Day 5-Today. I. Am. Thankful. For...

Today, I am thankful for my son. He is the most amazing kid. At 2 1/2 he is a little boy who is full of energy, life, and zest. Yet he has such a sweetness to him. A few weeks ago my dog passed away. She was only 6 years old, so it was very unexpected. I loved this dog deeply and shed more than a few tears over her death. My Little Man was very confused at first wondering why I was crying so much. When Chris came home that evening he explained it to him again and for whatever reason, he got it. And his first impulse was to walk over to me and wrap his tender little arms around me. Such sweetness for such a little boy. He wanted to comfort me, and comfort me he did. There is so much I can say about this little guy! Like the way he is learning his letters.... he is so excited to learn his letters! And colors.... blue in particular he can point out in any shade. He is so coordinated. We can't wait to start him in T-ball this coming summer. He can hit a baseball quite well if I do say so myself. I'm sure I'll have lots of games to attend in the coming year. I thank God for my little boy! He is a huge part of our lives!

Day 4-Today. I. Am. Thankful. For...

I've got some catch up to do!

Day 4's thankfulness is my amazing husband-Christopher Perry. I honestly can't remember our first meeting, but it would've been over 10 years ago now. We knew each other from college and more through our membership and involvement at church. He worked with the Jr. High class, I worked with the High School class. I never even considered dating him, and even broke things off with him once. But I couldn't resist the only guy who ever really got me. In God's plan, he was the one. The one who would just understand me. And we've been best friends since the day I figured that out. I can remember the exact moment, out to eat at Cheddar's with some friends, when I knew that he just got me and I started seeing him in a different light. I'm so glad God changed me (and my heart and mind). Marrying Christopher Perry was the best decision of my life. The Lord has taken us through some valleys and mountain tops in our short 7 years of marriage and I hope he allows us to grow old together. He's the one I want to grow old with.

Days 2 & 3. Today. I. Am. Thankful. For...

Fall is hands down the best time of year in my book. I. Love. The. Weather. Overnight, cool air moved in and I for one am rejoicing. It makes me want to go running. Not badly enough to actually make time to go today, but I want to (And that's the first step toward actually doing it, right?!). October is a great month, but I love that it's followed by November which is the 2nd most cozy month (the first of course being December.... because Christmas is in December, duh). November begins the Holiday season, a time when our hearts are filled with the warmth of the season and I'm glad that we start this whole time off with actually giving thanks. We have SO much to be thankful for. Then it progresses to the birth of Christ, our savior, the only hope we have, the ransom for our sins. And again, we have the opportunity to just be thankful, filled to the brim with gratitude. And then we start a new year. A new year full of new hopes and dreams. It's just a nice progression. So today, I'm going to be thankful for this season. A time when we as a society, and particularly as Christians are moved towards gratitude, moved towards Christ, moved towards new beginnings. It's just plain nice and full of hope. Full of Christ who is our only hope.



Because I missed posting yesterday I'm thankful for two things today! Not only am I thankful for the season, I'm thankful for what it points to....  God. He is constant. He is my savior. As I said before, he is the ransom for my sins. He is the everlasting one. He is so completely sovereign. I'll probably be thankful for some aspect of His being later in the month, but for today, I am just so thankful for Him, and that I'm His. The fact that He adopted me and made me his daughter floors me on a daily basis. He's the one I'll never get over, for all of eternity. God, thank you for making me yours.

30 Days of Thanksgiving Day 1-Today. I. Am. Thankful. For......

In the spirit of the month, I'd like to share with you 30 things that I'm thankful for. I'm sure there are many more. I know some who have made lists of 100 or 200 things that they are thankful for. This month, I'm picking 30 of my favorite. These are things that are particularly dear to my heart. They have left a lasting impact.



Today started off a little rough. We've spent far too many nights up late over the last few weeks and I'm seriously starting to drag.  Everything changed however when just a little bit ago I left the stuffy space I call my office for a short walk over to the BBC mail room where I deliver my office mail each day to go out (For those who don't know, the office I work in is on the top floor of the BBC library). And the day just stunned me. It is gorgeous outside.



Today, I'm thankful for the gorgeousness that is called weather. I love the seasons and while we don't have as good of a winter here as I would typically like, I'm very thankful for the seasons that we get to experience here. Everything from the growth in the spring, to the heat of the summer (although that's probably my least favorite!), fall with it's crispness and pretty colors is my favorite, and who doesn't enjoy a good snow storm in the winter? It's all fun and a testimony of God's creativity and his plan for the cycles of the earth. Today, I thank God for his plan with the weather, and particularly today, for the beauty that is outside.

My favorite people....

My two favorite guys.

I'm sure you can see why! They just bring a smile to my face. I love watching them interact together: the man I fell in love with and the Little Man who is so much like him. And then there's my Little Lady!

She is so sweet and smart. I love how much she's interacting with us lately. She has such an adventurous little spirit, but loves to lay her head on my shoulder.

Just thought I'd share.

Acceptable Speech

I've been thinking a lot over the last few days about my speech and communication with others. It started with a book our church family has been reading in small groups. Truth be told, I dreaded reading this book. I was bored by the last book we read by this author. But even more so, I dreaded the topic. Love. 1 Corinthians 13 love at that! I dreaded it, not because I think I know all about it, but because I know that this is an area of weakness for me and I just didn't want to work on it right now! Not that I don't want to be loving, please don't misunderstand me. But because I didn't necessarily want to feel guilty for not becoming any more loving than I already am.  This is an area that I often feel so deficient. 'Creative' loving is something that is emphasized heavily at our church, and for good Biblical reason. But I am just not a 'creative' person. 'Crafts' have never been my thing. I am capable of making pretty things, but I don't come up with the ideas for them myself. I can follow a tutorial (of which I have found SO many on Pinterst lately! It's fantastic!!) But the creativity, the going out of my way... I just didn't want to have to grow in this area. Wow... honesty at it's best, right?!

This book (have I mentioned it's name? Maximum Impact by Wayne Mack) has not challenged me to make more crafts for others (refreshingly so!). It has, however, helped me get a better picture in my brain of what true love looks like, and what it does not look like. And perhaps it didn't quite look like the picture in my head I've been beating myself up over for the last 4 years (sign of relief!). It does however require change on my part, and my speech is one area that I've been really challenged to consider. I believe it was in the chapter discussing 'Love is not rude' where he talks so much about our speech and how we talk to others. The Holy Spirit convicted me of three areas of my life in which I struggle... on the phone (I'm just an akward phone talker!), when I'm giving instructions to my kids, and when I'm communicating with someone of a differing viewpoint (perhaps an unbeliever, or someone who takes a largely different stance on an important issue). I want to be a good communicator and to communicate truth in loving ways so that my words are easy to hear and hopefully to take to heart. So here are some ways I want to make some changes. Perhaps these are areas others struggle in as well and my application can help you out too.

On the phone: I often cut people off and speak in short sentences.  I don't mean to. I think I'm just too busy trying to get my own words out. I also have a short tone of voice on the phone. I need to converse as I would in person and let others finish their thoughts before I start speaking. Perhaps even wait for a long enough pause so that I am sure they have completed their thought. Often I get off the phone just feeling akward. I need to be patient and listen to others better before I speak.

With my kids: This is a big one. I was reminded of two scriptures from Proverbs as I thought about this. My son is 2 1/2 and really struggles to hear instruction from mom and dad lately. I want to help him in this by putting these two verses into practice. 15:2 says 'The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable' and 16:21 says 'Sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness'. My temptation with the kids is to grow firm instead of sweet. But how much better do they listen to my sweet voice? Sweetness can help make knowledge acceptable for them. Speak kindly, Abbie! Make learning fun!

With those who oppose me: I get easily frustrated with those who think differently than me and can tend to avoid conversations that go in those directions. Of course that depends a lot on that other person, how defensive they are, etc. But I want to be good, particularly at sharing the gospel with those who don't believe it. It's the power of the gospel that saves! I need to be patient and calm and pay attention to those who are good at sharing it to pick up things that I can incorporate. Something else that Mack mentioned was speaking with humility, as a learner. This seems to be important particularly in this context. I want to speak sweetly, kindly, confident in the gospel, but with humility as a learner.

I want to have acceptable speech that is full of love, is not rude, and is easy for others to hear. Then perhaps God can use me to teach others His word.

When my heart screams 'I'm Done!'

The last few days have been rough ones for me. I'll just say it. I'm really frustrated at work. My heart really has been screaming 'I'm Done!" all day long. Not that I'm treated badly. For the most part, really, my bosses are very kind to me. They've done kind things I guess I should say. And I completely see why God placed me here over 3 years ago. It has been a good place for me during this season of my life. However, as of late, I've become very restless. There are some really neat opportunities for me looming on the horizon, but that horizon is a ways away and I'm just so ready for the change. I'm tired of feeling useless each day. I'm tired of not being with my kids. I really, really miss my kids this week. I know I'm not the only mom ready for a change. I'm not the only mom who would rather be with her kids. And really both of these things that I desire are good, Godly desires. I just don't want them to become idols in my heart and I fear that so often they become just that. So I've been meditating on Philippians 4... thinking through what contentment looks like in my life right now in this season of waiting. I've come to a few conclusions:

1. I really do just have to wait. God has me exactly where He, in His perfect plan for my sanctification wants me. Me not working just isn't an option right now. And I don't see a better option for a job either. The things I'm waiting on will happen in His perfect timing (or perhaps not happen at all in his plan!) and really instead of wishing for them, I need to pray for them more, but also, just trust God with them more. Like Paul I want to be able to say that in 'whatever state I am, I have learned to be content!'

2. I need to trust people. I came to this conclusion awhile back when I was reading an article about women emasculatig men. I know it sounds funny here, but I need to trust a few key guys in my life to lead in their circle of influence in the right way, thus opening up the door for me perhaps. I should open up some doors, but not push too hard. I think Scripture teaches that in my trust, and in my learning to let guys be guys and lead the way, I can honor God best by trusting him and the people in leadership that God has placed around me.

3. I need to do something. I have some time ahead of me where I'm at and I want to use the time I have to prepare for the future, whatever God makes that look like. One of those ways in which I want to DO is to blog more. Get my mind rolling with God's Word and how I'm applying it in my life. It might look like a parenting tip which I've recently figured out, or it might be a delicious recipe I've come across, or an easy craft project (because I don't have time for complicated ones!), or a way I've found to bless my husband, or serve others, or honor God.... I don't know. I'm gonna vary it up. But I want to share more about how I'm learning to express Biblical Femininity in my busy life with 2 kids, a full time job, and a husband who works 50+ hours a week and goes to grad school. It's a journey, but Lord willing, I hope I'm doing what I can to honor Him in it.

          Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.   (Philippians 4:11-13 ESV)

And Lord willing somewhere in the midst of the trusting Him, being content, trusting others, and the doing... My heart will stop this screaming and find peace in His perfect plan for me, knowing that he is using even this frustration to shape me into the image of Christ. (Rom. 8:28-29)