Tuesday's Thankful List

1. The gorgeous blue of the fall sky. It is a crisp, clear day here in Southern Illinois and while the gorgeously colored leaves are, for the most part, no longer on the trees the blue sky remains. I've heard this sky called "Octember" Blue and I agree. This specific blue color is only seen for a few weeks a year, and it is now. I'm not much of a blue person (I'm more a red girl), but this is by far my favorite blue. :) Thanks, God, for allowing me to see it today of all days.
2. The reminder from the book of Daniel that the way to meet the impossible task is to 1. pray fervently, 2. ask your faithful friends to pray fervently as well, and 3. wait on God's answer.
3. My new nephew, Finnegan Michael Gunther, born today. We now have 9 boys on my side and 5 on Clinton's. Maybe we'll have granddaughters... :)
4. All of the blessings and birthday wishes I've received.
5. My health and the health of my family.
6. My cousin, Susan, who inspired me to start this list.
Okay, so that's 6 and I'm only committed to posting 5. Get over it. ;)
Tomorrow we're off to see my family for Thanksgiving (unfortunately not baby Finn) so I'm finished with this list, for now. I do reserve the right to resume boring you to death with my blessings at some random time in the future. And I challenge you to remember, this Thanksgiving, where it is that "every good and perfect gift" comes from. I pray that you will grow in gratitude to Him as I have done over these past days. The Creator of the Universe Is My Best Friend. I pray He becomes yours as well. Blessings on you, my darling friends. :)

What I'm Thankful For on Monday

1. The sound of Clinton playing his guitar.
2. Got some Christmas shopping done today. Still have a looooooong way to go...
3. Internet shopping! When you live in a rural area and have to drive an hour and a half in any direction to shop... how did I ever do this before? And a shout out for free shipping!
4. The dual-control electric blanket we use as a mattress pad. This is without a doubt one of the top 3 presents I've ever received, and Clinton got it for me for my birthday years and years ago. Now, he is not allowed to buy me anything for a present that has a cord unless I specifically ask for it, but this was a stroke of genius on his part. AND he stripped the bed, put it on and remade the bed so well that I never noticed. I never knew he was capable of making a bed. :)
5. Hot showers with good water pressure. On the eighth day God created the shower (that's the gospel according to Clinton). :)

Sunday's Thankful List

1. Facebook. I'm amazed that so many people I'd managed to lose track of in 30+ years have resurfaced in the few months that I've been on the site. I had thought it was only for "young people", but since 40 is supposedly the new 20 I guess I can qualify...okay, so I'm in a bit of denial about my age... Facebook means never having to say, "Gee, I wonder what happened to so&so?"
2. The nursery at church. I would never get anything out of the services (nor would those around me) if not for a wonderful place to place my wonderful son!
3. Clinton, Matthew, Nathan, my parents, my In-laws, our brother and sisters and their families, and of course friends too numerous to mention (and too dangerous for me to risk leaving anyone out by naming each individually). I truly am one of the most blessed women on the face of the Earth for having them in my life. :)
4. Gloves and thin layering tee shirts that do so well to keep me warm. :)
5. My sister is still pregnant ( 36 weeks is over 4 weeks longer than she's ever gone) and will have her baby Tuesday if not before!

Saturday's Thankful List

1. Matthew thinks my cajun baked chicken is "decent."
2. I got a little time to read today.
3. I MIGHT have some Facebook applications figured out. Maybe. We'll see if it's all still there tomorrow...
4. I got the house "a lick and a promise" clean before Thanksgiving.
5. I'm going to go have a cup of hot chocolate before I bathe Nathan. My current favorite: Land O Lakes Cocoa Classics Supreme. I have to buy it by the packet, but it is yummmmmmmy!

Friday's Thankful List

1. Got to hear a wonderful author, Mark Atteberry, speak and got to pick his brain a bit. God is so good to me!
2. And so is my husband! He agreed to go with me to hear Mark even though he is needing to work on his music really badly. (Okay, grammarians, is really badly correct English?)
3. I got to have lunch with my hubs at one of my favorite restaurants today.
4. I'm thankful for our house. It's not big, it's not grand, but it's a nice size for us, I love the layout and it's a perfect location for us.
5. The Daily Audio Bible podcast, which allows me to listen to the Bible in a year while I'm on the treadmill or doing mundane daily tasks. Life-changing stuff, people! :)

Thankful list for Thurs, Nov 20

Sorry I didn't get this up last night. Clinton installed new security software, which took FOREVER, but we seem to be fine now, although I'm having to completely rearrange my favorites list, which is now called bookmarks... I can't find anything. :)
1. A husband who is technologically savvy. I learn (and then promptly forget) new things about the computer nearly daily thanks to him.
2. COFFEE! Make it as strong as you like, add what you like, or just drink it black and save the calories but still perk up. Oh, now I get it -- perk up. Percolator, perk...takes me a minute. God bless whoever came up with this truly efficient delivery system for my favorite legal addicitive stimulant. :)

3. Naptime. It can be amazing what you can get done in a couple of hours...or not.

4. Baby feet, their toes in particular. I could just eat them up!
5. Matthew is learning, through his allowance, about managing money. He saved and saved and bought himself a Nerf dart gun that he's wanted for a long time. Proud of you, Matt! :)

Wednesday, Nov 19 -- 5 things for which I'm grateful

1. For the wonderful people who cook Thanksgiving dinner at church year after year. It was so delicious and I'm sooooo full!
2. That I got some Christmas gifts ordered today.
3. That I'm getting better at saying, "No."
4. For my wonderful friends and family.
5. For this blog and the opportunity to expose,er,dispose,er,compose my thoughts and share them with both of you. :)

Tuesday, Nov 18 -- 5 good things about today

Here is the list as promised:
1. I had lunch with my darling friend, Pat. Nathan was charming and sat in the high chair the ENTIRE time which is nearly unheard of, so we got to talk the whole time and I got to eat my whole meal hot which is also nearly unheard of.
2. I'm feeling pretty good about the progress of my contributions to our church's "Christmas program." Can't call it a play, not exactly a musical, kind of a spectacle, definitely an event...
3. I was not ridiculously late for anything.
4. We had gorgeous sunshine.
5. This day is nearly over!

Thankful for these 5 things, today...

My cousin and fellow blogger, Susan, has decided that she's taking these days before Thanksgiving and coming up with 5 things each day for which she is thankful. We have Matthew do this each night before he goes to bed (after he prays) and it has really seemed to help his attitude. On days that he's down on himself we also have him say 5 good things about Matthew. We are hoping he will thank us for that one day...
It is only 11am my time and I'm very far behind after spending 45 minutes on the phone with my mother this morning, so after I have most of the day under my belt I will post my 5 good things. And I'm going to accept her challenge, at least until November 25. I will explain why another time. Better go and "tear out a strip" as the say in Southern Illinois. Have a Terrific Tuesday!

A good hair day is not a good thing

It's official. No one is going to see me today. Of course, the only place I'll probably be going is Walmart, but nonetheless, I will see no one there that I know. How can that be, you ask, as I live in a town of a mere 5,000 people, and everyone knows everyone, and I've lived here long enough to know (or at least know OF) nearly everyone, and it's payday so everyone will be at Walmart sooner or later?
The plain and simple answer is: I am having a great hair day. No trouble with the flat iron this morning, no hairs sticking up in embarrasing places, even the humidity has left my 'coif unaffected. A good hair day is Murphy's Law's way of telling me not to expect any socializing with anyone over the age of 10 today. So, I guess I'll just have to hope to see you on Saturday...

Quotes for the day after, in no particular order

**The Bible is the chief moral cause of all that is good, and the best book for regulating the concerns of men...The man, therefore, who weakens or destroys the divine authority of that book may be accessory to all the public disorders which society is doomed to suffer. -- Peter Marshal, 1902-1949
**A comprehended God is no God at all. -- Gerhard Tersteegen
**God is not morally neutral. -- Francis Shaeffer
**Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
**"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future." Jeremiah 29:11
**Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
**The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time. -- Abraham Lincoln
**We trust, not because God exists, but because this God exists. -- CS Lewis
**Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just. -- Thomas Jefferson
**If men will not be governed by the Ten Commandments they shall be governed by the ten thousand commandments. -- GK Chesterton
**It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible reading people. -- Horace Greeley
**I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there; in her fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. -- Alexis de Tocqueville, 1805-1859
**There is no trick being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you. -- Will Rogers