Thankfulness Month-Day 10, 11, and 12

Whoops...I didn't intentionally forget the last few days...they have been really busy. But, FULL of things to thank God about.
So...number 10: I am thankful for answered prayer. It is so awesome to see God work. "We have not because we ask not." That has been a challenge to me lately. I definitely lack faith; but, how amazing it is to see God answers my prayers despite my severe lack of faith.

11: I am thankful for a job! Yes, yes...I actually worked today. It was so much fun to be in the classroom again. Thank-you God for providing!

12: I am so thankful for my sweet friends! Today, a very special friend is getting married. I am so excited for her and her very soon-to-be husband. Shaun and I are singing in the wedding--hence the reason this has to be a somewhat short post--we need to go practice and get ready. Congrats Makele & Corey!

Thankfulness Month-Day 9

Psalm 139:2-10

 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.   

You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 

 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. 

 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 

  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 

  Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 

  If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 

  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
 

I LOVE Psalm 139. It is absolutely one of my favorite Psalms. I mean, how could I not be encouraged by the thought that I have a God who knows me, loves me, leads me, and will never leave me. 

Today, I am truly thankful for a sovereign God that knows me better than I know myself--and, loves me in spite of that fact!

I could not imagine living a day without the direction of God. I cannot imagine the purposeless existence apart from a God that loves me and gives my life purpose and meaning. But, what hope I have--what joy I have-- in knowing a God that truly knows me!

Thankfulness Month-Day 8

Today, I am thankful for the rain we are getting here. The ground is desperately needing it. Some people don't like rainy days because they find them depressing and dreary. I can definitely understand that if you have rainy days all the time. But, I love an occasional rainy day. For some reason, the rain is always a reminder for me to stop, be still and meditate on my God and the blessings He's given me.
And, of course, it's always nice to snuggle up under a cozy blanket and get in some good reading. 

ooey-gooey oatmeal cookie kind of day

It's raining outside--like the rain with the occasional rumble of thunder . Like the rain that just makes you want to stay inside and curl up by the fire with a good book. I'm thankful for the rain because we desperately need it. When I was younger, my grandma and I used to make rainy day cookies.
I stole this recipe from my brother-in-law. The way he makes them is perfect; crunchy on the outside, but gooey in the middle. I tried to compete, but they definitely aren't as good...yet. :) Maybe you can give it a try. These are honestly the BEST oatmeal cookies I have ever eaten!

Ingredients:

2 c rolled oats

1 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c sugar

1 c all-purpose flour

1/4tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 c hot water

1/2 c shortening, melted and cooled

1 tsp vanilla

1. Combine oats, sugars, flour & salt

2. Combine soda & water-stir into above mixture

3. Roll into walnut sized balls and place on greased cookie sheets 

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min.

5. Remove from oven; allow to stand 2 minutes before removing to a rack to cool.

Yield: 3 dozen 

Enjoy!

Thankfulness Month-Day 7

Whew--it was a crazy weekend! Today, I'm thankful for God's power. This weekend, we had an earthquake in Kansas...yep, you read that right, an earthquake in Kansas.  It was the strangest sensation feeling your the entire house shake and watching everything sway around you. I thought for a while that I was going crazy.
It is such an awesome reminder of God's power. I mean he created this world and a small earthquake in Kansas really is so small on that scale. I felt very small realizing what was going on around me.  But, very grateful that I know the God in control of it all.

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do.

Thankfulness Month-Day 6

I Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

 

In EVERYTHING give thanks. Yesterday, we had a speaker come in to our church,  Dr. David Gibbs. He is a lawyer and head of the Christian Law Association. He has an amazing testimony of what God has allowed him to do. We had a wonderful day of worship. And, God really worked in my heart. 

One question that Dr. Gibbs posed to us was if we give thanks in everything. I mean, that's what the Bible says, right? And not only that, it says that it's the will of God. 

Do I give thanks in every situation I am in? Do I give thanks when I'm completely stressed out and in a tight spot? Do I give thanks when I'm struggling or someone in my family is struggling. Do I give thanks for those things that I don't necessarily like?

My husband and I had a long talk about this as we have recently gone through a tough challenge. I so appreciate Shaun's outlook on things as even in the midst of that trial--through a lot of pain and strife, he was able to say that he was thankful for what he was going through. And, now, looking back, we are thankful for that trial because God brought us so much closer to Him and to each other. God taught us things that would probably wouldn't have learned otherwise-God truly changed us. 

So, today, I wanted to give thanks in everything. I want to thank God for those tough times in life; and, thank Him for the grace He gives to get through them as well.

Thankfulness Month-Day 5

Today, I'm thankful for a life-long friend. Well, at least my whole life long. You know, the type of person that is basically a sister although neither of you actually had a sister.
Today, I am thankful for my wonderful cousin, Brandi. Yesterday was her birthday; but, I thought I would post today because she might have time to actually read it.
She is one busy girl--doing a fantastic job mothering two kids while in the midst of med school and a crazy schedule. I am proud of her; and, more still, so thankful for what God is doing in her life. By God's grace, she has overcome some great things and is a wonderful testament to the love and power of God!
We have had our fair share of fun and getting into trouble through the years. So many stories come flooding to my mind. She was always the one I knew I could count on to be there--whether that be after Sunday School to give me her candy or after a few rough patches in life.
And now, I am so excited to be close--distance wise--again. Even though we don't get to see each other that often because of her said schedule, I cherish the times we are able to spend together. I know God has great things in store for her and I'm excited to watch as He leads and directs her paths.
Happy, Happy Birthday, Brandi! May God give you many many more! I love you and I'm thankful for you! 

Thankfulness Month-Day 4

It's here! Yesterday, after checking my mail everyday for a 3 solid months...

My license has arrived! I am officially able to teach in the state of Kansas. I'll spare you the drama details about why it took so long. But, suffice it to say, I am very THANKFUL that I received my teaching license!

Psalm 63:3  

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 

Thankfulness Month-Day 3

Today, my heart is heavy for a family that I love dearly. You see, a very special man in our church passed away last night; and, he is the father of one of the most influential ladies in my life.

So today, I give thanks for those people that God has given me that are seemingly always an encouragement to me no matter what they are going through.

Mr. Polley was a man that was always singing and had a smile on his face. I would ask him how he was doing and his response was always "better than I deserve, God has been good to me."  He fought with cancer for several years and God gave him many victories.  I know now that he is singing at the top of his lungs without pain and suffering.

His life was an obvious testament of the love of Christ; and, that is made more obvious by the way in which he passed on his smile and gift of encouragement to his daughters.

I'm praying today for the Polleys, Johnsons, Durees, and Winters. I pray that God will grant them a peace that passeth all understanding--a peace that can only come from knowing that their husband, father, and grandfather is in Heaven rejoicing!

And, I'm thankful--thankful for encouragement, thankful that God has given us people on this earth who can see beyond themselves and reach out to others. And, I'm challenged--challenged to be that light--challenged to see beyond myself and encourage others with the love of Christ.  

Philippians 4:7 

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Thankfulness Month-Day 1 (and 2)

So, my friend Leah challenged everyone to a Month of Thanksgiving. Each day, she is going to post one thing she is thankful for. I thought this was a great idea; so, I thought I would join; and, I'll encourage you to comment on something you're thankful for as well! And, even though I as well am a day late, it's never too late to be thankful!
I mean, thankfulness is truly forgotten now-a-days. We are such a self-centered, me-pleasing, complaining society that we often forget to realize all that we are blessed with--we truly do not lack anything. Don't worry, this isn't going to be a soap-box discourse. But, being thankful is something God is constantly convicting me about: Get your eyes off yourself, Sabrina, and realize all that I have given you.
I have been struggling recently with contentment and exactly "what my purpose is". Since we moved, life has been a little shaken up and I have been in a constant battle with the State of Kansas to get my teaching license transferred. So, without a license, I have no job. I have struggled with finding contentment in not being able to work and do what I went to school to do.
I Timothy 6:6-8 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
Content! Be Content! I am slowly learning that it isn't my job or profession that define me but the fact that I am a child of God-redeemed by Him, loved by Him and (hopefully) living for Him. Gal. 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
So, with all that said, I am thankful for God's working in my life. I am thankful for the purpose that He gives me on a daily basis.

And...since I missed yesterday: I am also thankful for a cup of hot apple cider to curl up with on this dreary day.

Pinterest Projects: Cool Coasters

Ok, I'm totally hooked--on Pinterest. At first, I was confused by all the goodness; but now, I love it. I have found SO many great and inexpensive gift ideas! I'm definitely making a list (or pins) of what projects I want to tackle. I found this idea the other day: homemade, personalized coasters. I have a friend getting married soon and I thought this would be a perfect gift. Coasters are one of those things that we didn't register for; but, someone had the forethought to buy us and we use them all the time. Anyway...
The materials:

-4, 41/4 in x 41/2 in tiles  (I purchased mine at Menards for 11 cents each)
-4 square pictures (cut slightly smaller than the square tiles)
-Mod Podge
-foam brush
- 4 square pieces of felt (again, cut slightly smaller than the tiles squares)
-ribbon

  The Materials (minus the felt)

The Procedure:

1. Clean the tiles so they are free of any fingerprints. Then, paint Mod Podge onto the back of the picture and place it on the tile making sure there is even space around the edges. Allow time to dry.

2. Then, take your felt and mod podge it onto the back of your tile. (You can also use cork, but I had felt from a previous project) Allow time to dry.

3. Then, mod podge over the top of your picture in order to seal it so the water from the glass won't affect the picture. Allow time to dry.  Then, if wanted, you can add more coats of Mod Podge (I put on 3 coats).

No worries if it looks like this--it will dry!

 

4. When dry, you can stack your new coasters and attach a ribbon.

 

 

I think it's just the perfect, personalized gift!