Thanks - 10-26

Its been a tough month in a lot of ways, and,
therefore,
it's been hard to be thankful.

I've felt convicted about that, since not being thankful
is a source of pride to a degree.
This is mainly because there is at least one thing to always be thankful for -
the Triune God -
and from Him the incredible small and big blessings He gives.
So, without further ado, here is a catch-up thankful list.

10 - I'm thankful for the U.S. veterans and the sacrafice they make for our country.  Yes, they get paid, but we ask far more from them than what money could ever buy, and they volunteer to give it. 

11 - I'm thankful for the trinity wives small-group discussion I had on this night.  It was really interesting to hear what everyone had to say from Colossians 3, and it was exciting to see our leader for that night take an innovative approach to her lesson.

12 - Tuesday nights are our free nights, so it's nice to come home and not do a whole lot instead of getting ready to go to the next thing. 

13 - I'm thankful for the example my professor described about caring for others on this night.  He grew up with a troubled, distant, alcoholic father.  So, at a young age and in light of this situation, my professor was invited by his church pastor to his church's father-son breakfast.  He set an example of love, of leadership, and of personal and meaningful commitment to the church family.

14 - We had a prospective student from the Phillipines visit our campus this past week.  On this day he would have fully landed back home to search for his family.  I'm thankful that he got there, and I hope that he found the people he was looking for.

15 - I'm thankful for the good medical team at Mayo Clinic who helped take care of an urgent situation that a member of my family faced.  The person is alright, but I want to keep it private on here since it's not my personal story.  Thankfully, though, the team at Mayo is (very) good at what they do and don't leave people stranded.

16 - we had an unexpected free weekend starting on this day, so I will say that I'm thankful that we got a full two mornings together, starting Saturday the 16th!

17 - Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies.

18 - I'm thankful that we stayed safe from the storms that hit Illinois, and I'm thankful for the kind and thoughtful support that has been going to the communities hit by the worst of it.

19 - I'm thankful for all of the friends I have made at TEDS, and I wish I could see them more often. 

20 - Class was really great on this night, but probably the funnest part of it was sitting next to the husband of one of the women I did bible study with last year.  He's a plain-spoken guy from Kansas with a sharp-as-a-tack mind for apologetics and theology.  On top of that, he's 22 and puts me to shame when it comes to this stuff.  Let's say I'm quite thankful that we exchange notes each week!

21 - Today in the office we talked about movies and music and other pop culture - all with our boss leading the discussion.  It was great.

22 - FRIDAY, and the day my mom came to visit.  It was nice introducing her to my coworkers and having her drive me home while we waited for John to get off of work. Also, the look she had when she saw my pregnant belly was pretty great.

23 - I got to see my sister this day and my mom went on a cleaning frenzy in my house.  I can't help but be thankful for that!

24 - On Sunday we said goodbye to our campus pastor and his wife.  He is such a caring, pastoral leader, and we hope that he and his wife are blessed in their next steps in ministry.

25 - Oh Monday - well, I'm thankful for the small but in-depth small group meeting we had last night, and I'm also so, so thankful that the end of this workday meant the end of the first half of my Thanksgiving work-week!

26 - And yes, it's Tuesday again, and I'm so glad that I had tonight off and that I don't work tomorrow!  Finally, I'm thankful that my baby is strong enough to kick this laptop that sits atop my belly.

That's it and that's all for now.