transparency and blessings

Dear readers, can I be really honest and transparent with you?
I'm kind of overwhelmed right now, thinking about my life at the moment. I don't need to give you my detailed schedule, but suffice it to say I am at school/work for an average of 9 1/2 hours ever day Monday-Friday. A lot of that time is in the evenings (for example, Wednesdays I don't get home till 10, and Thursdays my hubby doesn't get home till 9.) Meals have been sporadic, housecleaning even more so, and I constantly miss my husband because we don't see each other nearly enough.

Now, I know a LOT of people have schedules like this or busier, but it's a little more crazy than we've had in previous semesters. And I'm definitely not looking for sympathy; I know I've gotten myself into this! But I like being open with you. As cheery and upbeat as I seem on here and on Facebook etc., I don't always feel that way. Sometimes I'm snippy with my husband. I'm very often not understanding. Some days I'm so tired I feel like I don't do anything well because I can't focus. We've eaten convenience food way more times in the last two and a half weeks than I care to admit. And I definitely don't want you to see what my house looks like right now (although at the moment it's not bad in comparison with last week).

On the other hand...
I have been so blessed in the last three weeks it would take a long time to tell you about it all. And I'm really, really happy with my life.

I've gotten to start a little tiny ministry in our home once a week, by inviting girls from school over for tea, coffee, something homemade and baked, and visiting. I want to incorporate some Bible study into these get-togethers soon, too. This has been on my heart for months and I'm so excited to finally be able to do it. Joshua is incredibly supportive and has made this a high priority for me/us.

I absolutely LOVE my classes (all of them, which isn't always the case), and two of them in particular are going to be incredibly helpful with advancing my blogging and writing careers. I have big dreams for this blog, and I can't even tell you how excited I am at the prospect of some major projects this semester.

In less than three weeks of classes I've already made a new friend and strengthened old friendships. I'm excited to connect with people this year that I haven't connected with much.

Despite not spending tons of time together like we did over the summer, the time Joshua and I have had together has been quality. He brought me lunch today (frozen pizza is sometimes such a blessing), and we had a great talk for more than half an hour about something other than classes, work, and scheduling. I can't tell you how much we needed that or how refreshing it was.

There's so much more that I am so incredibly thankful for. God has been showing himself to me in new ways thanks to a class that requires we do Bible study and spend time praying and meditating. I've been able to worship in chapel at least twice a week. And boy, I love theology classes, and getting to talk faith-stuff with dear friends and classmates.

So as crazy life is... it is so, so good right now. As always, of course. I have a job I love...classes I love...friends I love...and of course a husband I am absolutely crazy for. And God amazes and awes me with how he heaps his love on us till I just overflow.

When life feels rough, I just look at the good things and thank God for them... and then a messy kitchen and sleep deprivation really don't look so big after all.

Linking with black tag diaries, The Fontenot Four

thankfulness this morning

Just a couple minutes to write this morning-- but I am blessed, and therefore thankful, at all times!

Thankful for cooler weather this week
for time to be at home
for two sweet little girls I get to babysit
for the extra income that brings
for productive cleaning moods
for a phone chat with both my mom and my grandma
for exciting surprises regarding super-secret project ;)
for a new academic adviser
for two life-changing forms to complete: a graduation application and an application for graduate classes!
for prayer with my husband every morning and night
for a strong, healthy body
for coffee.
for a husband whose faith is an inspiration to me
for knitting
for chiropractors
for forgiveness when I mess up

for so many things, I am so thankful.

God is so very good.



What are you thankful for today?

Linking with The Fontenot Four and Black Tag Diaries

Thankful in the Storms

I got up this morning with the intention to mow the back yard (at my grandparents' house... we've been housesitting for them for a week but they're coming home today!).  Then, when we were finishing breakfast, I heard thunder.  It's stormed nearly every morning for the last week!

I have Pandora on (it's kind of become an obsession... I love all the fun/inspiring music playing while I'm writing at home or working at the library), and a little while ago the song "Praise You in the Storm" came on. My life isn't really a "storm" right now, but it just made me smile because of the thunderstorm that was going on at the time.  (It's since quit... now I have no excuse to not go mow the lawn!)

The point is, it was little reminder that I can always be thankful, even when it might not make sense (thank you, God, for [insert really difficult thing here]).  It's been easy to be thankful for a lot of things-- the fact that my grandparents basically let us eat whatever we wanted out of the fridge and freezer, so I didn't have to buy groceries this week.  The wonderful friends and fantastic coworkers I have.  Time to rest and relax with my husband in the evenings.  The opportunity to witness and enjoy an incredibly beautiful wedding last weekend.

But I know that life isn't always made up of things for which it's easy to say "thank you."  We experience loss.  Grief.  Depression.  Financial difficulty.  The day-to-day stress which, when it piles up, seems too much to bear.  The sick child.  The loss of a job.  The death of a parent.  The move of a dear friend.

In those times, it's hard to be thankful.  I've had experiences of my own when I wondered, what good can possibly come from this?

Sometimes I've seen the good that has come from those times.  A lot of the time I don't... but I know that God always brings good even out of the worst things.  He promises that he will, so I can trust that.

It's not easy to trust in that, but that's why faith is a gift from God, not something I can produce on my own.

If you're in a valley right now, I just want you to know that God is there, too.  He has a plan--even if you don't know what it is--and he will bring about blessing through those trials, whether for you or someone else.

Evil has already lost in this world: Satan has been vanquished and Jesus has conquered.  Even the most horrible things are temporary.  Christ has died and risen, and is in heaven waiting to bring us to be with him in paradise for eternity.

When I can't see the good that could come from a situation, that's why I take comfort in: knowing that it's temporary, and ultimately, I have victory in Jesus.

I pray that you are encouraged by that knowledge today!

(P.S. The song that's playing now?  "Grace Like Rain.")

Linking today with: The Fontenot Four, black tag diaries, Uplifting Love, There's Just One Mommy, Graced Simplicity

Thankful Thursday, "V" Edition

Today I am thankful for variety.  It's said that variety is the spice of life, but I think it adds some sweetness as well.  I just started varying the way I drink coffee.  I normally don't drink it often, because coffee plus rich creamer tends to not settle well with me, but last week I tried something: mixing about half a cup of coffee, half a cup of milk, and a teaspoon of coconut oil and foaming it with my immersion blender.  Folks, I may never drink coffee any other way again.  It tastes as good as any coffeehouse drink, isn't too sweet or rich for my stomach, costs pennies, and tastes amazing.  My immersion blender is a pro at foaming up the warm milk and coffee!  I'm loving this variety in my life.

I'm thankful for the knowledge of our soon-to-come summer vacation.  Next week is our last week of classes, then we have finals, and then school is DONE for the year.  I can hardly wait.  Bubbling in my head are so many plans and ideas for the summer...when I FINALLY have free time!

On that note, I'm thankful for vocation--specifically the ones of wife, homemaker, student, daughter, sister, friend, that God has given me.  I'm excited to focus on "wife," "homemaker," and "friend" this summer, and put "student" away with the books for a few months!

I'm especially thankful--today and every day--for the victory that I have over Satan, sin, and death in Jesus Christ my Savior.  Because of his life, death, and resurrection, the battle against the devil is already won.  We, as believers in him, are victorious!!

What are you thankful for today?  Can you come up with a "V" word in your list?

P is for... {Thankful Thursday}

I feel like I need to start today with a bit of an apology.  I haven't been getting around to visiting as many bloggers as I really want to.  We have less than three weeks till the end of the semester at my college, and that means paper, tests, and projects are all coming due here really soon.  I've barely had time to get posts out every day... but I HAVE posted every day!  And for that, I am thankful.  I'm also thankful for those of you who stick around and visit regularly, for those who comment, and for the two people who just told me in the last couple days that they often read the scribbles I put out here.  That means more than you will ever know.

I'm also thankful that today's letter is P, because that's so much easier than "J" for coming up with words!  Today I am thankful for...

peace, even in the midst of this busy, stressful week...and in the midst of the evil that we have witnessed this week.
prayer, by which I can talk to my God and Father whenever I need and want to.
patriotism, which has been displayed by so many people this week, despite the tragedy in Boston and, now, the one in Waco, Texas.
princess--who I am as a daughter of the King of Kings.  What a gift.
my mom, Paula--the most wonderful mom a girl could ask for.  We're better friends now than we've ever been, she is always there for me, and she's taught me so much: especially what it means to love God and love my husband.  I love you, Mom.
pink and purple--two of my favorite colors.  yellow's the other.  I love how God created this world with color.  It would be so dull if everything was in black-and-white!
people--again, a dull world if no one lived in it.  Life is made interesting by the humanity with whom we interact every day.
pancakes, peas, pineapple, potatoes, pistachios, pumpkin, and whatever food begins with P!  I'm thankful for all that we have to eat.  (Also, I made roasted sweet potatoes last week, and they were amazing.)

What about you?  What are you thankful for this week?  Anything that begins with P?


Linking with: black tag diaries, The Fontenot Four, lovely little whimsy, There's Just One Mommy

J is for... {Thankful Thursday}

I like the letter "J."  Not just because it's my first initial, but because it's the first letter of the names of the two people who love me most--

Jesus and Joshua.

One of them died and rose again so I could have life.
The other one promised his life to me.

Both love me more than I can comprehend, far more than I deserve, and more than I could repay...
but that's what makes it real love.

And because of the love from both of them, I have another gift for which I'm thankful--

Joy.

It is the love of God, and the love of my husband, which give me the greatest joy I think it's possible to experience (at least on this earth!).

I'm thankful for justification--the result of Jesus' sacrifice for me on the cross.  I have been justified before God.  Now it's "just as if I'd" never sinned--before God I am holy and sinless!

And I am thankful for the journey of life that I get to travel with my darling husband.  There's no one else I'd rather be beside for my whole life.  He is my best friend, my lover, and my greatest encouragement.

And I'm thankful that I'm Jaimie.  I'm happy to be me--just the way God made me. :)


What are you thankful for?  Anything that begins with "J"?

Linking today with The Fontenot Four and black tag diaries.

Seeing God in all things

It's been another crazy week, people.

We went back to school after spring break, and it seemed like a whole BUNCH of homework assignments jumped on us all at once.  After being home for a week, going back to the routine of being gone for most of the day, every day, has been tiring.

And other things have added to the weight of this week...
remembering one of Joshua's high school classmates who died in a car accident last week
the news of a friend of my parents' who was in a car accident with her daughters and who suffered massive head injuries (please be praying)
...other things.

Sometimes you wonder how much more frustrations, sorrows, and suffering one world can take.

But then I look for God in everything.
God, who has blessed us so much this week through family, friends and strangers
God, who has given us rest, good health, a home, a car, plenty of food, clothes, etc....
God, who welcomed Joshua's friend home to heaven
God, who protected the little girls in the car accident and is now surrounding their mama with His presence
God, who blesses us in ways we often don't expect
God, who is in control of all things

Many of my friends are getting ready to graduate.  Soon it'll be our turn.  Thinking about the end of college gets me wondering sometimes-- will Joshua be able to find a teaching job right away?  Where will we have to move?  How will we make new friends?  What will it be like, being in a totally unfamiliar place?

But then I remember...
God has great plans for us.
God has our future in his hands.
God loves us more than we can imagine (he sent his SON for us!)-- and has blessed us in the past.

So we can trust that he will continue to bless us in the future.

And for that, I am SO thankful.


Linking today with Loved and Lovely, The Fontenot Four, black tag diaries, There's Just One Mommy

The Antidote to Worry, the Source of Peace

I struggle with worry.

If you have read my scribblings around here for long enough, you know that.  God's constantly trying to teach me how to trust, despite my circumstances.

I had another lesson in trust yesterday, partially due to my mother.  My mother, who has been blessed by this woman, dear Ann, and who in turn has been able to bless others.  My mother, who said once,

Thankfulness is the antidote to worry--

the source of peace.

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Yesterday I was reading Ann's words in her amazing book, One Thousand Gifts.  
I realized, once again, how my fear of the future can be conquered.  How my worry about the unknown can be vanquished.

Thankfulness.

How does this work?  Well, like everything, it starts with God.

God, who loves us so much that He has given us everything-- from the food in our refrigerators to the incredible forgiveness won for us by His Son on the cross.

God blesses us.  He promises in His Word that He will always bless us.  He will always make sure we have everything we need (see Matthew 6).

We look around us, and see those blessings, and count them.  (I sporadically keep a gratitude journal... working on making this a daily habit, and I highly recommend it.)  When we recognize those blessings, and thank God for them, we are reminded of His faithfulness.

We are reminded that He ALWAYS keeps His promises.

That means He will continue to bless us.  When we look toward the future, we can know, with absolute certainty, that God will provide for us there as He has in the past.

Then we can kick that fear out of our hearts.  That worry about the future?  It has no place in my life.  God's got the future in His hands.  That fear of the unknown?  God knows everything.  He has seen what I needed in the past and provided for it.  He knows what I need for the future.

How does thankfulness become the source of peace?
When we realize that as God has blessed us, so He will continue to bless us.  We can count on Him.

We can trust Him entirely.  He has fulfilled the promises He made in the past-- we KNOW he will fulfill the promises He's made for the future.  We can have absolute faith in that fact.

This kind of faith brings joy, joy that isn't dependent on circumstances.
It brings peace--peace that passes understanding, because it is a peace that comes from the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  Not a peace the world can understand.  Peace that God alone gives.

Just like He gives everything else.

God's blessings lead to our thankfulness for those blessings.  Our thankfulness leads to the strengthening of our trust in Him, because we can count on Him to continue to bless us.  Our trust leads to peace and joy, because we have nothing to fear in this life.  Nothing at all.

Blessings.
Thankfulness.
Trust.
Peace.
Joy.

All gifts from God... all starting with the amazing love He has for us.


Linking today with: The Fontenot Four, black tag diaries, Loved and Lovely, lovely little whimsy, There's Just One Mommy, Our Simple Country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows

Thankfulness in all things

It's been a few weeks since I wrote a "Thankful Thursday" post.  These last several days have kept me quite busy--but you know, I'm thankful for the busyness too, because it's a result of having fantastic college classes, a home to care for, friends with whom to spend time, responsibilities to fulfill.

I'm thankful for the opportunity I had last week to be on the hair and makeup crew for our school's production of "Arsenic and Old Lace."  The cast and crew were such a fun group of people to work with, and despite being gone every evening for a week, I'm so glad I was a part of it!

I am SO thankful for the amazing professors we have here.  They're always open to talking about anything, class-related or not.  They're fantastic teachers.  They encourage me in my faith.  They help me stretch myself, learn and grow.

I am thankful for the creative ways we've been making food stretch the last couple days--payday is tomorrow!  This girl is excited for grocery shopping! :D

I'm constantly thankful for my sweet husband, who makes me laugh, who helps me around the house without being asked, who encourages me and helps me think straight.  I'm thankful for the time we've spent together just talking and having fun.

I am so thankful for our dear friends who are coming to visit us next week!  We're so excited to spend time with them--it's been since last summer since both of us couples were together.  They are such a blessing.

I'm thankful for the sunshine, and the slightly warmer temperatures this week, and the green things starting to come up from the ground.  Spring is coming soon!

I am eternally grateful for the love of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who did everything necessary for my salvation from sin.  It is because of him and his great love for me that I am able to live joyfully and freely, not bogged down by sin, because from it Christ has set me free.


What gifts has God given you this week?  How has he blessed you?  Please share in the comments!

Linking with: The Fontenot Four, black tag diaries, There's Just One Mommy

Food, romance and forgiveness: I am thankful for these things

I appreciate the pattern of "Thankful Thursdays" because it helps me focus, on a regular basis, on all the many things I have to be thankful for.  That's not to say that I'm not grateful to God every day for what he has given me, but I like noting particular things.

For example, today my husband took the car to be washed--it's so lovely and shiny now!

Supper today was fantastic again...tilapia kind of like what I did last week, except with lime and basil instead of lemon with garlic and butter.  We had it with rice and a tomato-cucumber-yogurt salad.  SO good.  It is such a blessing to always have plenty of good food.

I made homemade yogurt this week, and it turned out!  I'll share more about that tomorrow!  I am thankful for the success, but even more for the opportunity to add to my cooking and homemaking skills.

I'm thankful for my grandparents, and the fact that they let us do laundry at their house every week.  I love spending time with them; it is an amazing blessing to have family so close, both them and Joshua's parents.

I'm so thankful for my husband and how romantic he is.  Last week he took me for dinner at an Italian restaurant I've been wanting to visit for a long time, and to see Les Miserables (SUCH a good movie!).  This weekend we're going on a little getaway for Valentine's Day--not far, but it's much-needed and will be so nice.

As we begin the season of Lent, I'm reminded how unspeakably grateful I am for the fact that Christ suffered so much--for me.  He endured an incredibly torturous death so that I would never have to experience separation from God.  He gave up the rights of his divinity and suffered as a human so that I can live eternally with him, now that he is risen from the dead.  This, above all things, I thank God for.

Linking with: Loved and Lovely, The Fontenot Four, black tag diaries

For professors, good food, and my husband, I am thankful

It has been a happy week.

I'm really enjoying my classes.  My professors are fantastic.  I'm pretty crazy about my husband, who at the moment is listening to "Through Heaven's Eyes" from The Prince of Egypt: a pretty upbeat way to start a morning, if you ask me!

I am thankful for all of that.  Thankful that we have a full fridge and pantry.  Thankful for our beautiful home.  Thankful for our car, that got fixed on Tuesday (no more check-engine light on!).

I'm SO thankful for the dear professor who let me spend an hour talking his ear off yesterday, and who helped me work through spiritual questions and ponderings.  It was such a blessing to visit with him.  His class (just three weeks in!) has been one of the most educational, spiritually uplifting, challenging and enjoyable classes I've ever had.  I love being a senior (hello, upper-level classes!).

I'm thankful for good food.  This week I had fun making up some new recipes (come back for that tomorrow!!).

I am incredibly thankful for my husband.  This week he's taken the car in to get fixed, worked on finances, worked hard at his job, helped me a lot with housework, picked up pizza one night so I didn't have to make supper, and he's loved me through everything like he always does.  Our marriage still has a lot of growing to do, but we're at a great place and I'm really happy.


How has God blessed YOU this week?  If you want to link up, visit the great blogs listed below!

The Fontenot Four, black tag diaries, There's Just One Mommy, Loved and Lovely

It's still Thursday, and I'm still thankful

Oh, so thankful, for so many things!

(This is my four hundredth post!!)

My beloved friend Ruth spent the last five days with us.  We ate good food, worshiped together, laughed together, spent lots of time talking (and staying up late) and reconnected like it had been six days instead of six months since we'd been together.  She is an incredible gift from God.

Lord willing, we'll visit Ruth and her husband over spring break.  I am so thankful for friends like them (and Sara, who has also been such a blessing to me lately--as always)!!

I am thankful for the ways God makes His word and will abundantly clear to me.  Like this week, I heard Romans 8 three days in a row.  And I heard this message, over and over, just in slightly different words--God using His people to speak to me:

"Life won't always be easy.  Just because you believe in Me doesn't mean things will always work out the way you want them to.  But My will will always be done, and I always have your best interests in mind.  I love you, and you have a lot of friends and family who love you, too.  I will bless you in ways you would never have imagined.  I will always take care of and provide for you.  Simply trust Me in all things--you have nothing to worry about or fear.  You are My child, little one, and that means you are always in My care."

My darling husband--who has such a servant's heart--cleaned out the massive (and disgusting) clog in our kitchen sink this past week, and fixed the drippy pipe.  I never realized how much I generally take my kitchen sink for granted, of all things, but I learned how much I should appreciate it when I had to do dishes in the bathroom!

Every semester I have classes that get me so excited to learn.  This semester, I'm excited about all of them!  I have English, theology, history and science classes, and (as mentioned in a previous post) I'm taking volleyball and soccer.  By the end of this semester I'll be done with my general education (yes, after four years).  I like and greatly respect all of my professors, and I know this is going to be a great semester.

I am so thankful for our home, and even the never-ending responsibility of keeping it clean and in order.  We have such a lovely place to live, which I appreciate all the more since Joshua rearranged last weekend--it's fun to have a "new" space in which to live.

This week has been so bitterly cold, which has made me all the more thankful for our car!  Especially with having Ruth here, it has been wonderful to have our own transportation.  I am, however, looking forward to warmer temperatures and walking/biking weather again!

I'm also thankful for new followers here and new friends on Facebook!  If you're new here, please comment and introduce yourself--I can't wait to get to know you!

"Be joyful always," Paul wrote, "pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)  This is my prayer for me, and for you, today and always.


Linking up with:
black tag diaries, The Fontenot Four, There's Just One Mommy, Lovely Little Whimsy, Loved and Lovely

"Fab Five" Friday (and GIVEAWAY announcement!)

Laura and Falen at Upward Not Inward are hosting a Friday "Fab Five" linkup, and I'm happy to be joining them today!

This week I am grateful for:
Employment, and time with one of my best friends (which we've worked into our schedules, so we'll be intentional about getting together every week!).  I am also thankful for the time Joshua and I have had to spend together this week, despite busy work schedules.

This week I enjoyed:
Driving to and from work and school!  Thanks to God's goodness and the generosity of my parents and aunt and uncle, Joshua and I now have a car!!  Also, I am loving all my new classes--it's going to be a fantastic semester.

This week I learned:
That getting up early is one of the best things I can do for myself in a day, because it gives me time to do things like reading my Bible (did that every day this week!), blogging (almost every day!), and eating a good breakfast without being rushed to get out the door.  I also learned that I cannot serve in volleyball--need to work on that!

This week I accomplished:
I kept (mostly) on track with the dishes this whole week.  I have a bad habit of leaving dirty supper dishes till the next day and letting them pile up.  I've been pretty good this week at not doing that.  By tomorrow night, I will have accomplished all my housecleaning for this week! :)

I am looking forward to:
Going to see The Hobbit again tonight with my hubby, and the arrival of one of our dearest friends for a five-day visit!  She's staying with us while in town for, technically, a business reunion, but I'm SO excited to see her (it's been over six months)!!!


Finally, I'm really looking forward to hosting my first-ever GIVEAWAY, beginning on Monday!  I'll be giving away THREE copies of the Rekindling Romance eBooklet and eKit from Jason and Jami, the couple behind A Biblical Marriage.  If you're married, this will make a fantastic addition to your Valentine's Day celebrations--get excited!! :)

Linking up with Upward Not Inward, Black Tag Diaries, Lovely Little Whimsy, Loved and Lovely

these yellow-tinted days

I know life isn't always perfect.  I may be optimistic, but I'm also realistic.

However, on days like this, it's easy to look at the world through rose-tinted glasses.  These days:

~church with my hubby, in a place we like, worshipping the God who loves us.
~sleeping in.  Together.
~good food...lots of it.  Good leftovers.
~time to do things we like: together, and by ourselves.
~teamwork.  Working together.  Installing plastic on our bedroom windows, to hopefully lower the heating bill.  Laughing, helping, coordinating.  And making a pie together.
~that pie.  Not to brag, but the best apple pie I've ever had, anywhere.  Kudos to my mother for training me in the kitchen.
~getting homework done.  Two days early!
~time to sit, watch TV, and not feel guilty about it in the least.
~dishes: DONE.
~sunny day, windy day--after the rain last night.  God is Lord of all seasons, of even the changeable weather.

I want to focus more on the good things.  The blessings that so often go unnoticed.  Even on the days when they're not so obvious as today's.  Because you know what?

My perspective isn't always the same.  The glasses aren't always rose-tinted (or, even prettier if you ask me, a golden buttery yellow...everything looks sunny through yellow).  Some days they might be puke green.  Or gray.  Or a depressing kind of blue (not all blues are depressing).

But even when my perspective changes, God stays the same.
He always blesses--even when I can't see the blessings.
He always loves--even when I'm the most unlovable.
He's always near--even when I'm turning so far away.

That's my God.  That's the one I believe in.

That's the God I thank, on days like these...


(and yes, of course, every day.  but some days it's easier to remember.)

apparently I'm growing up...

So I discovered proof of something recently: I'm growing up.

How do I know?  Several things:

Joshua and I spent over an hour working on our budget this evening.  It was fun.

My goals for this weekend are: get the kitchen clean, and get the bathroom clean.

I'm looking forward to composing a grocery list and a detailed, two-week meal plan tomorrow.

I'd rather watch The Dick van Dyke show than any TV show made in the last 40 years.

A clean kitchen is a joy to my heart.

I would rather sleep than do a lot of other things.  (Although I realize this is also true for infants and the elderly, so maybe this isn't so much a sign of growing up as it is of simply being human.)

My bedtime is 10 pm.  Even on weekends.

On a similar note, sleeping in means sleeping till 9 am at the latest.  Bliss!

Junk food equals homemade pizza and brownies.  (Thank goodness.)

I would rather eat oatmeal with flax seed for breakfast than sugary cold cereal (yuck).


And yet, I'm still a 21-year-old college student.
But I'm also married, so maybe that's an explanation for why I feel so weirdly adult.

I realize, of course, that I still have a lot of growing up to do.  I haven't had much life experience in comparison to my grandparents, or even my parents.  There are so many things left for me to learn and experience.

But let me tell you, for someone whose peers are all still living on a college campus and whose biggest worries are test scores and what mystery food will be served in the cafeteria, it is weird to state all those truths I listed above.  I feel... unusual.  Isolated.  Often misunderstood.

That's why I'm so thankful for the few married, close-to-my-age friends that I do have.  Because they understand, and it's so good to have friends who understand.  Who get me, who can sympathize, and who know how exciting it is to have a grocery budget over $50 a week.  (Not kidding.  That's about what I feed us on, and I am so proud of myself.)

This Thursday, and every day, I am thankful for the life God has given me: the good and the bad, because I learn more from mistakes than I do from successes, and I trust God more in hard times than in easy.  I'm so very thankful for a husband who loves me even when I'm an idiot, for friends who accept me exactly as I am, for family who are always there when I need them.

Because there's one more reason I've realized that I'm growing up:

I have come to learn that the greatest blessings in life are those that can't be assigned a monetary value.  Not things that can be purchased.  Blessings that are tangible, but absolutely priceless: family.  Friends.  Faith.  Forgiveness.

No matter how grown-up I get, I hope to always remember that.

Linking up today (for the first time in so long...so grateful!):
black tag diaries, Jenni Mullinix, lovely little whimsy, kate says stuff, First Day of My Life, Passionate and Creative Homemaking

Of school and cooler weather...blessings abound

The seasons are changing...schedules are changing...routines will change.  It's that time of year, and it gives me so much to thank and praise God for!  It's good to be thankful...but it's essential to know to Who those thanks and praises go.  I am thankful to God my Father, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for all the blessings He gives me every day, and in this new season of school and cooler weather.

Today's post is really late...but I am so thankful for that because it means that today is the first day of our four-day weekend. :)  Joshua has two extra days off between his summer job, and school starting on Monday.

I am thankful for cooler weather!  We've had the windows open every night.  It's so wonderful.  I'm very ready for fall!

I am thankful that my friends are coming back to campus this weekend!  It's been a quiet summer...I'm so excited to see some very special people.

I'm so thankful for work.  I LOVE the people whose houses I clean.  I enjoy working catering at school.  And I'm so excited to get back to working at the library on Monday!!!

I'm thankful for financial blessings.  The bill for our schoolbooks this year was terrifying, but thanks to financial aid it's all covered!  We were even able to help out my brother-in-law with buying books for his freshman year.

I'm thankful for family!  In the last week my parents have celebrated their anniversary and both their birthdays, and my brother's birthday is tomorrow.  Plus we spent last weekend at Joshua's parents.  Our family is amazing.  I love them so much. <3

I am so thankful for the school we go to.  We have amazing professors, and it's such a blessing to be on a Christian campus.  I get to go to chapel every day this semester, and I am looking forward to that so much.  I'm also in three classes with Joshua and three with my best girlfriend, and that is an incredible blessing!

I am thankful that I get to be in "advance" hand bells, and choir, this semester.  I love music, I love the directors, and I can't wait to be involved in our annual Christmas concert in December.  It's also one of my favorite ways to praise Jesus--through music!

I love all the new things that come with this new season.  It's a reminder of how good and great our God really is!!


Linking up to these lovely ladies:
black tag diaries; The Fontenot Four; Kate Says Stuff; First Day of My Life; Lovely Little Whimsy; Passionate and Creative Homemaking

Blogging, Bragging and Baking: Why God is Amazing

God has been working in some pretty cool ways this week.  As always, he gives us so much to be thankful for, but this week he reminded us how awesome he really is!

A young married lady, E, started reading my blog several months ago because she saw a comment I made on a blog that I visit on occasion.  A few months later, she started going to my parents' church and met my mom and dad.  Recently, my mom had this lady and another young married lady over for tea.  My mom was telling them about my blog, which is when E realized that she read it already.  This past Tuesday, E and I commented on each other's blogs, which was when I figured out she was from near my hometown.  Long story short...we have an insane amount of things in common, and we spent two and a half hours facebook chatting and getting to know each other.
Yeah, told you God is awesome. :)  E and I are hoping to meet in person when Joshua and I visit my parents over Christmas break.  It is a very small Lutheran world!  I'm excited to see what plans God has for this budding friendship...because he obviously orchestrated its beginning!

My husband is awesome, and other people are well aware of this fact, too!  Very good things are happening with his job.  We are blessed, and I'm so proud of him I could bust.  God is amazing; that's all there is to it.

I got to take a nap this morning (which is why this post is two hours late...oh well).  But I woke up to cloudy skies and the gentle rolling of a little thunder...I sure hope we get more rain!!  It sprinkled a little bit!

We had dinner with some new-ish friends last night at their home.  It was sooo yummy.  Also, I made dessert, which you should all try... chocolate chip cookie dough in the bottom of a paper-lined muffin tin, a mini Reese's cup on that, and then brownie batter on top.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Oh my goodness, SO delicious.  And if you wanted to make it really easy you could buy store-bought cookie dough and use a good brownie mix...but I didn't feel like doing that so I made a quarter batch of cookie dough (had some left over) and half a batch of brownie batter (which was exactly enough).  YUM.

I'm thankful this week, also, for new blogging friends, and bloggers I'm getting to know better.  Blogging is a big world, and yet we still manage to find people like us--for me, that means a heart crazy in love with Jesus, almost as crazy in love with my husband, and with a passion for homemaking.  It has been so encouraging to find others who are doing and loving the same things I am, and who have been able to encourage me in my faith and in life.

This is a ridiculously long Thankful Thursday post...I apologize.  But what's a girl to do when her Jesus is so wonderful? :) :)

Linking up with some other thankful (and thriving :) ) ladies this week:
black tag diaries; The Fontenot Four; Passionate and Creative Homemaking; Live Called; a punk, a pumpkin and a peanut; Kate Says Stuff; First Day of My Life

Thankful for God and My Husband {and what they have in common}

Sometimes writing a "Thankful Thursday" post is kind of hard.
Do I make a list of things I'm thankful for?
Or do I pick one thing and expound on that?

This is a good problem to have. :)

I have realized the last few days how much my husband's love for me is like God's love for me (and all his children).  {See the last point of yesterday's post for why marriage is supposed to be like that!}

My husband loves me even when I'm unlovable.  No, he doesn't love me perfectly (only God can do that!), but he still takes care of me, he still does sweet things for me, he still listens to me even when I'm being crabby or disrespectful or if I'm hormonal (which he does NOT deserve).

He forgives me for everything.  We have a hard time holding grudges around here (because who can stay mad at your best friend for long, especially if they're handsome and hilarious like my husband? :D ).  In the same way, God constantly forgives me for everything I do wrong--all because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

My husband sees beauty in me even when I can't see it in myself.  I got about six inches cut off my hair last week (thanks Mom!) and Joshua keeps playing with it and admiring it.  He is always telling me I'm beautiful even when I know my hair is greasy and I have a breakout on my face and my breath is horrible.  I know that God, my Creator, thinks I'm beautiful, too...just because he made me.  Not because of anything I've done.

My husband encourages me spiritually and in my faith.  Now, of course, God is the source of my faith, and that's something Joshua won't ever be, but he definitely fills the role of spiritual leader.  He prays for us several times every day.  It was his idea to have devotions every morning and pray together in the evenings.  He reminds me to keep trusting God even when I have a hard time doing so.  And oh, the wonderful talks we have about our faith, and who God is, and what it means to be a Christian.

So today, I'm thankful for my husband.  I'm thankful that he helps me understand better who God is.  I'm thankful for his spiritual role in our home.  I'm so very thankful for God's love, forgiveness and understanding, and most of all for the faith that he has given me.

Linking up today with these lovely ladies:
Passionate and Creative Homemaking; The Fontenot Four; black tag diaries; Kate Says Stuff; First Day of My Life; Live Called

Thankfulness in the Midst of Suffering

Some days, thankfulness does not come easily.

Less than a week ago, twelve people were killed and several dozen more injured in a senseless shooting in Colorado.

A few hours after that occurred, Joshua and I learned that a fellow student from our college had committed suicide.  She was twenty years old.

These are only the tragedies that have touched us and been a part of our lives recently.  The world is full of evil, pain, suffering, and things that don't make sense.

How can we be thankful in the face of such suffering?

"F" commented on yesterday's post,

"It's so hard to trust that in our pain or struggle something awesome is happening.  On the other hand, to think that was it--pain and suffering just 'cause?  No way.  Give me God!"

We can be thankful because God exists.

Because, despite all the pain, suffering, and confusion, he does make good come out of it.

Suffering is never purposeless.

It may seem that way at times, because we can't always see how God will use it.  But we know, we can trust, that he will.

And, we can be thankful because God tells us to be.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Thankfulness is to be our constant attitude.
There is always something to be thankful for, in every circumstance, because God is present in every circumstance.

So I am thankful.

I am thankful that God is using the Aurora tragedy to provide believers with opportunities to give testimony to God's grace and goodness, even in the face of evil.

I am thankful that despite the fires, drought and heat, few lives have been lost and there is an end in sight.

I am thankful that God is always in control, that he has power over all things including the forces of nature, and that he is a compassionate and gracious God who will provide for his people no matter what.

I am thankful that in my own life, I am so blessed, with an amazing husband, incredible friends, and family (who I get to see in less than four days!!!).

I am thankful for work--30 hours this week!  God is so good.

I am thankful for the ways God continually helps to stretch and grow me, to mold me into a person more like him.

I am thankful for forgiveness, because I screw up royally every day.  (And that's forgiveness from God and my incredibly patient husband!)

I am thankful for the fact that this world is not the end.  If this life is it, where is the purpose and meaning?  But God has so much more planned.  Give me God!


Linking up with lovely ladies:
black tag diaries; Kate Says Stuff; First Day of My Life; A Punk, a Pumpkin and a Peanut; The Fontenot Four; Live Called 

 

family, friends, faith--so many blessings

I love Thankful Thursdays.
They're a rock in a sea of change.
They ground me.
They re-focus me.

OK, maybe that's a little dramatic, but I still love having a day every week that reminds me to focus on all the amazing blessings God has given me.  I mean, I know God is awesome, but really!!  He is so incredibly gracious all the time.  (For more on that, see yesterday's post.)

Today, I am thankful (as always!) for my amazing husband.  I can't put into words the blessing he is to me every day.  He is my reality check, my self-esteem-booster, my source of romance, my personal comedian, my best friend and my favorite person.  And just this morning he told me that the homemade cinnamon rolls I made for breakfast were the best he's ever had.  Bar none.  Including Cinnabon.  If he hadn't already endeared himself to me, that would have done it right there.

I am thankful that in TEN DAYS not only will my parents and sister be here, but so will my best friend and her family...and the two families will get to meet for the first time!!  I last saw my family in May and I last saw my friend...well, about two weeks after that, so it is high time for a visit.  And THEN the first week of August we're going to a family reunion with my parents, siblings, and, well, the whole family on my grandma's side.  (This happens about once every two years, so we are tight. :) )  And Joshua gets to meet most of them for the first time...which will be a little overwhelming, but I'm so excited!

I am thankful for good food.  Beef, cream-of-mushroom soup, and red wine in a slowcooker for six hours on high results in some of the most yumminess I've put in my mouth for a while.  And, as I mentioned, killer cinnamon rolls.  YUM.

I am thankful for friends with whom we can talk about our faith, and who challenge, inspire and encourage us.  We and another couple decided to start meeting on Saturday nights for dinner and a Bible study for the rest of the summer (and maybe into the school year) and I'm so thankful for them and our time together.  And we get to hang out again the day after tomorrow!

I am thankful that God continually speaks to and encourages me, and the many creative ways he chooses to do so...books, blogs, friends, family.  I have felt his presence more clearly the last week or so than I have before.  I want nothing more to be in intimate fellowship with my heavenly Father...may he grant me the grace to be open to that and to be in communication with him.

I'm also so very thankful for the new, wonderful people I am getting to know through blogging.  I wish I had more hours in a day to keep in better touch with everyone!  It's amazing to realize how many other people are so much like me...and how far the Body of Christ really reaches.  Heaven is going to be incredible (we'll have to have a big bloggers' get-together once we're all there! :D ).

Share in the comments, if you would like, all the ways God has blessed you in the last few days.  I love to hear how he is working!


Linking today with:
black tag diaries; The Fontenot Four; First Day of My Life; Kate Says Stuff; A Punk, a Pumpkin and a Peanut; Live Called