thirty thankful days- day 30-we made it!

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

Well, we have made it to the last day in November and the last day of our thankful link-ups!  I'm thankful for all of you that have joined in whether it was once or everyday!

What have I gained by doing this exercise in thanks?

I hoped it would get me back in the habit of looking for reasons to be thankful...and it definitely did that.  Most days I had to work hard to choose what to write about from all there is to be thankful for...and some days I had to work a bit to come up with something.  I think our hearts fluctuate like that from day to day, but there is always something to give thanks for, and worth it to look for it.

I hoped it would help me get back into regular blogging.  I love writing and expressing myself, but for whatever reason it's been harder lately.  I can't figure out if I couldn't put two thoughts together meaningfully, or if there were just too many thoughts spinning through my head in this season to select one to write about.  Regardless, I knew thankful posts would be easy to write and could get me back in the swing of it all.  I think it worked...but time will tell!

I hoped to inspire others to be thankful.  To notice what to be thankful for.  To share their thankfulness with us and we in turn would be inspired.  Did that happen?  I know I enjoyed reading all of your posts VERY much.  You reminded me of gifts in my life as well.  Perhaps gratitude is contagious???

So, today, I'm thankful for our thirty day adventure in thanks.  I'm thankful for those who've joined me and I'm thankful for the ways you have challenged and reminded me.  I truly hope this little challenge was a blessing to you as well.

Keep on being thankful!

thirty thankful days-day 29-this season (and I don't mean Christmas this time)

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

Today I thank God for this season I'm in.  It's a season of unsure steps, of new ways of relating, new ways of doing.  It has me a bit off-balance, cause the self-reliance I have chosen in the not-so-far past has fallen short. Thankfully.  God has so much more for me than self-reliance.

It is a season of embracing...embracing the person God has made me to be (as opposed to who I thought I wanted to be); embracing my age and stage of life (I still am shocked I'm middle-aged and have a young woman for my daughter!); embracing that I'm so far from perfect in relationships (but that I'm learning, still); embracing what is ahead (unknown, and ready or not!).

This season of newness, change, introspection, wondering, and trying new ways...it's Good.  I guess I thought (deep down) that I would be well on my way to "arrived" by now.  So I find myself surprised.  I didn't expect for God to bring new things, to call me to deep healing, to make me rethink.  I could get overwhelmed and immobilized (I do that).  But God has called me to keep stepping forward--and realize that the steps only seem unsure when I forget that I can trust.  This season is one best navigated with complete dependence on God and is so out of my control.  I don't always like it--but I'm safe.  And I'm thankful.

I invite you to link up today here with your thankful post as part of thirty thankful days here at theGoodlife, as well as celebrate the everyday gifts with emily at chatting at the sky...I am.

thirty thankful days-day 28-the doc

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

You may remember that my hubby has been dealing with back issues the last few years.  It has been debilitating and depressing and has dominated our hearts and prayers.  Well, one of the biggest things I'm thankful for in 2011 is that God has brought help to Dave.

God had been leading us to consider more natural approaches to healing (like nutrition, etc) since doctors and medicine and countless procedures left Dave still on the couch in pain.  So as we tentatively set out on that path...God brought Dr. Smith into our lives.  We had heard about this holistic chiropractor for years from friends, even before we had our own problems.  Once Dave started suffering, several had recommended he see this doc...but for whatever reason, we never sought his help.  (I now think that in God's timing, Dave needed to be desperate enough to try anything before he would totally buy into this guy's philosophy of healing.)  At a prayer night at church, Dave was working the sound board when a friend approached him and said, "I don't know why, but I feel like I'm supposed to tell you to try my doctor, Dr. Smith."  That was it.  We hear you, God!  Dave decided to give him a try.  Insurance didn't cover any of it.  We didn't care...we were desperate for Dave to rejoin life as we knew it.

Well, "Smitty" as we affectionately call him (not to his face), had been a Godsend.  His approach to holistic healing that has Dave addressing the structural, chemical and emotional/spiritual aspects of his health simultaneously has made a huge difference.  We have learned there is so much more to Dave's condition than just back pain, and we are thankful to have someone addressing the whole thing.  Dave still has a ways to go until he is fully healthy again, but he has made giant strides forward.  One day, not long after Dave started to improve, Pickle looked at me and said, "Dad is back".  And we realized not only that he was back, but how much had had indeed been missing.  We are so thankful.

Since then, I have started seeing Smitty for the problems I've been having with my neck.  His x-rays showed double scoliosis in my back, among other things, and his treatment has been slowly unwinding the torques in my spine.  As my back improves, the neck should as well.  It already is doing better--but has a ways to go yet.  This type of treatment is slow, but at least I feel like I'm heading in the right direction.  I saw him today, and he was pleased with the progress in my back.  He identified scar tissue in my neck that is part of what needs to be address as the healing moves to my neck...and he spent more time then usual on my neck today.  It felt good.

So today I am thankful for dear Smitty--the doc--and the gifts God has given him to point people to healing.  And I so very, VERY, grateful, for the healing God is bringing to Dave.

What are you thankful for today?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!
-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button. 

thirty thankful days-day 27-puppy

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

Today I'm thankful for my pup, Patch.  God gave Patch to our family several years ago in a way that we knew he was a gift from above.  You can read about our quest for a family pet here--it's the story of my dog conversion.  And click here if you want to see some of my favorite pictures of my little furry friend.  You should...he's really cute.  :0)

Patch is always nearby.  He is usually curled up on whatever piece of furniture I'm sitting on...as long as he can find a way to squish himself in.  If we are relaxing on the couch...he's napping on top of us.  He loves to be pet and scratched and can be a bit pushy when he wants some lovin' but he lets up when we tell him to.  Lately he's been trying to get his head in between my hands and the keyboard when I type.  Other times he paws at it to get my attention.  I think he's trying to type too...there are things in that fuzzy head that apparently need to come out!  He often rests his chin on our legs...and looks up at us with his dark eyes.  He's pretty hard to resist at that point...

love me...

For someone who never wanted a dog, I sure do love this little guy.  He brings me company, warmth, joy and laughter.  And he's a reminder to me of God's abundant love.

What are you thankful for today?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!
-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button. 

thirty thankful days-day 26-bring on Christmas!

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

Boy, I'm really slacking off on the thankful posts!  I honestly spaced it completely yesterday and most of today... full days of no-routine, and little computer time.  Sorry to those of you who are faithfully posting and wanting to link up!!

Today I'm thankful for the Christmas spirit!  You know--that little tingle of excitement you feel as you sense the holiday is really on it's way?  Well, I feel like my Christmas spirit has waned the last few years...I wanted to feel it, but it barely showed up.  I don't know if it was hubby's back issues, or letting myself get bogged down in to-dos or what...

However, it's back!  And I'm thankful!  I think the Christmas spirit is back for a few reasons.  One, I think I'm in a better place emotionally this year.  Can't really say why other than that I know God is working on my heart.  Two, this Christmas we are getting to see ALL of our family--both sides!  We just made the final decision and plans this weekend.  My side of the family is gathering here in Colorado the week before Christmas, and then we'll join Dave's side of the family in Minnesota for a late celebration.  What a treat to see everyone!  Three, I think I realized that the last few years I wasn't allowing myself to relax and relish the season until everything was "ready"--which never really happened.  There was always more to do, and I lived with the delusion that I could get it all done with enough time left over to reflect and enjoy.  This year, I'm enjoying as I go.  So the house only got partly decorated this weekend (I'd prefer it to be done) but I'm sitting and enjoying a Christmas movie with my kids.  There is always tomorrow, right?  Letting go of the shoulds and the have-tos really helps.

Pickle sporting a random christmas decoration.

this year's tree

Anyway, it's fun to have some shopping started, the tree up (didn't do it last year, remember?), and the travel plans made.  We've been listening to Christmas music and lighting yummy-smelling Christmas candles.  And I'm enjoying it, and am so thankful.

What did you do this weekend?  Shop? Decorate? Relax?

What are you thankful for today?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!
-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button. 

thirty thankful days-thanksgiving

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!


I've been up before everyone else this morning--cinnamon rolls and egg casserole are ready to go in the oven, and I'm enjoying the quiet before the celebration.  In the quiet I've been reflecting on how much I have to be thankful for...and I can't really wrap my mind around it.  I mean, really, I want for nothing.

Sure, I have my moments when I wish this was different, or we had more of that, or less of this.  Gratefulness is usually the cure for those moments.

So on this thanksgiving day, my heart overflows with thanksgiving not only for the obvious big blessings--faith, family, friends, health, a home, jobs and God's never ending grace and love--but the also for all of the smaller things I take for granted.  You know, the things that are easy to overlook because they are so normal...

~ an oven that works so we can cook
~ slippers and a robe for cold mornings
~ running water, hot showers and flushing toilets (really--imagine the alternative)
~ warm blankets
~ cars to drive and $ to put gas in them
~ the TV and the entertainment we can share as a family at home
~ a washing machine and dryer
~ my Bible
~ music and ways to play it, listen to it, enjoy it
~ cell phones and always being able to reach my family
~ a selection of clothes to wear
~ grocery stores loaded with food to choose from (I visited three yesterday!)
~ the internet and all the ways we use it everyday
~ my eyeglasses...and boy do I need them these days
~ the beautiful mountains I see each day (and sometimes don't notice)

I could go on and on.  The blessings--big and small, noticed and unnoticed--abound.  I'm thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

What are you thankful for today?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!
-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button. 

thirty thankful days-day 22-grandparents

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

Today I'm thankful that my kids have wonderful grandparents.  We are blessed to have all four of our parents alive and well and involved in our kids' lives.

I've been thinking about this a lot recently, as two of the gals in my healing journey class have recently lost their moms, and I get to see glimpses of their grief and pain.  Then, earlier this month, my brother-in-law Matt lost his father to cancer.  He was relatively young, and it is very sad.  I can't imagine...

Today was grandparents' day at my kids' school.  Both of my parents, who live here in town, were able to go.  They've gone every year since Bubba started at the school three years ago.  Now they split up--one going to the high school with Pickle, and one goes to the elementary school with Bubba.  I think they enjoy it, and I know the kids enjoy hosting them and showing them their world.

Grandparent's Day 2009--all four grandparents with Bubba

My hubby's parents will be travelling from MN in early December just to be here for a few of the kids' events...they will take in a piano recital and a choir concert and maybe hit a few basketball practices.  It's pretty cool that they make the effort to be at our kids' things when then they can.

All four of my kids' grandparents are loving, interested, caring, praying grandparents.  Our kids are so very blessed.  Many kids do not have four grandparents--due to either broken families or death--one or more are missing.  And of the grandparents kids do have, not all are even close to as kind and generous as ours are.  We are so blessed.  But as a friend said in her post, I will not feel guilty about any of that...  but I will be thankful.

What are you thankful for today?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!
-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button yet.  I'm such a techy, huh?

thirty thankful days-day 21-christmas project

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!


Posting this a day late...but a splitting headache took me down yesterday.  Oh well, two thankful posts today!

I'm thankful for the Christmas Project our kids at church are doing this year.  Through partnering with a local elementary school, we learned of 32 children from that school who will not be getting Christmas presents this year, due to financial hardships.  That's not okay, and we needed to do something about it.

Now, let me tell you that one of the things we do with the kids on Sunday mornings is reward them for learning their remember-verse, bringing their Bibles, etc.  What the kids earn are little glass marbles--we call them mementos.  The kids place the mementos in a jar--working together to fill it up.  The deal is when the jar is full, they earn the chance to do something as a group for someone else.  As they do things to build their faith, they not only are blessed themselves, but they become a blessing to others.

The jar is full.  We gathered the kids and parents together this past Sunday, to reveal what project they have earned.  Each family was able to choose a envelope from our wrapped package--and inside the envelope was information on one of the kids in need, and cash with which to go shopping for that child!  They were very excited!   The kids have been instructed to use half of the money to buy them something really fun, and half of the money to buy them something practical.

I'm so thankful for this project--that we get to show kids that God sees them and God loves them.  That our kids get to experience participating in something so close to God's heart.  Our kids will be able to engage their hearts and minds as they think about what this other child needs and would want, and how to best bless them.  It's all pretty stinkin' cool...and I'm thankful.

What are you thankful for today?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!
-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button yet.  I'm such a techy, huh?

thirty thankful days-day 20-sunday comfies

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

As I sit to write my thankful post today there is much to be thankful for...but honestly, what comes to mind the most right now is how much I love changing into sloppy, comfy clothes on Sunday afternoons.

Working at a church makes Sunday morning a fun, fact-paced and energy-expending time.  We go early and leave late...and although I love it all, it usually feels (at least) like an 8 hour day by the time I come home.  So after all is said and done, and after we grab lunch out (most weeks), we walk in the door mid-afternoon and I change into the comfies.

Now, our church is casual.  I often wear jeans.  I still try to look on the dressier side of jeans though, and I often wear heels.  Still, I'm mostly comfortable--I really can't complain.  However, there is something to be said about putting on the yoga pants and a big soft t-shirt or sweatshirt, that says it's time to relax.  It says I'm not going anywhere the rest of the day.  It's a cue to my body that I'm off-duty.  Yeah, I might still do some laundry or pick up around the house...but the pace is slow.  It's different than the go-until-bedtime routine of the weekdays.  It's different than the errands-housework-and-soccer-game-type clothes of a Saturday.  These are cozy, and practically unpresentable.  For example, today I'm wearing grey soft yoga pants and a very large and VERY soft red and brown t-shirt that belongs to my hubby.   I'm quite a sight.  It's wonderful.

So, today, I'm thankful for cozy comfies for Sunday afternoons, and for the change of pace they represent.

What are you thankful for today?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!
-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button yet.  I'm such a techy, huh?

thirty thankful days-day 19-friday night live

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

Small Group, Life Group, Growth Group, Home Group--I've heard them called a number of things.  A smaller group of people from church to get to know better, to "do life with", to care for, to learn together, to pray with and to serve with.  We call our group "Friday Night Live", and we've been in this group for several years.  In fact, we formed this group several years ago when we were having a rough time and needed accountability and community.  The people have changed some, but the core of the group has stayed the same.  We no longer lead the group, although we do host it at our home a bunch.

some of our group out to eat last winter

Today I am thankful for our group.  I'm thankful we can be honest with each other.  I'm thankful they pray for us.  I'm thankful for the laughs we share.  I'm thankful for the kids in our group--the babies to borrow a snuggle from, the silly toddlers who make me laugh, and the older kids who we get to watch grow and change and learn to love God.  I'm thankful that although by far the oldest, my kids get to be there and watch these littler ones...an important role and a chance to serve.  I'm thankful for the times, like last night, when we split the men and women for prayer requests.  The girl-sharing-time is always special to me.  My love for these girls grows all the time.

Is our group perfect? Nope.  Is it messy sometimes? Yep.  Do I need to talk myself into going on nights I'm tired or cranky?  Yessirree.  Is it worth it?? Absolutely.  We all need community.  We all need to be known.  We all need to give of ourselves to others.  I know I do.

I'm thankful God has allowed me the privilege of "doing life with" others...and that the others are my good friends.

What are you thankful for today?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!
-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button yet.  I'm such a techy, huh?

thirty thankful days-day 18-my favorite girl

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

If you're keeping track...I missed a day of posting.  Some days are full and nights are late.  I was thankful, but didn't write about it.  I'm over it...and am on to today...

pickle on instagram

My daughter.  I find new things to love about her all the time.  Wednesday night we went out to dinner with an old friend of ours from college who was in town on business.  Throughout our dinner conversation, Pickle chatted happily with our friend.  I participated in the discussion, but the whole time part of my was sitting back and observing her as she shared her school experiences and her thinking about college and her future.

My thoughts?  She's so pretty--as she smiled big and brushed her hair from her eyes over and over.  She is so poised--casually talking with a 40-something year old man she sees about once every couple of years.  She is charming--she is beautifully animated as she speaks about her desire to work with kids, maybe kids with special needs, as a career.  I was enthralled with who she is and who she is becoming.

Last night we had our weekly long ride to her tutor's home.  And, because she is there, the music is on.  She's singing along, as always.  I love listening to her--whether she's belting out a ballad, or picking out harmonies to the various pop songs she's into.  I never tire of hearing her sing.

This girl-woman is quickly becoming a person I choose as a friend as well.  Her sense of humor and her caring heart make her a wonderful person to be around.  We laugh a lot together...and I value her opinion.

She's 15, and that makes some moments difficult.  In fact, there was one this morning.  {smile} Those moments are far outweighed by the wonderful ones.  Today I'm thankful for my beautiful, growing-up-too-fast daughter.

What are you thankful for today?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!
-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button yet.  I'm such a techy, huh?

thirty thankful days-day 16-healing journey

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

Today I'm thankful for the Healing Journey class I'm taking--a Bible-based class designed to bring healing to wounded hearts.  God told me to take this class back when He told me to "let go of the safety ropes", and I signed up.  I didn't think I needed that much healing, so I wasn't that excited about it.  But I was being obedient, stepping one more step forward.

Well, you guessed it, I am learning so much.  As I expected, many parts of the class are foundational to our faith and reinforce what I already believe.  The part of the class I am enjoying the most though is learning new frameworks with which to understand my feelings, thoughts and actions.  I'm starting to understand some of my patterns I'm stuck in.  I'm learning ways to process the wounds I have received.  I'm being given a vocabulary to speak about things I didn't really understand.  I've been to counseling a few seasons of my life...and this is building on things I learned then and I believe giving me tools for the future.  Our Small Group time each week is particularly meaningful--we listen to each other.  That's it.  We don't judge.  It's a gift to be heard.  Our small group leader then helps us with the processes we are learning to use.  We have a-ha moments.  We rejoice at the progress we see each other making in understanding ourselves.  God is at work.

Last night at our class, the class author and teacher (we watch her on video), Cyndy Sherwood, was there to talk to us and encourage us in person.  I really enjoyed meeting her and hearing what she had to say to us as a group.  One of the main things I remember is the way she related the class to shopping for something like clothes or a car.  She said the video/teaching is like the part of shopping when you gather information (see what's in the store, go online, see what's being offered).  The small group time is like taking the car for a test drive, or trying on the clothes--seeing how the information intersects with our life, learning how to apply the teaching.  But if all we did was find out the information, and test-drive it, and they go home--we don't own anything new.  Instead, there needs to be a transaction.  She said the transaction (the life-change) happens when we do our homework.  That's where decisions are made, we do business with God, and  the life-altering processing occurs.  I think that is true for most Bible Study classes--without the soul-work on your own with God, all you get is information...what do you think?

I'm thankful today that God led me to this class.  He is using it--along with trials and conversations with others--to help me face my "stuff", so I don't have to drag it around any more.  God wants to heal me--even of wounds and destructive patterns I was barely aware of.  He loves me too much to leave me the way I am.  Sometimes it's hard, but I'm thankful.  So thankful.

What are you thankful for today?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!
-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button yet.  I'm such a techy, huh?

thirty thankful days-day 15-the xerox man, my hero

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

So, many of my Facebook friends are posting thankful things each day in November.  Some of them are so deep and meaningful and profound.  They are thankful for God's grace, and their loved ones, and things like laughter and hope.  And I post about online tutorials and bathroom tile.  Deeply moving, I know.  Well, here's another profound theological thankful post.  Today, I am thankful for the xerox man.

Here's the background scoop:

1)  Yesterday I was covering the church office for the whole day alone.
2)  Our copier was broken, so I needed to get the repair happening.
3)  The xerox people called no less than three times, with each time the story being different of who was coming to service our machine and when he might be coming.  The last I had heard at about 12:30 was that "Steve" was coming, probably the next day.
4)  Yet, surprisingly, "Pete" showed up at our door at almost 1:00 in the afternoon.  (right when I was supposed to leave for a meeting of course...whatever).
5)  Not long after Pete went to work on our sad copier, I heard the door chime that someone entered the building.  When I went to see who it was, I found an apparently homeless man sitting in our office lobby.  It is not unusual to have people stop by for help, and our pastor meets with each one to determine the best way to help them.  But I was alone yesterday.

(disclaimer:  In telling this story, I by no means want to disrespect this person who has apparently had some hard knocks and was obviously struggling with all sorts of things...so please take no offense.)

When I asked this man if I could help him--he asked to see a pastor.  I explained that unfortunately neither of our pastors were in today. He asked for a food basket.  I told him where the organization we partner with for food is.  He asked what our church was about anyway?  (implying we should really help people, right? ugh.)  I was able to give him a bottle of water and a bag of trail mix we had in our snack cabinet.  I said goodbye to him, and invited him back tomorrow when a pastor could meet with him.  He just sat there.  He was making me pretty uncomfortable.  I consulted with one of our pastors via text who offered to come--but he was quite a ways away at a conference.  I figured by the time he got to me, the situation would resolve.  He knew I had a meeting off-site that I was supposed to be at, and made the wise suggestion that I tell this man that I needed to leave and lock up the building as soon as the xerox man was done, so he would need to leave.  I go out to tell him, but need to wake him up first.  He had konked out on our couch.  He seemed ok with that idea, but didn't leave.  I start getting even more nervous.  I go back into our office and see that Pete the xerox guy was packed up and ready to go.  Yikes!  Our pastor had told me to leave with the xerox guy!  I looked helplessly at Pete and asked him timidly if he would mind staying until the other guy left.  He said, "Absolutely, I completely understand."  Gotta love the xerox man, right?

So Pete stayed.  He stayed when the homeless man asked to use the bathroom.  He stayed while we waited the 15 minutes or so for the man to finish using the bathroom (apparently he disrobed and washed up).  Pete was with me when our visitor finally left and walked me out as well.  Whew!  Thank you Pete.  I can't imagine how I would have felt if I was alone with this guy!  I felt uncomfortable enough as it was.  He probably was harmless, but he sure didn't seem "with it", so who know how irrationally he could behave.  I think xerox-Pete was there a good half-hour longer than he had to be.  Might have thrown off his whole schedule, I don't know.  He was a God-send.  And not just cause he fixed our copier!  I plan to commend him to his supervisors today, if I can figure out how.

So, today, I'm thankful for Pete the xerox guy, who went above and beyond yesterday.  And I'm thankful to God for the way he protects and comforts me in unexpected ways.

What are you thankful for today?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!
-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button yet.  I'm such a techy, huh?

thirty thankful days-day 14-online techy tutorials?

Every day in November I am posting something I'm thankful for, and I would love to have you join me!  Link to your thankful post below, or write about it in the comments.  Let's be thankful together!

I'm thankful for online tutorials today.  I know this might sound particularly mundane, but as I sit down to type this post, it's what pops to mind first.  Why?  I know you are dying to know...

It was a weird Sunday for things with buttons it seemed.  After our crazy Saturday night, we were off and running to church in the morning--arriving early enough for me to get a few last minute things done before the morning began.  I had a few things to copy--but the office copier malfunctioned and was useless for copying.  Bad day for that.  Then the projector we hook up to my computer to show our music DVD and our power point for our kids' program would not project.  Yikes!  When we finally got it projecting, my computer changed colors and everything looked kinda green.  We tried a few things and just ended up going with the greenish glow.  It was pretty funny as our storyteller talked to the kids about the three colors of yarn used in the tabernacle--and they were all green in the pictures! {smile}  And during the first song we sang, no sound for the first verse.  Ah, joy.

Anyway, let's just say I was not in the mood for my iphone to completely freeze up tonight while trying to do an update.  I didn't know iphones did that.  I mean, I pressed every button, plugged it in and out of the computer, etc. and nothing.  The screen had an apple logo with a empty bar beneath it--and I couldn't get it to go away or do anything.  I showed my hubby and he tried a few things to no avail.  I started down the thought-road of: when would I have time to get it looked at, how I might let people know I'm not getting their messages or phone calls, all the stuff I had on there that I still wanted, etc.

My phone looks like this...Pickle picked the case.  :0)

With only a little bit of panic, I googled it.  "iphone frozen" came up and I clicked it.  It took me through everything I should do and it worked!  I was able to put it into recovery mode and then restore it to a backed up copy of my own iphone data!  I know some of you could do this with one hand tied behind your back, but not me.  I usually defer to someone who knows.  And, I guess I did...but this time the someone was a kind person who thought to post a little online-tutorial.  And it saved my life!!  Well, not really, but I can imagine today being a very different day without my phone.  I guess I've come to rely on it...just a bit.

So, I guess God has been teaching me not to take things for granted these days...working bathrooms, dry carpet and functional phones--I might have ignored those blessings had I not experienced their temporary loss.

So thank you God for online tutorials, and for reminding me of my blessings.

What are you thankful for?  Link up or comment!  Let's fill up blogland with thankfulness!

A few simple instructions for the link up:

-please link to your specific thankful post--not just your blog

-please link back to theGoodlife in your post so others can join the fun!

-feel free to grab the 30 thankful days graphic--I haven't figured out how to make it a button yet.  I'm such a techy, huh?