thankful list on thanksgiving

• best 1/2 time of the UGA game walk
• lane & his cot (and his joy)
• Christy Nockels' lullabies for the beloved  (album of the week for me)
  
• delightful walk/conversation with eli
• so.much.laughter around the table and the fire (especially all the spontaneous singing of "nothing is impossible with God...")
• sweet sister reunion

• monkey bread!!! (and the hands/heart that prepared it)
• nick has made it to kuwait!  so much closer to being home!!!!
• the realization that God has sent new friends that nick will get to meet (john & soozi, pete & aliche)
• caroline's car was able to be fixed (huge thanks to stella's dad!)
• eli's thankful email (summing up impact)
• flowers & a candle

• fun fountain pen
• wil's starlink (making the posting of this thankful list on thanksgiving at the cabin so very easy!!)
• vanilla creamer waiting on me
• delicious cups of coffee
• sermon reminder about servanthood
• all of papa and papa palmer's hard work to make the thanksgiving meal...and all the contributions that others make!**  

    **there may be more thanksgiving pictures added at some point

a few of the good gifts from my week

• carwash
• when God says that something is good nothing else matters (and He said it twice)
• cracker barrel biscuits
• the best stacking stone block train i've ever seen (and the hands/minds that built it)

• spaghetti that slaps
• thanksgiving questions
  
• eli & emma's help cleaning up/resetting from DNow
• eli making a leaf pile for zoe

• super clean front doors
• all of zoe's naps lately (especially the ones in random places)
• getting a badge (of honor)(seriously. what an honor to get to be with katie & emma)
• quite the view on my wednesday afternoon

• emma and caroline on the phone sharing about their weekends
• vivification - another incredible sermon
  
• lisa williams' singing and worship leading abilities (especially with the kids' songs...so worshipful!)
• the night of worship and prayer for foster care/adoption/those who love & care

• alllllll the towels are clean again
• dining and dashing (not really...but kind of....)
• pretty pretty road (from hamilton to hadley)
• easiest and peasiest UPS drop off

breathing room...good gifts...

• friends eating burgers in the forest
• "i don't know margot" sweatshirt from nick
• well placed string of lights 

• panera with emma 
• shelley's grave digger story/impersonation
• sweet little walk with a beautiful view

• talking with ella grace
• the countdown is measured in weeks
• walking back with these 2 

• "belonging matters"
• being on "this side" of the deployment mountain (as compared to this time last year)
• walking in the woods with wonderful people

• isaiah 25:12,,,,watching the trees applaud God
• blackstone hibachi!
• these 2 sweet sisters and their cute pictures

• "live and breathe with greater ease - as an eternal being loved by You." - lectio
• all the things for the prayer & worship night seem to be coming together
• sweet moments on the porch

• cream cheese + pepper jelly + crackers + friend who brought them
• kind lady at the tag office that let me go in front of her
• favorite trader joe's treat:

• cherry coke from the camper (and the best ham sandwich)
• rain + rest 
• porch + coffee + cinnamon roll + phone call with nick (2x)

more than a thankful list this week - sharing a sermon

This is one of the most impactful sermons I have listened to lately.  I listened to it once...and then went back and listened again and took some notes....and then, as I was putting this blogpost together, I listened to it again...

Church of the City New York, Jon Tyson, Formed: Sanctification

A few of my favorite quotes:

The foundation of sanctification is Christ's work, not our performance.

There is no formation without repetition.

Your faith is not based on how good you are at your gifts but in the places of brokenness that need to be transformed and healed. 

The school of life is the school of formation...how can this moment make me more like Jesus?

Titus 3:4-7

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

And my most favorite part (the one that has really made me think and pray)

Do not settle in the sanctification process. Let Jesus go after the motivational structure of your heart.

Bonus: i got a little distracted by the "fame and deeds" banner on the pulpit while he was preaching (honestly, I've never watched a Church of the City sermon - I usually just listen to them)...so I googled it and found that "fame and deeds" is from Habakkuk 3:2 and is a part of their church's vision  "To see the fame and deeds of God renewed and known in our time."

let's write our blessings in marble.

• everyday gets us closer and closer to nick being home. 
• such a sweet kitty

• hearing about God's work through hidden hook..."stay humble, stay hungry" - lee mcbride
• doing math with harris III cards

• meeting beth at botanic
• such a delightful cinnamon roll and coffee

• "i yield to You all of my striving to achieve anything for You in my own strength. acknowledging my weakness, i will depend always and only on You." - lectio
• good stuff:

• my happiness, joy and contentment are not dependent on the outcome of an election
• did i already know this? i don't think so....maybe...regardless, i love palindromes. 

• getting to share at crosspointe about jeeah's hope (and getting to be with a friend on the q&a panel)
• good stuff in the hands and hope emails

• Laura Story's Come Unto Jesus
  
• sooo many wonderful pictures (and giggles) from the backseat

• nick on a stick (thanks to amy!)
• celebrating charles & leah (and also getting to watch the UGA game ;)

• rainy days
• walks in the woods (and runs on mountain brook)

• sooooo much birthday love and care....bacon and giftcards and treats and honeycomb words....meals shared and texts sent....cupcakes and ling ling and IG posts....too many wonderful things to post them all. 
• beautiful book...and playing the piano more in the past week than i have in the past 2 years combined

• mr. don and his team....working their magic. 
• all the warning lights went away.  pilot seems to be running just fine....