oh, what a week...

201. Ice skating TWICE last week!

202. A good, honest conversation with a friend.

203. Finally having time to clean/organize the back room at work (now if we can just KEEP it this clean/organized!).

204. Dinner at Blue Baker with friends from church.

205. Watching Sleeping Beauty for the first time ever :)

206. Getting to eat leftover pizza at Eyrie Park.

207. Having a new, fresh week ahead of me (and being able to put last week behind me)!

208. Nicknames.

209. The reminder, however painful, of how very much I need God's grace and mercy, and the fact that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

210. This very timely article.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul,"therefore I will hope in Him." Lamentations 3:21-24

redeemed and thankful

Psalm 107:1 [Let the Redeemed of the LORD Say So] Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!

191. Reading books with Phoebe.

192. Utterly undeserved grace...mercy...forgiveness.

193. A New Year's visit from my dad.

194. Finally getting to meet this amazing woman (pray for her and her family as they head back to their Haiti home tomorrow)!

195. A fun and fairly low-key New Year's Eve with friends.

196. My church. And the people there. (I know this is a repeat...makes the list nearly every week...but seriously...so thankful to be a part of such a beautiful community of people who love the Lord.)

197. Quieter (for the most part) days at work while the students are out of town; enjoying this little break from the usual craziness.

198. The anticipation and excitement of a new year, full of hopes and dreams and who knows what!

199. Going to see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader again with Paul...and then AGAIN with friends from church :)

200. Sitting in front of a crackling fire on a chilly afternoon.

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.