A Moment of Thanks

Lice update: it is improving. We got a presciption for it and it seems to be better today. We will be doing a mayonnaise treatment later. Won't that be fun.
So, we didn't get to go spend Thanksgiving with family. Poop on a stick! However, we have been invited to friends for dinner today and I'm already feeling the blessing of that opportunity.
I'm so thankful for many things today and I just wanted to take a moment and record the top ones on my list.

1. Christ
We have been through a lot the past 2 years. Many of you know the bulk of our journey since Jeff answered God's call to enter it to full time ministry. So many of the bumps in the road are still unresolved. There is still a lot of things that could bog me down. But truly, in the scheme of things, it always goes back to this incredible gift I have received from God, my Father. My relationship with Christ has superseded any bump we've ever hit. There has always been peace in the tears, hope in the disappointment, encouragement in the discouragement. There is always a friend who takes on the role of Christ. I hope you know who you are and how you have been used in our lives. There really is no better gift than the gift of salvation.

1. Jeff (aka Puddin)
It is too hard to try to put into words how I feel about my husband. Tears already sting my eyes as I think of the love I have for him and how grateful I am for him. Tears of being overwhelmed by the blessing of him. He is the most incredible, tangible, realistic thing in my life. Those may seem like strange descriptions but they describe my view of him best. He is incredible because he is godly, full of integrity and morality. I use tangible and realistic b/c it is like a really good dream of romance and adoration that you don't have to wake up from. We are best friends and adore each other more everyday. There is no weariness. No discontent. Just joy. Joy of knowing that neither is perfect but there is perfect love. Only the kind you can have when Christ is the center of your marriage. Joy that comes from the sense of the hope that is evident in our marriage when things around us are crumbling. Joy from the way the "one flesh" system that God designed always allows us to persevere through trials. Joy knowing that the trials we face within our marriage, we face together with the same goal in mind, to be victorious. You see, it's not all hugs and kisses, it's sweat and tears. But in the end there's the life of a marriage, founded in God, eternal. And I am so thankful.

3. Cody
Jeff made over-godly, integrity filled, moral. He is just like his dad. He is so compassionate. He hates wrong, unfair, unjust. He loves what is right and pure, sensical, and just. He is tender but strong. He is such a gift to his friends and family. I am blessed to have him in my life. He promotes righteousness in me, and he is only 9 years old. I wish I could list all the examples of where he has held me accountable to my Christian faith. He is an integral part of our family. He is our prayer warrior when things go awry in our home. He keeps us grounded in our journey with God. He has no clue how much of a role he plays in our home. God has already used this boy so mightily. I am very thankful to have him.

4. Macie
She brings life to a dark world. Lately our environment, and yours too, has been grim. The world is going south and Macie reminds me of what's north. She is my biggest challenge and my greatest joy. She sparkles with life. It's in every cell of her being. She does not recognize defeat. She does not bow to any other yet she reveres her God. She understands completely how much she needs a Savior. She is so misunderstood by all of us and keeps us on our toes as we try to keep up with her. She is one of the funniest people I know. She is also extremely compassionate towards anyone less fortunate, human or animal, anything that has life in it. She is Christ's right hand, servant at heart. I need her more than she knows. I can rely on her during strained times. I work harder at parenting her than at anything else in my life. She creates in me a desperate need for Christ and then she is always the answer from God. That is God's sense of humor in my life. I have learned more about myself from her than anyone. And I have learned more about God from parenting her. She is an integral part of my life and I am so thankful for her.

5. My mom and step dad. They rescue me regularly

6. My sis. She loves me in spite of me.

7. My in-laws, the parents and the siblings. I would have chosen them if it worked that way.

8. My Sunday school class. They enlighten me, hold me accountable, think I am way greater than I actually am, and they make me smile often.

9. My dship group. My four girls. They keep my love tank full and they let me speak truth to them. I really love them.

10. Friends. So many of you. If you are reading this blog, you are considered a part of this group. Everything listed above would be different in one way or the other if it weren't for you. I pray God's love and grace fall in abundance on each of you.

Side note: Lucy and Shelly, I miss you, but am extra thankful that our friendship crosses the bridge of time and distance.