Blessed To Be A Blessing

I've been wanting so bad lately to start my own 365 days of Grace inspired by my best-good-friend Lauren Germ. I might as well just go ahead and do it, but before I just started listing my blessings I wanted to take take the time to give thanks for my blessings. Each week in our new adult worship service we take the time to say "We are blessed..." and the crowd responds with "...to be a blessing!" It's a statement of empowerment for the week and really encourages me to start my weekly list of thanks. I could not be more sure of what I am doing in my life right now. I'm so not a morning person, yet I manage to wake up early, shower, eat breakfast, and skip off merrily to work with such joy and excitement for the day. Even though sometimes I can get frustrated with situations (that will remain unnamed), I still find myself excited at the end of the day to do ministry, wifery, and sometimes exercise despite how exhausted I may feel. This is due to nothing else but God's amazing Hesed over my life right now. That much I am sure. 

Once a week I have even been waking up extra early to have a breakfast chat with some of my high school girls. The whole purpose of these breakfasts is to encourage each other by sharing how we have seen God in our lives throughout the week. I love these girls soooo much and feel so encouraged in talking with them. I am so inspired by their innocence and youth but also their wisdom and honesty. One of them told me the other day that she had been reading in her devotion about how we should do everything with a sincere heart and to the best of our ability. She went on to talk about how she felt that her attitude had been transformed with this consciousness. Mediocrity is one thing that I hate and so I really appreciated this fresh perspective coming from an age group that most people expect to just "get by."

I am blessed...

1. To have a husband who is my best friend, encourager, and partner in ministry. I'm so glad we got married when we did because I sincerely believe that we do better ministry together than we could have apart.
   
2. By my friend Katie who recently and tragically lost her mother. Not only am I inspired by her resilliance, but I am also reminded to be thankful for my own wonderful mother.
   
3. To live in a town where I can see a billion stars in the sky every night. It's the little things that matter.
   
4. To have had the opportunity to travel to countries with cultures different from out own. I love how deep and wide the love of God is!
   
5. To be able to dream big. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to fulfill one of my dreams of going to cosmetology school. 
   

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Phil. 4:8