Gratitude

Now that Halloween is behind us, the air is cool, and the leaves are falling, it is time to reflect on all the things I am thankful for.  This year has been a tumultuous year with more than the usual trials and tribulations along the way.  The thing I am most grateful for this year is my unfailing faith.  Through all that has been going on..mom's cancer, dad's job loss, my clinical placement debacle (x2), my current unemployment and the continuous roller coaster my potential employer has had me on the past couple of months, and (for the sake of his privacy I won't go into details) it has been a financially disastrous and emotionally draining year for CJ.  Through all the not so good, frightening, and uncertain times I have known and held strong to the fact that my God, the one who sacrificed His own son for me, will not let me down.  So, thank you, Heavenly Father, for all the many blessings you have given me this year.  And thank you for the difficult times, for they are constantly a reminder that You are in control and Your loving arms will guide me through it all.

I also want to mention an incredible website/blog I came across recently (click on the link below).  For those of you with kids or anyone who will be buying a child a Christmas gift this year, check out the ABC scripture cards.  Not only do you work on learning your alphabet and letter recognition but it helps with scripture memory, too!!  I don't remember having the opportunity, or the desire, to memorize scripture as a child.  I am incredibly jealous of those who can just rattle off scripture in the middle of a conversation as if they have the whole Bible memorized.  Secretly, I want these cards to help me with scripture memory (just don't tell Lily one of her gifts is really a gift for me!).  She also has a great giveaway on there today (the print above but the full version...I only posted a section of it).  I am printing it out and framing it in my living room now that I have taken down all of the Halloween decor.  Perfect daily reminder to be thankful for all I have but most importantly to thank the One who blessed me!   

Check out her site...Lil Light o' Mine.

Take Time to Pray

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding

Proverbs 3:5

Patience. Trust.

Two things I am working really hard on right now. I find myself spending my days working for free. Yes, that is right. Working for FREE. Yes, my graduate degree was expensive and yes, I need to start paying back the federal government for the money they loaned me. But no, I work for free. Why? I am trying to listen to God. I had the incredible privledge of doing a clinical rotation at a faith based health center where every day started with a staff led devotion. Seriously, how many people get to go to work where a coworker shares God’s word with you and you have the opportunity to pray for each other all before your work day begins?!?! Coming from my career in the public school system, this is so incredibly out of the ordinary!

Daily, I find myself keeping busy and finding tasks to do, reading research articles, putting ideas on paper for this potential job that we keep having meetings about. I want this to work out, I feel like God is leading me in this direction. But how many times have I stopped the busy work and just prayed about it? Not every often I hate to admit. So my goal for today (one day at a time, right?) is to pray about my future job, whatever and wherever it may be. And I think I will also pray for the money not run out before I get this future job!

God, I place my humble needs before you: My need to meet my responsibilities in the world. My need to use my God-given talents and abilities. My need to fulfill my place here on earth. I pray for Your guidance now to show me the way to the perfect opportunity to do what I love, to do what I can do well, and what will fulfill my needs mentally, spiritually, and financially. But most of all, my need to glorify You. Help me to walk in faith as You show me the way!
Thank You, Father. Amen.

Yummy to my tummy

I don't share recipes often but thought this one was super simple and super yummy :-) Plus it was incredibly easy for a 3 (almost 4) year old to do...Lily had so much fun making/eating this treat. We have a Friday night tradition in our house where we make a treat and get to watch a movie...The Little Mermaid was the night's pick!!!

Our treat..

-1 package thawed puff pastry cut into squares (we made 8 squares from the 2 sheets, next time I would make smaller squares)
-a spoon full of nutella on each square
-a handful of marshmallows on top of the nutella

Fold the pastry into a triangle and use a fork to pinch the edges. Brush with an egg wash made of one egg and 1 tbsp water. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Friday afternoon treat making and a movie...
So proud of her hard work (I think she ate more nutella and marshmallows than she used in the recipe).

"Why are you taking my picture while I am trying to enjoy this goodness?!?!"

So good...
And while I am at it, Lily wants to be the Little Mermaid for halloween. I ordered her costume and we tried it on before watching the movie. A halloween preview...

As soon as she got her costume on she said "But I'm missing something."

CJ and I both looked at each other and said "What?"

She said "Where is my prince?"

Hilarious!

I did it! I did it! I did it!!

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

I took my PNP boards this past Monday...and passed! I can honestly say I studied my butt off and am so thankful God answered my prayers to stay motivated and focused. Every day I would wake up, get my coffee, study until my tummy rumbled so loud I couldn't hear anymore, ate breakfast, studied until lunch. After lunch I usually took a break to craft (I have really gotten into crafting lately-sewing mainly). Then back to the books after dinner. I feel such a sense of accomplishment now that I passed. Lesson learned though, I should have studied that hard for the past year and I wouldn't have freaked out the last two weeks!!

My table...

The notes I typed out as I went along...
Me about to lose it the day before I took my test...cramming over genetic syndromes one last time and I am so thankful I did!
Notice the right side...
Praise to God!!!

Studying like crazy

I promise I haven't forgotten about The Purpose Driven Life or faded away like I did after my first month of blogging. I am studying...probably harder than I ever have before! I have boards next week then I am back. This is what my day has looked like...

Lily Starts Soccer

I had to post some pictures from Lily's first soccer "practice". She is playing for the YMCA's Kiddie Kickers team (3 and 4 year olds). It was super cute and exciting to watch her experience her first practice...and she just happened to be given the number 22 jersey which was always my sports number :-) I will save the part about when practice was over she fell to the ground screaming crying-complete meltdown. When I finally got her to calm down she kept saying she didn't want practice to be over...can we say overly tired!! Bedtime came early tonight but the good news is that she had a fun time and already made some new friends!

Day 11/40: Becoming Best Friends with God

“Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him.”
Psalm 25:14a

Our relationship with God has several faces: Creator and Maker, Lord and Master, Judge, Redeemer, Father, Savior, Healer, and Friend (along with many others)

Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege, and being known and loved is God’s greatest pleasure

How do we become friends with God?

1. Constant conversation: Okay, this one I am good at! I think people must think I am crazy half the time I am driving because sometimes I am talking to God-full blown conversation! I do, I talk to God throughout the day. That is one of the reasons I love car trips by myself (mainly the 4 hour drive I make between Atlanta and Nashville too often) because I get some quality God conversation in. Not to mention it keeps my attitude in check when I am driving if I talk to God...I am much less likely to get mad at the person who cut me off or who is texting while driving or sitting in traffic if I am talking to God (this is a huge benefit since I live in Atlanta!!).

2. Continual meditation: mediate on who God is, what He has done, and what He has said, meditation is simply focused thinking. This is when I think I have adult ADHD! I struggle to focus! The thought of having to sit and look at something for an extended period of time stresses me out because I get so out of focus so easily. I have learned that small periods meditating on God's word throughout the day is effective for me and that it is okay. God didn't make all of us the same and it is okay that I can't sit still for an hour. That lesson has been difficult for me to learn but I have finally come to grip with it.

"Prayer lets you speak to God, meditation lets God speak to you. Both are essential to becoming friends with God."