The last few days have been a struggle for me. Every day we have had tears in our eyes as a family, for the loss of our Pastor, and for the struggle at our church. Last night, while guest performing at a dance recital for another studio, my youngest daughter fell, was afraid to ride her bike on stage, and burst into tears over and over again. I said all the wrong things, overwhelmed by her stress and mine. I felt like the worst mom in the world. I felt like maybe all this dance was the wrong thing for us. Then we calmed down. I apologized. We cried together, and then wiped away the mascara run tears, put on our "blinged" sunglasses and we danced. We came home and cuddled, read together, prayed, and finally found some rest.
I've skipped my blessings blog these last few days for two reasons. I seemed to only be able to think of a couple of things to be thankful for each day, and I didn't seem to have the time at home to write. So, today is a big day, and I'm reflecting back on the blessings that have been there all along.
1. 99% of the time, my daughters love to dance.
2. Water.
3. Tears. I know this one is strange, but I am thankful that God provided for this release of emotion.
4. Cute blue tank tops.
5. Blue sparkly hair ribbons.
6. Friends who lean on each other.
7. Big hugs.
8. Being able to cry in a public place, and not feel nervous about it. Another strange one, but I used to hold it all back so often that I couldn't cry even if I felt like it. Today I cried standing in front of a whole congregation, and it was a blessing.
9. Being able to stand up next to our Pastor and his family for the final blessing, and Godspeed. I know this sound strange, but one of my first thoughts was: "now I know why I'm glad my husband works in the sound and media booth." Because of the overwhelming numbers of people who wanted to stand up there, only staff members and their families were asked to come up, so I got an extended family priveledge, and I nearly tripped in my haste to get there. I felt honored, and I am thankful.
10. My husband, who used to be the silent partner in our faith life together - helping out with youth group because I helped out, etc - has grown in his own uniquely shaped ministry under the direction and guidance of Pastor Paul. He's still one of the quiet guys, but now he runs the microphones, the cameras and the soundboard, teaches kids how to do all those things, and gives 10+ hours a week serving others. Then, he also helps with broken cars, broken computers, etc that come his way.
11. The men's Bible Study that my husband participated in with Pastor Paul and men from our congregation many years ago. It deepened his faith, and committed him to reading and understanding the whole Bible.
12. Even though my youngest has a cold, plus been tired and out of sorts for two days, she wanted to sing with the Children's Choir for Pastor Paul. I am so proud of her. She sang well, and spoke clearly today.
13. Standing as a family for the "laying on of hands" on our Pastor and his family during the blessing.
14. My youngest daughter's first playmate: our Pastor's daughter. They've known each other since they were three-five months old.
15. My first friend when we moved to Gig Harbor: our Pastor's wife, Linda. She is a wonderful woman, with a loving heart for social ministry, loving people where they're at and teaching love by relationship. I am thankful for her ministerial touch in my life.
16. My oldest daughter's friendship with our Pastor's kids . . . even if her friendship with our Pastor's son sometimes resembles a friendly rivalry. They both wanted to be the boss at age 3, and some days that hasn't changed. But I still celebrate that . . . because sometimes that's what being a kid is all about.
17. The Prison Ministry that has been directed and guided by Sharon P at PLC. She gifted me and led me through three years of ministry to young mother's at the women's correctional center. Her ministry is amazing. She asked Linda, our Pastor's wife, and I to start a mother's ministry there, and we did. Somehow, even after we stepped away, it has continued with strength and vibrancy. I am thankful to Sharon for that.
18. The drama ministry of Sharon C at PLC with Evergreen Performers. Without her guidance, I don't know if I would have ever known that drama could be a ministry. And thanks to her, I had the priveledge of dressing up in a beaver costume and playing the part of Mrs. Beaver for a Narnia musical. "It's amazing wot a little bit of spring can do!"
19. Rubber Chickens and Blessing Dressing - an Evergreen Performer Thanksgiving Adventure.
20. The Sunday School/Children's Ministry at PLC has shaped my own ministry to kids and families, and been a wonderful, safe place for my daughters to nurture their faith, and have fun with their friends. (along with memorizing all of their catechism already with five weeks of catechism study each year)
21. The "My Bible" and "Communion" classes my daughters had with Pastor Paul. Thanks to him, both have a greater appreciation and understanding of God's word, and my oldest understands communion. Six hours of intense study with families, and a bit of humor and fun thrown in by a charismatic Pastor makes a big difference in a kid's life.
22. The letters by members of our congregation who have clearly stated their faith in Christ, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit acting in their lives.
23. Members of our congregation dressed in their Go.Do.Likewise shirts, and white and orange to celebrate Pastor Paul's ministry of loving outreach in our community.
24. Schroederfest, and the efforts of Rachelle and Jon, who made it all possible.
25. A Christian family that is bigger than the walls of a church building.
26. A helpful phone conversation with my father-in-law.
27. Cuddle time with kids.
28. Finishing two weeks worth of lesson plans - I know I should have them all done, but there are always nuances that need to be fixed and rewritten.
29. Standing ovations.
30. God is good.
A Scripture Blessing recommended to me by a friend, struggling with the same stuff I'm going through:
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.
Proverbs 25:21-22
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
365 Days of Blessings, Days 220 and 221
Giving Thanks and Praise for:
1. Epiphany!!!
2. The Three Wise Men.
3. The dreams of Martin Luther King, Jr.
4. The dreams sent to Joseph.
5. Dreams for 2011.
6. New ideas.
7. Freedom from the slavery of sin.
8. Wednesday Night Family Night, and all that it has meant to my family in the last nine years.
9. Seeing my oldest daughter sing for one last time at Wednesday Night Family Night.
10. The vision of our Pastor who started Wednesday Night Family Night, giving all of us a much needed time of renewal in the middle of the week, and a time to come together as a family in Christ.
11. Truth, spoken in loving kindness.
12. Firmness in faith, despite a chorus of lies, angry threats, and false witness.
13. Graciousness.
14. Conversation led by the Holy Spirit.
15. Knowing a huge group of people that go the the Lord in prayer first, instead of making decisions without the Lord and misquoting the Bible to justify themselves.
16. Amazing friends.
17. Amazing family.
18. My parents are able to travel in their RV to visit family, and get some sunshine into their systems.
19. My husband's forthright attitude and words.
20. The truth with set us free in Christ.
Scripture Blessings:
"LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;"
Psalm 15:1-3
"Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long"
Psalm 24:4-5
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
John 1:14
"Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God."
John 3:20-22
1. Epiphany!!!
2. The Three Wise Men.
3. The dreams of Martin Luther King, Jr.
4. The dreams sent to Joseph.
5. Dreams for 2011.
6. New ideas.
7. Freedom from the slavery of sin.
8. Wednesday Night Family Night, and all that it has meant to my family in the last nine years.
9. Seeing my oldest daughter sing for one last time at Wednesday Night Family Night.
10. The vision of our Pastor who started Wednesday Night Family Night, giving all of us a much needed time of renewal in the middle of the week, and a time to come together as a family in Christ.
11. Truth, spoken in loving kindness.
12. Firmness in faith, despite a chorus of lies, angry threats, and false witness.
13. Graciousness.
14. Conversation led by the Holy Spirit.
15. Knowing a huge group of people that go the the Lord in prayer first, instead of making decisions without the Lord and misquoting the Bible to justify themselves.
16. Amazing friends.
17. Amazing family.
18. My parents are able to travel in their RV to visit family, and get some sunshine into their systems.
19. My husband's forthright attitude and words.
20. The truth with set us free in Christ.
Scripture Blessings:
"LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;"
Psalm 15:1-3
"Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long"
Psalm 24:4-5
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
John 1:14
"Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God."
John 3:20-22
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
365 Days of Blessings, Day 219
Giving Thanks and Praise for:
1. My husband's birthday today! His life is a gift to me, his family and friends. I'm so thankful to have him in my life.
2. My husband is hard at work on a slide show to celebrate the ministry of our Pastor.
3. My husband loves music.
4. My husband encourages our daughters in everything they do.
5. My husband has always encouraged me in my pursuit of writing. Even when I've had doubts, he has cheered me onward.
6. My husband loves snowboarding.
7. My husband has a loving, kind, forgiving attitude.
8. My husband is gifted with the ability to do a wide range of "voices" while reading aloud . . . but he only shares that with close family.
9. My husband likes to sing silly songs around the house.
10. My husband is a great family cuddler.
11. The Lord gives us joy in our relationships.
Scripture Blessings:
"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12
Monday, January 3, 2011
365 Days of Blessings, Day 218
On the 10th day of Christmas, Giving Thanks and Praise for:
1. J.R.R. Tolkien's birthday! His life was a gift that keeps giving to all lovers of fantasy fiction, especially fantasy fiction written by Christian authors.
2. “All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost.” - Tolkien, Lord of the Rings
3. “It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” - Tolkien
4. “Courage is found in unlikely places.” - Tolkien
5. ““Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”” - Tolkien
6. “The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.” - Tolkien
7. ““But that’s not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have just landed in them, usually - their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on - and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end”” - Tolkien
8. “Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.” - Tolkien
9. “Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” - Tolkien
10. Jesus inspires us to live our lives in a worthwhile way.
Scripture Blessings:
"But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" 1 Samuel 16:7
1. J.R.R. Tolkien's birthday! His life was a gift that keeps giving to all lovers of fantasy fiction, especially fantasy fiction written by Christian authors.
2. “All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost.” - Tolkien, Lord of the Rings
3. “It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” - Tolkien
4. “Courage is found in unlikely places.” - Tolkien
5. ““Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”” - Tolkien
6. “The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.” - Tolkien
7. ““But that’s not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have just landed in them, usually - their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on - and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end”” - Tolkien
8. “Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.” - Tolkien
9. “Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” - Tolkien
10. Jesus inspires us to live our lives in a worthwhile way.
Scripture Blessings:
"But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" 1 Samuel 16:7
Sunday, January 2, 2011
365 Days of Blessings, Days 216 and Day 217
Giving Thanks and Praise for:
1. Sunshine sparkling on snow.
2. Glittering diamond crystals that invite skiers and boarders to enjoy the treasure of snow.
3. 360 Face - my youngest daughter's favorite Black Diamond run at Snoqualmie Summit
4. Snow trails
5 and 6. Bundling up for cold weather.
7. New Year's Day Skiing
8. Warm chili for lunch.
9. Many layers of clothing.
10. Pink cheeks.
11. My husband's snowboarding class.
12. Celebrating my husband's birthday a few days early.
13. Setting a cake ablaze with candlelight.
14. Family laughter.
15. Dilbert Desk Calenders - my hubby's favorite.
16. The sight of my hubby, curled up in a blanket, listening to "our" team play. Maybe, just maybe, the Seahawks will win.
17. My Dad is cancer free!!! He had test results back a few days ago, and we have been quietly rejoicing.
18. My husband is good at standing up for himself when needed.
19. My husband's sweetness.
20. God makes all things new! Happy New Year, and Happy New You!
Scripture Blessings:
"In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'" Luke 22:20
1. Sunshine sparkling on snow.
2. Glittering diamond crystals that invite skiers and boarders to enjoy the treasure of snow.
3. 360 Face - my youngest daughter's favorite Black Diamond run at Snoqualmie Summit
4. Snow trails
5 and 6. Bundling up for cold weather.
7. New Year's Day Skiing
8. Warm chili for lunch.
9. Many layers of clothing.
10. Pink cheeks.
11. My husband's snowboarding class.
12. Celebrating my husband's birthday a few days early.
13. Setting a cake ablaze with candlelight.
14. Family laughter.
15. Dilbert Desk Calenders - my hubby's favorite.
16. The sight of my hubby, curled up in a blanket, listening to "our" team play. Maybe, just maybe, the Seahawks will win.
17. My Dad is cancer free!!! He had test results back a few days ago, and we have been quietly rejoicing.
18. My husband is good at standing up for himself when needed.
19. My husband's sweetness.
20. God makes all things new! Happy New Year, and Happy New You!
Scripture Blessings:
"In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'" Luke 22:20
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)