“But let all who take refuge in You rejoice;
Let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread Your protection over them,
That all who love Your name may be filled with joy.
For You bless the godly, O Lord,
Surrounding them with Your shield of love.”
~Psalm 5:11-12
On this lovely Thursday, I'm thankful for...
1. My 2018 alphabet challenge being off to a fun start! I googled activities and sports that start with A, then I randomly signed up for an Archery class for my "A" new thing! The class was the next day, and I was slightly intimidated going in by myself, but it ended up being far less scary than the gun range! It was a younger girl who does archery competitions teaching the intro class, so I felt comfortable enough to ask her to take a picture of me. lol I love it, and I'm proud of myself for going! I'm no Katniss - my aim was quite terrible through most of the day - but I did hit one in the yellow, so yay for that, too! lol
(I'm calling this pic "ouchery," as I got my 2nd biggest bruise ever from that class... the need for an arm guard is legit! lol Anyway, whatever, bruises heal quickly. Plus, now when This Is Me comes on, I can really identify with the "I am brave; I am bruised..." lyric. LOL)
2. Cooking comfortably and fun girlfriends! ...If I fail to find a good day for a full group Friday dinner this month, I did make spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, and chocolate chip cookies for a small girls night with Sarah F. and Tiffany, so I'm counting that! lol (Sarah texted us about wanting to hang out, but she wanted to do something low key, so I offered my house.) Fun times, and it makes me happy that I feel more comfortable cooking while people are hanging out in the kitchen now! =)
3. The Magnolia Story... I've never cared much about Fixer Upper, but I like Chip and Joanna, and when I saw that they did the audio for this audiobook, that made me happy! They have a fascinating story and their faith in God and love for each other really shines through it all! And I love the mix of their personalities. ♥
They go back and forth through the book, and most of the deep and profound points are made by Joanna. But for some reason, this quote from Chip really caught my attention. He's a big risk taker, and he loves adventures and changing things up. I am the complete opposite personality, but I like what he said about how changing things up helps keep you moving and keep you motivated and hungry -- that your goals shouldn't be too centered on comfort. So I want to keep that in my thoughts and keep pushing myself to shake things up and be open to new things! #embracetheremix
4. Lara Casey... my cousin and two friends have recommended her recently, so I checked out her website, and was excited to find this Write the Word journal. Every day, there's a page for writing some Scripture (I got the HOPE themed journal, so most of the verses will focus on that, but there are four other options), then there's a companion page for prayer journaling whatever is on your heart. =)
(Side note: I've added her blog and the Magnolia blog to my side list of Blogs I Love here.)
- I praise You for... (Your faithfulness, Your unchanging nature, Your love, etc. Something about who God is - any quality that really stands out to you that day).
- Thank You for... (name 2-3 things you're particularly thankful for on that day)
- Forgive me for... (whatever stands out in your heart)
- I ask You... (for strength, wisdom, help with ___, any personal requests)
- I lift up... (the first 2-3 situations that come to mind, praying for other people)
I've been following that pattern and writing one page per day. It's been really simple and great, and what you write about changes enough day to day that it doesn't feel too formulaic or scripted. I'm so glad to be getting back into prayer journaling! ❤
* * * * * * *
6. I'm thankful to finally have ALL my saved transcripts and every court audio file for the past 11 years (4,720 files total) backed up on this one little 64-GB SD card!! Super impressed that it can hold that much... it's this entire stack of full CDs... and what would have been over 22 boxes full of paper notes and cassette tapes at one point! Yay, technology!! lol
7. I'm thankful for the way God has worked since my last post when I was feeling the sting of brokenness and some past issues re-surfacing. There have been positive shifts in four different relationships, and I'm feeling encouraged and strengthened with more joy and peace, and I know all of that is a gift from the God who loves me and surrounds me with His shield of love. ❤
Finally, here's a couple fun pics from "On This Day" on Facebook. #throwbackthursday This showed up a couple days ago... a 2009 pic of the new Diving Deeper Lifegroup co-leaders at my New Year party (I love that me and Bobbi are all smiles and Kristin is fierce!). ❤❤
And this showed up today from my 2015 Vegas trip with Sarah! ALL there is to do in Vegas, and I get excited about the Hershey store, M&M World, and Coca-Cola World! lol
(Related note: I MISS Vegas and need a 2018 trip there!)
Mmkay, that's all I've got for now, but I covered a lot of ground for a Thankful Thursday.
Hope you're having a great week!! =)
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