Day 52

Thankful For...

Dylan

Yes, I love Dylan for a lot of reasons
But, the love I have for him is not all romantic

Dylan teaches and refines me
Dylan loves and cares for me
Dylan sacrifices
Dylan is a constant shoulder I can hug, cry and pray on

Dylan is the man I cannot wait to marry in 81 days

Day 51

Thankful For...


Tea

Tea isn't one of those drinks that you drink when you are in a hurry
Tea is not drank and soon forgotten


No, people drink Tea when they are stressed and want calmness
People drink Tea when they want quiet, peace time in their busy schedule
Tea represents comfort and openness
Tea warms up our cold feet in the winter
Tea brings up thoughtful productivity
When a good book is sitting on the end table, Tea always accompanies


Tea is like an old friend
When you sit down with a cup of Tea you feel like your "old" self
Fond memories begin to flow from your mind when you take that first sip of warm Tea


You begin to remember how much you have forgotten the simplicity of life
You begin to slow down and delight in small, everyday blesses
You feel at peace and rested


Oh, how I love a warm cup of Tea tonight reminds me of how God uses the smallest aspects of life to impact one another

Day 49

Thankful For...

Direction

Proverbs 16:9

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps


How true this verse will reign throughout my life
Learning is such a difficult and yet rewarding process

Day 48

Thankful For...
Consistence

Today wasn't perfect because I finally cooked a meal that was not dried out
Today wasn't perfect because I didn't curse
Today wasn't perfect because I finally filed an expungement correctly without shredding 6 wrong copies
Today wasn't perfect because I'm getting married
Today wasn't perfect because I ate Chick-Fil-A
Today was perfect because God was once again constant during my day
God was strong
God was encouraging
God supplied wisdom
God offered peace contentment
God was who He said He was going to be: The Great I Am

Dylan had his first graduate school interview today
Such a blessing to even receive an interview

And yet, there are more things that Dylan and I desire besides graduate school:
Being a good witness to our families
Becoming foster parents
Serving the Lord with our whole hearts
Learning to love one another

It will be exciting to see how God will intertwine our passions

Day 47

Thankful For...

God, Provision, Peace, Encouragement, Wisdom



This is an email I received tonight from one of my Bible study girls:

DMC Golfing...Tonight was so much fun, Steph! Thanks for being a great leader! :)

 

There are times when you just need to hear something...

 

The Lord Provides

Day 46


Thankful For..


Calmness

Ripped panty hose, stale bread, people thinking I'm a teenager (again!), meeting convicted felons

That's how my day went

Not my favorite day by far

But, a teachable day at that:)

Proverbs 29:11

Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end

Day 45

Thankful For...

People

Today I was blessed with wisdom, encouragement and love from the people around me

This fact alone makes an incredible and very memorable day

Not because this rarely occurs

No no...

But because it is nothing short of a true blessing in my life

Day 44

Thankful For...

Imperfection and Grace

Tonight Dylan and I went on a date
Dates have become more special in our relationship this year
We are getting married and understand spending quality time together is important, especially in marriage
It is so easy to live in a routine together and forget the elements of a strong relationship

As I am sure many married couples have learned, dates are no exception to our imperfections that seem to peak up during inconvenient times
The date started out with Dylan and I spending time looking our best for one another
Dylan surprised me with gorgeous flowers at my house
He opened every door imaginable
We laughed our way through supper
Dylan paid and pumped my gas in the freezing cold
Knowing my true love in life, he bought me dessert (ice cream, of course)
And then we came to my house and I told him he was rude for his actions toward me, never listened to a word I said, interrupted while I spoke and lived an ill disciplined life



Then, he forgave me


We both have so much to learn about a Christ-centered relationship

Grace, such a kind and undeserving word

Day 43


Thankful for...


Provision

Consume is to destroy or expend by use; use up; to eat or drink up; devour, so spend (money, time, etc.) wastefully
Stewardship is to use up resources; to develop or make others grow so that over a period of time the result of their use leaves something of greater worth than when you started


To be a good steward and not a good consumer...
I think I am going to enjoy my financial management course:)


This past week we were snowed in/trapped in the apartment...homework, dutch blitz, chocolate cake, roommates...yes, today was a blessing. Provision

Day 42

Thankful for...


A Place to Stay

A very old and memorable picture

"The Day We Turned In Our First Research Paper"

Yesterday, our area received an "arctic blast"
The roads were horrible, but I didn't want to miss a dinner date with a dear friend and a Bible study


Kate
Ahhh, Miss Kate Roberts
We share a special bond like no other
We simply look at each other and know that we need to pray for the other
This lady has lifted me up in sooo many prayers
I will forever be grateful for the sisterhood we share


Last night as I was laying on Kate's couch, I realized
How blessed I am to have a bed
How blessed I am to have a person to call friend
How blessed I am to wrap myself up in warm blankets
How blessed I am to be looking out a window into the night

How blessed I am to be here

Day 39

Thankful for...

Realizations

Today I realized:

That I do not want to work in an office my whole life
I want to serve and help people grow through relationships
I do not care as much about my future career as I once thought I did
It is the small aspects of life that make up fond memories
I am going to learn quite a bit in the years to come

Day 38

Thankful for...

A Challenge


I think the worst wedding decision I have made is taking Earth Science the same semester as I am beginning my marriage
But I have no fear of this evil gen ed
I begin my internship tomorrow
Anxious?  Very much so
I'm ready to tackle the next few months!
Tuition paid yet?  Not a chance
God will provide where provisions need to be provided
Current attitude?  Joyful:)
I need to call my Parents tomorrow to tell them how much I miss and love them:)
Conquer is my middle name for this semester
My computer is still with computer services getting fixed
Lindsey let me use her computer:)

Day 37

Thankful For...

Answers

"Secular models come and go, but God's Word does not need to be changed because God got it exactly right the first time."

           -Ken Ham

Day 36

Thankful for..

My Situation

Nothing can stop the Lord in saving me in any circumstance

Sometimes I only look at the lack (finances) in my life

Sometimes I only look at the abundance (demands, needs of people, responsibilities) in my life

My security can not come from my situation

1 Samuel 14:6

"Jonathon said to his young armor bearer, 'Come let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men.  Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf.  Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.'"

Day 35

Thankful For..

Roommates!

My roommates keep me sane on days where I feel like I'm going insane

They are encouraging

They are wise

They are awesome

Some of the best nights of college are the movie nights with the Roomies:)
We miss you Jenn!

Day 34

Thankful for...

Heat

Blankets

Food

Warm Shower

Sock Slippers

Water

Dylan and I were driving in downtown Springfield tonight.  We almost hit a homeless man crossing the street.  We couldn't be angry...he was pushing a cart full of all his possessions...and I didn't see a blanket

Could we have done something?
I feel like a lot of people would say there wasn't a whole lot of opportunity in that situation...but really?  
We were driving in a warm car
On our way to buy some food to eat
And then eventually return to a warm house with a shower and bed
What more resources do I need?

Day 33

Thankful For...

A Plan

You know, the "master plan"...

The promise that God is in control and I am striving to be faithful no matter my circumstance

Please note, I may not always be joyful or happy with my situations

Dylan and I are trying to be trusting about graduate school applications

I am sure later in life we will laugh at how nervous we are about these small applications

But for now, we must pray and trust

Trust that God's plan is perfect 

100 Days from today I will be marrying Dylan
What a blessing he has been to me these past two years
A lifetime to serve the Lord is more than I could ever expect in life:)

Day 32

Thankful For...

Home

I have sooo enjoyed being at home these past few weeks:)

This is our cat, Daisy.

We often call her "Lazy Daisy"

Can I just say that it is really hard to type "Day 32" since there is no day "32" on calenders?

Day 31

Thankful for...

Relaxation

I have never enjoyed relaxing for the sake of relaxing

I literally have to schedule time in my day to relax

This past year I have realized what a blessing intentional relaxing can be

Break has been wonderful to share with family and friends

Day 30

Thankful for...

Prayer 

Day 29

Thankful for...

Learning to Live

Not just to live, but to live with adjustment


See, I have this phobia of anything of miniscule importance changing
I recently read this post and was reminded of the adjustments I am slowly making in life
Dylan is a very care-free, let-the-good-times-roll type of person; he is not easily stressed.  I am completely opposite, Type A personality, woman-on-the-move type of person
We're both learning
I hope that someday I can let me kids play with shaving cream in the house or take a random trips places I've never been
Some people encourage this type of living
At times though, I feel like when I live care-free, there is always a compromise in responsibility somewhere that I'm missing
Hmmm...food for thought

Day 28

Thankful For...

Friends

Candace and Me

Senior Band Banquet '07

Jes and Me

Graduation '07

Love these two Ladies!

Okay, I don't care if this is a reoccurring topic of thankfulness

This is totally my blog and I will choose to be thankful for what I want on here:)

Day 27

No pictures today...just me.

Yesterday I witnessed a close, very loved friend experience hurt.  

As we tried to work out the situation, I kept thinking of how very blessed I am:

Thankful for the blessing of relationships

Thankful for the blessing of wisdom

Thankful for the Truths that flow out of God's Word

Thankful for experiences and lessons learned

So very thankful that one day God grabbed me up from merely living and showed me the never ending truths of this life.

Day 26

Thankful for...

The Repetition of Life

I have always regretted the lack of attention I show toward the sky

God has blessed us with an indescribable phenomenon: 

The earth's constant rotation

Every sunrise/sunset is different and unique

Think of how many amazing skies we have missed

Dylan and I are very much non-television/cable watchers

I cannot wait until we can watch the sunset together during our evenings

And of course, I will be watching the sun rise, alone:)

Day 25

Thankful for...

Living in Ohio

Yes, contrary to popular opinion

I think Ohio is gorgeous

Harvested flat fields, gold tinted grass, red faded old barns, amazing sunrises/sets...

What's not to love?

I love my home

Surrounded by fields on all sides, woods in the front and back

Big yard (lots of places to lay on a blanket to read)

Four cars travel down our road a day-one car being UPS

 It's so flat here, when the sun sets you can literally see it til the very end of earth (or at least that's what I like to think)

So dark at night you can see the stars with a full moon

It's like a hidden secret among the corn

Day 24

Thankful...

       For The Past

Isaiah 59

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,

nor his ear too dull to hear

Day 23

Thankful...

For Reflection

  Yes, I literally woke up a few days ago and asked Dylan to hand me the camera...

and I did this...

and it turned out beautiful even with my bed hair:)

I love to sit and think about all the possibilities the future might hold

I am such a dreamer and I love it

I will never stop being excited for the next moment in life

I love looking forward to the future and I honestly am not sure why

Pure joy fills my veins pondering about future laughs and experiences and wisdom to be learned

Knowing the future will not mirror the present unless you allow it to...

Hmmm...winter days spent looking out the window, wrapped up in a blanket, journaling about possibilities, sipping hot cocoa, watching reading Pride and Prejudice