Today I'm thankful...
Thankful that God is faithful when I am not
Thankful for friends who point me to truth
and to beauty
and take an interest in even the mundane details of my life.
Thankful for rain storms that take my breath away
Thankful for fireflies:
dozens of them in my own backyard
lighting up as if with the pure joy of living
and flying
and breathing.
Thankful for a safe home and friends within it who love Christ.
Thankful for long phone calls with my dear man who also loves Christ so deeply
Thankful for the privilege of digging into the Word together and praying together...
even across the (far too many) miles. So deeply beautiful and encouraging to me!
Thankful for good books with quotes like this one:
"Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord:
living practically in view of God's glory.
Or as J.I. Packer has written:
"Not till we have become humble and teachable,
standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty
acknowledging our own littleness
distrusting our own thoughts
and willing to have our minds turned upside down
can divine wisdom become ours."
And these verses:
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Oh my Soul!
I'm thankful (on a totally different note) for potato chips.
You can laugh (with me), but seriously, on this particular day, that saltiness is just the best taste ever.
I'm also thankful for cherries. Sweet and salty, people, sweet and salty.
Funny time to mention this, but I'm super thankful for a great workout tonight:
for that jelly feeling when each muscle has been pushed to a new limit...
when I know my soul has grown as well as my body in the effort of training
I'm thankful for the scriptures...
for verses like these from 1 Timothy 4:
"Train yourself for godliness
for while bodily training is of some value,
godliness is of value in every way
as it holds promise for the present life
and also for the life to come
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance
For to this end we toil and strive
because we have our hope set on the living God
who is Savior of all..."
I'm thankful for the opportunity to teach.
I really, really love what I do and
I am SO excited that I get to be involved in so many families lives!
Pray with me that God gives me wisdom and awareness in
how to best shine his light with each encounter.
I'm thankful for my family.
Seriously, I have an amazing family.
Their kindness and encouragement and time spent for/to/with me is so deeply beautiful to me
I am so, so thankful for them!
And I'm thankful for rest.
It really is a gift from God.
I pray that he grants it abundantly to each of you:
In soul
In mind
In body.
Really fantastic book. So full of the glory of Christ and the gospel and readily applicable to every kind of relationship. Very much worth the read (and re-read)!
Chip shots from across the practice green and down the hill
Cookies with Kelsey :)
Golf course beauty.
My tree :)
A beautiful summer night on Wheaton's campus. That night I sat in this view and talked to my dearest Lindsey, also far too many miles away. So very, very thankful for you, Darling!
CSA faculty meetings done right...
A junior member of the calligraphy workshop at CSA summer camp working on his Runes. He was getting a little restless so we made up a story to practice his letters. These are just a few pages of the tale!
More golf course glory...
Practice followed by an ice-cold Coke by firelight up at the club-house.
A little Pride and Prejudice while I folded laundry (and/or sat on the end of my bed only watching)
Lunches at home: Sausage from Sarah Scoby's farm with smoked gouda and fresh tomato and avocado on a pretzel roll. So. Delicious.
The happiest contracted wedding gig of my life. From the stage I look out to find that not only do I know the photographer (Michelle Moyer) and (unexpectedly) the bride and groom, but best of all, my dear Marit Swanson who was there as a bridesmaid. I hadn't seen her since she left for Germany after my Sophomore year. Our time was very brief but so, so sweet. How I had missed this dear woman of God.
Wild blackberries at Nelson's Lake
