weekly gratitude

Father's Day at Itasca State Park;
Headwaters of the Mississippi River

Dick Beardsley Half Marathon and 5K
after 35 years of smoking, my dad quit and went on to run his first...then second 5k's.
Way to go Dad!

What a week!
J and I have been married for nearly nine years and when I look back it is hard to believe that we were so young. We were engaged at 19 and the world thought we were nuts. I had no quams what so ever. I knew we had only negative dollars to our names and a whole lot to learn, but we wanted to learn it together. There were a lot of things I didn't know, but I did know that together, God would do great things through us and would sustain us.
Father's Day was a special day as we talked through this, reminisced and looked at our growing family in awe of where God has brought us and the amazing amount of blessing He has undeservedly bestowed upon those two ignorant teens hopelessly in love and willing to follow Him.
It is always great to start a week off with celebration and abundant gratitude.
It has been busy though. Our week has been full of hard work, fellowship with great friends, hard work, preparation, meetings and the sweetest kids imaginable.
It has been fun to watch my kids enjoy one another as I realize that they are indeed growing up and they are understanding how to relate with others on a deeper level. We still have a lot to learn and if I had a dollar I uttered, "Oh Sweet Jesus...meet me here and give me wisdom I pray!" I would be set for life.
But, even in the midst of the chaos, growing kids, mistakes made, late nights, early mornings, forgotten deadlines, missed calls, and the ever looming To-Do list, God is ever present and ever gracious. He has sustained us and given us hope. With that, I will share this week's weekly gratitude....

~my husband and the Daddy he is

~my own dad

~the day of sunshine we did have this week

~lemonade stands

~generous people that take the time to stop and spend 50 cents on lemonade and banana bread

~sisters-in-loves

~pony tails and a husband that thinks they're sexy

~good friends

~shopping carts

~a growing garden...weeds and all

~employment

~closet doors

~two-wheeled bikes and running shoes

~free wi-fi

~knowing that there is nothing God is not aware of--past, present or future--and knowing that when we walk with Him, His hand of blessing and protection covers us even if it may be through means or methods that we don't understand. 

I will be leaving Sunday with a group of senior high kids from our church to serve on an Indian Reservation for a week. We will be building relationships, sharing the Gospel and encouraging the believers as well as one another. Please pray for safety in travel as well as in ministry. Please pray for the deliverance of the Gospel and the hearts of those that hear, that they would recognize their need for a Savior and receive the Gospel with great joy and gratitude for what Christ has freely done for them. Pray that we would be challenged and that God would use this time to speak truth to our own hearts as well as grow our faith in Him and our love for others, even when it is difficult. Pray also for me as I lead this team. I am going into the unknown and feel a great weight of responsibility for these kids. I am the only adult sponsor from our church and although it is a bit unsettling, I know that God knew of this trip long before I was even conceived and that He is faithful in all things. Pray for wisdom, protection and boldness. I look forward to sharing God's work and provision with you!

May His face shine upon you. May He bless you and keep you. May your life be lived as an offering of praise and gratitude for all He is even when you are unaware. May you see Him in the moments of joy as well as the moments of pain. May His hand be in your moments of frustration and moments of celebration. May your heart be inclined to His and you walk through your life this day and the days to come. 

peace. 

tiffany