Tuesday Thankfulness

Hello!  Welcome to Thankful Tuesday.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Time to catch up.
Nearly the entire church staff was elsewhere today, so I actually had several quiet hours alone in my office.  I got so much work done, I was able to get a jump on my work for next week.

2.  Compliments when you need them.
Last week was difficult for many reasons.  Claire started back to school, and Paul only had me to play with.  The entire family was exhausted, and I somehow pulled together a church newsletter.  Right after sending it out, I received a compliment on a job well done.  Considering I felt like I was barely concious and stressed out, those kind words meant a great deal to me.

3.  Shopping tips
Recently my friend Mary Annelle shared yet another great way to save money on groceries.  She reads all the sales papers and simply types up the bargains she wants.  Then she goes to Wal-Mart and requests price matches on those items on sale at other stores.  She only has to go to one store, and she gets all the bargains.  Considering we are on a strict budget around here, that news is worth rejoicing over.

4.  Time to sit and think.
Yesterday morning was cloudy and cool, so I took Paul to the park.  Even though I kept running through my to-do list in my head, I made myself sit there and watch him play and join in where appropriate.  We got to focus on feeding the ducks with one piece of bread at a time, and we made several discoveries.  We never noticed the giant, nearly three-feet long fish in the pond, or the way they steal the bread from the big turtles.  We also got to pet a duck which we have tentatively identified as Claire's duck from Lent.

5.  Grace
Several times in the last week I needed grace and received it abundantly.  No one was upset that my work was a day late, and Adam forgave a brief temper explosion.  Also, I had to step down from a volunteer position that I hadn't started yet.  I had offered to coordinate communications for the Benbrook Early Childhood PTA, and the closer we got to kickoff, the more I realized I was in over my head.  I stepped down with fear that I would have to leave the group.  Every member met me with understanding and grace.  No one was upset that I had overcommitted and I am grateful.

6.  Long hugs
Last week was the last week of our summer season of helping homeless ladies.  One of the ladies has been working hard by taking classes at the community college.  She told me she's not likely to see me again because she will transfer to a four year college in the spring.  She gave me one of the best hugs I've received.  When I kept thinking it was over, she kept on hugging.  It was humbling.

7.  Creative kids
Claire has figured out how to make penguins with construction paper and glue.  She has made an entire flock, but I love it.  I am always proud of items that she creates successfully, and of her own volition.  Right this second, Paul is tearing xerox paper and setting it on my shoulders so I can have wings.

8.  Sermons that make you think later on
We have a new senior pastor at church, and she preached an excellent sermon on Sunday.  I won't do it justice by summarizing it, but what I took from it is that every day you should be concious of where you saw God that day.  I sat in the pew and made a list right there, and I'm still thinking.

9.  Kids that take pride in their work.
I have been noticing that Claire's schoolwork has a lot of pencil checkmarks on it.  Yesterday I asked her who did that, and she said, "I put check marks on there so you know I did a fantastic job."  Why yes, she did.

10.  Creative pet names
You might already know our two dogs are named "Wesley Eugene Boyette" and "Capt. Midnight Sugar Dot Express Boyette."  What you don't know is that Paul's favorite stuffed dog animal is named "Wind The Bobbin Ding Dong" and Claire's pig is named "Piggie-Pig Pig."  I named Wesley, but everything else around here is named by the kids.  I even get new names, and often am forced to answer to the name "Mommy Dog."