Go. Be. Do.

Life. Life in Christ. Eternal life through Christ. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above,  where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life , appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-3

The things that I am thankful for in my home are numerous. Here is the short list... the people who reside there with me ♥ central heating/air system running hot/cold water dishwasher washer & dryer stove/oven shared love & laughter pictures/photo albums family heirloom quilts windows that allow the sunshine in

Outside of the gift of salvation from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I am most thankful for the gift of friendship extended to me by people who know me and still love me anyway. Truly I do not believe their could be a better gift to receive than that of friendship...life is better with friends to share it with. Thank you anyone who calls me friend!  I cherish you and your friendship.

I am thankful for any song that is all about giving praise to the One who is worthy of it in all circumstances of life. I am thankful for silly and fun songs that can be sung with my boys. I am thankful for songs that begin right after Thanksgiving and continue until Christmas Day!  Bring on the Christmas carols...Rudolph...Jingle Bells...Holly Jolly Christmas...Hippopotamusases...and all the others! It, indeed, is the most wonderful time of the year!

The charity that first comes to mind is Locks of Love .   I love the concept...I love that it costs nothing to grow your hair...I enjoy the joy I have seen in girls who are growing their hair out long enough to one day donate to this charity.   Maybe one day I will do it myself...maybe. :)

My smartphone and my laptop come in at a tie for top luxury items...things I could live without, most certainly, but things I would miss having around if they were no longer at my fingertips.

Here are a few of my favorites...but I am thankful for every moment, place, and expression I have ever captured in a photograph!  

I am most thankful for the Bible!   Favorite words of wisdom... "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." Dr.Suess

A favorite keepsake of my own is my "got moose?" T-shirt from my first trip to Alaska in 2008. A disappointment that turned into a blessing for me was when I gave up my window seat this past summer in exchange for an aisle one on my flight into Anchorage. My post, " a willing sacrifice ", tells of this disappointing moment turned blessing.

A few weeks ago I was stricken with an awful virus...while my body was weakened I picked up a bacterial infection which turned into a sinus infection and bronchitis.  It was a week of simple horribleness.  I laughed as I had prayed just a week prior that God would help me curb my appetite so that I would not want to snack as often or eat as much.  He answered that prayer of mine for my appetite was surely gone for awhile. Not quite what I had in mind, but....it's not my choice on how He chooses to answer.  :)  It has worked, however, and the snacking urge has not returned still to this day.  Praise God! Along with the answered prayer, I was reminded of how good healthy feels.  It reminded me to give thanks for each day that we go without major or even minor illnesses!  All three remaining family members were able to enjoy the benefits of being sick after me.  Each one, thankfully, was less ill as it was passed on.  That is opposite o...

Scripture... "The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify Him." Isaiah 61:1-3 Saying... If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything. Quote... "Wherever you go, go with all your heart." ~Confucius

As a wife and mother, I am thankful for any store that offers great deals, everyday low prices, and one-stop-shopping opportunities because I would rather not spend all my time and money running around town for things.

I am thankful for experiencing... Salvation. God moments. Marriage. Motherhood. Friendship. Family gatherings. Wow '08 Alaska...and '09, '10, '11, '12, and...  :) Walks on the beach. Deep sea fishing. Serving others. Hard times that stretch and grow my faith. Forgiveness. Hot summer days. Jumping in leaf piles. Sledding. Spring flowers. Road trips. South Africa. Holding hands. Sunsets. Life.

I am so thankful for Mom and Grandma who took the time to teach me the way around a kitchen!  They wrote down several of our family favorite recipes and I still use them today...and hope to for years to come.  They also taught me how to make do with what I have and make something good out of it. Grandma always made the best pies when I was growing up.  No one does it like Grandma...but I hope I am close to getting as good as she was!  (Although Grandma is still with us, she doesn't make pie anymore.) My favorite recipe that I have is for grape pie .  We had two different recipes growing up, but the one Grandma wrote down for me is the one I always use. It reminds me of several things to be thankful for when I make it... Grandma who wrote the recipe down for me when I went away to college. Mom who still gathers grapes for me when they are ripe and freezes them for me. My aunt, Lavone, who sprays and takes care of the grape vines so they produce wonderful,...

Because of the L ORD ’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! Lamentations 3:22-23

Apparently I'm the "something old"...I downloaded the photo and totally forgot to come back and compose the post to go along with it yesterday... There are a number of things that I am thankful for that fall into the category of "something old". The first three things that came to mind were... The Bible...God's Word, although written in ages past, is still alive and relevant today.  I do not know where I would be without it, honestly. The Earth...although I may not agree with the age some scientists say, I know it has been around a long time.  All the adventures of others before me has opened the world up to me to explore on my own and find treasure and make memories for years to come. My Grandparents...at 90 and 91 years of age, respectively, my Grandma and Grandpa are still two of my favorite people ever.  I have been blessed to have them in my life for so long!

I am amazed at all the gadgets available to us today.  When I think back to my first computer experience in high school and then the excitement of an email account in college, I laugh at the humor of it all.  I did not have a cell phone until a couple of years after college.  Portable music devices were boomboxes that people carried around on their shoulders. Oh, how the times have changed for the better! My boys do not remember a day of their lives without computer or cell phone access.  Alex knew how to turn on the computer and use a mouse to open his counting and colors games by the age of two.  Tim, the same.  They both know how to work my smartphone better than I do...and are counting down the years until they may get one.  Scott even got in on the smartphone fad and began using my first one that I gave up once the camera quit working after I dropped it in some water.  (oops!)  Alex has a ipod touch on his wishlist for Christmas...Ti...

My favorite memory...how can I possibly choose just one? My favorite memory is the one that makes me smile, laugh, and perhaps cry (from laughing so hard) while remembering when. It could also be said to be the one that makes me stand in awe of the awesome God I serve. Or, perhaps, it is the one that brings out the testimony of just how far God's forgiveness has been extended to me. My favorite family tradition it enjoying Thanksgiving in Indiana.  As many of us as possible get together and catch up while enjoying wonderful food....turkey, dressing, noodles, mashed potatoes, Grandma salad, and (my all time favorite holiday dessert) date pudding. Our immediate family favorite tradition is us being home together on Christmas morning. My personal favorite tradition is celebrating my best friend's birthday...twice!  One year in college, she and I were working on the summer housekeeping crew.  It was June and she noticed on my calendar that her name was on one of th...

The restaurant that comes to mind is Stoll's Lakeview Restaurant in my hometown. Owned and operated by Christians, it was a great first job! They gave me my first job in college and worked around my schedule for me. Made some good friends while working there. Aside from gas money, it gave me an eye opening experience on how to handle serving others...and the fact that some people appreciate the littlest of things, while others are not pleased with anything. You take them both and make the most out of what you are handed. The website I am most thankful for is my own. God has given me courage to begin blogging...not for money or followers, but for His glory alone. A place to express myself in order for God to use as He delights. I had signed up months before I ever typed a word for a post. I could not come up with a title. Apparently when the time was right it just all fell into place. Some 400+ posts later, I still am enjoying the blogosphere. I have blogs I visit, ...

I first must give thanks for the fact that I have an amazing Creator who gave me a nose with which I can enjoy the aromas of my favorite things in life, such as... Apple pie baking in the oven. A perfectly pink rose. Fresh sheets just in off the clothesline. Pot roast and veggies in the crockpot for Sunday lunch. Midnight Pomegranate lotion which takes me right back to Alaska every. single. time. Fresh cut hay. Apple cider and popcorn in the fall. Brownies cooling on the counter. Salty sea breezes on a warm summer's day. Thank you, Lord, for all the small things in life that make it so wonderful to be alive!