TulipGirl

On November 1st I started my annual thankful posts, a daily record of gratitude. And if anyone still reads my rarely updated blog, maybe they wondered if I didn’t really have a grateful heart or I dropped off the face of the earth. I toyed with the idea of continuing my list and back-dating it so that I had continuity (I like continuity, ritual, patterns.) But that felt too poseurish, too much like I’m faking it. So, I’m not. Just going to blush a bit and admit that this tradition has gone by the wayside this year.

In spite of that, we’ve had some HUGE things that God has done recently that just have me overjoyed and thankful and just oh-so-glad. Hubby has an “official” diagnosis after two years of weird symptoms, stress, and medical tests. It’s something chronic, not something terminal (which was the doc’s first suspicion two years ago.) And as he’s already been living with and dealing with the symptoms for awhile, it seems very manageable.

Also, the house we’ve been renting in Florida went on the market and sold in less than a week! This is wonderful (and the quickness — thank God! — showing a house while living in it with four boys? Stressful.) At this point we aren’t looking for a new place, we’ll find out soon whether we have another 2-3 months here and then we’ll find a place to rent closer to the college and high school where Hubby is teaching.

We’re in the process, though, of pursuing some options that would have us return overseas. We’re nearing the point with one of the options where we’ll know whether that door is open or closed. My daydream is that not only would that door be open, but that the wheels would move quickly and instead of renting again here, we can move from our current house to temporary quarters for training. But, considering the usual timeline of this sort of thing, that’s highly unlikely. (Still, I can always hope and pray. . .)

Another thing I’m really thankful for is our church has had the opportunity to host Steve Brown for a community-wide service this Sunday night — and he’ll be preaching at our church in the morning.

Some of my girlfriends and I trade MP3 links to various encouraging podcasts and a few months ago, my friend Camille insisted I listen to Steve Brown’s RTS seminary course on Grace in the Church. Wow. . . It was just what I needed. Not that he said anything “new” — it’s all the Gospel — but I just need to keep hearing it again and again. And what the Lord is doing in my heart? Well, I needed to hear it. . .

The theme for this Sunday will be Scandalous Freedom. If you aren’t local and can’t come, please take time to listen to these MP3s or read this book.

If you are in the Sarasota / Bradenton area, here are the details for Sunday, November 22, Scandalous Freedom with Steve Brown.
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