Friday, April 25

My 27 Thanks:

Today, I wanted to focus my thanks on all that God is to me. Now, words can never truly express His wonder in my life, but here is 27:

1. He is my Creator. 

2. He is my Rock.

3. He is my Redeemer.

4. He is my Shelter, my Hiding Place.

5. He is my Provider, my Jehovah Jireh.

6. He is my Comforter.

7. He is my Best-Friend.

8. He is the Lover of my soul.

9. He is my Healer.

10. He is my Strong-Tower.

11. He is my Alpha and Omega.

12. He is the Bread of Life.

13. He is the Author and Finisher of my Faith.

14. He is my Father God.

15. He is my Banner.

16. He is a Holy God.

17. He is Immanuel.

18. He is my King of Kings, the Lord of Hosts.

19. He is my Peace.

20. He is All-Powerful.

21. He is All-Knowing.

22. He is my portion. He is more than enough for me.

23. He is my Shepherd.

24. He is the Great I Am.

25. He is the Almighty One. There is no one like my God.

26. He is Alive in me.

27. He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

Monday, April 28th

My 27 Thanks:
1. I am officially another year older. I am so thankful for life.
2. I was able to encourage someone this morning who is going through a very tough time.
3. God uses your story to bring hope and healing to others.
4. Mom mom helped me out big time today. She went and picked up snacks for Judah’s class for me. I forgot it was my turn:(
5. Mom Mom also picked up Judah from school for me.
6. I got to attend an awesome conference today.
7. Our church hosted it!
8. I got to hear from some great leaders like, Nancy Ortberg, Tommy Barnett, and Herbert Cooper.
9. There were a lot of young leaders in the AG fellowship.
10. I enjoyed a great lunch with Nancy Ortberg.
11. Pastor Marcia blessed me with her ticket.
12. The childcare for this event has worked well.
13. Dean and Joy  Guthrie, OCM Pastors, are a delight to work with.
14. They love our space and are excited to use it.
15. Our facility is a great blessing!
16. The worship for Century Leadership was amazing and just what I needed.
17. Tommy Barnett’s message spoke volumes to me.
18. I ran out of note room in Herbert Cooper’s message. I love hearing the teaching of the Word.
19. For the most part, all bad weather has stayed away from Moore/Norman/OKC.
20. We have a storm shelter.
21. Core Values.
22. Judah and I worked on writing his numbers tonight. He loves to learn.
23. Teaching Game Apps.
24. Judah and I sang the theme song to “Guess How Much I Love you” together.
25. I have the sweetest little boy.
26. Bedtime snuggles.
27. I am blessed.

Sunday, April 27

My 27 Thanks:

1. It’s Sunday.
2. Today is my 34th birthday. I am so thankful for life.
3. I received so many birthday blessings and sweet words from friends and family.
4. I have amazing people in my life.
5. Jesus walks in humility. He is always committed in making things right.
6. Even though Peter messed up BIG time, Jesus didn’t hold a grudge. He restored Peter completely.
7. We had a great day of kids ministry at Crossroads.
8. Gary is leading so well in kids worship. I am so proud of him and thrilled to do ministry with him.
9. My kids sang the Happy Birthday song to me.
10. My kids show me so much love.
11. Many men participated in the Resolution ceremony at church. They made commitments to their families and resolved to be the spiritual leader if the home.
12. Pastor Marcia and Dorothy blessed me with two cards. They said the sweetest of things. I treasure their friendship and mentors hip in my life.
13. I have a really sweet, special mom. She always makes me feel like a million bucks. I love her yearly birthday greetings.
14. My mom went through much to have me. I am so thankful for her bravery and determination to have a child.
15. I enjoyed a birthday lunch at Johnny Carinos with friends and family.
16. Free birthday dessert.
17. Because we are hosting a Century Leadership Conference, we cancelled Sunday PM church service so they could setup. It was really nice to have my birthday evening at home with family.
18. Gary gave Judah a haircut. He looked so cute and so grown up!
19. Lots of rest.
20. We got rain, but no severe weather.
21. Friends who live in SE Oklahoma are safe after some severe storms went through the area.  
22. Psalm 34.
23. Gary and I enjoyed watching Saving Mr. Banks.
24. My 10K reasons journey has brought great joy to my life. I am so thankful for this journey. 
25. A life of thankfulness.
26. I am a different person because of Jesus. 
27. I cried out to Him and He heard me. He rescued me.

Thursday, April 24

My 27 Thanks:
1. I had the honor of officiating the marriage ceremony of two lovely people.
2. The rain stopped in time for the outdoor wedding.
3. The bride and groom blessed Gary and I with gift cards to our favorite restaurants!
4. Gary went with me to the wedding so I didn’t have to go alone.
5. Mom-mom and Pa Pa let Judah hang out at their house and he loved it.
6. Gary and I had a spontaneous coffee date after the wedding.
7. Marriage.
8. God designed marriage. It is a beautiful symbol of Jesus returning for us-and uniting with us at the marriage super of the Lamb.
9. It is not good for man to be alone, so God designed a helpmate! Two is always better than one.
10. I get to spend my life with the most perfect man for me!
11. Mom-mom made Judah the cutest M&M pajamas. Her new sewing hobby benefits us all.
12. Pa Pa’s hand is healing more and more each day.
13. Pastor Marcia sent me a sample of a wedding certificate document filled out. I was so thankful for the reminder.
14. New beginnings and fresh starts.
15. I am a victor, I don’t have to play the victim card.
16. We were able to cancel our night at the resort without paying any penalties and they are letting us reschedule.
17. We made another trip to Lowes and got a great deal on our landscape rock.
18. Gary made our front flower bed beautiful.
19. My crate myrtle is going to live and thrive.
20. Ms. Sharon, our neighbor, brought Judah over an ice cream bar. She has won him over.
21. We found a birds best with a baby bird in it. We had fun watching the mother feed it.
22. Judah is full of energy! I love watching him ride his bike and his scooter.
23. Judah is turning into a Math whiz. He loves numbers and he does Math in his head.
24. I live in a quiet, peaceful cul-de-sac.
25. God heard my cry and He answered me.
26. Life.
27. It is Well with my Soul.

I have never received a gift that was broken. But, today my sweet friend Abby presented me with a broken gift. It was a small green vase that possessed a big crack through its gentle frame. However, around the crack, beautiful pieces of gold were exposed. As she was presenting me the gift, Abby began to share with me the story of the art piece. 

The story of Kintsugi Art may have begun in the late 15th century, when the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa sent a damaged Chinese tea bowl back to China to be fixed. It returned held together by random pieces of ugly metal staples. Ashikaga thought it was an unacceptable fix. So, he challenged his Japanese craftsmen to find a better way to repair broken pieces and make them look as good as new or even better. They pulled all the staples from the bowl and repaired it using pieces of gold. To his surprise, the bowl looked better for being broken.

The Japanese art of Kintsugi repairs brokenness in a way that makes the object better for being broken. There will be times in our life when we experience brokenness. There will be hurt, fears, despair, failure, loss, pain, etc…that will leave scars or brokenness in our lives. And no matter what we do, those scars remain with us.

Throughout my times of brokenness, I have learned that I can either repair those breaks with ugly metal staples or with pieces of GOLD. With God, beauty always comes from ashes. He always uses the very best to mend a broken place. Through Him, we can look for the GOLD in our lives to connect and repair the breaks. When we do, we will discover that we are better, we are stronger, we sparkle, and “we are more beautiful for being broken.”

It is through the breaks that allows the beauty to shine through.

Wednesday, April 23

My 27 Thanks:

1. Good news. I began my day with some really good news. 
2. All things work together for good for those who Love God!
3. God is faithful.
4. His promises are yes and amen!
5. It is a most beautiful day.
6. My strength is renewed in Him today. 
7. Hope is alive.
8. My friend Debby cares so well for others. She has been helping a fellow friend who is going through a most difficult time. I am so glad we have Debby in our lives.
9. We had some family time this morning before heading to work and school.
10. Gary went grocery shopping for us today.
11. Today is my last working day of the week.
12. Even though I have had a short working week, I am caught up on my work…for this week anyway. 
13. Abby and I work well together. She makes my days at work even more enjoyable. 
14. I am surrounded by people in my life who just make life brighter and more enjoyable.
15. Possibilities.
16. We opened our Wednesday night service with a game to promote our offering challenge. It went well and the kids were so excited. 
17. The girls jumped in the lead tonight on the offering challenge. Frog may be buying them pizza after all! 
18. We have weekly opportunities to build relationships with kids.
19. Even though I hate conflict, I am thankful for it as well. Healthy conflict builds character, uproots bitterness, and brings to light anything the devil may be trying to brew in the dark. 
20. A soft answers always turns away wrath.
21. God has a way of exposing us. I always desire for my true character to be one of integrity and love. I appreciate moments when I am tested, then I can see areas that may not line up with where God would have me be or how He would have me respond. 
22. I don’t run away from conflict. I have grown in this area. I usually meet it head on and solve it before the day ends. 
23. There is wisdom in a multitude of counsel. 
24. We are getting much-needed rain.
25. Abby gave me a most sentimental birthday gift. It made my heart smile. She presented me with a green (my favorite color) vase that is broken. But, it is more beautiful now because of its brokenness. 
26. Beauty comes from brokenness.
27. We are stronger and more beautiful for being broken. 

Tuesday, April 22

My 27 Thanks:

1. I woke up feeling rested.

2. I can put on peace. I walked through an event today and had peace.

3. Judah was so excited to know he got to spend the entire day with his daddy.

4. Several people told me today that my little boy is so cute and sweet!

5. Kind words from strangers.

6. Gary, Judah, and I had lunch at McAlisters together. We ate outside.

7. Gary and I so enjoy conversations with Judah. He makes us laugh.

8. I am already receiving sweet birthday greetings on Facebook. People are to kind.

9. My mom and I got to talk several times today. She is so sweet and caring. And, she is coming to see me this weekend.

10. I enjoyed a smooth day at work.

11. Sam helped us get a better quote on our car repair.

12. It is a most glorious day filled with lots of sunshine.

13. Trees and flowers are in full bloom. I love watching God’s rich creation come to life.

14. We played outside together. Judah and Gary took turns doing flips in the grass.

15. We have tons of playtime as a family. I am so thankful for both the quality and the quantity of time we invest in one another. 

16. Gary grilled steaks.

17. We had dinner on the patio.

18. Judah ate meat!

19. I had to give some blood today for a routine check up. The lab tech was awesome. I so appreciate skilled medical professionals. 

20. Romans 8.

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

22. Because I belong to Jesus, the power of the life-giving spirit has freed me from sin. 

23. The Holy Spirit helps me in my weaknesses.

24. Words can’t fully express or capture all the wonderful things about my God.

25. God himself has given us right standing with Him.

26.  Victory is mine through Jesus Christ.

27. Perfect love casts out all fear.

Monday, April 21

My 27 Thanks:

1. Pastor Ted gave us the day off.
2. Time to rest.
3. We stayed in bed until 9:00 am!
4. Gary, Judah, and I had a great morning together.
5. I finished reading the book of Acts this morning. We have been reading it as a team. It is so rich with church growth information.
6. The Bible is the inspired Word of God!
7. God is Faithful to his Word. He is Jehovah Jireh our provider.
8. Appointment reminder phone calls.
9. Days free from to-do lists.
10. We finally got a quote on fixing the door on my 4-Runner. The guy at Malibu’s was so helpful and professional.
11. Gary and I enjoyed a nice, quiet lunch together.
12. We held hands while we drove around and tackled errands.
13. There is so much rebuilt after the devastating tornado damage last year. I love to drive through the area and see the process!
14. God makes all things new.
15. Judah was so excited to see me when I picked him up at school.
16. My family is healthy.
17. At one point this afternoon, all 3 of us were building dirt castles in the dirt pile.
18. Gary is a great playmate for kids!
19. Morgan and Abby came over to play for a little bit.
20. I love listening to kids have conversations with one another. So cute!
21. Pretend Play!
22. Laura brought us dinner when she came back to pick up the girls!
23. We had family movie night and watched Hop!
24. Judah is finally getting on a bedtime schedule. He is consistently going to bed at 8:00 PM without much fuss at all.
25. My nice, King-size bed.
26. When I lay my head down at night, I sleep in peace. 
27. Today was a beautiful day.

Sunday, April 20

My 27 Thanks:

1. My God is NOT dead.
2. Jesus is Alive.
3. My Hope is in a living God.
4. He is the Word of life.
5. It’s Easter Sunday. I love this day each year!
6. I woke up super sick. I was very concerned as to whether or not I would even be able to make it to church, but God is faithful and I made it through.
7. Gary was a huge help while I was sick all night and in the morning.
8. He cares so much for me.
9. We were able to do a service run through with Amena before our Easter service.
10. My kids ministry team is amazing. 20 of them committed their Easter service to kids ministry.
11. We kicked off our new song, “This little light.” It was awesome and everyone loved it.
12. Mrs. Debbie can hang with the best of them when it comes to dance. Who says that there is an age limit to dance!!!
13. We had record numbers in kids church this morning.
14. I met lots of new families.
15. People come HOME during celebrations.
16. 15 kids raised their hands to accept Jesus as their Savior on Easter Sunday.
17. The kids left with huge smiles and lots of fun goodies in our Great big Easter Giveaway!
18. We play games in kids church.
19. Magic paper…it helped me make an awesome illustration today!
20. We have the evening to spend with family.
21. We spent the entire afternoon with Gary’s family.
22. We dyed eggs, hid eggs, hunted eggs, and had lots of fun.
23. Mom-Mom made a spectacular roast and we all splurged on apple and blackberry cobbler.
24. The rain held off and we had a great time outside.
25. Judah fell asleep as soon as we got home, so Gary and I enjoyed a super cute hallmark movie to end the night.
26. Lives are still changed today because of what Jesus did for us on the cross over 2,000 years ago.
27. He is the Ultimate Sacrifice. There is no greater act of love or humility!

Saturday, April 19

My 27 Thanks
1. Oklahomans remember well.
2. I am so thankful for memorials that honor well those who gave so much! 
3. Tragedy brings people together!
4. Beauty comes from the ashes.
5. Judah and I had a lovely morning together.
6. I got off track in the automatic car wash. Judah and I remained calm and thankfully a worker rescued us quickly.
7. He gave me a free, upgraded wash!
8. My in-laws watched Judah for me while I made an airport run to pick up our special guests for Easter.
9. Abby came with me on my airport run. She is airport savvy and made my trip successful. 
10. Matt Owen and Amena Brown-Owen are awesome. I loved hosting them and learning their stories.
11. Poetry.
12. Words. Words are powerful. 
13. I have awesome friends and family who are a huge help during busy working weekends. 
14. Friendships. 
15. Pastor Tami and Maci came over to my house and watched Judah for a short time before Cherryl could get there. 
16. Cherryl watched Judah for us tonight and she is spending the night. We love our Cherryl. 
17. My crazy schedule worked itself out today!
18. I enjoyed meeting and working with the African Christian Fellowship group at OU. They are a really neat, highly motivated group of young people. 
19. Our church provided free food for the event. It was a nice night of fun. I got to pretend to be a young college student again. 
20. Matt and Amena’s piece, Breaking Old Rhythms, was awesome. I loved it! 
21. Gary and I had a great time with friends. 
22. Light-hearted conversations.
23. God protected us. We found ourselves in the middle of a high-speed chase. It is but by the protection of God that we didn’t get hit by the escapee and the 10 police cars chasing him. It was so scary. 
24. Gary is an amazing driver and remains calm under stress!
25. We don’t live a criminals life, nor would we ever do anything that would cause the police to chase after us. 
26. Psalm 91. 
27. Protecting Angels. 

Friday, April 18

My 27 Thanks:

1. It’s Friday.
2. I do my best to protect my Friday, they are my sabbath!
3. When Gary got home from the fire station, he kept Judah busy and let me rest a little longer.
4. We all ate breakfast together.
5. Relaxing mornings.
6. Gray is working hard on leveling out our backyard.
7. I planted  more flowers. I love having my hands in the dirt. 
8. Haley and I laid out on the back porch together and had a nice chat. 
9. Haley had an interview for a job today. She did well and was offered the job on the spot. 
10. I played in the dirt with Judah. He loved having me on the top of the dirt pile with him. 
11. Judah had so much fun getting dirty. He thinks mud is as cool as anything else out there. 
12. The sun in shinning brightly. 
13. The Word of God is living and active!
14. The Word of God is fuel for my life. It feeds my spirit. 
15. Laura helped us out at the last-minute and watched Judah for us so we could go to the ballet.
16. Judah loves getting to go play with his cousins.
17. Our family lives close together.
18. We enjoyed a nice dinner together before the ballet.
19. We had great food and service.
20. Gary found us great parking at the Civic Center.
21. Our seats were awesome. We got perfectly centered seats.
22. Usually, I hate feeling trapped or boxed in-it makes me super anxious. But, I did great tonight and I was surrounded on all sides by people.
23. Gary even goes to ballets with me.
24. We held hands and dosed off a couple of times during the ballet. We are growing old together.
25. I enjoyed a night out with my handsome prince. 
26. Gary and I enjoy just being together. We are easily entertained. 
27. Jesus willingly went to the Cross and took my place!