Thankful Thursday! (90)

"But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."
~I Corinthians 15:57-58

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Getting to see T-man, Carter Lee, Jace, and Kyndal Faith in the CHA Christmas program... Carter did great with all his lines in the play! ❤
New CHA parent sitting behind me:  "I bet this'll be the exact same play we saw last year!"
His wife:  "I think they've done the same play for like 20 years now."
Guy beside them:  "Well, 46 years according to this program!"
I laughed to myself listening to them, thinking, "Get ready to sit through this for the next 11 years, folks!"  CHA is not big on change. lol

That Miss K - what a presh!!

2. Getting to celebrate Laura's birthday at Lori's Sweet Sinsations and sharing a red velvet cupcake! =)

3.  For JEM and Kelly being great host/hostesses, and for a cozy corner near the door to hang out with friends! lol  (Also, their stockings make me happy!!  Jeff, Kelly, Penny, and Ellie!)

4. A fun game night + pizza + cherry cobbler with Jonathan and Elizabeth!  I got to see their house and the garage gym and meet the cats, and we played Rhino Hero and Suburbia... fun times!

5. Another fun game night the very next day with Sarah, Steve, and Laura.  We had enchiladas + Elizabeth's cherry cobbler recipe (or technically dump cake, according to Sarah) + whipped cream (my first time making either of those). And we played bananagrams and took cheesy pics by the cute Christmas tree! =)

6. Christmas party at the Fosters' house... Italian dinner + a gift exchange + karaoke + awesome dessert!  Aaaaall the foods lately - I'm feeling very ready for the new year and getting back on track.

7. A fun lunch at the new Tulsa Hills Abuelos to celebrate Brenda's retirement (Judge Vassar's bailiff)!  =)

8. Having yesterday off and getting to go see Mary Poppins Returns (a sequel, not a remake, just to be clear).  I'd say it was surreal and delightfully whimsical and precious and sad and uplifting all in one, much like the first movie!  I'm a fan of Emily Blunt, and I loved all the new songs, each with its own moral lesson.  ...I've been fighting a low-level depression through the past month -- I know it's ironic to say I've felt a bit disconnected and overwhelmed and socially isolated with all that's been going on lately, but it's not that uncommon either.  And I can't really explain why, but more than anything else thus far, this movie helped me break through that mental fog.  I cried at least 5 times during the movie, but I left feeling more positive and more determined to find the joy and light and wonder within and around me this Christmas!  So I'm very grateful for that!

9.  Thankful for long term friendships - I definitely took this pic intending to use it in my Tinfinity post, then forgot about it.  So here it is now! lol  Just noticed both my S's are upside down.

10. This happy Christmas card and the envelope Rach decorated!  It definitely makes me happy to see my name all fancy and glittered up like that, and it helps me to see the gift and the value of creative work, of caring enough to take the extra time to make things a little more beautiful!! ❤

*BONUS:  I'm thankful that this = my last day of work for 2018!  Hooray for big cases settling/going away and giving us more downtime -- I'm backing up everything and prepping for the new year today!  Fare thee well, Creek County... see ya next year! =)

This post is in my Christmas colors, just for fun! =)  Hope you're having a good Thursday and feeling the presence of Christ (His peace, joy, life, light, and hope) this Christmas season.  It's so easy to lose sight of that in all the chaos and tension and deep feelings of loss the holidays can bring up, but He is here with you and He is here for you.  And it's so good to pause and take a breather and remember that!  

Jesus, I give everyone and everything to You today.  I need more of You, more of Your strength and hope and light.  Help me to love You and love others well today! ❤

May you grow every day in the knowledge of God's love for you.  May that knowledge bring you great healing.  And through that healing, may you become all you were intended to be!