Giving Thanks!

Amen!

flat tires and rain, curses and blessings

 So last Thursday I told you I was grateful for the sunshiny days of Spring. After I posted that I proceeded with my day. I prepared myself for work, gathered my belongings and walked out the door. Everything was moving along just as it should right up until I saw the flat tire on my car. Really Lord??? A flat. Now I am gonna be so late!! I stood for a second staring at the tire, but when it did not magically inflate I turned and went back in the house to tell my hubby and get the keys to his truck. The unreliable gas guzzler that I HATE to drive 1 mile to the store, much less 40+ miles one way to work. But I had no choice, so off I went!

Now, you should know that we NEVER drive that truck too far from home, that is how much we worry about it. I can honestly tell you it has only left us stranded once or twice, but those times were enough. Because the last thing I need is to get off work at 6 pm and find myself stuck with a truck that won't start 40 miles from home. So, it was with much muttering and cursing that I made the drive to work that day. Turns out though that God had a plan! Over the course of the day my much loved sunny skies turned dark and ominous and by the time I was leaving work to head home the bottom was about to fall out. And it did. In a big way. It poured gallons of water of the interstate. Thunder boomed and bolts of lightning lite the sky. Cars were pulled over under the overpasses and on the shoulder. But not me. I was safe in my truck. Creeping along behind another brave soul at 45 miles an hour in some places I was never really afraid. That truck is so much more solid that my car, not easily moved by the rivers of water that were pouring down.

I made it safely home that day. I feel certain that I might not have if I had been in my car. At the very least I would have spent an hour sitting on the side of the road waiting for things to clear. And my tire? My honey got it fixed for me. It needed 3 patches. Apparently someone lost a load of something sharp on the route I usually take and there have been a rash of flat tires in town since. Needless to say I will be avoiding that route for a while!

Isn't it funny how something that seems like a curse turns out to be a blessing? What a wonderful thing that is! What an amazing sense of humor God has! :)

Loving the Sunshine

Spring is upon us here in Texas. In fact, spring has almost passed us by. In just a few weeks the temps will climb past the comfortable 80's into the not so comfortable 90's. And then it's on into the 100's....sigh. But for now at least the weather is beautiful and the flowers are blooming! I love Texas in the spring!

 

 

National Day of Prayer

Today is National Day of Prayer. That in it's self is something to be thankful for, a day set aside to acknowledge the desire and need for prayer in our country. A day when we can come together and pray publicly the needs of our families, friends, and our world. But that's not all today is for me.  It also marks the 1 year anniversary of the prayer group I re-started at work last year (it had been started up by others in the past, but we could never keep it going). I am really proud of this milestone! This group has been a real source of comfort and inspiration to me.

The way our group works is that I send out a weekly prayer list to the group (like minded volunteers) and we have once monthly meetings open to all where we meet (on our break) to pray for the needs of our work family. These meetings are open to all our coworkers. Sometimes we have just a few people turn up, sometimes there is a room full of folks. And the really cool thing is that when there is a real pressing need (like the bombing at the Boston Marathon and the explosion in West, Texas recently) people have requested special meetings to pray for those affected. I love it when someone seeks me out to ask me to schedule a meeting like that. It is a wonderful feeling to know that we are helping, that our coworkers know they have a place to turn in times of need, that there is a group of people dedicated to praying for them.

All of this wouldn't be possible without the support of our management team. It is no small thing for them to allow this group to exist. I recognize that fact, and respect these people so much more for it. I am so grateful to them, and most especially to God for placing me in such an understanding and supportive workplace.

Today at 10:00 am there will be a prayer meeting held behind the building I work in. I won't be there this time because I have a prior obligation that I had to take time off to attend to, but I can picture the scene. A large circle of people (around 50 or so, about 1/2 our workforce) holding hands, heads bowed in prayer. Oh, I wish I could be there! It is a wonderful feeling, this gathering together in prayer. I can attest to the truth of the scripture that says "where 2 or more are gathered in my name I am in the midst"!

I hope that wherever you are today you will take a moment to pray for our country, our world, and those in your little corner of it. And don't forget to thank God for the privilege of speaking to Him directly, that is the greatest gift of all.

Thank you Lord for this day and for all days. Thank you for caring for me, for loving me, for the sacrifice of your son for me. Thank you for hearing the cry of my heart. I love you. Amen

Inspiration

Ever have those days when you look around and think "I just can't do this"? Those days when even though you KNOW you so much to be thankful for you just can't dig deep enough to find the gratitude? It's there, just beyond your reach.....

Ever been there? I have. I am. Today I am in desperate need of inspiration, so I went digging in my computer files looking for some images to lighten my spirit and I thought I would share with you what I found:

This little guy looks fearless!

He just looks so happy!!

It is a comfort to know I am not alone in my shortcomings and that we are all forgiven

Very important to remember on days like today!

yes, it most definitely is

And we never walk alone, even when we don't feel Him. He is always there.

Love this one!!

Okay, that's my gratitude contribution for today!  I am grateful for the world wide web and all the wonderful inspiring things you can find there. And I am grateful that even when I don't feel it, I have so much to be grateful for. It's gonna be a good day....

The Host

That's what I am reading right now. I am about 1/2 way through it and really enjoying it! How did I miss this story when it first came out? What rock was I hiding under? I don't know, but I certainly did miss it. The first I heard of it was when the movie was announced. I doubt I will want to see that though. Movie remakes of books rarely live up to my expectations. Lord knows the Twilight series did not. I enjoyed the books, at least the first one and the last one (the middle 2 were very whiny). Strangely, those are the only movies I saw too, the first and the last.

Anyway, The Host is turning into a wonderful story, very absorbing and distracting. Just the kind of reading I love. So, thank you Stephenie Meyer, for this incredible story. And thank you Mom, for teaching me to love reading. :)

 

Before I go I would like to ask everyone to please keep the people of Boston, Massachusetts and West, Texas in your prayers. So much pain and loss in our country this week.

Learning new things

This week as been interesting. As part of my new job responsibilities I am being trained on something completely new and different. And when I say different, I mean it. After 18 years in this place with at least the last 15 doing the same group of tasks everyday, this new stuff is a bit overwhelming!! But it is a good thing, it keeps me on my toes.

I am thankful to for my coworker who has taken so much of her time to prepare the training material and has explained to me over and over again the multiple steps required to perform each task. It is wonderful to work with someone who takes such care and pride in their work!! I just hope her patience holds out because this is a very detail oriented job and it will take me a while to get it all down! :)

All in all, it's been a pretty good week, I am blessed!!