Saturday, April 12th

My 27 Thanks:

1. The kids at the City Rescue Mission were excited to see us.
2. We have a great time working with the City Rescue Mission team.
3. Every time I go, I am greeted by the sweetest, smiling faces.
4. Even though it was windy, the weather was perfect.
5. We were asked to put on an Easter service beFore the egg hunt. We said, YES!
6. All of our tech worked perfectly.
7. My Kidmin team was awesome. They led so well.
8. I had more than enough leaders for our event.
9. We had so many eggs that every kid left with an egg basket over flowing.
10. We heard several testimonies of life change.
11. When I minister in a new environment, I always have opportunities to learn something new and chances to learn from mistakes.
12. One mom thanked us for providing a perfect day. We happened to host the egg hunt on the day of her daughters 4th birthday. It was the first birthday she was getting to spend with her daughter because the others were spent in DHS custody. The little girl thought her mom had put our big event on for her birthday! We let her believe that too! It was beautiful.
13. Second Chances.
14. Gary, Tom, and Cody all helped hold up the moon bounce inflatable. We thought we were going to have to shut it down due to the wind. But, the guys held it up instead so the kids could enjoy.
15. All of our egg hunt sights were a huge success.
16. We ministered to 2000+ in our community through our egg hunts.
17. Strategy.
18. Creative ideas.
19. After our egg hunt, we enjoyed a nice lunch with some of our team. I love debriefing and celebrating.
20. Jesus finds value in everyone!
21. He left the 99 to go and find the ONE.
22. He is no respecter of person. He welcomes us all.
23. We can approach Him.
24. Jesus > Your Past.
25. Gary typed out my blog for me. I am so glad he has helped me tonight. Even my fingers are pooped.
26. I laid down at 9:00 PM. Thankful for rest!
27. My Japanese Maple is unreal. I am so amazed by its beauty this year.

Friday, April 11th

My 27 thanks:
1. The power of God cannot be matched by man.
2. There is power in the name of Jesus.
3. Revelation of the Word.
4. Time to study the Word of God. 
5. Judah slept in until 9:00 a.m. 
6. Gary and I enjoyed morning quiet time together. 
7. Judah got to spend the entire morning in his pajamas. He is not a get up and go kind of kid. So, he loves pajama days at home. 
8. Team house cleaning. Gary and I worked together to make our house shine. 
9. I own a home.
10. We had all day to spend together. 
11. Fridays.
12. Gary, Judah, and I made another trip to Lowes to buy beautiful flowers. 
13. Judah found bugs in the fountain at Lowes and had a great time letting them crawl on him. He thinks all bugs are beautiful. It is so sweet to watch him with animals, bugs, and other interesting insects…he has such a gentle spirit. 
14. Our Lowes garden expert, Russ, gave us a really good garden buying tip. He told us that if you buy flowers in broken hanging pots, you get it for half price. Well, I always transfer my hanging plants into pots anyway, so I could care less if it is broken. I got a beautiful plant for 50% off. 
15. We all had fun picking out a bird feeder. My mother-in-law got us all interested in bird watching. 
16. Sunshine.
17. We had little wind today and for that I am very thankful. 
18. My little family enjoyed a spontaneous snack break at Chick-fil-A. We also got ice cream. 
19. We celebrated Janelle and Garrett today. They had a beautiful reception at the church. I am so excited for their new lives together. 
20. Happily Ever After. 
21. The Marriage Covenant. 
22. God is a God of restoration. 
23. Judah helped me practice my illusion for the City Rescue Mission Easter Service. He loved it and helped me do it three times. 
24. We are going to bed early tonight. Tomorrow will be a very busy day and it is wise to rest. 
25. Gary made me dinner tonight. 
26. Our Youth Fine Arts team is doing so well at the Fine Arts competition.
27. Our youth are showcasing their talents and using them for the Glory of the Lord. 

Thursday, April 10

My 27 Thanks:

1. Jesus has the power to fix all my problems.

2. He doesn’t need my help.

3. Matthew 26: 53, Jesus says, “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of Angles to protect us, and He would send them instantly?” Jesus has all the power we need at His disposal.

4. The men who came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane had NO real power over Jesus. Man can never compare to the power of Jesus.

5. Jesus submitted to them willingly. He willingly died for us.

6. I had to rework my entire morning plans. God loves to give me opportunities to be flexible.

7. I still got everything accomplished on time.

8. I spoke with several more people today who are interested in sending their preschooler to our Jr. Academy. Slow and steady wins the race.

9. We are completely ready for our egg hunt at City Rescue Mission.

10. Abby and I had a quick-lunch together. We rarely get to leave the office for lunch, so it was a nice break.

11. We shared great laughs on our journey to the City Rescue Mission. We got lost in downtown OKC…we are quite the pair.

12. Laughter.

13. Experiences that make for great future stories.

14. Judah was so excited to see me when I picked him up.

15. Debby and JaQuisha let the kids paint and craft today. The result looked like a ton of fun was had by all. I am so glad Judah gets to spend time with people who love to make messes and have fun.

16. Our awesome facilities team helped remove big, heavy tables out of the KidMotion room.

17. Judah and I enjoyed the warm evening weather.

18. Our neighbor, Ms. Sharon, came over for an evening visit.

19. My friends, John and Holly, are starting on their new house. I am so excited for them.

20. Quick, healthy meals. Judah and I enjoyed eggs and toast for dinner.

21. I finally got my kitchen cleaned. I hate leaving it in a mess. I love when it is clean.

22. I am so thankful for a dishwasher!

23. Judah loves to help:)

24. Judah and I laid in bed and watched My Big Big Friend together. We love that show. It is so cute and sweet.

25. Judah’s laugh.

26. Bedtime snuggles.

27. He will always be my baby boy!

Wednesday, April 9

My 27 Thanks:

1. Jesus’ last miracle was performed on a foe, an individual who hated Him, in the Garden of Gethsemane.
2. Mercy and Grace.
3. Jesus is faithful to His friends even until the very end. 
4. Jesus cleaned up Peter’s mess in the Garden. Just think, Peter could have been in BIG trouble for chopping off the ear of the High Priest’s assistant, but Jesus stepped in and cleaned up Peter’s mess. 
5. Jesus is a healer. 
6. I am blessed with faithful friends. 
7. I got to have lunch with my buddy, Debby.
8. She bought my lunch. Happy early birthday to me.
9. Honest conversation.
10. I ran into a friend from my past. Justin Edge, who now serves on the Life Church kids team, was a friend of mine from Hugo Middle school. It is so exciting to run into friends from your past and find out that they are actively involved in ministry. 
11. Gary and I spent an hour cleaning out some of our prop closet in the KidMotion room. 
12. Organization.
13. Clean spaces.
14. Gary helped me pick up all the prizes for the City Rescue Mission Easter egg hunt.
15. We found great prizes and stuck to our budget.
16. Many of my team members chipped in and purchased awesome prizes.
17. Abby was able to see my brother, Kyle, for a chiropractic adjustment. She is feeling so much better all ready!
18. Kyle thought Abby and I looked alike as well. What an honor it is to look like Abby! She is too cute.
19. We ran errands, cooked dinner, ate in the car, but still made it back to church on time. My kitchen is a wreck though:)
20. Judah got to spend the evening at his aunt Laura’s house. He needed a restful night at a home.
21. Our kids loved helping stuff eggs for the big community egg hunts.
22. Some kids that I haven’t seen in a really long time were back at church tonight!
23. A little girl got sick in our service. She was really crying when mom picked her up. But, her tears were from having to leave not from being sick. Mom told us her kids love to come to church.
24. Kids are excited about kids ministry.
25. Gary is leading kids worship at a greater level. I love watching him use his musical gifts for The Lord!
26. Our church stuffed 50,000 eggs in under an hour.
27. HUGE volunteer turnout.

Tuesday, April 8

My 27 Thanks:
1. I know the Great I Am.
2. Morning Bible Study.
3. Assurance.
4. Corporate worship time.
5. Pastor Marc always presents a reasoned opinion from the Word of God.
6. Staff meeting was canceled today, so I got in some extra work time.
7. I got several compliments on my bright, Bohemian style outfit. 
8. The weather is consistently warm this week. 
9. The landscaping outside my office is looking so good. May sound silly, I know. But, I love watching plants and flowers grow. Life is such a beautiful thing. 
10. Judah and I had a fun lunch break.
11. Judah spent the afternoon in my office with me.
12. He behaved really well.
13. I am ahead of the game on some of my work.
14. We are all loving the new curriculum and working with the details of it. 
15. Starla did a great job on the Easter crafts for our 2s class.
16. We got to babysit Abby’s English Bulldog, Valentine.
17. Judah learned that having an inside dog is a lot of work.
18. Abby got to help Peyton with her school work.
19. Judah and I spent time outside with Valentine. It was so fun to watch them chase each other and play. 
20. Gary had a great shift.
21. He loves his job. 
22. Judah has lots of energy. He can run, jump, climb…he has no handicap.
23. Judah is very gentle and loving with people and dogs.
24. I don’t own a dog. Ha ha ha…it is a lot of work.
25. Jesus > ___________ campaign continues to gain momentum. 
26. I get to be a part of this awesome campaign. 
27. His promises are forever.

Monday, April 7

My 27 Thanks:
1. Gary decided to work out after I went into work. He wanted to spend some time visiting with me while I got ready for work.
2. Gary always puts us first.
3. I received a very, very good report today!
4. A friend from my past is back in my life.
5. My work is enjoyable.
6. Our creative team put together a great sketch for one of our Jesus > _______messages in under 2 hours.
7. Teamwork!
8. Pastor Marc and his family are back from vacation!
9. Gary and I had a quick-lunch together! I love getting to see him throughout my day.
10. Gary helped load what I hope is the FINAL load of stuff from my Grandma’s house.
11. We were blessed with some outdoor Christmas decorations.
12. Janelle is back to work after an awesome 10 day honeymoon to Italy! I am so glad she is back.
13. Abby and I got our City Rescue mission service planned out and I have a super cool illustration for the message!
14. I had a great conversation with my friend, Lindsey Crow-Snider!
15. I dropped off fliers for our big Egg Hunt event at 5 different daycare locations. They all said, “Absolutely, we would love to hand these out!”
16. My Community.
17. My flier distribution assignments where in areas that I was very familiar with and I didn’t get lost.
18. Gary and Judah had fun grocery shopping together while I was at work.
19. Judah is writing his name so well!
20. The joy of The Lord gives me strength.
21. We got more rain today! My plants are thriving.
22. God is Faithful.
23. There is light at the end of every tunnel.
24. Thanksgiving!
25. Bedtime conversation and prayer!
26. Sleep is always sweet when you rest in the shelter of the most High.
27. My heart is full.

Sunday, April 6

My 27 Thanks:

1. I slept well last night.
2. We have a great church to attend on Sunday!
3. I serve with a great team!
4. Jesus, the King of Kings, came to earth…to serve other people.
5. He gave us a perfect example of putting others first.
6. Mr. Jose played our host character and did an awesome job!
7. I have amazing male leaders on my team. Kids love having male leaders to look up to!
8. We enjoyed a nice lunch with one of our awesome teen leaders, Keturah, and  Mr. Bob.
9. Opportunities to speak life into others.
10. Ranger Derby went well!
11. Pastor Ted said the support items for his Jesus > Status Quo message went really well.
12. We had a packed house in Kidmotion.
13. Our preschool team loved the launch of our new curriculum.
14. Mason and Molly Gramling are celebrating their 14th birthday today! These two teenagers are awesome young people. I am so glad they are in our lives!
15. I get to work with Mrs. Gladys on a project this week. We are going to win the challenge. Yep, we are unstoppable!
16. We had a restful/relaxing afternoon at home.
17. It rained today.
18. Afternoon rest.
19. Snuggle time with Gary and Judah.
20. Amazing grace.
21. Jesus > Status Quo.
22. I saw someone in church tonight who has had a struggle to come. But, she is coming and God is doing a new work in her!
23. Worship set tonight was great. Gary was so excited they sang Cornerstone.
24. My little boy makes my heart smile so big.
25. Mrs. Debby and her kiddos sat with us. 
26. Taryn gave me a hug. This is huge, people! Taryn is a teenager and her hugs are limited. They are reserved for the coolest of people. 
27. Gary’s embrace and my assurance in him.
28. Pastor Tami and I had a great conversation.

Saturday, April 5

My 27 Thanks:
1. Gary is home with us today!
2. We met up with almost 100 leaders from Crossroads church to canvas neighborhoods and inform them about our community wide egg hunt.
3. Our Jesus > ________ campaign has been so organized. Our team has done a fantastic job with details.
4. People were excited to be a part.
5. The weather was perfect for a morning walk around neighborhoods.
6. Gary, Abby, and I got to be a team.
7. We covered two locations in 2 hours!
8. Exercise.
9. We had an awesome outdoor afternoon at our house.
10. We worked together and made our patio an awesome outdoor space!
11. Gary likes things as clean and organized as I do.
12. My little buddy, Peyton, continues to do better after arm surgery!
13. The Daily Oklahoman did a full-page add on our Jesus > ________ campaign.
14. People are joining the conversation at Jesusisgreaterthan.com
15. Jesus is greater than anything we could face.
16. He has an answer for all of our trials and test in this world!
17. Jesus > Miscarriages
18. He gives us hope and courage to move forward.
19. I am not stuck.
20. Gary grilled out for dinner tonight. I love enjoying his food from the grill. 
21. We had dinner around the table together.
22. My uncle Danny stopped by for a few minutes and Gary helped him with his phone. Now, he knows to keep it turned on when charging. We have tried all week to check in him, but he turned his phone off to charge it am never turned it back on!
23. The Word of God.
24. I spent time studying the story in the Bible about Jesus calming the storm.
25. Peace that surpasses our understanding.
26. Saturdays.
27. Jesus is always present in the midst of our storms. 

Thursday, April 3

My 27 Thanks:

1. Today is Mrs. Dorothy’s birthday.
2. She is a beautiful example of love and faithfulness!
3. She serves our team well and is a great friend.
4. Dorothy makes us laugh!
5. Dorothy makes others feel really special. I am so glad God gave us a Dorothy.
6. Abby and I had fun shopping and picking up game props for our April KidMotion series.
7. I am so thankful that non-profit organizations, like churches, get tax exempt.
8. More gift cards were turned in for our City Rescue Mission/Salvation Army egg hunt.
9. The video for this Sunday’s creative element turned out awesome.
10. Greg, the videographer, turned the video around in 24 hours.
11. Judah wanted to watch the video over and over again because it was so funny.
12. Gary’s hazmat class ended early, so he came to the Church to help me set up for Sunday.
13. JaQuisha, Debby, Judah, Gary, and me got to eat lunch together. I love having some hang out time with my friends.
14. I had the opportunity to bless Debby and JaQuisha with their lunch.
15. I got a free lunch at McAlisters because of my punch card.
16. The restoration of old friendships.
17. I took a big step forward today.
18. Gary is always by my side.
19. Caring and kind people.
20. We bought lots of flowers and two fruit trees at Lowes to plant.
21. A worker, Russ, at Lowes was kind and very helpful.
22. Everything fit in our car. I was incredibly doubtful, but it worked. I don’t know how though.
23. Judah didn’t cry when we pulled up to Orange Leaf and they were already closed. He happily agreed to get his orange ice cream at Braum’s instead. He said, “It’s okay that it won’t have gummy worms and gummy bears on it.”
24. My sweet little friend, Peyton, is having surgery on her arm tomorrow. I am so glad that she is close to the start of her healing after a horrible arm break. She has a great doctor working on her too.
25. My California buddy, Danielle, is also celebrating her birthday today! She is my fellow blog friend who remains faithful to this journey. I am glad God created Danielle.
26. My friends, Amy and Debby, send me the most rich text messages. Amy’s text today was spot on!
27. My friend, Kristi, is coming to OKC in May. I haven’t seen her in forever, but we are making plans.

Jesus calms the storm…I love this passage of scripture from Luke 8:22-25. It shows that Jesus is right in the middle of our storm with us.

²² One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. ²³ As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger.

²⁴ The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. ²⁵ Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”

The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”

First, I find it interesting that Jesus said, “Let’s cross to the other side of the Lake.” Before the trip even began, Jesus told the Disciples where they were going. He didn’t say, “Hey, let’s try to get across. Hopefully, we won’t drown.” He told them assuredly, “Let’s cross!” Even in the scariest of circumstances, if you will fix your heart and mind on the Word of the Lord, you will get through it and you will survive. 

Secondly, Jesus reminds me of my mother a little bit in this passage. Think about it…Jesus was asleep on a boat while a BIG storm was going on outside. Obviously, He was traveling with expert fishermen who were aware of the sudden and violent storms that would brew on the Sea of Galilee. But, Jesus slept unaware. He didn’t wake until His disciples went and woke Him up! Moms are similar. They can sleep through all kinds of noises and sounds, but at the faintest cry of their child, they awake fully alert and ready to respond.

Thirdly, Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves. When it was calm, He didn’t address the storm, but rather He addressed the disciples and asked them, “Where is your faith?” The violent storm didn’t bother Him, but the lack of faith from His disciples did. Wow! Our faith or lack thereof moves Jesus.

Finally, whether we find Him to be “alert” and “awake” in the midst of our storm, He is there. He brings both His presence and His purpose in the midst of some of the scariest times in our lives.

Friday, April 4

My 27 Thanks:

1. Jesus is present in the middle of our storms.

2. Jesus gives both His presence and His purpose through our storms.

3. Jesus knows the cries of the His kids voice.

4. He promises that we will “get to the other side.”

5. Judah and I had a restful morning.

6. He spent most of the morning curled up in my lap.

7. We had so much fun outside together. We shot basketball hoops and I watched him ride his bike.

8. Judah helped me plant my flowers. We make a great team. He is going to have a “green thumb” like his mommy and daddy too.

9. Judah told me he had a secret for me. So, he pulled my ear close to his mouth and whispered, “Mommy, I love you.”

10. I received lots of random kisses from my sweet boy today.

11. The weather was absolutely beautiful.

12. Gary finished his Haz Mat course and passed the test!

13. Gary is off the entire weekend with us.

14. When he got home from the training center, he helped us plant the rest of our flowers and two fruit trees.

15. I got all of our laundry caught up today!

16. I had the opportunity to bless a family with dinner tonight. I am so thankful for my mother-in-laws yummy green enchilada casserole. It makes a great dish for families.

17. Gary delivered it for me.

18. Oklahoma has the prettiest sky.

19. Tonight’s sunset was breath-taking.

20. My neighbor was released from the hospital today.

21. The only time I have ever had to do an overnight hospital stay was when I delivered Judah. I am thankful for our great medical care, but I am even more thankful that I don’t have to use it often.

22. The lack of faith from the disciples provide great lessons for all of us. I hope I can learn from their bloopers.

23. I found out that the people who bought the house next to us are a young couple with little kids. I am so excited that more kids are moving into our cul-de-sac.

24. I am so thankful for the stories of life-change and triumph that other people share. Stories are so inspirational.

25. Gary and I had a late night dinner of eggs and toast. Gary made it for me!

26. My home is such a peaceful place.

27. Supernatural peace.