Stolen Gratefulness

 I was making a batch of french toast this morning

and while I did, I chattered as I normally do.

I mentioned to hubby that eggs were at about $2.25 and then I had a coupon on top of that.

I said that I was thankful that egg prices were down from $5.

Hubby mentioned that he had heard a lot of folks recently give thanks

and then say, "Why am I giving thanks?  (egg, gas, house) prices used to be ..."

Isn't that odd?

Has our pride,

our desire for our own way,

our desire not to give praise to an administration

stolen our gratefulness?

No, egg prices are no longer under a dollar.

No gas prices are not under 2 dollars.

But God has given us a season where these prices have dropped a little.

I am grateful for a little (or maybe longer) reprieve.

This week was nothing like hubby and I imagined it would be.

Hubby was under-the-weather all week and I was fighting it the whole week,

but even in that, I can be thankful.

I am thankful that hubby could work from home all week.

I am thankful for less laundry since there weren't work clothes and workout clothes.

I am thankful for the warm temps and bright sun that we saw much of the week.

I am thankful for a comfortable home to relax in.

I am thankful for some odd jobs that got done this week.

Don't let circumstances steal your gratefulness.

And don't be so prideful that you won't give God thanks for things both large and small.

A Good Word

 I have been much encouraged (and rebuked) recently by good words at the proper time.

About 2 weeks ago,

I ministered in music with a piano offertory in church.

It had been over 10 months since I had played in church

and over 3 years since I had played in a larger church.

I had many nerves but also the power of prayer by my hubby and a good friend.

The morning came to play and God blessed and answered prayer abundantly.

When we arrived at Sunday School (even a little late) the sanctuary was empty

and I could run through the piece (a real piano feels different than a keyboard).

Then two men encouraged me with their words after my practice.

It wasn't words to pat me on the back,

but words of encouragement.

Then before the service ... more words ...

again, not of praise, but of empathy, acknowledging those nerves as normal.

Then this past Sunday, I was encouraged by a lady who asked about a prayer request that I had given over a month ago.

Her words were a reminder that she was still praying.

All of these words were words that encouraged me

and rebuked me for not always having the same encouraging words for others.

Who doesn't like to be encouraged?

Who doesn't need to hear a good word?

Why shouldn't that encouragement come from me or you?

God Can Do Anything!

 And yet another goodness of God post.

Last Thursday was "Donut Day."

21 years ago, hubby and I had our first date.

For a month or so, I have been looking for a bakery or donut shop that would be able to help us on this special day.

It looked like it was going to have to be frozen donuts from the supermarket.

While our celebration had to be moved to this week because hubby was working out of town,

Do you know what God did?

Two weekends ago - yes, just 9 days ago,

He opened a new donut shop in town ...

One that offers gluten free donuts!

So early this week,

we will "our anniversary with a donut or two (they are mini donuts)

at a place prepared for the occasion.

Oh the People You've Met!

 Our steps have certainly led us to have friendships all over the country and the world.

Recently, God has used some of those connections in special ways.

Our church is currently ministering to a community of Hispanic children through the bus ministry.

While the children speak English,

the parents do not.

One of the boys asked God to save him last Sunday,

and immediately asked for materials to share with his parents.

Unfortunately, the church did not have any Spanish materials on hand.

But ...

God had introduced us to 3 different people in NC.

We had helped write a tract for one friend and had a fellow college student from Spain translate it for us.

We met a couple who ministered to Hispanics in South Carolina after years of service in Panama.

And we were friends with a family called to minister in Columbia.

So Sunday night,

I texted 2 contacts asking for materials.

Both contacts got material in the mail to me on Monday!

On Monday morning, I ordered the tracts that we had had a hand in creating.

How thankful we are for the places we have lived and the people we have met!

An Error in Our Favor

 Will you indulge me in a "Thankful Friday" post?

We are rejoicing this week in an audit of our mortgage.

When we signed the mortgage paperwork,

we thought that our escrow amount seemed exhorbitant,

but all the people "in the know" told us that that is the way it is done.

Our escrow would be audited in January.

As January rolled into February,

our audit was moved to next January 2024 as the escrow mounted.

I made a sweet request for an audit this year ...

and our observations were acknowledged.

Our surplus is schedule to be returned (and then be put on our mortgage)

and our regular mortgage payment was reduced by more than $300!

Praise the Lord!

The Goodness of God

 There are signs of Spring all around us.

We have seen daffodils.

And our "token" landscape tree is blooming.

On this "Thankful Thursday,"

I am thankful for the tree that God chose for us.

When the tree was planted,

it was summer and it never looked that healthy and we couldn't really tell what kind of tree it was.

But this spring,

it appears to have survived,

taken root,

and is bringing me such joy.

Look at those beautiful pink blooms.

As I have walked around the neighborhood,

I have not seen another.

Now it could be that mine is just in a sunny spot and bloomed first,

it could be that there are just very few others and I haven't seen them yet,

AND it could be that God just blessed me with this beauty.

God is good all the time.

With or without this pink blossomed tree.

But I am thankful that he chose this tree for me!

A Matter of Maintenance

 I will be the first to admit that I am anything but regular with my blog posting.

When I began blogging, readers could "subscribe" and receive notifications when a new blog post was written.

And then, along the way, blogger made some updates and "followers" no longer got notifications.

But, they have made a different way available.

If you like to receive notifications,

I can send you an invitation and you can accept it.

So - just let me know if you want to receive updates in your email.

You can contact me in the comment section

or you can text or email me since most of you have my contact info anyway!

All I need is an email address.

Return to The Scene

Well, this is the scene of the "crime."

The decorations have changed with the seasons

and the step ladder is stronger and more sure.

I believe that all of the medical bills have trickled in finally and my wrist, 

though not what it was, is not hindering my activities.

Today, I am not cleaning the front entry,

but rather I am repairing.

We believe that in the haste to get the home ready by its promised date,

that the contractors painted the door jamb on a humid or rainy day and the paint was peeling and chipping.

While the fix was under warranty,

we really didn't want a repeat performance,

so we decided to fix it ourselves.

So yesterday, I sanded and primed,

and today, I am repainting.

There is a nice window this week of warm, dry weather,

and based on our experience last year,

the wet weather will be here soon enough.

My Love Language

 Nothing says love to me like dirt ...

... and flowers.

Of course, moving into a new subdivision,

things are a bit "vanilla."

The houses look the same,

the yards look the same.

I don't really mind,

but I do like a nice flower bed.

So for Valentine's Day,

hubby helped me dig up an island for a tree, some bushes, and some perennials.

Everything is ordered and will ship mid to late March.

And while I wait,

I am feeding my garden and trying to turn awful red clay into black gold.

If you look close, you can see a piece of banana peel and an orange peel.

And what will be in this little plot.

The tree will be an "Autumn Brilliance" Serviceberry.

It has white flowers in spring,

fruit that makes pies and jam,

and then bright red leaves in the fall.

I also ordered a smaller lilac bush.

And then some native perennials

like butterfly weed (bright orange),

coneflower,

liatris,

some lilies,

salvia,

black eyed susans,

bee balm,

and some mums.

So some people will enjoy the roses or chocolates today,

but I will enjoy playing in the dirt and waiting for my flower orders.