This week I am thankful...
* to have a handle on what is wrong with my ankle and to be seeing my primary care physician today to see if he thinks I should be doing anything differently.
* for a fantastic night of discussion with my Tuesday Bible study folks.
* as tonight is the last official session of the Beth Moore study on the fruit of the Spirit, I can look at the women and see that it has truly been life-changing for most of them. What a blessing to witness and to have been used by the Lord to make it happen. (Seriously, if you haven't done this study, you should. Even if you just get the book and do it on your own...which is what I did before introducing it to the ladies...you will be so challenged and blessed. I learned so much. I've never encountered better teaching on the fruit than this study.)
* for fresh, sweet blueberries picked yesterday with the sun shining down.
* for lighter summer suppers of grilled meats and lots and lots of fresh veggies.
* that God continues to protect my husband from himself and his refusal to follow doctor's orders.
* for the first cucumbers and squash from the garden.
* to be the one Colton turns to when he wants to cuddle or needs comfort. I think it's because I'm the only calm, peaceful person in his life. I will read the same book over and over or walk with him and point out all the little things to him just like my Nana did with me. I'm not lost in my phone or TV when I'm with him as nearly everyone else is.
* we've solidified plans to go away for a long weekend with friends in October. The same friends we will be going on a cruise with next summer to celebrate their 50th anniversary (and our 35th!).
* that, speaking of cruises, my mom is finally choosing a cruise to go on. John gave her a cruise (she could choose where to go) for Christmas 3 or 4 years ago and she's never shown much interest. Yesterday she showed me the one she thinks she wants to do. They would leave December 29 for California and spend a couple of days seeing all the activities surrounding the Tournament of Roses Parade and then actually seeing the parade before boarding their ship, which will cruise down the coast of Mexico, cut through the Panama Canal, swing through the Caribbean, and end up in Miami. They will be gone 21 days! Probably 23 with traveling to and from.
* the plumbing issues the kids were having at the new house turned out to not be anything major....though the plumber they got to come should be ashamed of himself for charging $400 for 15 minutes of work.
* we got to see some family we rarely see these days at a graduation party. Our kids grew up together and were like siblings back in the day. I miss that, but there were reasons so while the visit was nice, it also reinforced the rightness of not being close any longer.
* as always, for each one of you!
That's it for today. I have to get this posted and get ready to welcome Colton. I'm keeping him for just a bit while his mommy and daddy take their truck to the garage.
Have a blessed and beautiful day!
UGH! Plumbers! I am right there with you on that one! How about ALL contractors?!? Thank goodness for YouTube so we can learn to do it ourselves unless it is an emergency. Hugs
ReplyDeleteI agree in many cases. I think part of the problem is that there are so many guys out there with no training or certification, who helped Dad fix stuff or took a class in high school and decided they could be contractors, plumbers, or whatever. Plus they know they have you over a barrel in an emergency situation.
DeleteIt is such a blessing that you are close enough to be that calming influence for Colton. Even while he is so young, the memories will be there that he can always count on you! So much to be thankful for!!
ReplyDeleteI do love that bond we're developing and after all we've been through and not been through with the other grandchildren I am so very, very thankful.
DeleteAw. :) You bring up a great point about cuddling Colton! I don't know when we (adults) outgrew our instincts, but little ones and animals are SO attuned to others' stress.
ReplyDelete'So envious of your mom's trip! Cruising used to be my favorite thing; I can't wait to hear how she enjoyed herself!
I'm amazed Mom chose this cruise. After several years of showing zero interest she goes and picks such a long one. I will be anxious to see how it goes.
DeleteHope you have fun with Colton today!!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I did.
DeletePlumbers... man, they make the dough!Glad it wasn't anything more serious!
ReplyDeleteI hadnt ever heard of that Beth Moore study before! I'll have to check it out
Last night was our final video session. We're going to meet next week for our own wrap up, but we got a lot of feedback from the ladies. They all loved it and said over and over that they had never done anything like it. It was so much more in-depth than other studies of hers and also it forced you to do an exhaustive self-inventory. All agreed that they are walking away changed in very significant ways and I can confirm that. It has been amazing and such a blessing to watch them struggle with certain issues, come to understand the principles, and then embrace them and put them into action in their lives. One of the biggest things that is different is the homework. There is a LOT so it's not for anyone unwilling to commit, because the video sessions are good, but it's the homework where God works. The other thing we did was ignore the leader's guide for the most part. I used a few of the worksheets that I thought might be beneficial, but each week I simply opened the time up for discussion. Sometimes I'd ask a question to get them started or ask them to share something that had hit them hard from the homework and pretty soon they'd be sharing all over the place and asking questions. The community we've built is amazing. The women felt safe enough to share the biggest things in their lives. One woman who is in a bad marriage shared her struggles; another shared her feelings about losing her job after being unfairly accused of something; one who struggles with crippling shyness spoke up and told us about it; and yet another shared the brokenness of her family that began with a father who sexually abused all his children and has resulted in alcohol and drug addiction for two of them and an overdose death for one. There were so many tears through out the 10 weeks, but also so much laughter and love. I just cannot recommend this study enough. If you commit to doing the work (and she asks you to sign that you will at the very beginning) you will be changed.
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