Today I'm grateful for a church that has Saturday night services. The church originally started holding services on Saturday nights because Sunday mornings were getting too full. For our family it's a blessing, because my husband works from 9 to 4 on Saturdays and that leaves us with no family day off. We felt like we had no day of rest, so when we found Grace Church we tried their Saturday night service and fell in LOVE. Besides the convenience of going on Saturdays, Grace is just unlike any other church I've ever experienced. My husband and I were both raised in Southern Baptist churches, so when we married we found a Southern Baptist church that met both of our needs. Recently, though, we've just felt like we needed a change. I'm not slamming the church we were in, because it's a great church. We just needed to move on to something new for many reasons.
Last year my son, Quinn, became best buds with a little boy named Carson. I got the chance to talk to Carson's mom at some of the parties throughout the year, and she's the one who told me about Grace Church. It sounded wonderful, but we didn't have the courage (for lack of a better word) to break from our old church until late summer. Man, Grace was like a breath of fresh air. We worshipped, we observed the Lord's Supper and we heard a wonderful message. There was none of the other stuff we were accustomed to: no choir solos, no personal solos, no "show". It was just worship and learning. It was church stripped down to what it's supposed to be. I was blown away.
We've started the process of joining Grace and I just keep finding something new to love about this church. Don't get me wrong: I'm not in love with the church. I'm in love with my savior, but the way Grace is structured has helped me rediscover a relationship with Jesus that I had let lapse. It's like finding a long lost friend and remembering everything you loved about them.
Here is the website for our new church. You can listen to some of the sermons, which I encourage you to do. They're not overly preachy, but carry awesome Biblical truths. I've learned so much and gleaned so much from the sermons I've heard in the past few months. Go listen. I hope the words you hear bring you encouragement as they have for me.
Showing posts with label Gratitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gratitude. Show all posts
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Gratitude: Day 26
I'm grateful for good customer service.
I shop (too) frequently at a great online scrapbooking store called Scrap Your Trip. They specialize in travel products (and have a large selection of Disney scrapbook supplies!), but they carry other things, too. I love them.
I got an order from them today. They always include a little handwritten message on my invoice. I think I've been ordering way too much lately, because here is what the invoice said:
Maybe one day when I'm down in Orlando I'll pop in and meet these fantastic people. I've tried to do that before, but have always been in a rush to leave. I'm going to try to make time to stop and say HI next time I'm in town, because I want them to know how much that personalized message means to me. It's probably a HUGE reason I give them my "continued business"!
I shop (too) frequently at a great online scrapbooking store called Scrap Your Trip. They specialize in travel products (and have a large selection of Disney scrapbook supplies!), but they carry other things, too. I love them.
I got an order from them today. They always include a little handwritten message on my invoice. I think I've been ordering way too much lately, because here is what the invoice said:
Maybe one day when I'm down in Orlando I'll pop in and meet these fantastic people. I've tried to do that before, but have always been in a rush to leave. I'm going to try to make time to stop and say HI next time I'm in town, because I want them to know how much that personalized message means to me. It's probably a HUGE reason I give them my "continued business"!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Gratitude: Day 25
Today I am thankful for lower gas prices. Can I get an Amen?
(That was the sign at the station where we filled up on the way home from dinner Sunday evening. It was $1.56 when I passed it today!)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
I Am Thankful For...
This is what Lillian's 3 year-old preschool class had to say about what they're thankful for this year. Priceless.
Talley: hayrides, Mr. Mark, chocolate
Madison: butter (amen, sister!), Abbie, pretzels, cookies, Daddy and Momma (wonder how Momma feels about being one-upped by butter?!?!)
Nelson: Nana's cat Bob, my puppet show, Haley (she's in Heaven), my house, my dragon, my bathtub and lions (What, no butter?)
Caleb: Chocolate (Lillian needs to marry this boy. He knows a good thing when he sees it! Well, maybe not... if he's thankful for MILK chocolate, someone else can have him.)
Kaplan: Scout, my pup, my Momma, Daddy, my best brothers
Ben: leaves, pretzels too, a house, my bed
Samuel: my sister, Mommy and my Daddy
Ava: Daddy, my Mommy too, monkeys (someone's recently visited the zoo, I guess...)
Anna: my Mommy and Daddy, Luke and Sara
And then there's Lillian. I had to laugh.
Lillian: Annabelle (our cat), Oliver (another cat), Beeson (yet another feline), Quinn, Daddy, Mommy (oh, there I am!), cookies (whew, I made it in just before cookies!), Nana, Camryn, Aiden, scarecrows, rainbows. And toys. (Something tells me she was looking around the classroom to come up with scarecrows and rainbows. Hey, isn't that in that Julie Andrews song? "Raindrops on rainbows and fresh apple scarecrows? These are a few of my favorite things"? Isn't that how it goes?!?)
Along those same lines, I need to catch up with a blog challenge that my friend Sherry issued at the beginning of November. I'm only 3 weeks behind, but better late than never, eh? (That EH is a shout out to my Canadian friends Cyn and Lee!)
So, here's my list. Twenty-two things for which I am grateful. In no particular order.
(1) A warm garage. I'd hate to have to warm up the car and scrape ice in the mornings. More sleep for me!
(2) These socks I got from Bath & Body Works. They have no-slip circles on the bottom and they're super soft. I have red, pink and green. Toasty tootsies!
(3) Bath bombs from Basin. I stock up every time we go to Disney World, but you can order them online.
(4) My iPod. Greatest invention EVAH.
(5) My husband (I did say these were in no particular order... he and the kids would be at the top, of course!) I have a hardworking, big hearted, slow to anger, patient, loving husband that spoils me rotten. He's too good to me.
(6) My children. They play well together, they don't need me to entertain them constantly, they are good about getting homework done, they appreciate me and compliment and edify me every day. They are angels on earth and I know God sent them to me for a reason. They totally ROCK.
(7) My parents. They're always willing to keep the kids for us, and they don't just babysit. They engage the kids in activities and take them places. They truly enjoy being with the kids, not just simply having the kids in their presence. They were awesome parents, but they're even better grandparents. They raised me to be who I am and I am so grateful for their guidance, their praise, their leadership, their friendship and their love. They totally ROCK, too!
(8) This blog. I'm glad I started blogging. I do it for me (it helps when it's time to add a story to a scrapbook page!), but it's nice that y'all are along for the ride, too.
(9) Friends, both "real life" ones and Internet ones. I don't interact with either often enough, but just knowing they're there and will be there when I need them is a huge comfort.
(10) Our new church. We started going to a non-denominational church this summer, and I've experienced such spiritual growth since then. I'm grateful we found it and started attending. It's been an oasis in the middle of a huge desert.
(11) The kids' schools and their teachers. Every person that teaches one of my children truly has the kids' best interest at heart. Each one of these men and women actually seeks to know my children almost as well as I do. They love and teach my kids in my absence, and I'm so thankful for each one of them, their influence in my childrens' lives and the way they're molding and shaping my children to be good learners, full of wisdom about things of this earth and Heavenly matters.
(12) My husband's job. He's busier than ever, which, in this economy, is a wonder.
(13) Dave Ramsey. This man and his desire to help people get out of debt have changed our lives for the better. If all goes according to plan, we'll be completely debt free (house and all!) in just a little over 4 years. I'm giddy thinking about all the people we can help with the income we've been blessed with. Can't wait to pay that final mortgage payment! (If you're interested, you can buy Dave's Total Money Makeover book right now for $10. That's an awesome deal!)
(14) Scrapbooking. I love this "hobby". I have a passion for it. It feeds the need I have to be creative while letting me share my heart on paper. I hope my children cherish these books for the rest of their lives.
(15) To Do Lists. I make them every day and they really keep me motivated. Today's list: clean out the cups & glasses in the kitchen cabinet, clean out the upper snack pantry cabinet, bag clothes to go to Goodwill, laundry (always laundry!) and dishes (always dishes!)
(16) Books. I love books. I love the escape they provide.
(17) Movies. (See books!)
(18) A comfy bed. We have had a Tempurpedic for about 4 years, and I can honestly say I've never slept better. It was worth every last penny.
(19) Starbucks hot chocolate. I'm not a coffee drinker, so I didn't ever see the need to try anything at Starbucks. But I've been treating my daughter's 5th grade teacher to her favorite Starbucks coffees this year, and I've discovered their (sinfully delicious and outrageously expensive) hazelnut hot chocolate. It's heaven in a cup.
(20) My sister's friends. My sister has been going through some rough stuff lately, and I haven't been able to comfort her. Knowing she has great friends around her right now has eased my worry, so I'm thankful for Val and Holly and Trey and all the angels that have rallied around my sweet sister to help heal her broken heart.
(21) Massages. It's not that often that I get one, but when I do get one I feel awesome for days. I need to schedule a monthly rub down, but life is Busy with a capital B and my shoulders feel it!
(22) The $4 car wash place. I love that place. They do a fantastic job getting the Monorail clean, plus they offer FREE vacuuming! I love a clean car, and I love that I can get the van all sparkly for just $4!
Talley: hayrides, Mr. Mark, chocolate
Madison: butter (amen, sister!), Abbie, pretzels, cookies, Daddy and Momma (wonder how Momma feels about being one-upped by butter?!?!)
Nelson: Nana's cat Bob, my puppet show, Haley (she's in Heaven), my house, my dragon, my bathtub and lions (What, no butter?)
Caleb: Chocolate (Lillian needs to marry this boy. He knows a good thing when he sees it! Well, maybe not... if he's thankful for MILK chocolate, someone else can have him.)
Kaplan: Scout, my pup, my Momma, Daddy, my best brothers
Ben: leaves, pretzels too, a house, my bed
Samuel: my sister, Mommy and my Daddy
Ava: Daddy, my Mommy too, monkeys (someone's recently visited the zoo, I guess...)
Anna: my Mommy and Daddy, Luke and Sara
And then there's Lillian. I had to laugh.
Lillian: Annabelle (our cat), Oliver (another cat), Beeson (yet another feline), Quinn, Daddy, Mommy (oh, there I am!), cookies (whew, I made it in just before cookies!), Nana, Camryn, Aiden, scarecrows, rainbows. And toys. (Something tells me she was looking around the classroom to come up with scarecrows and rainbows. Hey, isn't that in that Julie Andrews song? "Raindrops on rainbows and fresh apple scarecrows? These are a few of my favorite things"? Isn't that how it goes?!?)
Along those same lines, I need to catch up with a blog challenge that my friend Sherry issued at the beginning of November. I'm only 3 weeks behind, but better late than never, eh? (That EH is a shout out to my Canadian friends Cyn and Lee!)
So, here's my list. Twenty-two things for which I am grateful. In no particular order.
(1) A warm garage. I'd hate to have to warm up the car and scrape ice in the mornings. More sleep for me!
(2) These socks I got from Bath & Body Works. They have no-slip circles on the bottom and they're super soft. I have red, pink and green. Toasty tootsies!
(3) Bath bombs from Basin. I stock up every time we go to Disney World, but you can order them online.
(4) My iPod. Greatest invention EVAH.
(5) My husband (I did say these were in no particular order... he and the kids would be at the top, of course!) I have a hardworking, big hearted, slow to anger, patient, loving husband that spoils me rotten. He's too good to me.
(6) My children. They play well together, they don't need me to entertain them constantly, they are good about getting homework done, they appreciate me and compliment and edify me every day. They are angels on earth and I know God sent them to me for a reason. They totally ROCK.
(7) My parents. They're always willing to keep the kids for us, and they don't just babysit. They engage the kids in activities and take them places. They truly enjoy being with the kids, not just simply having the kids in their presence. They were awesome parents, but they're even better grandparents. They raised me to be who I am and I am so grateful for their guidance, their praise, their leadership, their friendship and their love. They totally ROCK, too!
(8) This blog. I'm glad I started blogging. I do it for me (it helps when it's time to add a story to a scrapbook page!), but it's nice that y'all are along for the ride, too.
(9) Friends, both "real life" ones and Internet ones. I don't interact with either often enough, but just knowing they're there and will be there when I need them is a huge comfort.
(10) Our new church. We started going to a non-denominational church this summer, and I've experienced such spiritual growth since then. I'm grateful we found it and started attending. It's been an oasis in the middle of a huge desert.
(11) The kids' schools and their teachers. Every person that teaches one of my children truly has the kids' best interest at heart. Each one of these men and women actually seeks to know my children almost as well as I do. They love and teach my kids in my absence, and I'm so thankful for each one of them, their influence in my childrens' lives and the way they're molding and shaping my children to be good learners, full of wisdom about things of this earth and Heavenly matters.
(12) My husband's job. He's busier than ever, which, in this economy, is a wonder.
(13) Dave Ramsey. This man and his desire to help people get out of debt have changed our lives for the better. If all goes according to plan, we'll be completely debt free (house and all!) in just a little over 4 years. I'm giddy thinking about all the people we can help with the income we've been blessed with. Can't wait to pay that final mortgage payment! (If you're interested, you can buy Dave's Total Money Makeover book right now for $10. That's an awesome deal!)
(14) Scrapbooking. I love this "hobby". I have a passion for it. It feeds the need I have to be creative while letting me share my heart on paper. I hope my children cherish these books for the rest of their lives.
(15) To Do Lists. I make them every day and they really keep me motivated. Today's list: clean out the cups & glasses in the kitchen cabinet, clean out the upper snack pantry cabinet, bag clothes to go to Goodwill, laundry (always laundry!) and dishes (always dishes!)
(16) Books. I love books. I love the escape they provide.
(17) Movies. (See books!)
(18) A comfy bed. We have had a Tempurpedic for about 4 years, and I can honestly say I've never slept better. It was worth every last penny.
(19) Starbucks hot chocolate. I'm not a coffee drinker, so I didn't ever see the need to try anything at Starbucks. But I've been treating my daughter's 5th grade teacher to her favorite Starbucks coffees this year, and I've discovered their (sinfully delicious and outrageously expensive) hazelnut hot chocolate. It's heaven in a cup.
(20) My sister's friends. My sister has been going through some rough stuff lately, and I haven't been able to comfort her. Knowing she has great friends around her right now has eased my worry, so I'm thankful for Val and Holly and Trey and all the angels that have rallied around my sweet sister to help heal her broken heart.
(21) Massages. It's not that often that I get one, but when I do get one I feel awesome for days. I need to schedule a monthly rub down, but life is Busy with a capital B and my shoulders feel it!
(22) The $4 car wash place. I love that place. They do a fantastic job getting the Monorail clean, plus they offer FREE vacuuming! I love a clean car, and I love that I can get the van all sparkly for just $4!
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