November 7: I'm thankful for good friends/former colleagues!

Today was a pretty rough day. 

Students were rude. 

I felt under attack.

It seemed nothing was working. 

I sent an email to a former colleague. 

He knew I was having a rough day by my short email. 

He asked what I was doing. 

It was my plan time. 

Next thing I know he and another friend were here bringing me a Frosty while they ate their lunch. 

Timing worked that their plan time at another school and mine overlapped today. 

We all used to teach in the same hallway and see each other everyday. 

This year I am at a new school. 

Our friendship is still there and even stronger now. 

Good friends, former colleagues, who know me well and still care for me well are what I am thankful for today. 

30 minutes with them today was encouraging. 

I am blessed!

November 6: I'm thankful for our neighbors!

Every weekday since school started this year our neighbor, Mindy and her boys come over to let Lucy out once or twice during the day while we are both at school. She offered and we couldn't refuse. We hadn't decided how we were going to deal with letting Lucy out when school started but her offer came before we had to decide. They often play and run around with Lucy which the boys and Lucy love to do. 

They have been a huge blessing to us and today the boys gave us these pictures they colored for us! Our refrigerator know is a bit more interesting to look at!

November 5: I'm thankful for a "man and his dog."

Philip is an incredible husband and I'm so grateful for him! He serves, loves, cares and leads me so well. There are days where I would absolutely crumble under the stress or frustration and he lovingly listens and helps in any way he can. I am confident I am better with him than without him. He is my better half. 

Oh and the furry creature... Lucy! I'm thankful for her addition to our house. To be honest, there are days (and nights) where I am not thankful for her. But she is always joyful, always happy to see us come home and a pretty good dog (most of the time).

November 4: I'm thankful for my heritage!

You might be looking at the picture wondering how cookies demonstrate heritage...

Here's how... My heritage is from a family who loves the Lord and serves others well! These cookies are one small glimpse. My mom has shared her love and talent for cooking with so many people. She is gifted in hospitality. People love to come to her house for a meal as they know the food will be good, the conversation will be encouraging and they will be able to just sit for a while. 

She has learned and inherited these gifts from my grandma and great grandma who did these so well. Some of my fondest memories were spent at my great grandma's house after pre-school when we would make sugar cookies (the only kind of sugar cookies I like).  After we were done, we would take a few to each of her neighbors and sit and chat. As a 4 year old, I hated the sitting and chatting because I got bored easily. However, my great grandma was really good at knowing people, loving people and caring for people. 

There are many other pieces of my heritage I could talk about as this is one small glimpse of why I am who I am. 

Side note: my mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies and has the best recipe! I can only hope mine are as good as hers. 

November 3: Our Adoption into God's Family

Today, on Orphan Sunday in November which is also Adoption Awareness month, I am grateful for my adoption into God's family. Without it, I have no hope. With it, I am coheirs with Christ. My heritage is with the saints in heaven.

November 2: Thankful for the Church

I am thankful for the Church!

Even though this post is a day late and Saturday is not the day I spend time at our church, First Free, yesterday was a Saturday where I was reminded of the impact and ministry of the church in my life. I spent part of my morning with some incredible women celebrating the birthday of one of our pastor's wife. Even though we were there to celebrate and encourage her, I walked away encouraged and blessed by her as well as the other women there.

Yesterday afternoon I got to sit down for an hour with Maggie Black. She has 6 kids and a busy life, but yet carved out time to chat with me yesterday.

Today in church, we were given an incredible sermon about God's glory being manifested when we meet in church as a body of believers to sing and worship together which edifies and builds up the body of Christ, his church.

Philip and I have attended First Free since we moved to Wichita in the summer of 2006 and we are so grateful for the body of believers we are a part of and the good ministry of God's Word that happens there each and every week.

November 1: I am Thankful for...

The Sovereignty of God

This will be my first time posting something I am thankful for each day of the month of November leading up to Thanksgiving. I am (hopefully) going to post a picture with a short blog post each day.

This picture is not the obvious depiction of what I am thankful for today, God's sovereignty. However, if you've been following along with our lives the past year, you might realize this is a graph of the numbers we have received each month as to where we are on the wait list.

Some might look at this graph negatively because as you can see over the past 4 months there has been little movement (only one spot actually this month).

I see this graph as a perfect depiction of God's sovereignty because it is reminding me that he knows the child(ren) that we will adopt and it is in his perfect timing that our family will be brought together through adoption. Yes, I would love to see those numbers drop quickly. As a math person, I know a flat line means little to no progress.

God, in his sovereignty, adopted us as sons.
God, in his sovereignty, brought us together as a married couple.
God, in his sovereignty, started us on the journey of adoption in 2012.
God, in his sovereignty, knows the number of hairs (gray and dark brown) on my head.
God, in his sovereignty, knew us before the foundation of the earth.
God, in his sovereignty, created us as his workmanship to do good works which he planned for us.
God, in his sovereignty, knows the number we will get via email before it is sent.
God, in his sovereignty, knows.
God, in his sovereignty, creates.
God, in his sovereignty, saves.
God, in his sovereignty, loves.
God, in his sovereignty, gave his only Son to die on the cross for MY sins so I might believe in him and have eternal life.