{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 15: 3 Gifts Golden

(via)

Golden Christmas Decor

Twinkle lights. Ornaments. Tinsel. Sparkly, gold snowflakes. Wrapping paper. Ribbons. Adds a warmth to the season!

(via)

Golden Sunsets
Simply gorgeous. 

(via)

Golden Butternut Squash Soup
Warm. Creamy. Yummy. Homey. 

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 14: 3 Gifts Silent

Rather than try and make up for the last 10 days, I am deciding to just move on. Life happens, right? 

Thank you for understanding.

Saturday Mornings

One of my favorite times of the week. I wake up (usually before the hubs) and the first thing I do when I leave the bedroom is open the blinds in the living room to let all the beautiful morning light in. I start the coffee, feed the starving kitties, make myself a little breakfast (usually scrambled eggs & toast), and then sit on the couch with my bible, journal, and pen. It is so quiet. It's a time when I can just be. I don't have anywhere to go for awhile. I can sit, soak in God's word, pray, journal and be silent. It is my mini Sabbath. It truly is glorious. The best rest I receive all week long!

A Look

You know that look. That look you get from your spouse, a best friend, a family member. That look where you understand exactly what they are trying to communicate without having to say a word. There is something so special about having a close relationship like that where you know exactly what the other person is feeling or thinking by just a look. I love that. And I am thankful to have relationships like that.

Silent Prayer

This truly is a gift. I love that no matter where I am, no matter what I'm doing, I can always be in communion my Heavenly Father. He hears us even when we're silent. 

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Days 2 & 3 Smooshed

My goodness -- it has been one crazy weekend! I knew it would happen that I'd end up smooshing days together this month. I have good intentions to blog daily.....really, I do. I took Friday off from work so I could spend the day with Tim and his family. Tim turned the big 3-4 yesterday! I'm so thankful that his parents were in town so that the whole family could get together to celebrate! That rarely happens. And today I went to my high school alma mater, which was hosting their annual marching band invitational. Two of my nieces were competing! It brought back so many memories of when I was in marching band. OH, the good ol' days. Now I'm home, exhausted from the weekend (and it's only Saturday night...) and ready to chill with da hubs and watch 'The Office'. So, without further adieu.....

{Day 2} 3 Gifts Worn
1. My engagement & wedding bands -- such a precious reminder of the covenant I have made with Tim and God. And they're gorgeous too ;)

(Via)

2. A Smile -- smiling is such a wonderful gift! Turns a not so good day, into a better day in my opinion.

(Via)

3. Comfy, cozy sweaters in the fall/winter (of course, not when it's still 80 degrees in Nov...oh TX...)


{Day 3} 3 Gifts that start with 'N'

1. Neighbors -- we are truly blessed with great neighbors on either side of us.

(Via)

2. Nebraska -- Family. Slower pace of life. Great memories. My second home.

(Via)

3. November -- one of my favorite months. Color changes in the leaves, cooler weather (sometimes), Thanksgiving, yummy seasonal Starbucks coffee flavors, Pumpkins, etc.

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 1: 3 Gifts Eaten

October was the 'blog every day' month. Yep. Missed THAT boat. But I like this month even better. I've decided to blog every day of November about things that I am thankful for. And to help me do so, I'm going to follow Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare for November! Won't you join me? Whether you do the same on your blog or in your journal at home, let me encourage you to really spend some time thinking about God's blessings in your life. I'm sure if you really sat down and started writing down things that you are thankful for, you wouldn't be able to stop. So, here we go!

1. Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate chips -- Yum. So nice to indulge a little (or a lot?) today after a good but challenging week.

(Via)

2. Gluten Free anything (!!) -- I have Celiac Disease, and since I am unable to have anything with wheat/gluten in it, this new trendy gluten free thing that's going around is pretty freakin awesome :) I remember back when I first realized that I was gluten intolerant, I decided to make some bread. Now, this was 8 years ago. You could not find gluten free all purpose baking mixes and bread mixes at almost any store. So, I think I went to the local natural food store, bought some rice flour and decided to make bread out of that. Rice flour and egg, plus a few other ingredients = ricey eggy doughy nastiness. I feared I was doomed to never have bread again, and that my friend, was a sad day. Thankfully times have changed, and I can go to practically any store and get the ingredients I need to make bread, or just buy some yummy gluten free bread from the frozen food section! It truly has made life a little easier in the food department. So thankful!

(Pioneer Woman Tikka Masala)

3.  Indian Food -- curry. tandoori. mixture of amazing spices. naan (gotta figure out how make gluten free naan...). basmati. Makes my taste buds go crazy. In a good way.

Thankful for the food that God has blessed me with to savor and enjoy! 

{Fall & Blessings with a Little Mix of Realness}

My morning started out like every other morning. Dragged myself out of bed, away from the warmth of the covers. Took a shower. Got dressed. Did my hair & makeup. Fed the cats. Grabbed a quick breakfast (thankfully I made it the night before!), poured my coffee into my travel mug (little sugar & cream. stir.) Grabbed my purse & keys, and walked out the door. The moment I stepped on my porch I was greeted with fall. True fall. Coolness in the air! It is g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s! I love the changing of the seasons. Especially living in TX, the gift of fall is welcomed. I decorate my home early (usually around Sept 1) in preparation because I like to make fall last in my home as long as possible. I love everything about it. Pumpkin Spice Lattes, spice scented candles that make my home smell a-mazing, the colors, cooler weather, etc. I love how creative God is and how he turns leaves into radiant, beautiful colors. All different. But they flow so well together. Makes me want to praise Him from whom all blessings flow. Such a precious, precious gift. I just want to soak it up and bathe in it for awhile....

Tim and I are in a slow-long-seems like it will never end-days I feel like I'm hanging by a thread-season of our own (kind of feels like a long, hot, TX summer - the kind that never seem to end). This has been one of the toughest seasons of our lives thus far. God is molding us, refining us, s t r e t c h i n g us, sanctifying us. And it is hard. Super hard. And there are days that I just want to give up. There are days that I sit and cry and ask God, Why? and How much longer? and Are you there? There are days where I feel like I'm living the movie 'Groundhog Day' and I wonder, what's the point? I have been all over the map emotionally. I have been distant from people (which I hate). I have seen the ugliness of uglies of sin in my heart. Tim and I have had many hard and long conversations about big life things. I am thankful that him and I are on the same page. We are in prayer. We are waiting on the Lord. I want to be bold in actively seeking Him. His way is far superior than anything I could come up with -- something I need to trust in. God is gracious in that he turns the ugliness of life into something beautiful. God showers us with blessings, daily, even when they don't look like blessings. I am excited to see where God is leading us, as hard as this road has been. 

About a month ago, I found this band on Spotify. LOVE THEM! Go check them out. now.
I love the realness of the lyrics...in our humanness, we are weak. There are days of doubt. There are days of hopelessness. Satan loves nothing more than to put subtle lies in our heads, and so often, I believe them; anything to distract me from my Savior and His promises. There are days when the Lord seems far away. There are days I need to know that the Lord is still holding me in His hands. This is the song that I've been singing the last several months, to be honest. There are days when I cry out to my heavenly Father, 'I need a reason to sing!'

I am thankful that the Lord tenderly, and maybe not so tenderly at times (which is OK because I often need a good kick in the behind -- it's called violent grace) reminds me that He is with me. That He does have me. That He dearly loves me! That this life is not for nothing. I am thankful for Truth. I am thankful for good friends and a church that cares about my soul and my heart. I am thankful for Jesus. 

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. {Deuteronomy 31:6}