and in all things... session 53

Things I am thankful for on July 30, 2015...

1. Psalm 89:5-8
2. Vanilla/Carmel TAZO Chai Tea
3. Dream Cream from Lush
4. Friends that are great story tellers
5. Vitamin D
6. God's peace amidst the storms
7. French Press in the morning
8. Supernatural strength
9. Icy Hot
10. Neighbors that make you cry when they move away

and in all things... session 52

Things I am thankful for on April 7, 2015...

1. Joshua 1:9
2. Tuesdays- it's "get-my-life-in-order" days and for this type-A, a necessity.
3. Tiesta Tea- Fruity Pebbles and Nutty Almond Cream.
4. Mentorship by some of the best women in the business! I am so blessed to be able to meet with women of God who pour into my life every week.
5. Lazy mornings.
6. Joy in the journey.
7. Rain.
8. Unrushed hugs.
9. Brand new markers.
10. Grace.

and in all things... session 51

Things I am thankful for on November 3, 2014...

1. Jeremiah 17:7-8
2. God's stirring.... even amidst misery
3. Cameron's Handcrafted Coffee... in K-Cups! (If you think K-Cups aren't strong enough, try ones with filters instead of plastic containers)
4. Spa Sister Ice Packs
5. Hoodies, Fireplaces and Simmering Soups
6. Slobbery Baby Kisses
7. Sea Salt Spray
8. My Mom
9. Being surrounded by women who love Jesus... and love people.
10. The most beautiful study on Hospitality by #shereadstruth. I have honestly been so incredibly challenged and spiritually inspired by this in-depth look at the heart of God. Check it out here!

and in all things... session 49

Things I am thankful for on January 25th, 2014....

1. Psalm 77:14-15
2. Friends who speak God's truth into my difficult situations
3. God's promise of healing, restoration and comfort
4. My new devotion journal
5. Baby gut giggles in the early morning hours
6. My Thermos water bottle with sip lid... I'm not a fan of straws & squeeze bottles!
7. Sibling affection... unprovoked
8. The beauty of snow
9. My husband's tenacity to learn new things
10. The turnout of youth we had at our last Encounter Prayer Mtg last night from 8pm-minight.... teenagers praying instead of partying... love love love.

and in all things... session 48

Things I am thankful for on November 19, 2013...

1. Psalm 16:9
2. Bailout Blend from Great Lakes
3. Snuggling in front of our fireplace... everynight
4. Our new dining room chandelier. [we've been looking for 2 years]
5. Motivation
6. Melaleuca Oil- saves the day every time
7. New Christmas music
8. The unlimited power of our Almighty God
9. Transformation
10. Laughter

and in all things... session 47

Things I am thankful for on September 17th, 2013:

1. Psalm 1:1-3 (this is the current chapter we are memorizing at home, so it's on my mind)
2. Smarty Pants by Origins (anything by Origins, actually)
3. Baby rescue by family members for a mama who isn't feeling well
4. Cool weather... anything under 70 degrees is my comfort
5. God's definition of beauty
6. God's definition of success
7. Baby kisses... and big kid kisses
8. Fall scents, colors and sounds
9. Easy soup recipes that make everyone smile
10. Fresh motivation for new endeavors

and in all things... session 46

Things I am thankful for on Friday, July 26th, 2013...

1. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
2. LUNA bars- especially Chocolate Dipped Coconut
3. My new portable phone charger (thank you Chris! I think he got tired of my dead phone)
4. My security in God... on days when I have none in myself
5. Bravery
6. Family time in the pool after work
7. Dinner on the outdoor grill
8. Hope
9. Various "just thinking about you" gift cards
10. Back to School Supply shopping... my favorite!!!

and in all things... session 45

Things I am thankful for on May 9th, 2013...

1. Psalm 136:26 
2. The Rizers...  the newest obsession in our house!
3. Playing-Outdoors & Windows-Open weather
4. The guidance of the Holy Spirit
5. Bolthouse Mocha Cappuccino Protein Drink 
6. My new-to-me laptop
7. That our truck can fit SO many people
8. My kids giggling and playing together... all by themselves
9. Each NEW day
10. Some new burdens that the Lord is placing on my heart... and the endless possibilities they bring

and in all things... session 44

Things I am thankful for on April 4, 2013...

1. Psalm 30:2
2. People in my life who are trustworthy
3. New beautiful sand in our sandbox
4. Spring Cleaning
5. Hope
6. Calculators
7. "I'm thinking of you" texts
8. The book of Isaiah
9. DayQuill, Tissues, Chicken-Noodle Soup, Cough Drops
10. Netflix

and in all things... session 43

Things I am thankful for on January 24, 2013...

1. Isaiah 61:1-3
2. My nieces and nephews... seriously, I have mad love for those little ones... and I love my "aunt lori" title.
3. Maybelline Baby Lips- it's not as expensive as my favorite stuff, and it works almost as good! (only $3.99)
4. My church family- I seriously love those amazing people, and am so privileged to be able to serve God beside them!
5. Re-Discovering songs that transitioned me from "life with God without kids" to "life with God with kids"... I walked the same hallway, prayed the same prayers and sang the same songs over and over.
6. Snow
7. Little baby hands that like to grab mine periodically throughout the day.
8. The trust I can have in the Lord, knowing He is the One who will heal my family.
9. Laughing with my husband through the trials of parenthood.
10. Powerade, Infant Advil, PediaSure, Nebulizer, Prayer.

and in all things... session 42

Things I am thankful for in 2012...

1. Philippians 1:6
2. LOTS OF SNOW!!! (for those of you that do not know Chris and I very well, fall is our favorite season, with winter being a very close 2nd)
3. Friendship. Community. Unity. Vision.
4. The INCREDIBLE men/women of God that I get to do ministry along side. It's amazing what can happen when there is a common goal, but many different giftings.
5. Family.... you know, the people you can truly be yourself around... the ones who challenge you to be a better person just by being in your life.
6. Unconditional Love.
7. Time to watch my little ones grow... and wonder.... and think... and problem solve... and fight... and cuddle... and dream... and explore.
8. "...and the two shall become one"- one spirit, one mind, one vision, one mandate.
9. Coffee.
10. This song. (it's an oldie... but made a major impact on my alone time with God during times this year that were very draining)

and in all things... session 41

Things I am thankful for on December 1, 2012...

1. Psalm 34 (After a particularly hard day, I received a text from a mentor to read and meditate on this scripture...It was exactly what I needed!)
2. My fireplace
3. Perspective
4. My husband's honesty
5. Friendship... in the most unexpected places
6. Saturday breakfast with the family
7. The comfort and familiarity of spending time with the Lord
8. My amazing chiropractor... and Motrin
9. Christmas music
10. Proud moments as a parent

and in all things... session 40

Things I am thankful for on October 13, 2012...

1. 2 Peter 3:9
2. My lavender heating pad from The Body Shop.
3. Thursday Night LifeGroups.
4. Friends I can cry with.
5. Lemon Salt.
6. Nighttime family devotions... and giggles.
7. Brainstorm Printable from The Flourishing Abode (I use this all the time at work)
8. Forgiveness... and the ability to forgive.
9. Peace of Mind by Origins.
10. Big, comfy, warm comforters.

and in all things... session 39

I woke up a little overwhelmed this morning... in a good way. Right now I am sitting quietly at my computer with a hot cup of coffee and I can hear the birds chirping outside the window. In a minute that will change. I will hear coos from my baby for his morning bottle, loud "mama"s from my toddler who desperately needs a diaper change and the older ones will be starving for breakfast. God has been so faithful. He has given me EVERYTHING I have asked for.... everything that was part of His plan, anyway.... Thank God!

Things I am thankful for on September 12, 2012...

1. Romans 8:35
2. A husband who pushes me to Jesus and is constantly building me up to do what God has called me to do... in each aspect of my life. (Not to mention that he takes on a lot of extra responsibility so that I can pour time and effort into the other areas of ministry I am involved in)
3. A God who answers the prayers of my heart. He has blessed my family. He has protected my children. He has opened opportunities for our family to minister to others. He has developed relationships for all of us that cause us to me more like Christ.... and with all of these He continues to do so.
4. Eczema lotion, Neosporin and Phineas and Ferb band-aids
5. Facial cleansing wipes and anti-wrinkle face cream
6. A church family that is mission-minded... and a close network of friends that are constantly challenging my devotion to Christ by their lifestyle to honor Him in everything they do. (I'm talking about you, Jaimie- our talk on Monday wrecked my whole thinking about "eternal living")
7. Drive-thru ATMs with the new "scan a check" feature... brilliant!
8. Yarn.... I have been using it for everything!
9. Isaac's 1st grade teacher. Beyond a million things she does with these kids that I LOVE, this amazing woman feels that teaching character and responsibility is just as important as academics... warms my heart.
10. The bus.... although it was painful letting my eldest child drive away from me in a large, yellow concoction, I am now so grateful that this small aspect of his school experience has saved me almost 2 hours of travel time a day with the other children! (Although I do have to say that I miss our scripture verse memorization time we used those travel times for last year)

and in all things... session 38

Things I am thankful for on July 7th, 2012...

1. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
2. A healthy family because of a faithful God.
3. Grocery runs with my daughter's undivided attention.
4. Godly friends who desire growth as much as we do.
5. The break in weather tonight...We even got down to the 70s
6. The youth that have been a part of LEGACY over the years.
7. Midnight swims with Chris under the stars clouds.
8. FAMILY... and the fact that they are close by.
9. Baby giggles.
10. Champions For Life Kids' Camp and the countless hours put into loving the foster kids in our area.

and in all things... session 37

Things I am thankful for on April 22, 2012...

1. Isaiah 58:8
2. Fresh Cilantro
3. An Adventurous Husband
4. Our New Devotional Bible
5. Our other New Devotional Bible
6. Pool Noodles
7. My kids having the same sense of humor as us.
8. Baby Tylenol
9. My kids and niece singing these around the house.
10. Family Errand Days turning into time well spent together.

and in all things.... session 36

Today on March 2nd, 2012 I am thankful for...

1. Galatians 3:14.
2. Good jewelry cleaner.
3. Astoria.
4. Pacifiers.
5. The invitation to approach God.
6. Double stroller.
7. My introduction to sushi by my brother.
8. The patience in others.
9. The elderly couple that helps me with my kids every afternoon when I pick up Isaac.
10. Family.

saying thank you is just not enough.

"...the Lord your God will bless you in the land that he is giving you."

{Deuteronomy 28:8}

This is the scripture I read this morning and it couldn't have been more perfect. Actually the entire chapter is how I feel right now. {Read it here} We had our big house move this weekend and to say I am overwhelmed is an understatement... but it's not in the way most people would think. Yes, we have loads of boxes everywhere and I had to comb my hair with my daughter's doll brush yesterday, but the overwhelming part is how blessed we are.

We are blessed with an incredible house.

We are blessed with incredible family and friends.

We are blessed with super friendly neighbors.

We are blessed with very adaptable kids.

We are blessed by a God who knows us.

We had so many people show up Saturday morning to help us move... people who have a million things going on themselves! Almost every time I would sincerely thank someone for coming, they would reply "How could we not bless a guy like Chris?" As his wife, this statement meant so much to me... I mean I know how hard he works and how much he does for others, but it was such a blessing to hear others say it and gather around to bless him. {It was also SO fun seeing all his friends give him a hard time about the stuff they were loading up!}

I do want to thank everyone one more time for the over-the-top help you gave us this weekend (loading up our stuff, unloading our stuff, bringing food, watching our kids, doing our laundry, driving us all over, etc) We couldn't have done this without you!

and in all things... session 24

Things I am thankful for on November 15, 2010...

1. John 17:3
2. Electronic Coupons
   
3. Old Photographs
4. God's insight thru Scripture
5. My Legacy hoodie
6. Testimonies of God's goodness
7. Extension cords
8. Fat-free Cool Whip
9. Kirkland baby wipes
10. People who hold my baby for me!

and in all things... session 23

Things I am thankful for on November 11, 2010...

1. Psalm 16:11
2. Our Veterans
3. Apple Chai Oatmeal
4. My church family
5. Twist-able Crayons
6. My husband's ability to encourage me
7. Coupons
8. Grape scented Boogie Wipes for lil' noses
9. Love
10. A very helpful 4-year-old