With Thanksgiving

Come, let us sing to the Lord! 

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 

Let us come to him with thanksgiving. 

Let us sing psalms of praise to him.

 Psalm 95. 1-2

Funny how just when I enter a whiny, self centered phase, my daily bible readings start cropping up with reminders of being thankful. Yes, God must be trying to tell me something. I'm working on it Lord, I'm working on it! 

I am thankful for...

... work for my husband! It was only a couple of days worth of work, but it will pay another bill! 

...getting to spend the day with him. Not only getting to watch him work (something that always amazes me-- truly-- carpentry never fails to impress me) but being able to help even in a small way.

... FREE lattes! Yes, Oh, Yes!! (thankful for a full punch card!! whoot whoot!) (hey, it's the little things!)

...Rain...because it smells wonderful, it sounds delightful and even watching it (from inside a cozy warm room of course) brings me comfort. (full disclosure: I skipped walking today!!!) 

...  a  freshly made bed. Now, granted, I made the bed so I guess I could add that I am thankful I can make a bed!

... a couple of leads on other jobs for hubby. One that sounds very intriguing, one that would utilize his brain power instead of his body. 

...a big ol' sack of potatoes. Yep, someone gifted me with a 10# bag of russets. That'll go a long ways to filling our tummies. Potato soup, hashbrowns, baked taters, etc...

...my sister. Today is her birthday and she is my next best friend after hubby. Oh, the adventures we have had! 

... speaking of sisters and birthdays, tomorrow I get to spend the day with her and help her shop for clothes! Yay!

... thankful for a hot cup of tea to settle down and round out my evening. 

... and last but not least, I am thankful for God's Grace and Mercy, NEW every morning. His daily reminders of his love and provision, his love letter to the church, his bride. 

It's not my complete list of grateful's but it's a good start. 

Senior Moments? Who Me?

What a silly day it's been.
For one thing it was raining and yet it was too warm for a jacket.
I had a bunch of stuff to do and I had my list.
I forgot the list when I left the house and I left the house late because I was making a list.
I was halfway to town when I realized I left my phone behind.
No time to retrieve it so I drove on.
After my first appointment I realized I forgot the clothes I was going to take to consign.
And my car was on empty because I forgot to fuel up this morning before I left.
I limped into Safeway because I forgot to put my super feet in my non-supportive-but-very-cute- shoes.
I got my Rx and fueled up at the Safeway gas pumps. Two nice things happened.
The price of my prescription has gone down about a dollar and I had Safeway points to use for fuel.
With a full tank I pulled out on the road and was driving  like a horse heading for the barn, when
I remembered my sister had invited me for tea and....
I was halfway home and couldn't call her because my phone was at home!

Talk about 'Senior Moments" !! Is this what I have to look forward to?

The day was not a total waste however because, Life IS Good. God is good. The rain stopped and it got very sunny and warm and I got in another bike ride today. I love my new bike! It is exactly what I have been dreaming about and looking for for some time. One speed, old school brakes, fat tires, my favorite color... it even has a bell now. Note the beverage holder-- perfect for a glass of wine. Just kidding. Water bottle!!

After my bike ride, (I am going to have fabulous thighs) I was inspired to do some writing and the story I have been thinking on for some time got squeezed out in a few hours! Whew. Except I lost track of time and there was NO Dinner ready when my man came home! Not to fear... I had stir fry makings in the fridge and we were sitting down to eat 30 minutes later.

And totally unrelated to any of this, I want to share some photos from the amazing sunset the other evening. Because these kinds of things so blow me away and remind me of just what an incredible Creator we have!

shooting through a car window pane, in a moving vehicle...

Yep. Life is beautiful. God is good.

Giving Thanks ~ Week 4

One thing that has been confirmed for me this week is the power of memory. As I have carried out the theme of posting each Saturday my week of thanks, I'd write the post all week long, adding to the list almost every day till I was ready to post it.  This week, however, I did not write anything until Friday evening and then I found myself grasping for recall. Slowly, as the brain-fog lifted and I saw clear back to Sunday, I was properly chagrined. I had an awesome week with many, many things to give thanks for. To not remember them is a shame. The lesson in this is that I need to pause more often, take stock in my surroundings and give praise and thanksgiving to the One who supplies all my needs.

Sunday
We spent a delightful afternoon visiting our 2 year old grandson (and his daddy and mommy). He is talking up a storm and repeats the cutest things that he has garnered along the way of watching the world in front of him.

Bennett brought the blanket to us because he wanted us to all be 'cozy-wozy'

Monday
Given the fact that 8 or 9 weeks ago, we dove right into some rather heavy stuff with our newly formed small group, we thought it would be fun to backtrack a little and enjoy some lighter fare as we celebrated the wrap up of our study. So...
Have you ever played the Ungame? It's a conversation starter/ice breaker type game, designed to stimulate interesting conversation and get to know one another better. Questions range from the light hearted (if you received $5000 as a gift, how would you spend it?) to the deeper probing ones (what lifetime dream are you still trying to make come true?)  We had a lot of fun going around the room drawing cards and sharing our answers. And we learned a lot more about each other. Always a good thing!

this greeted me as I returned from my morning walk!

Tuesday
Girlfriends and chocolate. Need I say more?

my Tuesday Morning Life Group

Wednesday
This was a fun day. My sister and I went over to my friends home in the afternoon and worked on the details of a party that they are throwing me next month in honor of a milestone birthday! The theme is "What Happened in 1958?"  Turns out I was born the same year that the Hula Hoop was invented... and that's all I am going to say for now.

Thursday
a long phone conversation with my daughter.
Precepts Bible Study
Skyping with the grandkids.
It's all good!

To this I will add  that after the bible study my sister and I chatted with one of our class leaders who mentioned she wants to form a Christian Writers group in the new year that will meet monthly to encourage one another. This is very exciting!!

Friday
Hubby was called back in for a second interview which took place Friday morning!! He also learned it is between him and one other person for the position. Trying to just remain calm and not fret over it as we probably wont hear anything before Thanksgiving.

Saturday
We've been enduring a serious COLD snap all week and our house is hard to keep warm. We rely on our woodstove for heat pretty much exclusively but this week found us pulling out our little electric space heaters.

My morning walks seem to happen a little later each day as I wait for the temps to rise just a wee bit. We've had some marvelous sunshine each day though and the glistening frost on the grass and fallen leaves has a beauty all of it's own.

I am thankful for warm blankets, mittens, hot chocolate, and wood fires.
I am thankful for friends, for family, for books to read and books to share.
Thankful for plans in the works for our Thanksgiving gathering next week.

How about you?

Giving Thanks ~ Week 3

Rain, rain, go away....
Actually, I'm one of those people who doesn't mind the rain all that much. Sure I get excited when the SUN comes out but as long as I have the option of being cozy warm inside while the rain pounds my rooftop, or have adequate rain gear for stomping through puddles outdoors (yes, I'm one of those kids) the rain doesn't bother me. And here in the PNW, in the Fall, we have lots of it! But hark-- what's that? The possibility of snow is predicted this weekend? Well, now.... that's something to be excited about too!

Another awesome week has unfolded. What are you thankful for in your life? Are you aware of the amazing things that take place every day? Little miracles, blessings and gifts that sometimes we overlook and take for granted, need to be appreciated. So it's good to stop and take note.

Here's my week of thankfuls.

Sunday
We were invited to lunch at the home of  a family from church. We've been wanting to get to know them better and this was the perfect opportunity. We had a yummy lunch, chatted around the dinner table and then moved to the living room for a wild game of Apples to Apples. I want this game.

We also were blessed Sunday night by a gathering at our church for worship. Led by our talented worship leaders, they not only led us through an hour plus of worship and praise songs, they also introduced the songs they have written and produced on their first CD. WOW!! I can't wait to get my copy of this. Very talented people.

Monday
We wrapped up our study in small group on The Invisible War and decided to gather next week to celebrate and socialize. We haven't had much time in our study to just visit and mingle. We've hit some pretty deep stuff in this bible study so a time to play is appropriate. And to decide where we go from here.

Tuesday
The same thing is happening with my ladies bible study on Tuesday Mornings. We are also going to have a little party next week and talk about what to do next. I have grown to love these ladies and this group. It's been amazing to see each one share from the heart and I know it has stretched me to be in the leadership role. Good stuff.

Wednesday
Oh, this day was one of the best this week. I got to spend a good portion of the day with my oldest (as in we've been friends a long time) dearest friend. We've been friends since our boys were in cub scouts-- that was a lifetime ago! We have seen each other through crisis's with our children, divorces, remarriage, moving, graduations, and we survived a terrible misunderstanding that sadly left us estranged for a length of time. She is one of those friends who you can pick up with right where you left off , no matter how much time has gone by. Love this woman and it is always fun to just hang out with her no matter what we are doing.

taken several months ago during one of our visits

Thursday
Still plugging along in the Precepts Ephesians study and I guess aside from the fact that we will soon be done, I am thankful for the sharing that takes place in our group discussions. The friendship I am seeing blooming between my sis and another gal in the class has also blessed me.

This day was also a massage day for me... oh.... my... wonderful!!!! A friend who recently graduated from massage school was using me as one of her practice people.... which meant I got these glorious body thumpings free of charge until she was able to actually open her own practice. This will be the last one for me for awhile now that she is open for business. Given some sad financial issues we are once again struggling with, it's out of my budget for now. Despite these money woes, I am thankful. Hubby had a job interview that afternoon and while we won't know anything for awhile, he feels it went really well and he enjoyed it regardless of what the outcome will be. And God is faithful. Despite the pile of bills once again growing on the desk and the very lean weeks of the past month and a half, we know He is walking us through this and we will survive.

Friday
A day with my sister, running errands; a visit to see our mom-- who is really THRIVING in her new place. On the way to see her, I remarked to my sister how nice it might be if Mom would be willing to take advantage of the hair salon at her assisted living place because getting a ride to her regular hair stylist can sometimes be difficult to arrange. But we both know how resistant our mother is to change. Well, one of the first things I noticed when we sat down to visit with her was that she'd gotten a haircut. I asked who took her to the salon and she told us she had -- on her own-- decided to investigate the onsite hair salon, made an appointment and got her hair done right there! My sister and I exchanged looks of amazement. Yes, she is truly thriving in her new place and that brings me such a level of peace and joy!!

In the evening, despite a dark and stormy night, hubby and I traversed up the mountain to church for a family fun night. The plan was to gather with church family over board games and snacks and just have some time for play. Well. play we did even though turnout was pretty slim. Maybe we'll do this again in a few months. It was fun for those of us who ventured out.

Which brings me around again to....

Saturday!!!

On THIS day, 11 years ago, our lives were blessed by the birth of this AMAZING BOY! 

My grandson, Kristjian Winter was born!!

 Some of you may recall my telling this story before but on the night before his birth a terrible fire occurred in  the home my daughter, son-in-law and 3 1/2 year old grandson were living in. They were able to escape, THANK YOU JESUS, without injury but they lost EVERYTHING in that fire. 9 months pregnant, in fact a week overdue, my daughter went into labor the next morning and we were so happy to welcome a brand new baby boy. So very, very thankful for their lives being spared and for the new life that joined our family that day.

Happy birthday Kristjian!

The countdown to THANKSGIVING continues...
what are YOU thankful for?

One More Day... One More Week...

I loved the roller coaster at the fair. Not so much loving the ride my emotions are taking as one more sleep brings a good bye. I find myself fighting the tears as another wave of anxiety and fear rises, I bite back words of snarkiness and push down feelings of resentment. I surrender it constantly in prayer and the peace that comes is fleeting but I press in to Jesus even more because I know He is here with me. I know He is walking with Bruce too, as he scrambles to finish his lists, to make sure that things will not unwind and unravel during his absence. He has a lot on his shoulders, both as trip leader and organizer, and as a working man and husband. So many responsibilities to manage.

Yesterday we knocked a considerable chunk off the list as we navigated the stores in search of supplies he still needed. But at one point, I reached my limit as hunger and weariness got the best of me. Bruce knows me well enough to recognize that if he didn't get some food in me real quick he'd lose his personal shopper so he turned the car and headed to Panda Express for some fast, good food!

~songbyrd is full~

Once my taste buds had been satiated and my tummy was pleasingly plump, I slumped back in my chair in a MSG coma and sighed. Loudly. Bruce reached over and squeezed my hand and those blue eyes I love so much twinkled. When I'm happy, he's happy.

That happiness factor is one of the reasons he is so excited for me to have sister-time. One more day till he leaves and just one more week till my sister arrives. Oh my, our calendar has filled up quickly with things we  want to do. Make jam, drive some country roads, see family and friends, visit old stomping grounds, shopping and tulip fields are on the list. And mixed in with all of that is hopefully making some progress at Mom's place with packing and downsizing as we prepare for her move in the very, very near future. Yes, it's going to be a very full week!

The Countdown Begins...

There is a long list and a short week ahead of us. Bruce leaves this Thursday to Honduras for his 3 week mission adventure. He flies out at midnight arriving in the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa  the afternoon of the 12th.

While I do not look forward to the good bye not the 3 weeks without him here, I am amazed by the work God has done in both our lives to bring us to this moment. What God has done in my heart is nothing short of miraculous considering how hard set I was against this! Bruce too has certainly had his share of misgivings. But as he said one night as we struggled with the impasse we seemed to be at, while he didn't like being in opposition with me, he was more concerned with NOT being in the center of God's Will. And the one thing he was 100% sure of was this: God has called him to this assignment.

So, this is the week to get ready. Some things have already been taken care of; plane tickets, immunizations, travel insurance. But with the last work project neatly wrapped up last Friday, we can now launch full speed ahead into preparation for departure.

Believing that all things start and end with prayer, we were blessed and gratified to be prayed over by our church family last night. Pastor Steve called Bruce up to the front to share briefly where he was going and why, then I was asked to come up as well. Pastor spoke about how when King David went into battle (1 Samuel 30) there were soldiers who did not go to fight but stayed behind 'with the stuff' to watch over it-- and David decreed that they would receive equal share in the reward. Steve said I was staying behind to take care of the stuff and would be rewarded for my faithfulness just as Bruce will for his obedience in going to serve.  I needed to hear this I guess -- my heart was filled with wonder and praise... not to mention, there were big ol' alligator tears threatening to fall by the time the prayer was done.

So what is Bruce going to Honduras for? What will he be doing while he is there? Excellent questions! I will cover that in more detail in posts to come but rest assured, what he is going for is construction related. For now, you can check out the website of our friends, Terry and Alexandra Mattson with: SOR Missions
 Bruce will be staying with them and they are the reason he is going down to work.

Meanwhile, today was the first day in sorting what to take.... now when I get ready to go somewhere I plan out my wardrobe, mixing and matching to get the most from what I'll take. My husband on the other hand has a small pile of socks, underwear, work clothes and such and is spending much more time coordinating his tool bag! Ah, the difference between men and women.

Stay tuned... this week is going to go much too fast.

Sunday Morning Reflections

It was a good week. 

Thanksgiving was quiet and thoughtful with plenty of all the right things: Family, Fellowship, Food. Hubby and I took a walk before the gathering, along our favorite spot here in Deming. We saw eagles and snow on the mountains above us. It was biting cold but it felt good.

The days after had more of those three important "F's"... my pants feel tighter but my heart feels full.

I was delighted to wake up this morning and find the sky looking like a freshly laundered sheet, flapped open and floating out across the landscape. After days of rain and more rain, catching a glimpse of sunlight is a gift I don't take for granted!

Today, this morning, we have lists to work on....
the countdown till we leave to Costa Rica on our mission trip is beginning and we need to be organized and methodical, practical and dedicated to getting ready,  mentally, physically, and perhaps most importantly, spiritually. We will be meeting with our trip leaders this evening to help finalize our "To-Do" list. I am excited about our trip and the work we will be doing. I am nervous about the unknown but trusting God to carry us through as He always does. This I know: my God is faithful, 100%, and His Faithfulness prevails 100% of the time.

Mistakes Allowed

You read that right. there wasn't a NO in front of that. This is my big fat new years resolution this year; I am allowed to make mistakes.

Does that sounds silly?

Well, here's the reasoning behind this. too often I make a goal (for example: lose 10 15 ok, 20 pounds) and as soon as I do something to derail the goal (like consume 5 lbs in chocolates) I have a tendency to throw the whole goal out the window (saying "oh well, I'm just destined to be a chocoholic with a really big butt!!")

However!

This new goal allows me to make a mistake, not let it completely derail me, and move on. If it's diet we're talking, I just cut me some more chocolate cake slack and get back with the wise and healthy meal plan.

The Second however is that my goals are less about (weight) loss as they are about GAINING. Yes, gaining. Things like Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self Control.....
and self esteem. Still working on that seeing myself the way God sees me concept.

And when I make a mistake, instead of berating myself and giving up, I will allow myself the grace that God so freely gives, and move forward once again.

The Second Resolution I am making was inspired by our pastor on Sunday. He said "Don't make God your #1 priority" (that stopped us all in our tracks as you can imagine!) he went on to say "Instead make Him the CENTER of your life."

so often, we make a plan to be more focused on God being #1 in our lives but as soon as we worry about some other area God slips off the numero- uno position.  If I put God in the center of everything, there is no list for him to fall off of.

I have been giving that some thought. I was visualizing the list where its goes something like
1. God
2. family
3. work
4. others
and so on. And then, I visualized tearing up the list and making a circle instead. the circle represents my life and with Christ at the center, everything else just seems to fall into place.

So, Mistakes are allowed this year and God isn't going at the top of my list. Instead, He goes where He has always longed to be. In the center of my life. In the center of my heart.

Happy New Year!

Welcome Home!

He is on American soil folks. The plane actually brought him in about an hour earlier than scheduled but even so, he was not able to catch the earlier shuttle bus. So sticking with the same plan, to meet him at the airporter shuttle bus stop in Bellingham at 12:30.

I feel as nervous and excited as I imagine the wives of military personnel feel when their soldier husband/lover comes back after months, even years, on deployment. I feel as nervous as I did on our first date! And fussing over what to wear like I did that day as well!. Silly me, but I want his homecoming to be special.

He, on the other hand, has his own agenda. One that includes a list and a stop at the hardware store for supplies because he is coming home with, well, an agenda. 

Months ago we began a plan to do a little remodel on our dining room/living room area. We have one of those houses that has each room compartmentalized. No overflow from one room to the next. Which means when we have company and we usher them into the living room and then I go to the kitchen to finish the meal, I am excluded from the conversation because I am in a boxed in little room where I can neither hear nor see them. (I suppose sometimes, depending on the guest this could be a blessing, but I would never say that!)

Anyway, we decided (or I should say The Builder decided) that we could knock out a wall and at least allow flow to happen from dining to living room. It's a 3 step, no maybe 4 step, process.

Step 1. Remove the wall in the dining room. Done.

Step 2. Remove the wall in the living room. No, first, figure out what to do with all the furniture lined up against that wall, THEN remove the wall....

Step 3. figure out what to do with all the wires located between walls.

Step 4. remove the living room carpet. (we were gifted with an almost new carpet that will fit our L.R. and it is waiting patiently in the garage to be installed) 

Ok, I miscounted. Step 5. finish the trim on the opening and make it all pretty.

Bruce told me during one of our skype dates that he wanted to tackle this project as soon as he got home... before we take off on our little holiday escape. My first thought was "Jetlag" but I wasn't going to try and dissuade him. 

But, because we have family coming for Thanksgiving dinner the Sunday after T-day, I just made a different plan. One that involves holding the dinner at the church fellowship hall where there are no walls and has 2 stoves in the kitchen. Now, I am not saying I don't trust him to get the project done in time (in fact he readily stated the project would not be done-- just the other wall removed and the wires gone) but I know how I get when we have lots of company over and-- I need my space! 

So, back to the homecoming welcome. I'm dressed up all cute and flirty 

and I have a container full of home-made peanut butter kisses for him

and.... I have his list. 

The list was written down on the sheetrock of the wall that needs to be removed 

and I painstakingly copied it down at his request 

and I have the list on my , uh.... person.... 

because, folks, I have MY Agenda too.

We're Sick

scratchy throat, sniffy nose, tired bodies. True sign of fall. The first cold of the season has struck and as usual hubby gets hit the hardest. What is it they say about the bigger they are the harder they fall? Well he fell... into bed, right after church yesterday morning and didn't show his face again until late Sunday afternoon. I was feeling yucky too but my nap was much shorter and it didn't really hit me until last night. Then it was under the covers with a mug of echinacea tea and a book (finally finished The Time Travelers Wife). Slept right through the alarm this morning and barely roused when Bruce grazed my forehead with a kiss and admonished me to stay in bed and rest; he was off to work.

So here I sit in my jammies with more tea and kleenax and throat lozenges trying not to feel guilty about the piles of laundry upstairs, and the list of errands I was suppose to take care of this morning. A couple of things on that list HAVE to be taken care of-- TODAY!!!

Like going to The Bank. And mailing in the Passport Renewal Application. Eeek! Those things won't wait for me to feel better. So, I am hoping a shower, some strong coffee and some daytime cold med's will boost me out the door. After all my hero went to work and I know he wasn't 100%.

Also today's challenge from the Time Warp Wife is spurring me on....

Today's Challenge:

Look for ONE new way today to show your husband that you LIKE being married to him! This will look different for each of you because each of our husbands are different. With a little bit of creativity and prayer, you can rekindle any lost feeling in the friendship area. Also, you may need to put some of your other relationships on hold until your friendship with your husband is real and vibrant!

he looks for ways to make me smile too.

Well I can honestly say I really do LIKE my husband. He is my best friend.  He is the only one I would willingly spend a whole week on the road with! I enjoy doing special things for him and looking for ways to bring a smile to his face. 

 
And I know that taking care of details such a the bank and the post office may be mundane in the grand scheme of things such as earning a living or going on a mission trip but it is the small details that can make or break us as well. 


So.... here I go.... on a wing and a prayer.

Lists

It's Friday...
what a week it's been! A good week, a challenging week.
As I head into the weekend, I have lists.
What to pack for our road trip next week.
Food to prepare, food to buy.
What still needs to be done, cleaned, arranged...
yes I have lists!!

I also have a long list of prayer requests.
Almost every day I get an email from someone asking for specific prayer needs.
Someone is sick, had a serious accident, is in the hospital, in hospice...
A friend is fighting cancer and preparing for a bone marrow transplant. Infections charging and fever spiking are weekly occurrences.
A family member goes to court today over child custody issues.
Another family in crisis, others out of work, and all around me, relationships needing reconciliation.
There are always things to bring me to my knees in prayer.

But if I have a list of things to do and things to pray for, I also have a list of things to celebrate!

Grandchildren!
from a plump newborn to the oldest one who just joined a swim team and is loving it!
My mom, who is so very close to moving back home.
Quality time spent with a niece this week.
My man home safe and happy after his wilderness excursion.
Our trip together next week and the anniversary reason behind it (15 years on the 28th!!)
Fresh promises and insights EVERYDAY from God's Word.
Songs to sing.

Even the very things that bring me to my knees have praise-worthy content if I look carefully.