Thursday Thanks Tank #219

Squeaking in at the end of the day to check in and share how God is filling my thanks tank. Here's my short list:

• Coffee
• A full pantry (no one needs to know I haven't bought the bird yet, right?)
• Space heaters
• Warm socks 
• Fleece-lined leggings -- an essential layer lately to keep down the shivers
• Good reports at the eye doctor. 
• Librarians who love their jobs and are eager to help when asked, plus a sweetheart of a teenage son who took out a book simply to make her feel like her suggestions were important even though it was not a book he would have chosen. 
• Protection for my precious mom as she had her second knee replacement surgery and came through with flying colors. 
• A new job for my girl working at Vera Bradley for the holidays. Hmm . . . Christmas presents?!?!
• Seeing the joy in the face of a passerby as he joined in dancing to "Happy" with me and my younger daughter while were waiting in the car in front of the mall. 

So, how has God been filling your Thanks Tank this week? Please take a moment and leave a comment to let me know what you are thankful for in this season leading up to Thanksgiving Day!

On His Adventure~
Pam

Thursday Thanks Tank #218

Couldn't let today go by without taking time to acknowledge how God is filling my Thanks Tank this week:

• The Gift of Life: I am grateful to have another year ahead to anticipate how God will use me and live through me! Having someone guess my age at 18 years under the actual number was just another perk to kick this year off in the right direction!! I am a young 48, I guess!
• Friends Who Know Me: In a season of extended and seemingly never-ending invisibility, those who know me best are so important. I am so grateful for the enduring friendships that carry me through those days of feeling unnoticed by the masses.
• Craftiness: Paint. Canvases. A birthday gift. In my mail today. I cannot wait to get started!
• My Three Children: Oh, what would I do without these?! I am so thankful for their giggles, for their insight, for their real and genuine assessments of me and my sometimes eclectic style of dressing, and for their desire to keep step with me on our crazy journey together.
• The Gilmore Girls: I know. I am often late to the party. I know this show has been off the air for more than six years. I just started watching via Netflix, and I LOVE it! Sure has been a great way to pass the time in the evenings when I am not watching The Voice or Dancing With the Stars.
• Facebook: Not always all that thankful for this social media's presence in my life, but on my birthday it is a joy to see who takes the time to jot a quick or more detailed greeting. It isn't a substitute for tangible mail that you can open from a stuffed mailbox full of fun, but it is a neat way to reconnect and feel loved.
• Singing: Having my parents call and sing "Happy Birthday" to me is the highlight of my day. I am 48. They have been singing to me every year from that very first celebration, and I am so grateful they still think I am important, special and worth taking the time to sing over. It is the only tangible, earthly comparison I can make to this verse, and I am so glad they model this truth for me: 

"The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”  Zephaniah 3:17

Thanks for stopping by and for celebrating life with me! If you feel so inclined, please comment and let me know how God is filling your Thanks Tank this week!

On His Adventure~
Pam

Beauty Through My Eyes

Have a blessed Sunday everyone! May you feel super energetic this morning after that extra hour of sleep! Check back this coming week for more on leaving a trail of beauty in all sorts of unexpected ways. In the meantime, seek Him first with all your heart! 

On His Adventure~

Pam

Beautiful Bringer of Peace

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OLIVIA!

You are silly!

You are stunning!

You are fun!Where'd you get that big drink?

You are fun and add so much joy to every day!

You look lovely here. Thanks for letting me "mama" you so closely for 19 years. 

 Olivia, 

Finding it very difficult to articulate anything coherent today in the way of offering you wisdom or advice on your upcoming 19th year on this earth. My thoughts are muddling in my silly old bear's head stuffed with fluff and mingling with all the flashing images of you that rarely leave me where you are concerned. So, let's quickly play a round of "I Remember":

• I remember when they first handed you to me at Baylor Medical Center. I looked down into your deep blue eyes and tried to figure out who this little person would be as I knew nothing of you yet.
• I remember the first time I did something to make you cry, and I thought I would never live it down. It truly did hurt me too.
• I remember the first time I saw my mom hold you. She instantly transformed into looking like a grandma, which was somehow just as amazing as you transforming a couple years later into a big sister after being my baby for almost three years.
• I remember your first day of school and how dwarfed you looked by your backpack but how incredibly excited you were at your new adventure and all the people you were going to get to hug!
• I remember your first dance class, play performance, church singing performance, Vacation Bible School.
• I remember your first band aid, first cold, first hospital stay.
• I remember your first sleepover, first trip away from me, first time to leave the country without me.
• I remember it all, because I have been here for it all. I am thrilled to have been present for your life thus far and can't wait to see what the next step of your journey brings. Happy Birthday, my Darling Olivia!

I found this in the Facebook status of an acquaintance. I found it fitting for you today, precious daughter of mine:

Daughter, He delights and sings over YOU; He takes pleasure in you. He smiles over who you are, over who He made you to be. The longings He gave you are to bring His Kingdom to bear on this earth, to bring beauty to the spaces you inhabit, and to reflect His creativity. You are not one-dimensional. You are made in His image, the image of the creative, glorious, artistic, fun, smiling, holy God. What wells up in you brings Him delight, because He put it there for His pleasure. Accept His gifts to you. It is not because of your merit, but because He is pleased to give it to you. So smile dear one, He loves and delights in you, His daughter. (from Sarah Mae)

"The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." Zephaniah 3:17

Happy Birthday, dearest Olivia! I know feelings don't always accompany the reality, but the truth is -- you were chosen for this day by the Lord. He brought you to us, and I am forever grateful. Your name means it, and you have been from the very first day a "bringer of peace" . . . just like the meaning of your name.

On His Adventure~

Love Mama