Grains of Gratitude Oct 12, 2008

Hosted by mum2Brady

I'm a little late posting my "Sunday" Grains of Gratitude, but "better late than never!", right?

This past week has been full of ups and downs! Thankfully the "ups" win out every time!

This week I received notice that I was not selected on two of the positions for which I interviewed recently. I had really been excited about one of them especially and thought I had a good chance at getting the job. The woman who interviewed me said that they had selected someone with experience in the same field, so I do understand - I had never worked in that type of setting before. The same reason was given for the other position being filled by someone else - I also had not worked in that field before either.

At first, the news really got me! It's so easy to fall into the trap of playing those old "tapes" in my mind about not being good enough, but it didn't last long. I went to my knees before God and cried out for his help. I'm so thankful to have a relationship in Jesus and know that is where my strength comes from to get through the storms. Once I released the negative thoughts and laid it all at the cross before God, I was able to "get back on the horse" and start sending out more resumes. I am in constant prayer and know that God will open the door for a job in which I can best serve.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,
says the LORD,
thoughts of peace and not of evil,
to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Tuesday Elizabeth and I took Addy and all the daycare kids to the pumpkin patch so that each of them could find their own "special" pumpkin to take home with them. When we got there a photographer from The Daily Oklahoman was there and asked if he could take pictures of the kids. He took several pictures and posted two of them in the paper on Saturday. The kids each found their pumpkin and then we were able to get a group shot before we left(with almost all faces looking forward).

Wednesday night, at AWANAS, Addy earned a badge for her vest by reciting seven different memory verses! She was so proud (as were we all!) - so now I'll be sewing on the new patch this week. She loves reading and memorizing and constantly tries to get her mommy to let her do more and more reading. Elizabeth spaces out the lessons so that Addy has enough time to really soak up each one and doesn't let her go past each day's lesson. Addy's like a little sponge and just absorbs everything around her! She loves learning and it's fun to watch her grow in knowledge every day!

Friday night Michael and Liz had some international friends fly in and they will be here until Tuesday morning. They have been such great guests and it's been fun getting to know them. They arrived bearing gifts - even for me! I was so surprised and so grateful. They gave me a bottle of Chanel #5 and I absolutely love it! They also brought me a couple of blouses that are beautiful! They, of course, brought many gifts for Elizabeth, Michael and Addy.

Friday was one of the guest's birthdays, so Elizabeth planned a surprise birthday party for her to be held Saturday evening. She took them all to Arbuckle Wilderness - a park you drive thru with animals roaming throughout. They come up to your car and you can feed them - if you buy the feed, of course. They did and they said it was a lot of fun!

While they were gone, Michael wrapped up gifts and picked up some balloons for decoration and I baked a cake for the birthday lady! She was so surprised! It is such a blessing to be able to be a part of the happiness of another person!

Sunday, we all went to church together, went out for lunch and then went to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. Since the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, I have never been to the site once the memorial was finished. It really is awesome! There's a feeling you have as you walk through and see all the chairs - one for each of the 169 people who were killed in the bombing. I think the hardest part is seeing all the small chairs representing the children who were killed. It brings back the memories of that horrible day - as if were yesterday! There was also a statue that represents Jesus weeping! His hand is over His face with bowed head and the inscription reads "And Jesus wept". I know that must be true. So many wept that day and for many days after!

Once we finished at the memorial we then went to Bricktown and rode the water taxi on the canal. We had a great captain/tour guide and the ride was a lot of fun! He picked on some Texans who were on the taxi and they took it very well. There are some bronze statues around the canal and the story behind their creation was interesting. The artist is a professor at Oklahoma University and in the sculpture of the Oklahoma LandRun (still under construction), he put his own face on the wagon driver closest to the canal! When the sculpture is finished there will be 46 different figures - representing Oklahoma's place as the 46th state! I learned many things that I had not known before. There is great art surrounding the canal - sculptures, mosaics and murals. I'm grateful for the beauty that surrounds me.

I am so thankful for the blessings in my life! I am especially thankful for the gift of life given for each of us when Jesus Christ died on the cross! There's nothing greater than knowing God and being able to serve Him!

What are YOU grateful for today???? For more Grains, visit Brady's Bunch!

In His Love and Blessings
annb