25 February 2021

Good God giving good gifts.

  •  Good God by Jess Ray/Mission House
  • new episodes of This Is Us to watch while nick is away
  • cleaning up and cleaning out...and getting 6 big bags of stuff out of the house and to valley rescue
  • impromptu dinner downtown with 2 delightful friends
  • sweet little three year old t-train (2 birthdays in a row with this one!)
  • super amazing older three cash kids and their help cleaning up after Community Group
  • Team Marquez and all the gifts they share - including reading to a lapful of little girls and bringing cake with TWO kinds of homemade icing (and angel eggs! and carrots! and friendship! and encouragement!) 
  • the care team brought pizza....and while pizza is ALWAYS welcome, it came on a day when emma had specifically said "i really hope we have pizza for dinner."  
  • popcorn picnic and cheers-ing in the backyard

  • the shoes falling apart didn't keep me from walking (and they should be fixable with the shoe goo!)
  • walking with a new friend (who didn't seem to be mind a bit that my shoes fell apart) 
  • daffodils springing up everywhere
  • hearing about the hopes and dreams for CityScape (Cityscape?  City Scape? cityscape?)
  • a good new follow on IG...and the good stuff she shares (i love it when other people can put into words what i've been thinking/feeling):

  • running around lakebottom (and seeing all the tulls multiple times!)
  • yaya's willingness to keep the 2 little z's so i could have some time 
  • chicken salad chick with the E2F+ team :)
  • sunshine and beautiful weather...the kind when you can feel the vitamin D soaking in
  • celebrating lane with windchimes!

18 February 2021

some huge...some little....thankful for all of it.

  • the chance to hang out with liam friday night
  • fun treats in the mail from clement arts
  • two sweet little girls sharing a popsicle in the swing
  • airbnb bookings continue to come in 
  • real life rapunzel should get to go back to her dad and grandparents wednesday after next
  • unexpected double date with william and debbie.  so fun to reconnect with them
  • still so grateful for mama melinda's selfless love for her daughter who became our daughter, too

  • sweet report from yaya on her time with the girls
  • sunshine in the midst of a streak of rainy days (i'm thankful for the rainy days...but the sunshine was refreshing)
  • my sweet sister's smile and happiness
  • time with laura lea, wendi and april...all in one room! 
  • emma's creativity in capturing the rain on the sunroof and windows

  • wonderful time and safe travels for caroline and eli to/from/in Chattanooga
  • a lot less social shuttling this week 
  • yaya's skills in making sweet gifts for baby beau
  • easy cottage clean ups
  • wisdom and truth from God through ann voskamp

  • any ounce of organization that happens in my world
  • how easy it is to consign clothes at mikayla's place 
  • breakfast for dinner at community group.  carbs and sugar a plenty. 

11 February 2021

gifts gifts gifts

  • new to me neighborhood to run in
  • all the fun colored bricks on the one house on the corner
  • the man and all his bird feeders
  • good Truth:
  • getting to share the sand dollar story
  • brunch brought by laura lea
  • knowing the youth were playing frisbee on the field at CCC
  • Zoe happily played on the zipline by herself for lots of minutes 
  • date night...healthy conversation and communication
  • basket o' valentines goodies from yaya!
  • very successful outing to cooper creek with 3 littles
  • flowers and a balloon...tangible reminders of love
  • llama llama red pajama 
  • all things Clement Arts - especially the Truth they speak over each child (and have those children speak outloud)
  • successful online assessment for real life rapunzel
  • all the groceries the cottage guests left
  • cards christians like.  so accurate in so many ways. (and so ridiculous in so many ways)

  • all the fun emma and hope had together
  • i surrender all lyrics.  so good.  so many prayers. 
  • walks in driveways
  • lovely sunset

 

04 February 2021

always more to be thankful for

  • hamburgers and fries with people we love oh so much
  • all the kids got all the places they needed to go (and back home!)
  • seeing the tangible evidence of God's work through Clement Arts (and specifically through the love and efforts of Christal Gavin) -- 40 children -- FORTY CHILDREN!!! - were kept OUT of the foster care system because of the collaboration and generosity of the body of Christ.  40 cases NOT added to already overwhelmed caseloads. 40 kids who did not experience the trauma of being removed from their family.  40! that is miraculous. 
  • "help me to become a little more like you in the way that i love others today." - lectio 365
  • easy peasy time at the dentist getting the temporary crown out and the permanent crown in 
  • yummy breakfast at leadership community
  • CCC's new logo!
  • renewed peace for the process of getting real life rapunzel reunited with her dad
  • worship and testimonies at CCC on sunday
  • molly's willingness to keep the 2 littles so we could keep our date night plans
  • yup.  this: 
  • coffee + cinnamon rolls (so good. always.)
  • getting to be a part of amy's class.  left that zoom call feeling alive and refreshed!
  • 2 sweet sisters singing together in the back of the pilot
  • "teach me to walk in the way of blessing."