Thankful Thursday! (151)

"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation!

Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!

For the Lord is a great God,

and a great King above all gods."

~Psalm 95:1-3

 Today, I am thankful for:

1. The fun annual tradition of going to an OSU game with Dad and Charlene - always a treat!! ❤  (Also thankful for Dad having the suite tickets with free food and comfy indoor seating this year... they had chicken pot pie, baked potatoes, beef bourguingon, rolls, burgers, nachos, hot dogs, and more... along with tons of drinks and dessert options!)

2.  The joy I feel when the whole crowd sings Friends in Low Places!  I bolted out the door for that - I freaking love it - my favorite moment of these games for sure (right at the start of the 4th quarter)!  I also enjoy the crowd excitement as the whole team first enters the field, and being in the middle of the celebration when it's a close ending and the Cowboys win, as was the case this time... so many people cheering and high-fiving each other makes me smile!! =)  Pictured:  Me and Charlene braving the cold to sit in our outdoor seats just for the halftime show - lol (the band did a military tribute for Veterans Day that I loved)... every player touching the "Believe" sign on their way out of the locker room... not sure why we have these OSU alumni bags, but they came in handy for their clear purse rule, and for grabbing extra candy for our drive home! lol ...and bottom right is people singing and swaying in unison to Friends in Low Places! =)

3.  Sarah Elizabeth coming to see me last weekend!!  She stayed the night on Friday, and it was really nice to see her and catch up!  This = our pic celebrating the first snow of the season, which you can't see at all here. lol

Before our Charleston's dinner and BJ's pizookies to go -- yum! -- we went by the courthouse and I gave her a mini tour, which was fun times! =)

4.  Bill and Jill, who went back to Vegas to celebrate their 11-year anniversary last week - (crazy it's been that long!!)  Bill surprised Jill with these shirts, and they got a pic in front of the chapel where they got married, and that all made me very happy!  They're just cute and fun! 

5.  Fun card games with the cutest person I know... just stacking her cards in her blue putty and telling me all about her basketball game that afternoon, cracking me up with her feisty, competitive spirit!! ❤

6.  My happy Christmas house!  I've been turning the fire on when I settle in to watch TV at night, and the combo of that and the Christmas tree makes it all feel cozy and comfy!!

7.  Catching up with my cousin, Ashley, over a long lunch at Blu in Norman (the city where we both work - yay)!

"May the Lord give strength to His people!
May the Lord bless His people with peace!"

(-Psalm 29:11)

Sharon

I was stunned and saddened to learn that my friend Lindsay's mother, Sharon Hainzinger, passed away last week.  My heart is heavy for Lindsay and her family.  I knew and loved Sharon, (or I know and love her - she's absolutely alive in Heaven today).  She was feisty and fun, and she loved her family deeply.  She went out of her way to be kind and encouraging to me - she valued me and believed I was special, and I believe the same about her.  I deeply admire her faith, which was tested and held strong through cancer and through the loss of her precious granddaughter.  She helped to instill the same faith and compassion in her daughter, Lindsay, who lives with a formidable strength of spirit and a firm belief in God's redemptive power.  ...I have started typing around 20 different sentences and then deleted them as I write this post - it is fresh and sacred, and less is more at this point.  This is a huge, life-altering loss, and even when you grieve with hope in Christ, the pain of grief is real and intense and something we are not meant to bear alone - please pray for God's grace and comforting presence for their family!

Sharon Jean Hainzinger, 1955 - 2022

* * * * * * *

On the topic of grief, this particular metaphor is new to me, but it makes so much sense:

"We don’t think much about our blood until something breaks the flesh, and we realize just how close we are to it all. Sometimes it takes so little to bring it rushing to the surface, and then the challenge is to stop it before it does too much damage. Grief is this way. It’s hidden, just there beneath the visible stuff of life... There is no rhyme or reason to things that reopen the wounds for any of us. There is no sense to Grief. It simply comes when it chooses, and it makes you bleed.  Over time, you learn to accept that the stuff beneath the surface just isn’t going away… ever. You may develop thicker skin, or you may be less apt to break as often as before, but the flood is still there below; of sweet memories, and wasted words, and missed opportunities, and lost tomorrows.  I think walking through this valley for the past 10 months has helped me realize just how much is happening right below the surface for all of us... Look around for those in your path who may be walking wounded, and who simply aren’t showing it."  ~John Pavlovitz

Poignant... I so appreciate his writings on grief.  He says the best things you can say to someone dealing with fresh grief are, "I love you" and "I'm sorry you have to walk this road." ❤

"Though He brings grief, He will also show compassion according to the abundance of His faithful love.  For He does not enjoy bringing affliction or suffering on mankind."  ~Lamentations 3:32-33

May the God of all comfort comfort you in all your troubles.

A Lasting Treasure

 Song of the Week = Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? 
(Acoustic Version) by Amy Winehouse

(This was part of the soundtrack on Newsroom by Aaron Sorkin -- love the show and love this song, and particularly this version, which is new to me!)

Now here's a random fun photo of the Rock and Chris Evans, aka Black Adam and Captain America, making each other laugh! =)

I'll write more of an update on Thursday, but just throwing this lovely song in for now!

"May the Lord cause you to flourish, both you and your children!"

~Psalm 115:14

A Theme to his Schemes

I don't know the exact quote or even which book it was in, but I know John Eldredge wrote about a theme to the attacks of Satan in our lives.  A personally-crafted enemy attack, uniquely targeted to each person based on what we love and where we could do the most damage to his agenda.

That understanding continues to help me immensely in interpreting what is happening in my life...

I love genuine connection.  Love close relationships.  Love deep conversations.  Love and value solid, long-term friendships.  To know and be known - to love and be loved.  Relationships rich with laughter, harmony, joy, mutual compassion, and shared values.  Broken relationships cause me intense pain, and I love relational restoration and redemption.

To say that my heart has been targeted there would be the understatement of the century.

Contrary to my desire, another close friendship quietly dissolved recently.  I am not focusing on the details of that here, and indeed, I don't fully know or understand them.  

.....

But I do know this:  The overarching shame/humilation and condemnation I've been struggling with over another friendship ending are not coming from God.  (Any time you feel defeated, that's not the voice of Jesus.  Even when the Holy Spirit convicts us, He does so in a way where we feel hopeful and empowered to overcome our worst vices.  He pulls us up - Satan pushes us down.)

The enemy would love to convince me that I am terrible at relationships.  That I am undesirable both romantically and as a friend.  That there's not much point in trying, and this is basically a joke to others.  That I have zero business becoming a counselor.  That I'm more likely to hurt others than help them.  Etc.

Deep breaths.  I cannot linger there or give in to that thought spiral.

It's my job to recognize this for what it is, and to fight those lies with truth... to step up and walk in the anointing, power, and authority of Christ!!  To know that Jesus is always with me and will never reject or condemn me.  I belong to Him, and I belong with Him.  I am chosen and wanted and loved by God, and I have a few very wonderful, solid friends.  No one is perfect, so people are likely to disappoint us or break our hearts when we place too much hope in them - relationships are messy, but that doesn't mean close friendships or romantic relationships are not worth pursuing.  The distancing, rejection, deep indifference, and betrayals I have experienced were not deserved.  The pattern is indicative of a thematic enemy attack, not massive personal shortcomings.  I am not a victim or a villain.  Broken relationships will not define me.  I am called to be a counselor, to speak words of life and hope, to help hurting people and play a vital part in beautiful, restorative, redemptive stories.  IT MATTERS.  My experience with deep relational pain will strengthen my compassion and skill in counseling.  I am clearly imperfect, but I have many good qualities, and I genuinely value and care about people.  I am a good friend, aunt, daughter, sister, cousin, etc.  God will empower me to forgive and love and help people, to do good things that have a lasting effect on others.  I am worthy of love and respect, so I will hold my head high knowing these truths!

...

I'm guessing there is also a theme to the pain and suffering you've faced, a pattern to the struggles you have experienced in life!  Consider how the enemy may be attacking you in an area that could be your greatest strength... fight the lies with truth, and remember Jesus is with you and for you!!!

I think about this often, so I'm surprised that I can't find any post where I've written about this topic before.  Sarah and I talked about it when she came to visit me on Friday night, and I decided to share it here today!

...And now, here's a random hot air balloons pic just so this post will have a photo. =)

May you not seek your own good, but the good of others!

(I Corinthians 10:24)

Thankful Thursday #150!!

 "Above all, fear the LORD and worship Him faithfully with all your heart;
consider the great things He has done for you."  ~I Samuel 12:24

Today, I am thankful for:

1.  My house being decked out in fabulous Christmas decor with fun twinkling lights!!  (And for having loads of help from Mom, Kristin, Triston, and various professionals this week!!!)

2.  Rob Lowe and his son, Johnny, for keeping me entertained on Instagram!!

Johnny is always roasting Rob, and it's so funny... to be fair, he made fun of himself too when he posed for a few pictures! lol

3.  Getting to be there for the Miss K's first CHA basketball game last Saturday!! =)

4.  This lovely new hot air balloon canvas photo in my entryway... makes me happy, just as I predicted it would!!

5.  Squirrels - always hilarious to me!  This one had been chasing a friend of his back and forth, then when I pulled out my phone and leaned forward to get a pic of them, he paused for a quick second to glare at me. lol

6.  Getting a thoughtful note from my cousin, Heather, who regularly delivers stuff in my neighborhood!

7.  My bedroom being (almost) completed!  Loving all the navy blue, loving the new wrap-around bedskirt, and enjoying having my adjustable bed back!

(We spray painted this navy blue so that it works in my room now - yay!)

8.  I also really love that the pink couch fits in there!!  And that Mom and I didn't have to hang this freaking heavy mirror ourselves. lol

9.  My office/workout room, which now holds the updated Board of Empowerment, which I absolutely love! =)

10.  James and his friend hanging up all the heavy mirrors and pictures for us, as well as my new chandelier, which is the same model I had at 522 - I like what I like! lol

11.  Having some happy new flowers in a more-defined flower bed, and having motion-activated cameras installed out front and back!  It's all coming together and feeling more settled now, and that's a huge relief!

12.  The MWC Tacos 4 Life finally being open, and meeting the fam there for dinner last night!  ❤

13. "Princess Parking!"  This week and the last two weeks, it's been my first turn for what they call princess parking in Cleveland County, where rather than walking across a long street to come in, I get the closest space in the gated parking lot... the timing was phenomenal and a lovely little gift from God during all the moving chaos and exhaustion!

14.  Thankful to have two holiday days off this week... Election Day (I was so surprised the courthouse was closed for that, but yay!) and Veteran's Day tomorrow!  That was also well timed.

15.  And finally, thankful for our Veterans and their service!!

*I love that this is my 150th Thankful Thursday post... I started these way back in August of 2010 (HERE).  Lots of life change covered in these 12 years of gratitude journal style blog posts, and lots of reasons to be grateful in every season!!

May you rejoice in the Lord -- always!!

Thankful Thursday #149

"Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God."  ~Ephesians 5:4 

Since it's the month of Thanksgiving, I've decided to do a Thankful Thursday post every week in November. ❤

Today, I am thankful for:

1.  The Whitaker fam stopping by to see me at my new house on Halloween! =)  Also thankful for this fun pic with some of my favorite Avengers!

2.  Candy! lol  And getting to pass out candy and meet a few of my neighbors and their cute kids... who tend to just barge right on into the house when I open the door, which always makes me laugh!

3.  My new video doorbell, and my alarm system being monitored now, and my first cute video doorbell pic the day they installed it -- YAY!

4.  Kristin!  And our connection!!  And her helping Mom hang every curtain rod while I was at work!!!  (It's possibly my least favorite part of the moving process, and I didn't have to do any of it this time!)

5.  The joy I get from old photos... here's me, Rach, and Blake celebrating Halloween in the early '90s!  Rachael's joyless smile in the right pic and Blake's serious look in the left pic both make me laugh!  We used temporary black dye for my Snow White hair, and I remember being so excited about that!

6.  New wood panel photos + bringing one of my sofa tables that didn't have a place at home up to my office at work!  It looks really nice here - yay!  *Also very grateful that our jury trial for this week settled!

7.  After several obnoxious, blood-pressure-raising phone calls with Home Depot, all of my appliances are officially installed and working (the washer being the last to arrive on Tuesday).  Very grateful to have these lovely new appliances, and thankful to be done dealing with Home Depot and/or Lowes!!

8.  My former office in Creek County is having some sort of wasp infestation, and it is NOT OKAY.  Laura sending me this picture made me feel *very* grateful that I'm not there for this!!  My inability to function or be normal when even one wasp is in the room is not really something I need to showcase in a professional setting. lol  YIKES.  (I'm very much hoping for Laura and Judge Golden's sake that they have it under control now.)

That's it for this morning.  Happy Thursday!

May you seek the kingdom of God above all else,

and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

(Matthew 6:33)

The In-Between Seasons

 How fun is this wall at Magnolia Market!?

Mom and I were watching Fixer Upper: The Castle on HBO-Max last week, and I was confused by what Jo was doing as she went around cutting off several little clippings from different plants.  Then Mom explained plant propagation to me, how they will gradually grow new roots when placed in water, and then you can replant them somewhere else.  (I realize I'm in the small minority of adults in America who did not already know this fascinating fun fact, but I don't care. lol)  I know the timing was a God thing, and I love it!  I also have questions - like, why do people ever buy new plants? lol

Anyway, it feels like a great illustration for my life in this in-between season -- along with the joy and excitement, it's pretty challenging to move and feel cut off from the familiar things and thriving community that were a part of my regular routine in Tulsa.  I'm in a season where my inner circle feels smaller, and I am in the process of growing new roots, preparing to replant myself and grow and thrive in a new place... (with a solid community that comes from both places, of course).  It was quite the process when I had to grow new roots back in 2007 when I first moved to Tulsa, and I'm doing it again as I move closer to family now... just hanging out with Jesus and sprouting some new roots for a new season.  I like that this gives me a picture to put with it and helps me to have grace for myself in this tiring new growth season.  Without the water, the cut-off branch would just wither and die.  Apart from Him, we can do nothing.  I love that part of it too.  This also makes me wish I was a gardener - I so adore the life metaphors that come along with it! lol

So if you've been hurt or rejected or separated from people you love... if you're  grieving a loss or feeling smaller than usual... if you feel cut down or cut off from the life that was so familiar and easy... remember that you're in one of the in-between seasons right now.  You can stay close to Jesus, rest in God, and slowly grow new roots that will allow you to eventually thrive and grow strong in a new place... and what an incredible, beautiful gift that is!! ❤

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.

But BLESSED are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”  ~Jeremiah 17:5-8

May you be firmly rooted and built up in Him,

established in your faith... and overflowing with gratitude!

(Colossians 2:7)