Sweet, sweet sunshine!!

Hello readers! It been a full few days, this weekend was a whirl-wind but I loved it, time to catch up on listing all of the blessings!

Saturday:
-great bonding time with my small group
-the opportunity to get a glimpse into a powerful ministry of College Park
-hangout time with three precious little girls

Sunday:
-a fantastic and warm welcome from my new work team
-a perfectly relevant and encouraging sermon "It's game time!"
-a relaxing afternoon

Monday:
-afternoon sunshine
-a good book
-good friends

Today:
-rare snuggles with Kate
-a walk in the sun
-this weather, this weather, THIS WEATHER!! :)

Movin on up!

"3 Gifts Moving"

1. Me, I'm moving! And so so excited about it! :)

2. Also I'm moving to a new job, one I've prayed for, but never thought would come!

3. Warm weather is moving in! Hallelujah!!!

Happy Friday! I've got a CRAZY weekend coming up, using tonight to rest up! I hope you all are having a fantastic night and that God is showing up for you in big and small ways!

Details

Yesterday:
1. A difficult conversation that went WAY better than expected! Major answer to prayer!
2. Giggles and more giggles! :)
3. God's amazing planning and provision!

Today:
1. A surprise Friday off before a busier than busy weekend! God will not give me more than I can handle!! He's in the details!
2. A good nights sleep
3. A start to an exciting change!

What a week! I'm so thankful that God tells us in His word to only worry about today! Sometimes that's difficult, but this week it's been a blessing! Thankful that my God is patient enough to teach me how to do so.

Hurdles

These past few weeks have been busy, leaving me short bits of time here and there to jot down quick but important lists of gratitude. While those lists are good, the fact that I've been too busy to devote more time to them is not. When I'm rushing around from event to event I'm not taking the time to slow down and really appreciate the gifts and more importantly, to process what God is doing in my heart and soul. Well today God stopped my in my tracks and left me with no escape, He allowed the pain in my soul to catch up with me, and there were no to-do lists or calendar items to get in the way.
The pain I've been ignoring is pain caused by a person close to me, I've been ignoring it cause it's felt like too much to handle, to big of a hurdle to ever jump over, especially combined with the small, daily ones.
Wait a second! Who's doing the jumping here? When has God ever given me any indication that I have to jump over life's hurdles on my own?! I've certainly tried, many times, and failed equally as many, but He is always right there to pick me up, dust me off, take me back to the beginning and carry me right over that very hurdle! He doesn't just help me, He carries me! In fact, as you've all seen, He very recently carried me over my biggest hurdle yet! So why am I doubting again? This time instead of trying to jump over the hurdle myself, I'm running away from the hurdle, as far away as possible, I don't wanna jump anymore!! Let me tell you, running from the hurdle is just as painful as falling when trying to jump on your own, and that's a bad kind of pain. I wish I could tell you that letting God carry you over the hurdle, or through the trial is pain-free, it's not. But it's certainly rewarding, and it's certainly beautiful, and it's certainly comforting. I wish I could tell you that today's realization and breaking point was the end of this trial, but it's not, in fact it's probably a lot closer to the beginning. But the despair I was feeling, and ignoring, is far worse than the productive and beautiful pain that comes with walking through it hand in hand with my Savior. Here we go, breathe in, breathe out...

3 of today's gifts:

- Beautiful brokenness
- Tender tears
- His warm embrace
- Good news

Busy and Blessed

I'm enjoying a relaxing Monday after a wonderfully busy weekend full of friends, errands and worship! It's such a blessing to be surrounded by wonderful people and be a part of a loving church body! Excited to think over and recount all of this weekend's gifts!

Friday: "3 Gifts Square"

1. A square living room full of College-Parker's new and old
2. 3 square meals! :)
3. My comfy bed greeting me at the end of a long week!

Saturday: "A Gift stacked, stashed, stilled"

1. A day "stacked" with back-to-back conversations and productivity!
2. A Christmas tree stashed for 50 cents!!
3. Time stilled - people watching and relaxing!

Sunday: "3 Gifts found in Christ"

1. Conviction
2. Overwhelming encouragement in the reminder of His presence in my life!
3. Fellowship with Him found in prayer

Today: "3 Gifts close"

1. A decision close
2. Warm weather close
3. Work being close


What are you thankful for today??

The list goes on!

- the sound of rain
- tears from laughter
- first mortgage payment: check! :)
- headbands, cute socks and ruffles
- options
- buttery croissants

Been enjoying a full week with my sister here along with my chubby nephew, who's crawling!!

Enjoying the rain soothing us to sleep! :)

A Full Heart

Well, I'm behind yet again! Oh well... :)

This weekend was full and wonderful! I was sick most of last week so it was very good to be back on my feet and have some much-needed quality time with friends I've been missing! I love that I have the privilege of doing life with so many incredible people!

Since I'm behind, and since this weekend was so full of blessings, I'm just gonna list some of them instead of fitting them into the categories:

1. Health and the ability to work
2. Cheerful, giggly Kate
3. Dinner surrounded by fun friends
4. Birthdays
5. New members to College Park
6. Joyful servants early on Saturday
7. So much laughter
8. Afternoon rest
9. Delicious dinner
10. Quality girl-time
11. Heart-stirring worship
12. Beautifully relevant and convicting sermon
13. Lunch with a dear dear friend
14. New life long waited and prayed for!
15. A relaxing, simple Monday
16. A stormy Tuesday
17. Creamy coffee
18. A nation unified in times of pain and confusion

I'm thankful for all of you! I hope you're having a joy and gratitude-filled Tuesday! I

Blooming

Love Springtime! The grass is bright green and there are beautiful flowers budding everywhere! Thankful for the picture they give us of new life, I love God's beautiful metaphors in the seasons!
Happy Spring!
"3 Gifts Budding/Blooming"

A little list

Home sick yesterday and today, looks like again tomorrow, not a fan of sickness changing my plans, but it's a good time to be looking for blessings! Even on sick days God showers blessings and I've gotta keep my attitude in check!
Just gonna list some:

1. An abundant supply of cool, fresh water and juice
2. A mom who graciously cooks for me when I'm sick
3. A clean, warm, safe house to heal in
4. Gracious employers
5. Cough drops, vicks, tissues, medicine...
6. Technology to stay connected and social even when I can't leave the house

Spring is HERE

Yesterday: "3 Gifts Waited for"

Yesterday was a perfect Sunday, a beautiful worship service and very convicting sermon, a yummy lunch complete with avocados, an afternoon by the pool resulting in a little sunburn, laughter turned to tears with a good friend, and a good night's sleep! Sundays are by far my favorite day of the week, it takes a lot to bring me down on a Sunday, but yesterday, nothing came close! Thank you Lord for simple, sweet days!

1. Warm sunshine
2. A sincere, heartfelt conversation with a lost friend, one I never thought would come.
3. So much laughter, always a gift!

Today: "3 Gifts Rising Up"

1. A new exciting opportunity (more later:)
2. The glorious sun, I don't think I've ever been so in need of and so thankful for Spring!
3. New friends all over the place! :)

Learning and Leaning

Thursday: "3 Gifts in His Word"

1. Been reading Genesis, thankful for His creation and power!
2. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses..." so thankful for this!
2. Promises, promises, promises!!

Friday: "a gift at 11am, 2pm and 6pm"

11am: The sun was shining and it was already 50 degrees!!

2pm: At exactly 2pm I was making my boss's king size bed, a task I do every Friday and one I usually grumble about. But yesterday something was different, remember that song from Sunday school? "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart today!" Well, I can't explain it, but yesterday He filled me with His joy, I was even having fun making the bed, only by His grace! :)

6pm: I was driving home from work, with the windows down, singing along to one of my new favorites on the radio! What a fun end to the week! :)

Today: just some random blessings from today-

French press coffee
Lots of time to conquer my to do list
Laughs with a friend

Sometimes in the midst of a joyful day or week, loneliness bites, I've decided "bites" is the most accurate action word for it. That's what it feels like, it comes out of nowhere and the pain is particularly awful in the beginning. Lately my prayer has been, "God teach me how to go to you for ALL of my needs, teach me how to full the void of loneliness with Your love alone!" I don't want to be lonely, but more importantly, I don't want to hurt my Savior by choosing to focus on loneliness when He is offering me eternal comfort! He wont let me hurt alone.
Learning, learning, learning, and while I'm learning, I get to lean on His everlasting arms! So thankful for a patient Teacher!

Sweet Surprises

Yesterday: "3 Gifts white"

1. Kate's bathtub, bath time is easily our favorite time of the day! Her smiles are always the biggest when she's splashing in the tub!

2. Lotion. I regularly find myself annoyed by the ever increasing amount of lotion bottles in my bathroom cabinet, where do they all come from? Then I was all of a sudden struck with the reality that lotion is an abundant necessity here, but to so many it's a luxury they will never enjoy! Wow am I ungrateful !It's the little things!

3. Yummy, hazelnut creamer!

Today: "3 Gifts surprisingly found"

1. Joel and Jeri found a house! A huge blessing for them and one for me too!! Getting closer to move-in dates for both of us! God's hand has so clearly been all over this! Been a blessing to watch Him work!

2. Peace, about a lot of things, at least the beginning of peace. Peace in the form of a convicting and comforting whisper from my Savior, "I've got it all under control."

3. Love from a friend, there's nothing quite like a surprise, "Hey, I've been thinking about you", text! :)

Loving me some April sunshine! :)

Round :)

Monday, April 1st: "3 Gifts Round"

1. My coffee cup filled with hot hazelnut coffee! Mmmmm
2. A bowl full of gooey Mac n cheese! Great surprise from my boss! :)
3. Kate's big smile! She has a new sort of monkey smile that is wide and round! So cute, and such a gift early in the morning!


How was your Monday? Did you search for His gifts today? Don't let the Monday blues get you down, He's got hand-crafted blessings for you!!