100 Thanks....


The past week has been one of praying for discernment. We have had some adoption decisions to make (to be blogged about in the future), and it has been a time where I have found myself longing for quietness, in hopes that I will hear the voice of God. I was doing my devotions this week, and decided for some reason to read the book of Habbukuk (did I even spell that right???). Here is the verse that stuck out to me..."Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vine, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD, I WILL BE JOYFUL IN GOD MY SAVIOR." If I am going to be honest, I have no idea what God's plan is in our adoption process. The "waiting" in the adoption process is really hard, but the truth of the matter is, God is still walking with us, and even carrying us at times, and he will one day reveal this amazing plan he has for our life. While I haven't been given the gift of a family yet (and I know that will come), and the answers haven't come as fast or as clear as I want, I have realized this week that I can still choose to give thanks for all that I do have, all that God has done, and the changes that have taken place in my life. That being said, tonight I am choosing joy, choosing to rejoice, and choosing to say thanks...here are my top 100 things I am thankful for (in no apparent order)
1. Nate Sawtelle...the most amazing husband I could ever ask for...he is truly my best friends
2. Starbucks Gingerbread Lattes (enough said)
3. Sunsets
4. My amazing family...they have listening ears, encouraging words, and unconditional love
5. Cupcakes
6. Unexpected notes of encouragement during our adoption process
7. Dunkin Donuts
8. Electric Blanket
9. My "alone time" with God in the mornings...have come to crave
10. Coaching Boonsboro Volleyball
11. My youth group...am in awe of the way that God works even in the smallest of ways
12. Kansas City Chiefs (someone has to be thankful for them)
13. My nieces and nephews...gives me a chance to see life through little eyes, and at times feel a little like a mom
14. My Jeep Wrangler
15. God's word...finding that it is food for the soul these days
16. People who follow my blog...means the world
17. Writing...it is therapeutic
18. Cake Pops
19. Memories
20. Christmas Traditions
21. Sauerkraut Soup
22. Smithsburgh FCA
23. Teens who get what God is calling them to
24. Honduras
25. Coffee...have I said that yet???
26. Missionaries like Tom and Amy who remind us of the call to give up everything
27. A mentor who happens to be my Dad...that I look up to more than he knows
28. Mission Trips
29. Skiing
30. Surfing
31. Warm Sunshiny Days
32. Glimpses of God
33. A mom who will go out of her way to remind me how much I am loved
34. Prayer Partners...Jenny and Deanna
35. An amazing youth staff who I can laugh with all the time
36. Laughter
37. Roxy anything...enough said
38. My Uggs...love those
39. IHOP
40. Waffle House
41. Music
42. Lyrics to songs that speak to me
43. Plantains
44. Times of worship
45. Pastors like Efrain, Helmer, and more serving in the third world
46. Opportunities to see what make the heart of God beat
47. Zumba
48. Lacrosse
49. Camping
50. Stone Harbor, NJ
51. Brother and Sister in Laws who make me smile
52. Black Friday Shopping
53. Volleyball
54. Farkle
55. Late night conversations at the Waffle House
56. My amazing dog Al...enough said
57. Thrift Stores
58. Friends who you will remember for a lifetime
59. Trials...they make us stronger
60. Late night walks with my hubby
61. Friends you can call and pick up where you left off...my bff Lorie
62. A sister who is willing to beat a snow storm just to get snowed in with you
63. Road Trip
64. Friends to journey the tough parts of life with
65. A sister who would do anything to help bring the "little ones" home, because she believes in you that much
66. Phase 10
67. Friends who are competitive at Phase 10...you know who you are and we love you
68. Sunday afternoon football
69. Bonfires
70. God's Grace
71. My waiting box...has been huge in our process
72. Late night krumpes runs (guess we are a late night kind of family)
73. People I don't even know that are praying for us
74. Unexpected support in the adoption process
75. Pancakes
76. Teens who remind you of why you do what you do
77. The call to youth ministry
78. Central America
79. Ethiopia
80. Slip and slides
81. Buffalo Chicken Dip
82. Youth Events
83. God's faithfulness
84. The Today Show
85. The Vita Mix...seriously saved me today making cran sauce...thanks Jenny and Brian
86. My first trip to the Honduras Orphanage...changed my life
87. My first trip to the Dominican Republic...unleashed a passion in my life for missions
88. Texting...where were we without that!
89. Exclamation points (If you know me, you'll understand!!!!)
90. Lives that are changed
91. Coupons
92. My childhood...I wouldn't trade it for the world
93. The fact that we can be real with God
94. Bargains...doesn't matter where from
95. Blogging
96. Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream...serious food for the body...just had some!
97. My kids...wherever they might be laying their heads tonight
98. The way that God connects all the dots of our life
99. People that we get to play a small role in their life journey
100. "Life Unexpected"...I am seriously greatful for the journey of infertility, the journey of adoption, and times of waiting...I would never understand just how big Gods love is if it weren't for those chapters of my life.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Mother's Heart...

Image
It was the night before we were ready to leave for Ethiopia that it dawned on me. We hadn’t given the necklace to Biruk yet. When we had exchanged necklaces with his birth mom ten years prior at the orphanage, we had no idea when we would give it to him. We just knew that we wanted him to be old enough to appreciate it, as it would be the only thing he would have from her. We had no idea if we would ever see her again.  There have been several moments in our journey where I’ve had to pinch myself, because it has felt like I was dreaming. That night as we put our final things in our suitcases, took a deep breath, and came to the realization that we were not only taking our kids to Ethiopia, but that Biruk would in fact meet his birth mom…well, you had to pinch me, because it felt like I was dreaming. It also felt like the perfect moment to share this gift that we had been holding onto for 10 years. So we pulled out the necklace and gave it to Biruk. While words can be few and far
Read more

Stories Matter

Image
Yesterday, my family and I found ourselves at a local elementary school’s culture club, presenting about our trip to Ethiopia. Even as I write those words, it kind of blows my mind how God has continued to use our story in unexpected places. When the kids were old enough to understand, we began to talk about taking them back to their birth country when they turned 10. We figured at 10, they would be old enough to be pretty good travelers, but still approach the adventure with a childlike wonder. What we didn’t plan on, was that the year Biruk turned 10 would come on the heels of me taking a brand new job, our family moving to a new state, and buying our very first house, in an economy that felt as though it was tanking!  I remember talking to my counselor one day and sharing with him that while we had always promised this trip to our kids, it just didn’t seem to make financial sense. After all, last time I checked, Southwest Airlines does not travel to Africa. He said something
Read more

Thin Spaces...The Sights and Sounds of Ethiopia

Image
When I was in Seminary, I went on my first Mission Trip to a third world country. I was just two years into my marriage, a young 23 years of age, and I had no idea how the experience would change me. My Dad happened to be taking a team from his church to the Dominican Republic and I needed a cross cultural experience for a class I was taking, so it seemed like a perfect match. That trip not only changed my life, but created this passion to serve in third world countries and was the launching pad for all the mission trips I would get to lead at the churches I was a youth pastor at. By the time I was I reached 40, I had taken 2 more trips to the Dominican Republic, a trip to Costa Rica, a trip to Guatemala, a trip to Africa, and of course 25+ trips to Honduras.  There is something about being in a third world country that feels like home to me. I know that sounds strange, but I have often found myself saying, “I’m my best self here.” They are places that breathe fresh life into me,
Read more