No one fell on any ice patches in the parking lot.

6. We did not have water at church, but my kids did great and were super flexible.

7. My kidmin team came together and figured out a plan to serve our kids to the best of our abilities even without water!

8. My kidmo team continues to show growth in ministry, as well as care for kids.

9. My kidmin team is flexible and understanding.

10. They keep a positive attitude no matter what the circumstance.

11. My friend, Ava, and her family had the MOST wonderful vacation. I am so glad they got to go on a trip of a lifetime.

12. Abby is super resourceful and creative. Her robot mouth was awesome and inventive.

13. There are many great films depicting awesome events from the Bible going to the BIG screen this year.

14. My family met with the Pastor who will be conducting my grandma’s memorial service. He is a great man of God and is so sweet and full of love.

15. We all got to share our personal stories with our grandma with him.

16. Memories/Stories about my grandma made us all laugh. She loved us well.

17. My in-laws brought my family a home cooked meal! It was such a blessing to our family during this time.

18. My in-laws love my family too. They stayed and had dinner with us.

19. Dustin did a great job on the memorial video. It was awesome.

20. We said “see you later” to station 8 on the Red. Those guys are our family.

21. Gary learned so much at that station. I am so thankful for the 7 years he had there.

22. Major Calvert said we would always be a part of the station 8 family.

23. Laughter with the guys and some time to exchange stories over the last 7 years.

24. Gary got Judah a “dog tag” style necklace with the fire department emblem. Judah is so proud of that necklace and wore it with a big smile.

25. Psalm 23

26. “Though I walk through the valley of the SHADOW of death, I will fear no evil.” With Christ, Death is only a shadow.

27. He is my comforter.

Friday, February 7

My 27 Thanks:

1. We had a very relaxing morning after a long night.

2. My sister, Haley, made it to my house before the bad weather hit SE Oklahoma.

3. We went to my grandmas house and found great pictures for her memorial video.

4. My friend and co-worker, Dustin, is making my grandmas memorial video.

5. Dustin is saving us both money and lots of time. I am so thankful for his offer.

6. John Ireland Funeral home is great to work with. They show great care and compassion to families who have lost a loved one.

7. As a family, we went to my grandma’s house for the first time since she became sick and was put in the hospital. She always had a bag of oranges and a cup of walnuts on the table beside her chair. They were sitting there untouched when we got there. I had to throw the oranges away:) Simple memories.

8. We went through lots of family photos and shared lots of great memories.

9. Photos.

10. My Aunt Mary gave us some great child pics of my grandma to put in the memorial video.

11. My Aunt Mary helped take great care of my grandma while she was alive. My grandma loved spending time with her sister.

12. This last year of my grandmas life, she lived next door to her sister. I am so glad that got to spend almost every day together.

13. The Fire Department shows such great compassion and care when a fireman looses someone in their family. Gary was able to take bereavement leave and be with me today as we assist my parents with memorial service details.

14. Fire Station 8-Red is our family.

15. Gary has worked with a wonderful group of men (brothers) for the last 7 years.

16. My sister and I have had great conversations today. It is so good to have face-to-face conversation with my baby sister. I can’t believe she is so grown up. I am 12 years older than she, so I practically raised her!

17. Gary loves my family as much as I do!

18.  Comet, my sister’s dog, loves Judah. He lets Judah carry him around, chase him, and hand feed him. Judah refers to Comet as “My best mend!”

19. My Uncle Danny is staying with us during this time. Being close helps during times of loss.

20. I made a big crock pot of chicken tortilla soup. It was a hearty meal and fed many mouths. I am so glad I had all the stuff needed to throw it together quickly.

21. My family loved it. My mom told me it was better than hers! Huge compliment.

22. We finalized the plan for my grandma’s memorial service. It will be a lovely, honoring memorial.

23. Working together with my dad and uncle.

24. Even though it is because of sad circumstances, I am enjoying time with my family.

25. My mom, sister, and me all snuggled up on my bed and watched a Hallmark movie together. It was a great distraction from the week’s events.

26. Love Stories!

27. I married my Prince Charming.