Thursday, September 30, 2010

Cancer...

Today I've learned that my aunt Linda F. has cancer.  My mom and dad's good friend, Jeanne, also has cancer.  Daniel's mom died of cancer, and Daniel's dad is a cancer survivor.  Cancer...it seems to affect every one in some way.  Why God?

Lord God...
I am still thankful for...
586.  Your Word...it reassures us.
587.  Your Spirit...it guides us
588.  Your Son...he came and suffered too...perhaps he's the biggest reminder that You ultimately hold our path and our future.
589.  Your Love...it endures forever.
590.  Your Hope...it is our forever.
591.  Our Faith...it helps us make it through each day because we know You.
592.  The fruit of the Spirit...it is in us and around us.
593.  Friends
594.  Family
595.  Fate...we each have our destiny, and it is in Your hands.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

576.  My patients who were struggling on Monday made it to Tuesday and were looking better.
577.  Alex, our babysitter, makes the days fun for our boys while I'm away at work
578.  Short "work" week...girl's weekend starts tomorrow!
579.  A supportive husband who helps finance and babysit so that I can go away for 4 days with girlfriends!
580.  Gentle cries from Bryan upstairs...a bad dream...uncomfortable?
581.  Warm sweatshirt
582.  Sleeping on the couch...7:30 p.m.-3 a.m.!  It was a good night's sleep...boy was I tired last night!
583.  CBS today
584.  Online birthday cards through dayspring...how fun!
585.  A glass of water...ahhhh.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Thirsty...

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink" (John 7:38 NIV).


We all come into the world thirsty. From the time my son made his first cry in the delivery room, he began rooting around for something to drink. God planned it that way. Our bodies are 50 to 60 percent water and must be replenished continuously. When we go without water, our skin grows clammy, our eyes become scratchy and our head starts to pound. We need water to keep our mouths moist enough to swallow, our vital organs plump enough to function, and our joints lubricated enough to flex. One week without water and we simply dry up and die.  -- SHARON JAYNES

Working now with the elderly, I see many thirsty faces.  They are sunken, they are sad, and they often request a simple drink.  I am so happy to be able to serve these people in little ways with a smile, a word, and sometimes helping them get a drink.  Their hands shake, or they don't function at all.  We take for granted those simple drinks...

#566. Holding our own cup.
#567. Drinking cold water.
#568. Drinking without coughing or choking on the liquid.
# 569. Swallowing safely...many of my patients are at high risk for aspiration (swallowing into their lungs)
# 570. Healthy weight...so many of the elderly are tiny...losing weight daily for lack of desire/ability to eat.
# 571.  Thickener...it can save lives, but it is strange stuff...you mix a powder into drinks to thicken it up to a honey/nectar consistency and it makes it easier/safer for patients to swallow liquids...it hardens over time though...becomes like thick concrete.  It's a miracle product...neat stuff really.
# 572.  Clean water to drink...in America we are lucky to have this luxury.
# 573.  Running water...many countries don't have that luxury either.
# 574.  Suction...I found the one and only suction device at the nursing home yesterday (kind of like the dentist uses).  It was a pleasure to be able to suction a man with muscular dystrophy who is so weak he cannot manage his own saliva.  I felt very helpful.
#  575.  Swallowing protocols...I was trained at Spalding Regional how to create these, and now I'm using that skill at my present job.  The pieces of my past are fitting with my present day living...love how God works in this way!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Vessels...

I love to fill up empty vessels (vases) with flowers from our yard.  Ann Voskamp, another blog writer, has amazing words and photos of her vessels...

Today let Ann's words fill you up...CLICK HERE

Be Joyful...

"Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18








The boys love to wear their "safety goggles" a gift from Grandpa Bill Carey with their toy workshop.  I think they take after Papa Bill though...those round faces and a love for being "busy" and working!

They also love popcorn!  We have it many times a week for dessert.  Perhaps we will one day use up the 50 lbs of kernels we bought at Sam's...for $7 why not?!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

556.  Another win for the FSU football team...GO 'NOLES!
557.  Time with family...love the weekends!
558.  Date to gargage sales with Addison yesterday morning yielded some fun finds...clothing for me and Bryan, toys for Addison, and the best one being a gumball machine (now full of Skittles)!
559.  A monthly Massage time...me time...thank you Daniel for the year long Christmas gift!
560.  Family photos for the church directory...took 1.5 hours...way too long for two kids 4 and 1, but we survived, and we got a good shot!
561.  Hamburgers on the grill...mmm....last night's dinner was so yummy!
562.  Naps on the couch
563.  Sleeping through the night finally!  I'm growing up! :)
564.  Sunday morning fun...we get to teach in Addison's Sunday school class today.
565.  Grace Connector meeting...I'm leading a group of 12 women who will meet 1:1 for 12 weeks...we have our first pre-meeting today!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

The Fruit of the Spirit...

546.  Patience
547.  Goodness
548.  Kindness
549.  Self-control
550.  Peace
551.  Love
552.  Faith
553.  Hope
554.  Gentleness
555.  Having all the Fruits of the Spirit in some measure...priceless

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Boisterous Bryan...

Dad...

Happy Birthday Dad!  Today's list of ten items of gratitude are dedicated to you...
Thank you for...

536.  Teaching me to be kind to others.  You are a great chit chatter, and that has helped me make friends and be successful at work.

537.  Loving me unconditionally.

538.  Giving of your time and money.

539.  Taking an interest in our kids and in Daniel.

540.  Teaching me to play tennis.  I really do cherish memories of you and me loading the ball hopper into the Miata trunk and playing at Rollins and Azaela Lane.

541.  Indian Princesses...I also cherish memories of camping and playing with you, friends, and Jackie.

542.  Taking us to church with mom.

543.  Making pancakes...they were always so yummy!

544.  Teaching me how to check my tire pressure and oil.

545.  Teaching me how to hammer nails/use a level.

Love you!  Jenn

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Wheels Go Round and Round...

526.  Chocolate chip cookies
527.  Milk
528.  Painting
529.  Hot glue guns...so fun to have random projects to use hot glue!
530.  Quiet house, lack of sleep, off to take some Tylenol PM
531.  Thunder
532.  Lightening
533.  Hugs from our children
534. Massages on tired shoulders from Daniel and for Daniel
535.  New season of TV shows has begun!  The night time dramas and comedies are back! :)

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Contentment...

Lord,
Help me continue to be content with what I have and what I am.  I thank you for the gifts of health, wealth, and family.  Thank you for loving us so much.  Your lavish gifts of Grace abound.  Amen

Monday, September 20, 2010

Fruit...

I loved this picture of fall apple picking!  I watched Addison eat two apples yesterday, and it was so sweet.  Signs of fall, signs of Christ...fall fruit...I pray we fall more in love with Him daily.
Love,
Jennifer

Sunday, September 19, 2010

I give thanks today for...
516.  Sleeping on the couch last night...I fell asleep before 8 p.m.!  Thank you Daniel for leaving me be. :)
517.  Artwork and family photos...I'm rearranging!
518.  Our church
519.  BBQ with friends tonight!
520.  Naptime for Bryan and computer time for Addison = free time for me!
521.  This beautiful sunny weather!
522.  Our green green grass and leaves on the trees.
523.  IPOD shuffle
524.  Our family
525.  Weekends

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Priceless...

506.  Coffee for sale...50 cents
507.  Homemade recycled cardboard garage sale signs...free
508.  Friday's profits...$10 (3 hours of garage sale)
509.  Mowing the front yard to surprise  Daniel = fun!
510.  Watching my kids dance to "Dynamite" and dancing with them outside in our garage...priceless!
511.  Watching Addison mix coffee...with cups of sugar and milk...priceless!
512.  Watching Bryan explore all his old/outgrown toys...priceless!
513.  Chatting with our neighbors...priceless.
514.  Meeting a new neighbor from the Ukraine, Maryna, and her son, Stephen (Bryan's age)...priceless.
515.  Deciding not to do the garage sale on Saturday = more free time to shop others' sales! :)

Garage Sale Mayhem...

New Paint...

Friday, September 17, 2010

Today's Word:

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." ~Isa. 30:21
496.  Frustrated by insomnia, but thankful that I'm happy when I'm awake.
497.  Garage sale day!
498.  "Stuff" to sell
499.  Nice neighborhood and home to live in
500.  Half way to the 1000 things I'm thankful for!
501.  Patient husband
502.  Sweet sisters
503.  Cooler fall temperatures
504.  Darkness and light...an amazing contrast
505.  Sleepy dust in my eyes...thankful that I can see

Thursday, September 16, 2010

God is full of Grace...
486.  "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17)
487.  God's love is not based on performance or beauty. Gwen Smith
488.  "Take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18-19, MSG)
489.  Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)3Not only so, but we[a] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 
490.  Addison and Bryan play so rough together, but God is good...he protects Bryan and Bryan loves the rough play more than I would expect him too!  They were precious at McDonald's play place yesterday and on Addison's bed before bedtime...they giggle and play together now.  I love it!
491.  Addison is singing songs of Praise to the Lord!  He is learning all kinds of songs in preschool and at CBS.  He is really a little man of God and likes to sing and play the guitar too! :)
492.  Bryan is talking more and more...he vocalizes more vowels and makes a few more consonants now too (p, t, s, b)...he "talks" a lot to people too...it's really cute.
493.  Daniel mopped our wood foyer floor last night to get rid of some sanding dust from the workers...it always amazes me that he serves me at home and as he goes to work daily...he has a big heart...and I love him.
494.  Our tile is laid and our walls in the foyer are Hubble House Tamarisk (light green).  It looks amazing!  In two days we can hang pictures and walk on the floors again.  Yeah!
495.  Reflections...I marvel at them...the foyer light casts really pretty light on our walls that I now notice even more since they are lighter and solid now they reflect the light...they remind me of Him...our Beautiful Savior.   

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I'm thankful that...
476. My KS-SLP license for speech therapy is in!  I will start working with patients this Thursday!
477.  My family is sleeping peacefully even if I'm wide awake?!
478.  Crickets are chirping outside and a train whistles in the distance...I like those sounds...comforting.
479.  Jennifer K. and I had a nice chat on the phone yesterday
480.  My mom is tech savvy enough to call for advice. :)
481.  My sister's son, Jackson, is so darn cute!  It was fun viewing Facebook photos of him last night (thanks Daniel for letting me log on to your account)!
482.  We have a new habitat for Frogger (land toad) and Snaily 2.
483.  We have electricity...I do love lamp light!
484.  We have clean water...reading another blog about a woman's trip to Guatemala...I can only imagine...
485.  We know God.  It's a blessing to have Bibles, churches, and fellow Believers around and in our home. 

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

466.  Soft pjs
467.  Thunderstorms and gentle rain
468.  Shiny wood floors that someone else (the painters) cleaned!
469.  Sleep
470.  Chats with my parents via cell phone
471.  My sister...it's so good to talk with her...always!
472.  My sister in laws...so good to chat with them via email and phone too!
473.  Thessalonians...I'm learning from this book via my current CBS lessons
474.  Green grass and leaves
475.  Garage sales...we're prepping for one this weekend!

Monday, September 13, 2010

455.  A safe trip to OK
456.  Quiet time away from our kids
457.  Alex, our new babysitter, is great!
458.  Bluestem, a great B & B, in Winfield, KS...Bluestem is a perennial grass...type of wheat!
459.  Daniel...he drove many hours this weekend, and he did it all for us to have a great trip together!
460.  Cooler weather on the way
461.  Paint on the way...our foyer will be painted this week
462.  Carpet in bathrooms on its way out and tile on its way in this week!  Hooray!
463.  Shutterfly calendars...fun to make and see our family in action for a year!
464.  Cameras...digital...capture moments so well
465.  Kind fans...the OU Sooners were pretty kind, and we met fellow NOLES in OK which was fun too!  Win or lose it's how you play the game and the quality of the manners of the fans that follow the teams!  Norman and OK City are really beautiful cities...and OU is a nice campus very similar to FSU's campus.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Friday, September 10, 2010

Compassion...

Today's Entry On Ann Voskamp's Holy Experience  brought tears down my face.  Click GO to Blog Homepage after you click the link above. 

I am fully ready to sponsor another child of Compassion after I start work.  This is where part of my earnings will go, and I pray that another child..."an adopted girl" perhaps will know our love too!

Addison's Grace Glimmers...

444.  A happy heart
445.  God's grace
446.  The beauty of nature that surrounds us
447.  The new friends at church I have through Grace Connectors
448.  "I'm a good fisher"...hearing and watching Addison fish and sing yesterday with his Mickey Mouse fishing rod, on a misty afternoon, in a cute hat!  Priceless...wish I had my camera for this!
449.  Bryan is talking more...his vocalizations are finally emerging more rapidly, and he is OH so cute!
450.  Bread delivery later today...thankful that our family has bread and that we can share bread with others who may not.
451.  Playdate at the park later this morning with our friend's from MOPS...at the pirate ship park!
452.  Making homemade ice cream tonight at our church for Olathe's Old Settlers Weekend
453.  Doing laundry...it smells so good, and the clothes will be fresh for tomorrow's travels!
454.  Date day and night tomorrow with Daniel...we'll be heading to Oklahoma for the FSU OU game! :)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

433.  Froggy has hopped away.  Addison showed me God's grace by not fussing at me too much when we were transferring him and grass hopper friend to a larger jar Froggy escaped.  Bummer.
434.  Grasshoppery (his name by Addison) is still alive
435.  Daniel is excited about a new job opportunity at Cerner, and I hope it works out for him...it's great to see his enthusiasm about work...he's very motivated to work hard.  He is a dreamer and a DOER!  His clients are lucky to have him! :)
436.  Bryan has started talking a bit more..."buh" (ball), "shush" (shoes), and all kinds of babble of new sounds...my favorite..."oh!" as he points to new things!
437.  Nose bleed...let's me know I'm alive I guess...the dry/changing seasons are getting to me.
438.  Ice water...tastes so good when you wake up with a scratchy dry throat
439.  Freecycle...it's a neat online community to share things...it's nice to know God's blessings are transferred between others.
440.  Feeling good.  Thankful for my emotional stability and peace.  God has brought me out of the pit onto a mountain top...I will praise Him for his faithfulness and the hope he gives me each day!
441.  Wheels on the Bus game...it was one I used in speech therapy days, and now our boys love to play it too!  It's a fun board game!
442.  Craigslist...we've been able to sell some of our baby items, and it feels good to have others want them and for us to have some cash in return for our daily living. :)
443.  Cooler weather...it's feeling like fall!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

423.  Froggy is still alive after night one in his jar home...aquarium to be found by end of the week?!
424.  Ginger Plowman...great author of "Don't Make Me Count to Three!"
425.  God, the BEST author, off to read his book next! :)
426.  Friends...what a joy to read emails from them...old and new.
427.  Family...it's what makes our hearts beat.
428.  Daniel's MBA/MHA work is over.  I talked with a girl from church working on hers presently, and she sounded stressed beyond belief.  I'm thankful we've been there and done that.
429.  Community Bible Study
430.  Pool closing...sad but true...our neighborhood pool is closed for the summer season.  However, it marks the beginning of fall and cooler weather!  I'm actually thankful for the change of seasons! :)
431.  Running...I went for a run yesterday with two neighbors...we ran hard, fast (for me), and I feel good today!  Little by little I will try to do the full 4 miles with them...yesterday I did about 2.
432.  Dad's retirement...excited to see him more for longer visits! 

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Froggy the Frog...

Bad news Snaily the snail died, but good news is we found a new creature today!  Froggy the frog, a baby frog, has a new habitat in snaily's old jar home.  Addison is so excited!
I'm thankful for God's Grace in the form of Christ and his Word that teach us to be...

413. holy
414. righteous
415. blameless
416. witnesses
417. gentle like a Father/Mother to a child (1 Thess. 2: 7, 11)
418. understanding
419. patient
420. kind
421. filled with hope
422. filled with love

Monday, September 6, 2010

"I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart" (Psalm 9:1 NIV).

Today I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart because I have...

401.  My health.
402.  A comfortable home.
403.  An amazing family.
404.  So many blessings in tangibles.
405.  Friends.
406.  Food.
407.  Clean water to drink.
408.  Your Word.
410.  A holiday in a free country.
411.  A husband with a great job.
412.  A new job for me on the horizon.

This list was inspired by the things I see around me and the movie "Book of Eli."

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Seven on Sunday...

Today's glimmers of grace...
393.  Thank you notes.
  • 394.  Calendars that help keep us organized/remind us of what we feel called to do.
  • 395.  Playing cards.
  • 396.  Sketches
  • 397.  Wallets...that hold the "stuff" we need.  The "stuff" is helpful.
  • 398.  Pencils...they let us erase our mistakes.
  • 399.  A hug from a child.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Six more for Saturday...

387.  Seven a.m. morning walks with Addison...our adventure time in the neighborhood...a new tradition that we totally enjoy!

388.  Wearing Garnet and Gold for game day...go FLORIDA STATE!

389.  Dressing our kids in Garnet and Gold...
390.  Sweet smiles
391.  Good quotes..."Each day is a day that God has given us, each moment of that day is in His hands." Roy Lessin
392.  One generation will commend Your works to another; they will tell of Your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4

Susan...

Whenever we see a butterfly, I think of it as a spirit of someone who has gone forward to meet Christ.  I especially think of Susan, our children's paternal grandmother.  She died young, and I believe she flies by to watch our children play and grow.  I miss her, and I know her spirit is alive.  Christ is beautiful in his Grace...

A book I'll need to read...

This woman inspired me to blog more...
She has now written a book...Christmas idea for me...others...

Ann describes her book as "A book that peels away the shrouds that leave me now very afraid and brazenly brave and yes, very excited about this story of how God can awake us to so much more!

There are messages worth the terrifying stretching for."




One broken woman,
One wild quest for joy,
One Thousand of His Gifts