Happy Monday :)

141. Getting to talk to sweet Carly on the phone and hearing her joyful giggle

142. A wonderful week back in Florida with my siblings (and off work!)

143. Being back in Texas (there's no place like home) :)

144. A fun Thanksgiving at work (yes, I worked, but it truly was an enjoyable day)

145. Late night laughter at Eyrie Park

146. Starting off the morning with a delicious soy cappuccino

147. Paul is off to Haiti again to work with Real Hope for Haiti, where he will be helping to care for cholera patients. Thankful that he has this opportunity; proud of his heart for those in need, particularly in Haiti.

148. The simple yet profound, convicting yet freeing truths expressed in last night's sermon (I'll try to remember to post the link when it shows up on the church's website; in the meantime, here's the passage we studied).

149. Fires in the fireplace and mugs of hot chocolate on chilly evenings

150. A brief visit with an out-of-town friend

Let thanksgiving be the habit of your life

It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain about what is not given . . . Accept, positively and actively, what is given. Let thanksgiving be the habit of your life.

- Elisabeth Elliot, Love Has a Price Tag

131. So grateful to whoever (whomever? whatever.) from my church posts the sermons online; I was amazed and excited to find last night's message up just a few hours after the service and to then be able to listen to it before I went to bed. Also (as always) just so thankful to be part of such a beautiful, Gospel-centered church.

132. Time back in Florida with [most of] my siblings. It's been fun spending time with them again (I hadn't seen Danielle, Nahomie, or James in nearly a year!).

33. That Lina is continuing to recover well after her surgery. She's able to do sooo much, considering she just had major spinal surgery at the beginning of the month. She's still in pain and gets tired more easily than normal, but overall she's doing so well.

134. Fun times visiting with friends and their absolutely adorable little boys.

135. Lots of time to read this week! Just finished Treasure Island and Love Has a Price Tag; also reading this wonderfully fun childhood classic!

136. Thankful for a simple way to be a part of bringing hope to people in need, and so thankful for the Hendrick family and all they're doing in Haiti.

137. Homemade applesauce...mmmm!!!

138. Phone conversations with my dear sister-friend-cousins.

139. A thoughtful and encouraging facebook message from a faraway friend.

140. Hot cups of tea on cold mornings.

(P.S. Once upon a time I said something about writing a "real" post. Right. It'll happen...someday. I hope. In the meantime, at least I show up on Mondays...right?)

and...Monday

I really do intend to write an actual, for-real blog post at some point. Seriously. I've even sat down and started to write several times in the past few weeks. Just haven't quite finished anything. It's a combination of being super busy and of having several somewhat vague post topics floating around in my head. But, maybe perhaps hopefully I'll have time soon; I'm heading off to Florida tomorrow for a week (i.e. I'm going to be off work for 7 WHOLE DAYS!). Yeah, I know; crazy, right? But anyway, in the meantime, here's this week's list of wonderful things for which I am so thankful:

121. This video of sweet Carly from Notre Maison, who is in the States receiving medical care. So excited and grateful God worked out all the details for her to come, and so thankful for the Celestin family who loved her before they'd even met her and who so diligently and faithfully pursued getting her here!

122. A lovely walk in the park with a friend.

123. Spontaneously spending the night with friends.

124. Playing tooth fairy for my 7-year-old cousin who lost a tooth on Saturday.

125. Peppermint marble mocha hot chocolate, to warm me up on a cool, drizzly day.

126. Random text messages that make me smile.

127. Vanilla tealight candles.

128. Evidence that my brother's fiancee surely has him wrapped around her finger :)

129. That God gives grace for each moment: "We appropriate the grace of our God -- in full and generous supply -- moment by moment by moment. One day at a time. Redeeming each hour. Drawing on His grace like a tulip opening to April sunlight, like oxygen in the bloodstream, like life itself. And leaving the future to Him." (Joni Eareckson Tada, "A Lifetime of Wisdom")

130. Beautiful Texas sunsets (even if they are coming ridiculously early these days).

overflowing with gratitude

111. Encouraging conversations via text with a faraway friend, celebrating God's faithfulness even in the midst of difficult circumstances.

112. Attending Breakaway for the first time and getting to hear Afshin Ziafat speak.

113. A fun morning at U Paint It with a friend from church.

114. That Lina's surgery went so well! She is already heading home (much earlier than expected)!

115. Living in a country where I have the privilege and the right to vote, without fear of persecution.

116. Late night visits with my dear friends, one night shivering over the ice cream we were crazy enough to eat, another night laughing over a stupid movie.

117. Cool weather = scarves and boots! (I mean, for Texas it's cool. But oh-so-lovely.) And. warm, cozy pajamas and lots of blankets to fall asleep under.

118. That my church is intentional about caring for orphans, both locally and around the world.

119. Laughter of children

120. The reminder that no matter the circumstance, no matter the trial, no matter how bogged down by sin we may be, as Christians, "our hope...is not a what, but a Who. The hope we wait for, our only hope, is the 'blessed hope -- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ' (Titus 2:13) . . . It's all about Jesus."* What may seem utterly impossible -- what may BE utterly impossible for man -- is ENTIRELY possible with God. "Therefore...let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."** Hallelujah!

* Joni Eareckson Tada, "A Lifetime of Wisdom" (I highly, highly, highly recommend this book!)

** Hebrews 12:1-2

Monday is for gratitude and giraffes*

"It is impossible that those grafted into Christ by true faith should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness."

Heidelberg Catechism**

101. Sweet time visiting with my nearly-twelve (!!!) year-old cousin Samuel as I drove him to his flag football practice.

102. After nearly a month, our dryer is all hooked up and working! Yay! Laundry just got immensely easier (no more ducking around clothes hanging from ceiling fans or improvised clothes lines, amusing though that was)!

103. Getting to work mornings for most of last week. First time this has happened in months, and 'twas lovely while it lasted (back to nights this week).

104. Attending my first "business meeting" at my church, and good conversations with friends afterward.

105. Joni Eareckson Tada, and the wisdom she imparts in this book.

106. The reminder that God has "blotted out [my] transgressions like a cloud and [my] sins like mist" and that because Christ paid the penalty for MY sins, I have His Spirit and am no longer a slave to sin. Incredible.

107. Forgiveness.

108. I've now lived in Texas for 11 months! And am excited to be here for the foreseeable future! (This is a record; normally by this point I've either already moved or have plans to do so shortly.)

109. That Miss Carly, one of the sweet girls at Notre Maison, now has her passport and medical visa and will be headed to Washington State this week for medical treatment/therapy! This is a beautiful answer to prayer!

110. Neosporin and bandaids. Yep. Necessary part of my life.

* For those who don't know, I wear giraffe earrings every Monday because they add a bit more fun (in my opinion) to the beginning of the week. Yes, I am silly (but then, that goes without saying).

** Curtis Allen did a rap on the Heidelberg Catechism/Kevin DeYoung's book that is fantastic. And I don't even like rap.