truly so much to be thankful for. always.

• nick made it home safe and sound
• getting to hear about the things the Lord was/is speaking to nick during his time away
• funny stuff 

• naps.  
• marco's pizza.  so delicious. 
• stack o' books shared/given...lots of potential wisdom and knowledge and good stuff in this stack

• free dozen golden doughnuts...always welcome in my world
• walking over to see tiffany and her boys
• cotton candy skies...and a lovely emma who noticed and captured it

• made a significant purchase that should make cash kids (and other kids visiting the cash casa) happy.  i'm not one for buying much of anything...but i thought about this one for months and finally decided to go for it. feels right.  thankful for God's help in making decisions - big and small, for play and for serious.
• mature understanding from my kids
• playgrounds.  i truly am grateful for the them...i love enjoying the girls as they enjoy the playground. 

• trail run in the rain (drizzle)
• walk in the woods with my sister
• thought provoking, conversation starting, incredible question from the ever inspiring patrice

• cabin thanksgiving...the people, the food, the place....all so very special. 
• celebrating the loveliness that is my sister amy...so very thankful God created her and shared her with the world
• girls (and boys!) on the 4 wheelers and golf carts (especially thankful for older siblings taking younger ones for rides....lots of rides)

• yeti cup full of ice + ice cold cherry coke (and plenty of them)
• computer/internet/easy way to do my thankful list from warrenton
• 2 sweet little girls who went easily and peacefully to sleep

miracles of kindness

• ella grace's birthday campout...so many incredible families.
• conversation with colleen
• friday night pizza and fire and fireworks

• walking with amy
• melissa and john's uber ride for caroline
• slugs and bugs show!!

• jon tyson's "blessed are the peacemakers" sermon
• frozen at calvary - especially seeing luke's gifts and talents on display
• chicken salad chick with/from laura lea
• yielding prayer from lectio 365 app

• afternoon nap(s)
• time with tiffany - it's good to have good neighbors
• emma's enjoyment of the little tractor
• zoe's cuteness.  and fall. 

• lady party time with AB Baby 
• hearing about eli and sarah's afternoon...and especially their time at PAWS
• prayer room at Harvest Coffee Co.
• good things to release and receive.

• Take 5s with all the messages coordinated by Wendi
• pumpkin roll goodness
• good quote in regards to politics/the election (and really most anything): "if you're thinking 'I can't understand how anybody could believe that', then you just made a confession.  there's something you don't understand, and you can seek understanding." - andy stanley
• all the sweetness in the crib:

"each word of gratitude releases some of the burden we are carrying." - k. berry

•  angie brought fruit to community group (i selfishly didn't want to share ours)
• God brought this song back to mind
• sermon from Church of the City, New York - Blessed are the Pure in Heart (this is the whole sunday service...the sermon starts around minute 39). so so good. 
• the work of helimission and maf - especially in madagascar - i love hearing that a trip that would have taken 12 hour by foot across mountainous terrain took 12 minutes in the helicopter.  12 MINUTES v. 12 hours!!!! 
• a very helpful book - Securely Attached - and very helpful questions in regards to Real Life Rapunzel..."how can i help you right now?" "what do you need right now?"
• map for praying for kids waiting to be adopted:

• april's library soap - check it out (see what i did there?!) 
• "How might I fill this little patch of the earth with His glory today?" pete grieg/lectio 365 app
• meaningful moments at CC
• wings and fries with nick (2 date nights in a row!!!)
• "a beautiful mutual trust."  - david klaus - describing the relationship between God and His children
• sweet reminders

• amy's phone call wednesday morning. 
• "The church is collectively whatever we are individually.  We must first allow God to do in us what we wish He would do in others." - Ashley Anderson, Church of the City
• "Don't try to deal with things in the dark that can only be healed in the light." - Ashley Anderson
• going to the playground 2 days in a row
• molly's thoughtful beloved bracelet gift
• God's glory is all around me! His wraparound presence is all I need...He is my savior, my hero, my life-giving strength!

• when the cottage is available on just the night friends need it
• the gift of an empty sink
• the village foster care ministry.  such a blessing.  
• extra waffle maker for sharing
• nick's sermon sunday...the content, the presentation, the practical parts...all so good.
• birthday treats and goodies (including flowers and cinnamon rolls and coffee) from april - and especially the gift of her presence.  the celebration continues. :) 

always more. always.

• so much fun on halloween.
• rob's generosity
• eli got emma's phone unlocked and useable
• looking out the window first thing saturday morning to see 2 tweenagers bundled up spending time with God. 

• being back in church in person!
• ling ling and the most incredible cinnamon roll cake ever and homemade jerky and buttermilk pie (and amazing parents-in-law)
• thoughtful and kind and generous friends who celebrate me well
• free starbucks on my birthday (and a delightful girl to share it with)

• 6 new crepe myrtles in our yard
• enough pot roast to share
• wings with the eberts
• the big 4-0...and all the balloons!  and all of nick's thoughtful efforts to make it special

• birthday box from my incredible sister
• jeans + hoodie + chacos
• sue b's homemade granola
• officer swed's grace :) (no more claiming that i've never been pulled over...)

• the missing car key was found!
• getting rid of stuff.  it's fun. 
• naps in the sunshine
• yup.  this: 

Ms. Janice, Thank you for singing. It matters.

They started singing a song I didn't know they knew. 

While tuned in to our online church service, the conversation went something like this:

Real Life Rapunzel: "Is that Ms. Janice?"

Me: "That's Ms. Wakenia...who is Ms. Janice?"

Real Life Rapunzel: "Ms. Janice is a teacher at my school.  This is her favorite song."  

Me: "Way Maker is her favorite song?  It's a good one."

In the meantime T-Train, who was also staying with us that weekend, came over to the computer screen and both girls joined in..."Way Maker...Miracle Worker"....some words were clearer than others. (oh how I wish I could share the video clip with you!)

The girls sang loudly on the chorus....they mimicked the motions on the screen (or maybe motions they've observed), lifting their hands, swaying a bit.  "Way Maker...Miracle Worker...

THAT IS WHO YOU ARE.  THAT IS WHO YOU ARE  (that part is the loudest!!)

"Way Maker. Miracle Worker. Promise Keeper. Light in the Darkness."  

It is not lost on me that 2 girls in the midst of the foster care system are singing about our God being the Way Maker.  He certainly knows they need a way to be made for them.  A way for family.  A way for identity.  A way for receiving and giving love.  A way for connecting with their caregivers and those they'll be in relationship with in the future.  

It is not lost on me that 2 girls in the midst of the foster care system are singing about our God being the Miracle Worker.  He certainly knows they need miracles.  Miracles of health and wellness.  Miracles of not becoming a statistic.  Miracles of parents who work their case plans and make good decisions.  Miracles of not getting lost in the system.

It is not lost on me that 2 girls in the midst of the foster care system are singing about our God being the Promise Keeper.  He certainly knows they need promises kept. Promises of care and provision. Promises of hope and a future. Promises of belonging and being wanted.  Promises that no matter what earthly promises are broken, they are loved and cared for by THE ONE who is truly The Promise Keeper.

It is not lost on me that 2 girls in the midst of the foster care system are singing about our God being the Light in the Darkness.  He certainly knows they need that Light.  He knows the darkness they've experienced, and He is the light that drives back the darkness. He knows the darkness they will face and He truly is the Light that will be ever present with them. 

It is not lost on me that 2 little girls who have known (but certainly have not fully realized) significant trauma and heartbreak in their few short years are singing Truth that will make all the difference in their lives.  Truth that could literally be the difference between life and death. 

To all the Ms. Janice's out there, I need you to know that your life matters.  Your impact matters.  Your singing matters.  You are planting truth in the heart of every student and teacher and staff person that hears you.  You may think you are just singing...but you are impacting lives and planting seeds and speaking Truth that is eternally valuable.  Thank you.   

God, I trust you with these 2 girls and with every child who never chose to find themselves in the foster care system. I trust You to be their Way Maker....their Miracle Worker...their Promise Keeper....their Light in the Darkness.  And I trust You to be all those things to me, too.  It's who You are. 

t-hankful.

• a perfect penguin party (albeit to girls who shall remain nameless made it challenging...it was still the most perfect penguin party ever!)
• a girl who forgot to wear shoes to school
• that shoeless girl's courage to diagram a sentence on the board (even though i was thinking "no no no...i don't think you know how to do this!!)(she did it pretty much perfectly)
• no major damage and the power came back on (and little ones who went back to sleep in the middle of the storm/power outage)
• cash sister fun on the tricycle

• yard full/house full of youth
• real life rapunzel's cape at the soccer field
• kathy jones's kindness towards previously mentioned princess
• a church willing to do hard things
• really meaningful community group
• so much fun and laughter friday night

• even if their soccer team loses, eli and caroline don't let it ruin their day/weekend/life
• it feels like fall outside right now!!!
• passing yaya in her neighborhood and getting a bag of clothes for the girls :) 
• finally verified the venmo situation
• tasty tasty tacos and plenty for sharing 
• a week rich with friendship and conversation and community (but lacking in pictures)

thankful...virginia edition

• the gavin's willingness to do respite care for real life rapunzel
• carey's willingness to take care of all things Everbe (and her carey-like-going-above-and-beyond-ness)
• fun and fabulous picnics/playgrounds on the way to and from virginia

• plenty of naps and reading and resting
• how much zoe loves every.single.playground
• lots of laughter sliding down the stairs

• fall weather and colors
• big dinner box from pizza hut
• playing mancala in colonial williamsburg 

• yummy breakfast (mama steve doesn't have anything on nick)
• painting with emma
• imitating statues at yorktown

• nick's leadership of our family and how he had us bless one another through listening prayer and words of truth
• rocking chairs that rock just right
• enjoying the pedicure spa stuff from aunt amy (only wish she could've joined us in the tub :))

• just the right mixture of going and doing/staying and resting
• wearing my pj pants and gray hoodie so much of the week
• brave girls enjoying the pool

• the hope of eternal healing for those who hurt so much on earth
• sweet jacob has a new heart! 
• coming home to a new shower