greeting Him with gratitude...

• "it is good to be alive in the midst of all that is going on, and i want to be reminded of that." - henri nouwen
• "renew a right spirit within me"
• extra snacks on the airplane (sweet stewardess hooked us up)

• the easiest, peasiest travels...no hiccups...no hurdles...no delays....so so easy.
• "God's chosen is beloved." - 2 Samuel 22:51
• free snacks in the military welcome room in the OK airport (thanks for the tip, LLcoolJM)

• one accidental missed turn took an hour off of our travel time
• getting to see our most favorite nick...my most favorite human. 
• "this feels like home" - zoe

• hotel breakfast
• always available coffee (and french vanilla creamer)
• being together in the same place...and how God gave & protected the time

• gas station pizza
• the cashier's kindness (Ms. Mary, it matters)
• thoughtful valentine's gift...sweet reminder....

• theo of golden...what a lovely story. 
• bathroom provision (again and again God is into the details!!)
• snow!!!

• time together. resting. reading. playing games. watching movies.
• all the snacks & cherry cokes (nick knows us)
• pretty much anytime nick was sitting down zoe was in his lap

• airport starbucks makes the hard a bit more bearable (yay for giftcards)
• Psalm 55:1-12 Nick is covered...covered with a shield...covered with favor....
• valentines making station at our gate on the way home (of all the gates, this is THE ONE that had a craft table...God is so into the details...He cares about us so much)

• super sweet valentines day...and zoe's excitement/enthusiasm about it
• "the best portion of a good person's life is the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love." - wordsworth
• oh the daffodils.

• the windshield wiper is working again ("and it was JUST that easy!" - josh)
• ash wednesday script/teaching/liturgy from nick
• zoe's day after valentines day outfit (that we had/made just what she was hoping for is so special to me....)

• "i greet You with gratitude and welcome Your Spirit who gives me life." - prayer from lectio 365
• delightful thursday
• riding buddies!

• lis kept me from falling in the lake.  feels so good to laugh so hard.
• misreading ash wednesday quotes. 
• talking to lane and to my dad.  

things that make me say thanks.

• Spirit Lead Me 
• having eli (and friends) home
• this sadie hawkins crowd.  thankful for emma's friends (those pictured and those not pictured!)

• God Made You Special
  
• "the vision is Jesus, only Jesus." - lection 365
• sandcastles in february

• marie's kindness towards my girls...and her creative way of helping them bless nick
• most delightful playground in pine mountain (and a beautiful day to enjoy it!)
• silly things that make me laugh

• "kiki is lost....i am kiki."
• kiana picked up breakfast for our C3 group!
• making valentine's treats with this one

• sweet first wednesday.  conversation was especially meaningful.
• cityalight
• lovely and meaningful quotes

• successful front door. new covenant members at cityscape!
• time with emily.  so many gifts...peaceful time (for me and for zoe!), incredible walk in the woods, hot & fresh banana bread for the ride home
• emma's curls...and the perfect curl

• mail from nick!!
• "this life in Christ is not about what i can do to make myself worthy of His acceptance, but about daily trusting what He has done to make me worthy of His acceptance." - the cure
• "i listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for He speaks peace to His faithful people." psalm 85:8

He is entirely filling us (though I'm still learning to yield myself entirely to him)

• exodus 15:2 - the Lord is my song; He has given me victory.  This is our God, and we will praise Him - our father's God, and we will exalt Him
• fantastic gathering of the jeeah's hope board & staff 

• genesis 28;15 - i'll stay with you, i'll protect you wherever you go, and i'll bring you back to this very ground (home). i'll stick with you until i've done everything i've promised you.
• fabulous folks who show up to paint and clean on a saturday morning (i'm putting my favorites here ;)

• "yield yourself entirely to Him, He will entirely fill us." - andrew murray
• talking about praying and praising...and actually praying and praising!
• seeing old pictures....being reminded of God's faithfulness

• another month down. fun to flip to february.
• putting this book to good use

• anytime a conversation/interaction is meaningful and purposeful
• first daffodil of the season!

• matt & sarah's hospitality
• emma had a great time at sharptop (and got a cute hat)

• the ease of talking to nick/connecting with him
• sidewalk chalk & walking in the cul-de-sac

• surprise bacon, egg & cheese biscuit!
• hands & hope subscription....didn't realize how much i would look forward to the monthly mail! 
• tuesday night cracker barrel with yaya and zoe (the grilled chicken was extra good!)

• honest prayers
• when people are passionate about something/have ideas AND they are willing to help make them happen
• mr. brad & mrs. jean marie put the shelves up for me

• eli is back home safe and sound from brazil! 
• the prayer breakfast at ft. sill went well
• found the back scratcher! (much needed since my favorite one is in oklahoma)

• lauren's alliteration 
• time at the scarborough's table
• this silliness (it's kind of true though):

 

in honor of God's creation of LL cool J (M), an early thankful thursday post

• rainy thursday morning doughnut delivery from my most favorite KJ ever 
• beautiful pages from a beautiful book sent by a beautiful friend

• processing on mountain brook 
• she's no nick...but date night with her is pretty alright 

• all the phone calls with nick are gifts...monday night's was especially needed
• the cutest bottle of tajin...and how God provided cantaloupe to go with it!

• "i have set the Lord always before me..." - Psalm 16:8
• good stuff from tanner

• surprise CFA giftcard in the car
• such a timely gift/reminder from jen high -- you "can" do this (each little package has a cherry coke and a note and some other treats!)

• emma and her friends on saturday nights...no place i'd rather them be than together and here!
• lasagna from team marquez.  

• slowing down just a bit...can't keep going 75 on a 55... (not literally, don't worry daddy :))
• suzanne jones operating in her gifts...her heart, her expertise, her studio...all so lovely!!

• caroline's pros/cons lists.  thankful that she can make decisions. 
• sweet dreams and deep sleep
• how the Lord ministered to me through this song
  

the Lord is so generous.

• The Power of a Quiet Life  by Francis Chan (and the opportunity to practice it...and God's gracious kindness to keep working on me in the midst of NOT doing this well sometimes)
• the Lord heals headaches and hurting stomachs
• "how can i help this week?" - yaya
• great group of folks to play frisbee with on a gorgeous saturday afternoon

• making emma smile with my misuse of "rizz" 
• waffles friday morning and saturday evening. 
• SSI dates are officially on the calendar 
• anytime a child of mine wants to take a picture with me 

• a soldier was baptized!
• the post office is really a pleasant place
• tremendous mission trip provision for the cash girls 
• THE most precious of coffee shops in Opelika - Sidetrack...total strangers made me feel so wanted and welcomed. 

• catching up and sharing life over coke and chips and cheese dip
• texts about lasagnas
• elder arnie's :) leadership of projects and tasks at cityscape 
• a WHOLE basket of gifts from beth!!  (thankful to know that by the time i open all of these - one each month - nick will be ALMOST HOME!)

• molly's potato soup...and zoe keeping...and ride giving...
• the reminder from henri nouwen to "cheers" more
• in the midst of all the shifting, changing, pivoting and adjusting, it all worked out. 
• this right here: (love me some ruth haley barton!)

• tasty tacos with katie and her kids
• high intensity walks with lauren
• tomato soup + grilled cheese + marie + jen + midtown
• the tree trunk in the yard that looks like a frog (or maybe a turtle?!)...and whichever cool kid put sunglasses on it

• water fairy workouts
• the math problem got figured out
• conversations about quiet life and the roar of the Lord
• this girl and her love of lettuce!

• mr. wright's help to make sure pipes didn't freeze
• every.single.time i get to talk or text or video chat with nick. 
• coach benji's volleyball expertise and willingness to share it with emma
• inner cicle rewards...free drink, chips AND candy!!! 
• the pilot is back to normal (so thankful for a reliable mechanic)

more and more

• "Only You and what You're doing."
• lots of friday walks and a run 
• rainy day CFA lunch thanks to the generosity of a faithful friend

• the salvation of a soldier!
• freshly laminated labels and a reset closet
• teriyaki veggies and chicken....it wasn't as good as nick's....but it wasn't bad....

• Clement Arts "stakeholder" dinner...time well spent....tacos well eaten.
• the moores are all ok
• good song. good words....

• ephiphany chicken!
• sweet spur of the moment ish saturday evening potluck
• super special date-aversary lunch. so thankful for 24 years of dating nick! he just may be the most thoughful human on the planet. 

• whatsapp call(s) from eli!
• the storm and wind didn't cause any damage at everbe
• friday night at cracker barrel (i'll never not be thankful for giftcards!)

• mr. wayne bell...thankful for all the sunday morning conversations....
• mr. wright moved those limbs...didn't ask...just did it. 
• emma & zoe playing chess

• "do not be dismayed...the Lord your God is with you...."
• caroline's willingness to take emma to school on tuesdays and thursdays
• "Lord, i yield myself to Your way...whether the path be through sunshine or rain, gentle breeze or raging storm.  whatever the weather, may my journey be to Your glory." - lectio365

more of the good things He is filling my life with

• Zoe had a WONDERFUL afternoon at molly's (2 hours turned into 6+)
• eli's chess pie
• "i'm going to make bacon" - emma
• joy comes in the morning
• cordless stick vacuum
• "You satisfy more than the richest of feast..." - psalm 63:5 (and thinking through all the richest of feasts that he is more satisfying than!)
• pretty painted rocks (and, even more than painted rocks, sweet sisters spending time together)

• new journal (life is too short to use a journal that's falling apart...especially when there's a really good one waiting for you!!)
• beautiful day for ultimate frisbee - wonderful people, shared picnic
• getting JH dates on the calendar
• incredible first sunday morning at CityScape
• shoo fly pie from jen and getting to share it with shelley
• NYE fun and friends and laughter

• "i surrender all" - first favorite song of 2024
• "He fills my life with good things." Psalm 103:5
• new years day with friends and family and friends who are like family
• "my eyes were opened to see that God could be sought and found everywhere." - trevor hudson
• finished hudson's book "seeking God'....so good....
• avocado star. and the prayers that came with it.
• horse hockey

• just right plans (or lack thereof) for my thursday
• cards with emma
• getting to livestream the Passion Conference...knowing that caroline is there...
• "...see to it that we be with You in everything we do." - thomas a kempis
• just right pen.  i love it. 
• wednesday afternoon movie watching at the kumps
• address for nick
• running into familiar folks at the post office