A New Year

I've been missing-in-(way too much) action these last weeks as you may have noticed.  If you haven't noticed, please don't tell me!  We have had family here and there, friends coming and going, the last vestiges of the Advent season to mark, and of course the great celebration of the birth of our Lord.  It's been a full time.  There has been much to be grateful for, some things to grieve over, and some great excitement for me as I look to the New Year.  It is true that His mercies are new every morning and every new day is a fresh start, but there is something special about a clean new year.  Some of you may understand my love of an unused notebook to write in, a brand new pencil to sharpen, projects to start, a planner to fill.  I love new beginnings!

My husband preached a sermon on Sunday about how meeting Jesus in the Christmas season should motivate our desire to change.  We cannot be the same after the Christ child has come into the world and we have seen Him.  We have a whole new beginning and there is much to do!  I wish I could say that I've spent a lot of time praying about these "resolutions," but for now I will write them down and pray that God would bless the ones that He, too, would see me accomplish.  And so, with God's help I resolve this year to:
1) Reach 1000 blessings in my thanksgiving list,
2) Finish a quilt,
3) Have one ladies tea a month to encourage and teach the women of my congregration.

I would love your prayers as I seek to fulfill these resolutions.  Pray that God would be glorified through them all and that I would see Him at work in my life, too.

Oh, and here are Monday's thanksgivings!
122.  Christmas!
123.  My parents buying groceries while they are visiting
124.  Listening to my brother playing his guitar
125.  God taking those babies that mothers have chosen not to let live
126.  Nicholas
127.  Ian playing with his Grandma Kate

128.  A new camera
129.  A new sweater
130.  Christmas goose, mmmm....
131.  Laughing until I cry
132.  Playing cards with family (see #131)
133.  Beautiful Christmas Eve service
134.  My husband's grace in accepting so few people at the Christmas Day service
135.  A visit from dear friends
136.  Their sweet little girl
137.  A delicious salad (prepared by my mother)
138.  My mother preparing #137 so that Rob and I could visit with our friends

May God go with you into this new year.  May He give you a fresh start, a fresh outlook on his plan for you, and a fresh urging to take the light of the Christ child to all the world.  For we can never be the same again.

Odd Thanks

My thanksgivings are odd this week.  Even to me.  It has been an incredibly full week and when that happens, invariably, some parts are less pleasant than others.  This week that has included sick children, a funeral for a long time member of our congregation, panicked cleaning before parties, along with a host of regular frustrations and challenges. (Read: Ian won't nap.)  My great praise in all this, however, is that many of these frustrations have actually shown up on my thanksgiving list!  I have been encouraged to praise no matter when and it seems to be working.  So, while some of these may seem strange to you, my first praise is:

99.  God is still doing the work of sanctification (growing me up!) in my life
100.  Seam rippers (multiple sewing mistakes)
101.  My generally healthy children
102.  Only three of the four kids got sick
103.  Someone else's very sick child reminding me to cherish my own
104.  Delicious bean soup given by a new friend
105.  Story hour at the library
106.  Sewing my first dress since I was a child (see #100)
107.  David announcing during a song, "You just got to got to dance to this!"
108.  My young adult group as we studied...
109.  Mary, Jesus' mother
110.  Snowshoeing in 10 degrees Fahrenheit
111.  Hot drinks
112.  Someone cleaning the house before our parties
113.  A clean house!
114.  Ian's poopy diapers (Don't ask me to explain this one.  It was a random joy moment.)
115.  The Holy Spirit working in people
116.  Church Christmas play
117.  My sewing machine
118.  Seeing my first dead body
119.  The girls wrapping their own Christmas gifts this year
120.  Truffles from one of my young adults.  So tasty!!
121.  The kids so excited during our Jesse tree devotions today because Jesus is coming soon!!!!

Thanks for sharing these blessings with me today.  Merry Christmas!