Wednesday, April 2

My 27 Thanks:

1. Today is another beautiful day!

2. Sunshine.

3. I turned in payroll with time to spare.

4. More individuals from the community showed interest in the Jr. Academy today.

5. I received several donations from individuals who want to help purchase “prize eggs” for the City Rescue Mission Egg Hunt.

6. Generosity.

7. Effective communication.

8. Gary only has 2 more days left of his Haz Mat course.

9. Today is the 50th birthday of Chief Marc Woodard. He is such a blessing to our family. He has been wonderful to Gary and me. His leadership and mentorship in Gary’s life is so greatly appreciated. He is a man worthy of celebration!

10. I almost had the song “Manic Monday” used as a bed of music for a video we are working on for Sunday’s sermon. Thankfully, Pastor Ted pulled up the actual lyrics and stopped me before the edit.

11. We had a great laugh over the mess up. From now on, I will always read the lyrics to a song before I suggest it for a video, especially if I only know the chorus of the song. You have to watch the verses…they can be sneaky.

12. It looks like the Daily Oklahoman will be doing a story on our Jesus > _________ campaign.

13. Almost 200 people have posted their Jesus > _________ comments on the site Jesusisgreaterthan.com

14. We got to see my sweet nephew, Kaden, for a little bit today. He is such a great kid and I am so glad we got to see him one more time before he heads off to England.

15. Kaden got to go over and visit Peyton too. He told me, “She is so pretty.” Kaden and Peyton were in a wedding together when they were really little and Kaden has had “eyes” for her ever since. We think Peytie is cute too.

16. Kaden is the oldest Hendrickson grandchild. He is several years older, but plays so well with all the little ones. He is a great role model for them.

17. Laura made her signature homemade noodles for everyone. It was nice to have a quick meal with Gary’s family before heading off to church.

18. Gary led worship tonight and it rocked.

19. We had a great night of ministry.

20. We are doing a boys vs. girls offering challenge for the month of April. If the boys win, I buy them all pizza. If the girls win, Frog buys them pizza. So far the boys are winning. But, its okay, our offering was up!

21. We left church before 9:00 p.m. It was so nice to get home a little earlier.

22. Judah stayed awake on the ride home. Bath time is much easier when he is awake.

23. We did not have bad weather. I am so glad it didn’t hail.

24. Jesus understands.

25. I will not only survive, but I will also thrive and prosper.

26. My life is in His hands.

27. I am an overcomer.

Tuesday, April 1

My 27 Thanks:

1. I had the honor of teaching in staff chapel today.

2. I studied well. I was confident in my teaching because I was prepared.

3. Preparation.

4. I am so glad for this in-depth study in Acts. I have gained great revelation in chapters that I have read often.

5. New revelation and fresh perspective.

6. Teamwork. I divided my team into groups during staff chapel. The team worked well together.

7. God is my source! He is the source of my strength.

8. First responders. We had to call 911 today for a lady attending women’s Bible study. She is okay. And, the first responders were so wonderful and treated her with such kindness and care.

9. My house was the location of a video shoot for our Easter series. So, I got to leave work early and get it ready for the shoot.

10. Abby came home with me and helped me take care of Judah during the video shoot.

11. Abby and I planned out our Easter KidMotion service. It is going to be awesome!

12. Extended amount of time without interruption to make plans!

13. I got to work with Greg Kuhn on another video project.

14. We officially opened up the application process for employment to the Jr. Academy. I am so glad I finished the application on time.

15. The video shoot went well. Mike McCall is a natural in front of a camera.

16. We filmed a large video project in one hour!

17. Several of my kidmin team leaders have stepped up to volunteer to serve on Easter Sunday! I have the best team ever.

18. Brilliant , Holy Spirit inspired ideas.

19. Gary went to the store for us.

20. He took Judah along so I could cook dinner and have some time to gather my thoughts from a busy day.

21. Peace and Quiet.

22. Gary always buys a few “extra” snack items for us.

23. Hannah showed us a sneak peek from our photo session and she got some great shots.

24. I can consider the source because God is MY SOURCE.

25. I can trust Him.

26. No one played an April Fools joke on me and for that…I am thankful. Well, Starla tried, but she failed miserably.

27. Resolve.

Monday, March 31

My 27 Thanks:

1. I was ahead of the game on my morning routine.

2. Judah told me that the reason he cries when I leave is because, “I don’t want to be away from you mommy.”

3. My mother-in-law took Judah and picked him up from school for me.

4. Transparency and Trust.

5. We have a storm shelter for the approaching severe weather season.

6. I got to minister to a woman who initially came in to the church today to register her daughter for the Academy.

7. I spent some time with my BGMC director, Ms. Crystal. SHe has such a sweet heart for missions.

8. Missionaries.

9. Ms. Crystal blessed me with a beautiful copper globe of the world.

10. A spirit of generosity.

11. Abby and I enjoyed a nice lunch together and fun conversation.

12. Deep, Heartfelt conversations with friends.

13. Discipline. We are disciplined because we are loved.

14. Gary and I had an opportunity to discipline Judah and teach him why he was being disciplined.

15. Pastor Tami shared some great parenting advise with me. I am so thankful for insight from those who have already walked the path.

16. Forgiveness.

17. The heart to apologize for wrong doing.

18. The Word of God brings power into your life.

19. Tools available to help you study the Bible.

20. In the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit gives you tools for effective church growth.

21. discernment.

22. Gary and I both stayed up late together studying. We had a nice, peaceful study time.

23. The Bible is rich with revelation and meaning.

24. When we praise the Lord, the supernatural meets with the natural.

25. When you have inner praise, you will never be in bondage.

26. We are saved by grace.

27. We don’t have to try to out god our God.

Sunday, March 30

My 27 Thanks:

1. This is the day The Lord has made. I rejoice and am glad!

2. We live in America and have religious freedom.

3. Cooperate worship.

4. Creativity.

5. The Happy Face Dance went well and was well received.

6. The Flash mob had never been done before in Crossroads Church. It was a great lead in to Pastor Ted’s message, Jesus > Your Happy Face.

7. You can put on the garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness or depression.

8. Chemise was a huge blessing in helping choreograph the Happy Flash mob. I had a blast working with her.

9. Ms. Dana really helped me put together the happy face masks and saved me so much time.

10. Everyone had so much fun and was super happy to participate.

11. We had people from all ages and walks of life participate. I love variety.

12. Pastor Ted, Pastor Brandon, and Dorothy all participated too. The church loved seeing them dance.

13. The Jesus > ________ campaign is changing lives and it is just getting started.

14. We had an awesome wrap-up to our Forgiveness series in KidMotion. It is so important to learn at a young age to forgive and forgive quickly.

15.God forgives us of so much!

16. I am so thankful for God’s forgiveness.

17. The story of the Unmerciful Servant is a great example of how important it is to forgive.

18. I love teaching kids about the Bible. Teaching them helps me grow too!

19. We got to come HOME for lunch time today. We have hosted training lunches for the last 4 straight weeks.

20. We had time to enjoy the weather and play outside before kidcrew practice.

21. Gary and I co-taught choreography practice for our kidcrew practice. We had so much fun working together.

22. Gary loves worship!

23. Our kidcrew kids LOVED the new song, “This Little Light.” We love it too. It is probably my favorite song that we have ever prepared.

24. Pastor Tami’s Sunday PM song lineup was made just for me! Not really, but it was all my favorite songs.

25. I am so glad that Gary and I got to sit through service together. Pastor Ted’s message of hope in God was much-needed.

26. I got to minister to someone at the altar. I love these special times.

27. Jesus is GREATER.

Saturday, March 29

My Thanks:

1. I can hear birds chirping outside my bedroom window in the morning.
2. I had time to drink a little coffee and have devotion time with Gary.
3. I had a most beautiful morning walk.
4. You can talk to God even when you are walking.
5. Peace and Quiet.
6. Judah and I worked in my flower beds together.
7. Time outside.
8. Sunshine.
9. I have beautiful landscaping. God has blessed me with so much.
10. Gary took Judah to Asher’s birthday party. They needed some daddy/son time alone.
11. Asher Hoover is an awesome kid. I am so glad he is a KidMotion kid and shares his love for Jesus with us.
12. Judah had fun and played so hard at the party. He was so excited to bring home Mrs. Amy’s balloons.
13. Amy goes above and beyond to make things the best.
14. I enjoyed time alone with my sister.
15. We had fun shopping together and trying on clothes together.
16. Hannah is home for a visit from Germany. She is a creative, excellent photographer and is taking family pictures for us. We got to do pictures at Lake Hefner.
17. I don’t live on north side of Oklahoma City. There is too much traffic.
18. The weather was perfect and the sun was in a perfect spot.
19. We had so much fun playing in the water with Judah. He smiled from ear to ear when running through the lake water.
20. We got our brand new clothes muddy, but great memories were made.
21. God’s creation never ceases to amaze me.
22. Haley got pictures too. The timing was just right for everything.
23. Gary drove.
24. Saltgrass Steakhouse sent me $25 for my birthday. So, we had take out steaks!
25. Uncle Danny is doing much better. He came over for a brief visit. It was great to see him and know that he is doing much better since my grandmother passed away.
26. Relaxing evenings.
27. Weekends.

Friday, March 28th

My 27 Thanks:

1. Judah and I both woke up excited that we didn’t have to go anywhere unless we wanted.

2. We declared it PJ day until noon.

3. We had lots of snuggle time in the recliner.

4. Judah loves to sit on my lap still.

5. I am so thankful for yummy, gluten-free products. I love my Kind bars. Now, I wish they could make the products more affordable.

6. My sister is in town to get her hair done and spend some time with me.

7. We had fun shopping a little together. I am excited to spend some one-on-one time with her.

8. Gary got out of his class early again. What a nice surprise.

9. We mailed off our taxes. I am so glad tax time is only once a year.

10. We have been adjusting our withholding each year, trying to get a perfect balance where we don’t owe anything and we don’t get anything back. I think we have almost found that balance. Thank God we don’t owe what we owed the year prior! Ha Ha Ha.

11. I am an American and better yet, I am an Oklahoman.

12. Gary, Haley, Abby, and I all went to the movie theater.

13. We enjoyed a fun night out with friends.

14. Madilyn watched Judah for us. She is a great girl who is a superstar babysitter. Judah loves having a night out with Madilyn.

15. I received some encouraging snail mail today. I love getting letters in the mail.

16. The written word.

17. My little friend, Peyton Stimson, is home safe and sound after a horrible fall that resulted in a bad broken arm.

18. Over 300 people from around the community have “Liked” our Jr. Academy page on Facebook.

19. Over 6,300 people have visited our Jr. Academy page on Facebook. I love the free publicity that social media provides.

20. Proverbs 3:26 states that God has a plan to keep us from the traps of life.

21. The place of the cross, although a dreadful, horrible place, represents life for me!

22.The place of the cross is a place where unbelievable suffering took place for Jesus, but it is a place of absolute freedom and victory for me!

23. Regardless of what we have faced, God has a plan!

24. God is our Father and we can approach Him as His children. I can crawl up on His lap and talk to Him.

25. God cares about me…all of me!

26. He is not a respecter of persons, yet He knows how to meet my needs and that may be different from the way He meets the needs of another.

27. God is in the DETAILS.

Thursday, March 27

My 27 Thanks:

1. It’s windy, but it’s warm.
2. I wake up every morning knowing 3 most powerful truths: God loves me, Gary loves me, and Judah loves me.
4. Judah spent some time with me in my office. He needed me and I am so glad to have the flexibility to be his mommy even during working hours.
5. Abby did some more math manipulatives with Judah. He is so smart and I love watching him learn.
6. Laughter.
7. Modern day convenience.
8. Cleanliness.
9. Judah and I went out for lunch together. After Gary, Judah is my favorite date!
10. We took our lunch back to church and ate with Mrs. Debby and Mrs. JaQuisha. We enjoy each others company and share great conversation.
11. Judah took a long nap.
12. He woke up crying and incredibly upset for no reason. I am so glad that there were two mini cupcakes leftover with his name on them!
13. Judah just wanted me to hold him. There is a special bond between a mommy and her child. He just needed me to hold him and speak softly to him. The Word is so true, ” a soft answer always turns away wrath or brings calm to a storm.”
14. The April curriculum crate is complete! I am so excited to put our new teaching into action.
15. Both Mrs. Lori and Miss JaQuisha are vital parts of our preschool ministry. They voluntarily work so hard to make our department the best. I don’t know if they will be able to actually wear their crowns in heaven because the jewels will be so heavy!!!
16. Volunteers who serve the kingdom.
17. Even though I am the Kids Pastor, I am invited and included in the creative process for Big Church! I love being able to collaborate on projects with my fellow creatives.
18. Gary got out of his class early today. We thought he would be in class the whole time, but surprisingly, they let out a little early.
19. Gary ran by the grocery store and picked up a few items for our dinner at home!
20. My New tree, October Glory, is beautiful and already has a ton of buds on it!
21. I worked in the yard with Gary. It feels so good to have my hands and feet in the dirt.
22. Judah had a blast playing in The dirt.
23. I was swinging Judah high on his swing and said, “You are like a superhero.” Then, Judah had me stop the swing. He said, “Mommy, I have to go put on my superhero costume then!” I love my little boy!
24. Gary and I sat on our porch swing, held hands, and watched our son play.
25. I live the “Happily Ever After” life.
26. Sunrises and Sunsets.
27. God is a beautiful, creative God. He is the ultimate artist and He let me be a part of His most magnificent creation.

Wednesday, March 26

My 27 Thanks:

1. Judah was really exited that Mom-Mom was going to take him to school with his cousins, Ethan and Evan.
2. Mom-Mom took Judah to school, so I could get to work early for a conference call.
3. I can’t say enough how thankful I am for the in-laws I am blessed with. They are so special to me!
4. We had a very successful conference call with our Easter guest, Amena Brown.
5. She is an artist who is flexible, easy to work with, and loves Jesus.
6. Easter is planned.
7. We got rain.
8. My desk sits in front of a giant window. I totally have the corner office with a view. I love my office space.
9. Mrs. Debby fixed Giddy Up’s leg. Giddy Up is Judah’s special stuffed horse. He loves Giddy Up and was so happy to have the hole in his leg sewn up.
10. Mrs. Debby and Miss JaQuisha work so well together. They love teaming up and ministering to our kids!
11. I have peace that surpasses my understanding.
12. Mom-Mom also picked Judah up from school today. Her help gave me a few more hours of work time.
13. I made it to my brother’s chiropractic office in time for an adjustment. He really helped my neck and gave me some tips for how to help reduce the problems I am having.
14. Kids forgive easily. They have such sweet, soft hearts.
15. My kids were excited to recap what we learned on Sunday about forgiveness. I love to see how excited they get when they remember the Big Answer or Bottom Line.
16. Gary is finally off from working Wednesday shifts! It is so nice to have him back in Wednesday night ministry.
17. We have a lot of fun in KidMotion.
18. We had a well-staffed, peaceful night.
19. All Wednesday night services went well. People got saved and lives were changed.
20. We are doing a very different creative element on Sunday for the kickoff of Pastor Ted’s Jesus > _____ series.
21. Thinking outside the box and trying new things!
22. The people participating are excited and energized to be a part.
23. We have a very interesting mix of people involved!
24. Diversity.
25. A new friend of mine, Ms. Dana, is helping make the smiley face masks! She is saving me so much time.
26. Jesus > Your Happy Face. You are unmasked before Him.
27. Jesus loves me this I know!

Tuesday, March 25

My 27 Thanks:

1. Oh the Blood of Jesus…I love that song. It brings so much power.
2. The blood of Jesus washes away my sin and makes me whole.
3. There is so much power in your blood.
4. Jesus is NO respecter of persons.
5. He came for everyone.
6. Pastor Tami did a fabulous job teaching 6 chapters in the book of Acts in 30 min.
7. We shared lots of laughter in staff meeting.
8. More kids enrolled in the Jr. Academy today!
9. I had a great conversation with Talena, our youth Pastor’s wife. I really like her. She has such a sweet, fun personality.
10. I brought my lunch from home again. Gary and I are doing so well eating up all the food at our house.
11. Clean, accessible water.
12. I get to work with people who I like.
13. I rarely have car trouble. I am so blessed with a good, reliable, paid off vehicle.
14. Financial blessings.
15. Grace.
16. Judah had such a fun day playing with Aaron and his friends.
17. Miss JaQuisha made them all sausage and waffles. She is awesome!
18. Gary got home much earlier than expected.
19. We grilled out hamburgers and they were so good. I love grilling season.
20. My brother blessed us with a whole bunch of amazing organic, grain fed beef!
21. I am having to plant a tree in my small front year per the neighborhood developer. Thankfully, we found the tree that I wanted and it is ready to plant.
22. I am getting an October Maple.
23. I got a big work project completed.
24. My friend Amy is home resting after surgery due to miscarriage.
25. Jesus > Miscarriage.
26. There is no one like my God.
27. Hope is Alive.

Monday, March 24th

My 27 Thanks:

1. Judah was so sad that we couldn’t find his fire fighter necklace for show and tell today at school. But, we settled on taking Giddy Up, our stuffed horse, instead. I am so glad he was excited about showing his friends, or possibly making a presentation in class.

2. Conversations with a 4-year-old. Judah makes me laugh. I love experiencing the world through his awe and wonder.

3. A sense of wonder.

4. Excitement over little things.

5. Starla is feeling better and made it back into the office today.

6. Lori came in today and worked on our new preschool curriculum. We are getting so close to our April launch and couldn’t be more excited.

7. I came across some awesome ideas for engaging environments for kids ministry. I am so thankful for awesome sites like Pinterest!

8. DIY projects that are well done, but don’t cost much.

9. Abby found a Montessori Outlet for awesome buys on school manipulatives. I am so excited to start purchasing items for the Jr. Academy.

10. Preschoolers are enrolling daily at the Academy.

11. I finally received some much-anticipated mail from A Beka. I am so excited to dive into their curriculum.

12. OKCFD trains their firefighters well. Gary is taking a two-week HazMat course. I am so glad that he at least knows how to handle hazardous materials if and when he gets exposed to them.

13. God protects His kids.

14. Mondays are always super productive days for me. I love Mondays. They help me get my week off to a great, productive start.

15. Mr. Bob, one of our dear friends and fellow kidmin leader, finally got a report and a plan of action back from his doctor. I am so glad he is getting answers to solve this medical mystery! He is headed in the right direction now!

16. Bob and Debbie Thomas have served alongside Gary and I for 7 years in Kids Ministry. They are solid and faithful. We appreciate their love and support. We love them so.

17. Sam, Starla, and Abby all agreed together today that I am bossy. Abby then restated that, “You aren’t really bossy, you just know what other people should be doing.” Well, I am so thankful that she cleared that up. Ha Ha Ha. I love my team!

18. Michelle Hopkins has been volunteering at the church front desk a few times a week. She is such a sweet spirit and really loves people. I am so thankful for her faithfulness to serve and to be a bright smile to those who enter our church doors.

19. Gary, Judah, and I played chase in the backyard and played on the fort. I love moments of play with my family and I love to feel like a kid again.

20. Gary and I changed our nightly routine. We played outside with Judah for quite a while after work. Then, we came right in and I cooked dinner while Gary gave Judah a bath. Because of this, we ate dinner late. But, Judah ate dinner! He ate it all too. So, I guess our child prefers to eat at 7:30 p.m. instead of 5:30 p.m.

21. Judah was ready for bed and actually went to bed at 9:00 p.m.

22. I had time to work on today’s Thankful blog today! Usually, I have to do it the following morning. But, I am so thankful for the time tonight.

23. Judah is doing so well in writing his name. He has shown improvement every week. I am so proud of my sweet, brilliant little man.

24. I have been blessed with the role of raising Judah. I may not be raising Superman, but I am raising a boy who will become a super man! His potential is limitless.

25. Parents can speak promises and purpose over their children.

26. The grass is turning green once again….goodbye BROWN and hello GREEN!

27. I picked up lunch from McAlisters today. The girl who waited on my was really sweet and soft-spoken. After she had taken my to-go order a woman approached the counter and pushed her drink towards the cash register. She coldly asked, “Would you please fill up my cup with water?” The young, timid cashier took the cup and filled it up with water. As she was handing it back, the costumer replied in a degrading tone, “Did you put ice in my drink?” The cashier said, “Oh, no. Did you want ice.” Coldly, the lady responded, “Ummm….yes, I did!” As an outside perspective, I could feel the disgust and hateful attitude of the other customer. Her approach and tone were completely uncalled for. I could not believe the way in which she chose to handle herself and speak to another person. The rudeness of some people is truly heart-breaking. After the ordeal, I made a point to smile at the young girl and say, “I am sorry that you deal with that on probably a daily basis.” She said, “It’s okay. You are right, it’s all the time.”

I am so glad that I CHOOSE to be friendly. I CHOOSE to give people the benefit of the doubt. I CHOOSE to extend much grace because much grace has been extended to me. I CHOOSE to not make a big deal out of “ice in a cup” or a wrong order or a slow line . I CHOOSE to NOT be one of those costumers who is a nightmare for those working on the other side of the counter. I CHOOSE my attitude.