All 50 states!!!!

Each state represents someone praying for Aidan!!!!  Tonight Lilly Lou, Rayven and I colored each state while we waited for Aidan's family.

And we put a heart on Northern Illinois because we heart Aidan the most.

#prayforaidan #prayforGodswill #prayforamiracle

A Blogging Epiphany!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy First Day of February!!!!!!  Happy Groundhog's Day Eve!!!!  Happy we're-under-a-winter-weather-advisory day!!!!  Happy birthday month to my friends - Ruthie, Kathy, and Michelle!!!!  


Today on my morning break, I sat in the downstairs spa-like bathroom locked away from everyone so I could work on a baby blanket for my friend's new fellow.  The pattern for said blanket is not really complicated.  It's 4 rows to begin and then you do a 4-row-pattern-repeat until it's 36" wide...then you knit 1 row one time before picking up another 4-row-pattern-repeat.  What does yours truly do?  She knits the 1 row that is supposed to be knit all by itself twice...thus making her pattern off.  

What's a girl to do?  I cannot just keep knitting the wrong way...and to rip out this gazillion stitch row was just too much for my I-can't-believe-I-messed-this-pattern-up-again moment. 

I did what any sensible knitter would do...I removed all the stitches from the circular needles and I began to unravel the blanket.  

The first time I unraveled it - there may have been tears.

The second time I unraveled it - I had a blogging epiphany.  And noooo, my blogging epiphany is not to fill my blog with posts from a delusional knitter desires to finish a baby blanket while the baby is still a BABY!

Sooo what was my grand epiphany?

I'm going to blog through the month of February about 29 things that I am thankful for during this season of singleness.  Why?  Because I need to be reminded...and good heavens, I cannot be the only single gal out there who needs reminders of all the blessings and graces that we have on our being single journey.  And I'm hoping that my little posts will help others who are walking down the same uncertain path.

I'm kinda thankful for the 2nd unraveling because I don't think I would have had my blogging epiphany.

It says "Alway."

Last Sunday morning Pastor B mentioned Colossians 4:6 in his message.  

"Let your speech be alway 
with grace, seasoned with salt, 
that ye may know how ye 
ought to answer every man."

On Tuesday, I re-read the verse and thought it was a very applicable work verse.  {It's an applicable LIFE verse...but stick with me.}

I write verses on scraps of paper and index cards and have them placed strategically around my cubicle.  

I opened up Microsoft Word and typed the verse in Times New Roman.  I, then, selected a scrolly font and enlarged it so that the verse took up nearly an entire 8.5 x 11 piece of paper - landscape-wise.

I printed it out. 

I tacked it on my bulletin board which is behind my computer monitor - but off to the side.  Typically I glance at this board while on the phone...since this verse seems to be a good reminder for those "special" phone calls I oftentimes get...and perhaps post on Facebook.  Ahem.

Several hours go by since I had tacked it to the bulletin board...and I remember praying about something particular...when it hit me!!!  The verse doesn't say to sometimes season your speech with grace.  It does not say just when you like the other person.  Or just when the other person has not broken your heart.  Nope.  Colossians 4:6 says to season it with grace ALWAY.  ALWAYS!  Always is always.  There's never not a not-always.  That's a triple negative so I'm pretty sure it would be single negative = negative; double negative = positive; triple negative = negative.  There's never ever, ever, ever a speech that is to leave your lips without grace.  ALWAY!!!

What a wonderful truth...one simple word...sooooo many speeches seasoned with grace.

Give grace...

Give grace with your resources.
Give grace in your relationships.
Give grace with your time.

Excellent Quote

In her book titled, Stumbling into Grace, Lisa Harper writes...

"He (God) cares far more about the posture of our hearts than our productivity.  Even 'good' things can become the enemy of God's best for us."  ~ Page 114

Sooo I've been thinking about grace...

...today.  
  
Actually I've been thinking about the verse "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" - Romans 12:10.  

I love Romans.  I love that Pastor took us through the book of Romans.  This verse and ones surrounding it have been ruminating in my heart...churning around like the butter we made during pioneer days when I was in the 3rd grade.  I had the coolest teacher - Mrs. Saunders.  Her husband setup a real teepee in our schoolyard and I remember having reading group out there.  I remember Mrs. Saunders wearing a pioneer woman dress and teaching us history.  We didn't know it was a history lesson at the time...we just thought we were actually pioneers on an adventure.  

This whole idea of preferring one another is grace in action, don't you think?  I've been thinking about grace a lot lately...and how I need to infuse my relationships with Jesus and His love.

Today I prayed, "Lord, show me how to properly prefer _________."  It was a quick prayer...and as I waited for direction, He filled my heart with a peace and He provided me an answer.       

A little grace...

We are not having choir specials for a couple of weeks.  I was thinking today how this is a little gift...while my sad heart heals, the Lord has allowed me to remain in the pew and sing...and if my tears fall, it won't be a huge display infront of my church family.

Grace and chocolate ice cream

I agreed to something without giving it a 2-second whispered prayer.

Two days later I awoke from a deep slumber at circa 3 a.m. with a sense of deead as I realized I had not prayed and waited and listened to that still, small voice.

Two days later a sense of dread fell heavily on my shoulders.  The yes I said "yes" to should have been a "no, thank you."

Dread pressed in on my heart and soul for 48 hours.

The Lord sent me a dear friend who came along side to pray for me and to listen.

The following day - today - a whisper of grace came in the form of an exit strategy.  A whisper of grace for a 2-day late prayer...

Tonight I am celebrating this grace with supper out and CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM.

A book and my favorite Goodwill

God knew before I even climbed out of the bed this morning that my heart was going to be broken.  He knew this and because He loves me & cares deeply about me, He orchestrated several things...

1. The searching for God moments throughout the week

2. I began reading J.I. Packer's book titled "Knowing God."

3. Yesterday two friends setup a thrift outing with me for today.  We spent 5 hours together - laughing, having coffee, thrifting and enjoying a leisure lunch.

I am blessed.  My cup runneth over...

Everyday Grace by Jessica Thompson

Today during my breaktime, I skipped several chapters to read Chapter 10:  Jesus A Carpenter and Our Relationships with Our Co-workers.

Here are my underlinings...

“He recognized that each one of us is called and gifted differently.  He talked about how every vocation, each job, is actually God’s work.  God is empowering every human being with productive employment to help others.  Luther says, ‘All our work in the field, in the garden, in the city ,in the home, in struggle, in government – to what does it all amount before God except child’s play, by means of which God is pleased to give His gifts in the field, at home, and everywhere?  These are the masks of our Lord God, behind which He wants to be hidden and to do all things.’” – Jessica Thompson, Everyday Grace, pages 166-167

“How often do really think of our jobs as a way to be God’s hands, even if our job is just stacking books at the library!” – Jessica Thompson, Everyday Grace, page 167

“No matter what you do, you are called to serve and love others the way you have been served and loved.”  – Jessica Thompson, Everyday Grace, page 170

“His work {Jesus} wasn’t dependent on the one who received the benefit of His work.  His work was only and always dependent on His love for God and His love for people.” – Jessica Thompson, Everyday Grace, page 171