{Thirty Days of Thanks~2012; Day 10}

Day 10 | Seasoned parenting...

Today I'm grateful I've parented for a while now. I will not give details---to avoid embarrassment to the child---BUT, this process is easier the third time around. Granted, doing it alone has its challenges, but my years as a mom and likely my years in the classroom help me be a better parent. I wish I had had this wisdom with my girls! (They probably do, too!!)

I couldn't help but think of this verse today as I had to dole out some discipline.

    Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
(Romans 2:4 ESV)

God's kindness is meant to lead you---ME---to repentance. If he is our Heavenly Father and therefore, our parenting example in many ways, shouldn't I lead like HE does?  I don't know about you, but when I'm in the middle of disciplining, my first thought isn't "kindness"--or forbearance or patience, for that matter. As the benevolent dictator of this home, too often I rule with a tone that isn't kind---BUT, I will tell you, the kindness comes out much more often that it used to. I think the tricky parenting years may still be in front of me as I "parent" grown children (whatever THAT means---still learning there!) and I cope with a teenaged boy----ewwwwwww! I'm thankful today that my Heavenly Father is still parenting me along the way---teaching me to be a better teacher to my son. And I'm SO thankful for some experience that make the journey a little easier--He knew I'd need that about this point in my life, too!

{Thirty Days of Thanks~2012; Day 9}

Day 9 | Baby #2 On the Way!

Today I'm so thankful to have another baby on the way in my little family! What fun for us to get to celebrate with Caitlin and Carson---such a gift! She is due February 18th! We will have a lovely spring around here!! They aren't finding out what sex the baby is ahead of time, so we'll have a GREAT surprise at the hospital!

And, btw, isn't she beautiful?

{Thirty Days of Thanks~2012; Day 8}

Day 8 | My colleagues

I'm so thankful today for my sweet colleagues at work. I'm blessed to work with some lovely, hard working, kind, hard working, funny, hard working, gracious, did I mention hard working?  women! Joshua woke up sick today---nothing too serious, but I could tell as soon as I entered his room that he was sick and wouldn't be going to school today.

I always feel awful when I need to miss school because sometimes they don't get a substitute for me....which means these amazing---hard working----women will have not one minute to breathe during the day if they don't have music. This leaves me torn---my son is my priority, but these women are my friends and we DO work together toward a beautiful goal.  Joshua was going back to sleep, so I decided I'd try to rearrange my schedule/combine some classes and see if I could just come home early. Every person I asked had the attitude, "What can I do to serve you? It was so beautiful. What a gift to me. I was able to rearrange everything and leave by 11AM----WOW---that was almost miraculous! These ladies are amazing! They are flexible, kind, generous, professional educators and I'm so glad I get to walk beside them.

Thank you ladies for blessing me today~

{Thirty Days of Thanks~2012; Day 7}

If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.
Samuel Johnson

Day 7 | Perseverance--

Last year this crazy kid received an award at school for his diligence. He IS a hard worker. He is a deliberate worker who pretends not to care about the results, but he does. I am continually learning from him---let's face it, I'm back in school now!!! We study together for everything! I'm hoping to learn math this time around---no, really, starting over and LEARNING MATH!

Joshua's perseverance is a beautiful lesson to me. The child is only in the 6th grade and he works harder than I ever worked in High School. Now, the work isn't necessarily as hard as it was at that time in my life, (or as it will be for him later), but the time commitment is definitely as much, if not more than it ever was for me. 

I am a hard worker---but I'm not sure I truly "labor" over my work like he does---I'm learning from him to KEEP AT IT. Even if the task seems impossible--it's always better to have tried and fail than never to have tried at all---right?

I'm so thankful for a reminder right here in my home to persevere---in ALL things, persevere. One of the verses I pray for Joshua is below---tonight as we were getting through the homework, I began to think of this and hoped and prayed that I, too would persevere---that I, too would be an example to HIM of perseverance. This was a humbling moment as I realized how often I have failed to do this. I'm thankful for these moments of truth in my life (and also that they can often be private and not in a humiliating way---which is also a possibility! ;D ) So, today, I'm thankful for my son---and his  example to me of perseverance---even when he doesn't know he is an example. I'm thankful for this hope---that "does not put us to shame because of God's love"---that is powerful knowledge! I hope you are thankful today for something---for many things!

    Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
   
(Romans 5:1-5 ESV)

{Thirty Days of Thanks~2012; Day 6}

Day 6 | Reality check

So, I've already talked about voting on Day 2---and I was thankful for that. Today I'm thankful that it really doesn't matter who wins---I KNOW, I KNOW----some of you just left. But listen---I am thankful today that I live in a great republic-that I get to help choose my leaders (I'd help more if I lived in Ohio, apparently---but still.) Either way, I am so tired of 'American Christians' thinking that a "party" or a "man" will save us.

There is a person in my life who wants to help me---like, he (with his family) does a lot to serve me. The other day, I had asked him the name of a person to help fix my lawn mower and he wanted to pay for the fix----I just needed the name---this was a texted conversation, so I finally said, "Jesus is my Savior---not YOU!!" Would I love for him to pay for my fix?---Well, YEAH, but it's not necessary---and I know that he can use that money to help someone else who has a great need right now. That is the way he works---he gives. I'd like to say that to those who are mourning now because it looks like they are close to calling this election ---and not for the "American Christians' " candidate. I'd like to see us lift high the name of Christ as much as we have lifted high the name of "put favorite candidate here". Do we REALLY believe that one person holds that much sway over a holy God? UGH----it just makes me sad.

Today I'm thankful that I DO trust in this holy God; that I know He sees all and knows all and he can handle anything that may be done here.  I'd like to see a more civil approach to this process----among believers!!! Isn't that the LEAST that we can do as a "chosen generation, a Royal priesthood, a holy nation"? YES--- I could ramble on this topic for a long time, but I'm sleepy and my pillow is calling my name. I thankful tonight for Jesus. That He is the creator and He created all those in charge and we can trust Him. Goodnight---life will still go on tomorrow---no matter who wins!

{Thirty Days of Thanks~2012; Day 5}

Day 5 | ...give thanks in all circumstances....

I teach music at a private school here in Raleigh. One of the things I do each month is expose my students to hymns of our faith that have often been forgotten. Now, this post is not going to be a diatribe on hymns or choruses or anything like that---BUT, it's context---SO, moving on....I was introducing our November hymn today. We are learning "Now Thank We All Our God" by Martin Rinkart (1586-1649). I was telling them about Rinkart's life and his inspiration for writing this hymn. He was the German pastor of a church in Eilenburg during the Thirty Years War. So many within the walls of the city were killed or they died because of famine or the plague. He was finally the only pastor left and conducted up to 50 funeral services a day. I can only imagine that he was exhausted and depressed during these days. Yet, when the warring subsided, he wrote this hymn:

Now thank we all our God

With hearts and hands and voices;

Who wondrous things hath done,

In whom this world rejoices.

Who, from our mother's arms,

Hath led us on our way,

With countless gifts of love,

And still is ours today.

 He wrote a song of thanksgiving after living this insane life he was living. As I spoke to my students about this hymn, I couldn't help but think of 1 Thessalonians  5:18 that teaches us to "give thanks in all circumstances"...and not just that, but "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I was careful to say to my students that it doesn't say "give thanks FOR all circumstances, but give thanks IN all circumstances."WOW----this is a humbling piece of scripture.

I recently shared with a dear friend that I have just come to the place where I can truly say I am thankful for my circumstances. They have changed me. I am not the same person I was before I walked through this life---and I hope to keep growing and changing and accepting my circumstances. So, for Day 5---I am grateful for how a loving Heavenly Father uses his word and my own life to mold me into the person he sees in me. And I am thankful for my circumstances. This is a gift!

{Thirty Days of Thanks~2012; Day 4}

Day 4 | Iron Sharpening Iron...or smacking someone upside the head.....

I have mulled this over all day---I truly have so much to be thankful for and I feel like I say the same things every year! HA! BUT, this is a little different--so stay with me!  Today I was with some friends and everything that was said was so negative---I was shocked at my reaction---I just felt SO SAD when I walked away. Sad because I think people just don't realize how that negativity/being judgemental/having an arrogant attitude can CHANGE THEM into someone they don't want to become. I texted a friend and told her that if I EVER become that way, she has to promise to tell me. Her response was "I'll smack you upside the head"....and I think she will. It made me think of this commercial that I've seen lately--it's something like this one from the Super Bowl a few years ago. I have never seen an episode of this show, I just thought of this when my friend threatened to smack me!

 So, today I am thankful for friends who will DO WHATEVER IT TAKES to point me to Christ---even if they have to "smack me upside the head" to do it...grateful!