Things that make me happy today...

• Ceiling fans.
• Finding out that one of my favorite magazines is making a comeback!
• More work hours this week. I ended up working three days instead of one.
• Enjoying the sight and sounds all the bees in the Crepe Myrtle this morning.
  
• Spending time studying Psalm 119.
• Trying out a new restaurant with hubby.
• A lovely new fake ivy plant for our mantel. Not enough light for a real one, but the fake one is fine with me.
• Having hubby do the vacuuming. That is a blessing!
• Flavored coffee beans...Caramel Creme this week.
• Going "the extra mile" for someone at work yesterday, and having them express appreciation.
• My blue and white flowered china mug. And the memories of when I found it in Victoria, BC.
  
• Enjoying our women's monthly Bible Study and fellowship time this week.
  
• Seeing the unexpected ways the Lord uses to meet all of our needs.
• The pleasure of hearing the sounds of trains going by in the distance.
  

Things I am Thankful For Today

Pink Crepe Myrtle.
Fresh picked roses.
Pastries from the local grocery store.
Time with Hubby.
Bringing needs to my Heavenly Father and
Knowing
that He hears, cares, and meets those needs.
Books that make me laugh.
Figuring out, with my daughter's help, how to
download ringtones to my cell phone.

Thankful

Another week of blessings from my Heavenly Father. He is indeed Good. I am grateful for:

• A new CD player for our car. What a blessing to be able to listen to relaxing music on the way home from work after 10 at night.
• Sensing the Lord's special help at work yesterday. Very long, hard, busy day, yet I was so conscious of His help, peace and joy in difficult circumstances.
• Only having to work 3 days this week. And, very grateful that I usually only work one. I can put up with some extra days, knowing it is not permanent.
• Going out to breakfast with hubby.
• A special verse from the Lord that has carried me through this week. What a blessing that the Lord knows ahead of time what we need, and prepares our hearts for it.
  
• Roses.
  
• Hot, humid days. I like the south.
• Being able to upgrade my cell phone- I now have the flip phone style which is a great blessing. No more finding out that I forgot to lock my phone which resulted in the phone doing things I did not want it to do. Which usually involved spending some money. I can even take pictures of my roses and use them for the wallpaper. Fun.
• My mother's delight in a visit from her little great- grandson Jack. He sure made her day. Course he brought is mother with him, which also helped.
  

Happy Anniversary to us.

34 years ago today hubby and I got married. Wow. Where has the time gone. I am so grateful for all the seasons of life we have traveled together, and for the Lord's help through the storms, and for the many blessings He has brought into our lives. And, for bringing us together in the first place.
And, my heart is full of praise for blessings from this past week:

• Once again having the painting team of Katie and Penny and their able assistants work their magic in our home. Now our living and dining room are a lovely pale green. Such a delight! They did a great job. And, it was a huge job to tackle. Thank you!
• Having the Lord's help at work. I realized that out of the last 10 days, I have worked 8, for a total of 60 hours. And, four of those days I only worked 5 hours. Made for some long days.
• Going out to eat at a new place last night...hubby got chicken, I got salmon, and it was wonderful. I even got dessert. Fried cheesecake-cubes of cheesecake, dipped in crushed granola, flash fried, and served in a goblet with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. That was so good.
• Enjoying several rain storms this week. We had a severe thunderstorm one evening that was so incredibly beautiful to watch. Lots of sheet lightning, heavy winds etc. I was thankful I was safe inside my house and didn't have to be out in it.
• Once again the Lord has protected my mother. She fell again yesterday afternoon, but only sprained her ankle. Could have been much worse. She did end up going to the hospital for x-rays, but they found no broken bones so I am very grateful.

Life with God is indeed good.

Of Hawks, Swallows, and 12 hour work days...

I am thankful that I don't work 12 hour days very often. I did yesterday. I was filling in for a co-worker who had a family emergency, and was glad to help her out. Even so, I prayed that the day would be an easy one. I am very thankful that it was a quiet, basically uneventful day. Except for the one hour when we had a little excitement. Suffice it to say that there was an ambulance and 2 police cars outside our building for awhile.
Other thankfuls:

• Being outside at just the right moment one evening last week so that I could watch a flock of swallows dive bomb a hawk. This poor, defenseless big hawk was huddled on a fence trying to protect himself from an attacking army of tiny birds. He finally flew away trying to escape but the whole flock followed continuing the attack. Was interesting to watch!
  
• Enjoying our roses.
• Warm weather...um, maybe hot would be a better word to describe it.
• Being one of the Redeemed. I am so grateful for the Lord's mercy and love and forgiveness.
  
• A wonderful series at Church about the faithful work of the dear Holy Spirit. What a blessing and encouragement these lessons have been.
  
• A few rain showers this week.
  
• Protection driving home after 10 at night. Not something I enjoy doing, and I did it twice last week.

A Thankful Heart

Once again, at the end of another week, I am thankful for many things.

• The beauty of our Double Delight rose. I am enjoying the one I picked a couple of days ago.
• The aliveness of God's Word. I am so thankful for the Bible. I started reading another version this week for a change of pace, and it is refreshing to read from a page not all marked up, and to find new insights and blessings from the Lord. (and this new Bible has black text, and Purple notes/headers/etc.-very pleasing to the eye.)
• Being treated to lunch at the office where I filled in Wednesday morning.
• A new floor lamp in our living room.
• Having an overcast day today so that I have an excuse to burn candles. (Not that I need an excuse)
• My craft area where I can leave my current Scrapbooking project out and ready to work on when I have the time/inclination.
• White Chocolate Raspberry Creamer for my coffee.
• Having enough birds at our feeder so that I have to refill it every day.
  
• Having waffles for dinner thanks to hubby.