Thankful Thursday

This week I've been reflecting on how thankful I am for God's provision in our lives. Looking at the "numbers" (income, how much debt has been paid off, living expenses, etc), it's nothing sort of a miracle. God has been SO faithful to us. He has blessed us with a stable income and along the way has given us extra little blessings like overtime pay, a tutoring job for me, a raise for my husband, you get the idea.

I'm just so thankful for how well He has taken care of us. Yes, we've done a lot of hard work and have had use self-disciple and self-control to manage our money well, but He has ultimately provided the means for us in the first place.

Yay God! Thank you for your provision in our lives.

Thank YOU!

Today on this beautiful summer Thankful Thursday, I'm thankful for YOU! If you are reading this today, I'm thankful for your support of my little hobby/hopefully-becoming-more blog! ;) It's such a compliment to hear from all of you that have learned something or benefited from something I've been able to share with you through this blog. Thank you for sticking around! If you're a google friend connect "follower" I'm especially thankful for you. I love watching that little number in a parenthesis go up each day. It means a lot to me that you would take the extra step to publicly follow with an account. (I realize it takes more effort, but it's SO appreciated!)

Okay, well here is the really FUN part! In order to HONOR you for all the ways you've supported my blog by reading it each day, I have a few little treats up my sleeve. :)

1. Be sure to follow, because every once in a while I'll spontaneously chose a follower to feature on here. I'm hoping to surprise some of you by writing a whole post all about why I love your blog (if you have one) along with all the links for others to find your geniusness (yes, I did make up that word) too! ;) If you're not a blogger, you could be featured too! I might write about how I know you or how you've inspired me--you'll never know what it'll be, but I promise it'll be a compliment! :) Be on the watch out, you'll never know when you'll be featured!

2. Oh and there is more...I have a few (randomly selected) dates on my calendar that are set aside for me to feature and possibly award something to the most frequent commenter that week. (If there isn't a "highest number" commenter, then I'll select my favorite.) There is a rule I'll need to tell you about this one though. The comments have to be real comments that contribute to the post or conversation around the post, (not "oh cool" type responses).

*Remember the dates are randomly selected, so be sure to comment as often as you'd like to increase your chances of winning.

*There is no promise of an award each time, but every once in a while they'll be a lucky commenter that will not only be featured on a post, but will also get a cool treat too!

Most importantly, thanks for hanging out on here! I love reading your comments and hearing how this blog has helped you in your lives! I'm so thankful for your support.

So, today, here's to YOU! Love you all!

Thankful Thursday!

At the Nickel Dinner in LA.

Today I want to share with you a person that I'm thankful for. I'm thankful for my friend Sarah. It's funny how our friendship has become what it is. We met in high school and were friends for our Jr & Sr years. The crazy thing is, we weren't those friends that were attached at the hip, talking with each other every day, telling each other all our secrets and boy talk. When you think of a best friend from high school, we weren't "that" friendship. I don't think either of us fully expected what it has become now.

Yes, we were posing by what looked like a "pooping tree" because we're cool like that! ;)

We both have lived in different states ever since graduation, we talk occasionally and keep up with the main details of each others lives, but our day to day lives are very distant from each other. But she's the friend that I can call (or my husband will suggest I call when I need someone to talk to)--someone to understand. She's a friend that makes the short list of people to call immediately after 'big news' happens in our family. Thankfully this has never happened, but if it did, she'd be one of my friends that would get the 3 am phone call in case of a family emergency & hopefully she knows I'll be that friend for her too.

There isn't a phone call that takes place between us that doesn't involve at least one of trying to convince the other that they need to move to our respective cities. We've always got a 'house for sale' in mind for each other, conveniently located very near our home! ;) Usually followed by big dreams and plans of all the fun we'd have being neighbors! I'm certain if that wish were to ever come true, the dynamics between us would change and maybe that would be good. Only God knows if that will ever be the case for us, but for now I cherish the relationship that it is.

I think there is a richness to our friendship that has developed from us not being in each other's day to day lives. We don't know each other's circle of friends or people at each other's church. Really I think that's a blessing, because there are sometimes you need to call a friend who doesn't need to know all the details of your life, they don't need to know all your daily circumstances, they just need to know you. Sarah, is that friend for me. She is the friend that doesn't know all there is to know about me, but what matters when I call is that she knows me. I can tell her the truth about how I feel because it doesn't affect her daily life and the same for her. I will not be hurt by her telling me frustrations that she's experiencing with people around her, because to me all that matters is her. I think the same applies for her. She just wants to know how I am doing, how I am feeling, how I am handling life. The beauty of a friend like that is indescribable & the richness is priceless. Isn't that we all need? A friend that just cares for me, who I am and nothing more. The friend that says YOU matter (not your circumstances, your history, your details) so much to me that I will drop everything in my life right now to be here with YOU. Sarah is that friend for me. We can challenge each other in ways other people cannot, not sure why, but it works. She can also make me laugh at the most outrageous things that for whatever reason is only funny to the two of us! ;) I am so thankful for her and the physical distance between us that has helped create this invaluable friendship.

As a bonus our husbands get a long too and we do well vacationing together! :) SO FUN!

Oh my word! I love you, you little whoremonger!! Haha! I'm so thankful for you!

Do you have a friendship like that? I hope you do. Leave a comment and share with us about him/her!

Today, I linked up to:

I got a shout out!

This isn't the first time I've gotten a shout out on a blog.

My friend Jessie on her blog First Position, (where she writes all about what's happening in her world) has mentioned some posts she's enjoyed reading before, which is always lovely! :) I love hearing that people are getting something out of what I'm writing on here. It's a huge compliment also to know people are actually reading it. Hehe!! Thanks Jessie for all your support!!

(Picture came from her blog)

Then this week a new blogger friend posted about my blog. I've never had anyone that I don't personally know in the "real world" acknowledge that they are enjoying my blog and getting something out of it too. So flattering and a big encouragement, for sure. So, here's a special thank you to Alana at Taylor Made Home for writing this awesome post all about my blog! Be sure to check out her blog for all your organizing needs, she's got you covered! :) I love getting ideas and inspiration from her posts and ideas, I'm sure you will too.

If you like what you read be sure to follow either of these great blogging friends, us bloggers always love to see that number go up! ;)

(Picture came from her blog)

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm most thankful for an experience of a life time! Throughout our debt-diet process we have been living on very little and putting SO much effort into getting out of debt. We have worked really hard and have made a lot of sacrifices along the way. By the way, making sacrifices totally stinks! It's so challenging to be a grown up, with money in the bank and not do what you WANT to do, instead of what you SHOULD do. Anyway...it's been challenging.

In the midst of all of this both of my siblings made commitments to live overseas. My brother already has been for several years, but has signed another contract and this year won't be returning for Christmas for various reasons. My sister just recently accepted a position to go work at the high school I graduated from in South America. During the process with my sister, my sibs decided to go on a trip to NYC this summer. I jumped on that train and decided I wanted to go too!! :) Wouldn't you?!?! ;) Well, long story short, it was looking for a while like I wasn't going to be able to do it. Again, our life was being run by our bills, not by our desires. After searching for cheap flights like crazy, I came to a place of realizing it just wasn't going to happen this time.

THEN, God showed up! Saturday night (2 days before I was supposed to leave), Priceline accepted my price and friends of ours from high school offered us a place to stay. So the combination put the trip back within our budget limits! I had money still set aside for my birthday present along with some money I'd been saving from my 'fun money', which also helped make it a more affordable amount from the 'family budget'.

All this to say, I'm so thankful for the opportunity to spend the week with my siblings in NYC. Also for my husband who not only was willing to make sure this happened for me & encouraged me to do it, but also stayed home and was a "single Dad" all week too! My parents also came through for me to Be able to go! They helped watch the kids while the hubs was at work to help make it all work for everyone.

I'll post more about my adventures in the big apple soon, today, I'm just thankful for all the opportunities I can have & for little blessings along the way, even while getting out of debt!

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday

Wow!! There is always so much to be thankful for when we really stop to think about it, isn't there? Today I'll share my Top Three 'Thankful For...' for this week.

1. VBS
This has been a huge blessing to me this week. I signed my kids up, knowing they'd love the interaction with other kids and I'm always looking for ways to get them involved in church programs and learning more about God each day. This totally fit the bill. When I signed them up, I was thinking about how great this would be for them. But then...Sunday night I realized, "oh my goodness! I'm going to have 3 hours to myself every morning this week!" Then my next thought was, "I better do something!" It turned out to be a wonderful week. On Monday and Tuesday I painted my kitchen (pictures and details to follow). Yesterday I was able to go shopping with my hubby for some summer clothes WITHOUT the kids!! :) Today we are having a breakfast date and enjoying some quality time together and tomorrow I'll be running errands and getting a haircut--all of which will be kid-free! :)

So today, I'm thankful for ALL of the Harvest Fellowship volunteers who have worked so hard this week. Not only have they taught my kids about the Bible and God's love for them, but they've also blessed me with some "Mommy-Time", which I didn't even realize how much I needed. THANK YOU!!

2. My Sister
My sissy had a birthday this week. I'm so thankful for her and the gift she is in my life. You can read more about how awesome she is in the linked post AND you should, because you've gotta know she's the best sis in the world! :)

3. My Hubby
This week has been a busy week for my husband. He's had a lot of extra things for work, but he does it because he loves us. He is a great provider for us and does the best he can at his job to take care of his family. I'm so thankful for this work ethic and willingness to sacrifice for us. AND THEN...even after all he has had going on he still agreed to help me with the finishing touches on the kitchen project late on Tuesday night. Isn't he the best?!?! Yes, he is and I'm so thankful he's mine! :)