Day #56
I bet you are thinking it is "hump day"...but I am THANKFUL it is the first day of spring ball and the Indians are on the radio! So refreshing to listen to while I am at work!!
#joyin365journey #rolltribe

Day #55
Thankful that my girl, Erin, texted me to get together....been WAY too long! Of course we went to Starbucks and walked around Target. Thankful for our friendship and the fact that we both love Starbuck's!!!
#joyin365journey

Day #54
Nothing like coming home after a day long day at work to a sweet letter from a friend! So Thankful for random notes in the mail!
#joyin365journey #friendship

Day #53
Soooo Thankful for these beautiful flowers...made my day to get these...feeling so loved!

Just enough just in time!!!

Love nights like this...

Tea and time to talk...

I am finding the joy!!!!
#joyin365journey #flowersbrightenthesoul

Day #52
Thankful for a friend who reminded me that I need to find the Joy...It was a difficult weekend and instead of just being disappointed...I needed to find the joy in it ALL!
#joyin365journey #findjoy

Day #51
What a perfect evening!!!!! Went to Kent Stewarts Lodge and had a great meal...grilled artichoke salad and then spicy Chilean sea bass on purple forbidden rice!!! The best part catching up with a dear friend!! Of course we went shopping afterwards for some new Yankee candles and teavana tea! Can not wait to try my snow geisha tea!!! Thankful for my friend who provides the push I need in all areas of my life!!!
#joyin365journey #snowgeisha

Day #50

How often do we hear???
Family makes a house a home
A house is a home because of the people who live in it and make it safe
You can live in a beautiful home, but if you have no one to love and share it with, then it's just a plain old house
A home is where you look forward to going after a long day.

Wait for it...

When we have someone new at our Life Group we generally ask a "get to know you" question. While, Mike is not new...I thought we would have more faces that didn't know him who were knew to our group. I selfishly made the question about something I needed encouragement on...
"What makes a house a home?"...and it can't relate to the people (love/laughter/etc..!)
Slippers
Not organized (dysfunction)
A junk drawer
A fireplace
Being able to walk in without waiting for someone to answer the door
Not being all put together...lived in
A vegetable garden (my addition)

The world can be a daunting place...and it feeds lies to us frequently...I am THANKFUL for the reminder that a house isn't just a home when it is filled with people.  That a house could be a home because it has a worn Bible from frequent use on the end table...next to the couch that has the imprint of the person who sits in it with their legs over the arm, while the smell of hot chocolate fills the air...and no one else is present...BUT God!  It is God's presence that fills a house and makes it a HOME!  

 

Day #49

Day #49
What a great evening. Got to spend it with this girl! We went to Chipotle for dinner and then dropped in on Garage MS's opening night. She is so fun, smart, down-to-earth, and fun to hang out with...oh and a great sport! I am THANKFUL for evenings we get to reconnect and garage ms all those years ago when I met her!
#joyin365journey

Day #48 Watch 'How He Loves - David Crowder Band (with lyrics)' on YouTube

Our series at church is on Jealousy the good kind...there is a huge difference between being jealous FOR someone and jealous OF someone. It is tough in this world I know I get caught on the bad jealousy rollercoaster.
Tonight I spent some time with a friend talking about this and pursuit. What does that look like??? What should it look like??? Do we allow ourselves to be pursued???
Not just by men...but... God pursues us!!! He goes to great lengths to bring us back to Him...for that I am ever THANKFUL...something my friend Kat talked about a lot and this song reflects it!
#joyin365journey #howheloves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgRLyGaMOd0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Day #47
I know this might sound weird but I am so Thankful for quinoa! I am not a vegetarian or vegan....but I don't eat a lot of animal protein and I have been trying to avoid dairy...so Quinoa is my go to protein I add it to everything. Today I mixed it in with my soup for the week! #joyin365journey #quinoalove

Day #46

Day #46
Today was The Garage training and kickoff for the new semester. Always hard to give up a full day but God really worked in my heart today. Thankful for all the Garage volunteers who give themselves so selflessly! Part of the scavenger hunt, can't believe we fit in here by teen moms.
After a full day I came home to a Valentine's gift on my door step...part of the gift was a heart tea infuser....thankful for my friend who knows me so well... she might be in St. Louis but she doesn't let a holiday go by without showering her friends in love!
#joyin365journey #poweraid

Day#45 Happy Valentine's Day!!! Got to spend the day with my favorite niece!!! My mom watched her in the morning as I had a meeting. When I went to pick her up my mom gave me my Valentine's day gift...yep...Thankful my mom got me some gluten ease...that shows how much she loves me :)
#joyin365journey #glutenease #mymomlovesme

Day #44

Lately my clock has been going off earlier and earlier because there is just too much to do at work, and well not enough time.  So, it is very important I don't short change my routine so I can make up time.  My devotional time in the morning is sacred...if I bypass it in the morning the rest of my day is off kilter.  But as I wake up earlier and earlier...I am not going to bed any earlier...so I am Thankful I can wake up!!!  and then on top of that, that i can be awesome when it seems everyone around me is grouchy!!!
#joyin365journey  #wakeup

Day #43
Today was a tad stressful and I was so excited and Thankful that my Mom made me some chocolate covered cherries for Valentine's Day...they were a much needed sweet treat!
#joyin365journey #chocolatecherries #lovemymom

Day #42
Thankful that Chipotle did a fundraiser for The Garage. I have been helping out at The Garage now for over 5 years...I have so many teens that have touched my heart in ways I never thought possible. My heart breaks for them. The ministry truly is a safe haven for the teens in Wadsworth.
#joyin365journey #thegarage #chipotle

Day #41
THANKFUL I was feeling under the weather. I went to see my niece at her gymnastics class. So much fun to watch her interact with her teammates and have fun!! And I got to catch up with an old friend! great day! #joyin365journey

Day #40

Sometimes it is all about the little things. Sunday's are generally my busiest day.  I am up and at Church by 8 am to teach a class and I am generally not done until 2:30...and then I try to get ready for the week making meals, doing laundry, cleaning house...and lately cleaning the drive and sidewalks of all the snow...Today when I sat down to eat my left over ham loaf my Mom made I decided to make some cooked carrots.  UMMM  Delicious!!!  I am so THANKFUL for cooked carrots today, because they reminded me of spring, they were scrumptious and well sometimes you just need to be thankful for the little things!!!  #joyin365journey #cookedcarrots

Day #39 always THANKFUL for a gentle reminder of my justification. Accountability and advise only comes from being open and honest to begin with...I am GRATEFUL I have close friends that I can share without the fear of judgment! #joyin365journey #accountability

Day #38

Friday was a long day...but I was blessed by being able to do an hour and fifteen minutes of Yoga.  THANKFUL my back cracked 7 times and it felt much better the rest of the night.  I will say I am super sore today...what a great workout strength and flexibility at it's finest.  I am working on my crane (picture) and one day I will look this good doing it! 
#JOYIN365JOURNEY #YOGALOVE

Day #37
I have been rejected the last three times I have tried to give blood which is heart breaking for me...it is so easy and can save a life!!! I have always had a hard time passing the hemoglobin tests but a couple years ago I figured out how to adjust my diet so I would be okay. So I was baffled when I was rejected recently....finally the lady said "you are eating everything right you should pass with flying colors...the only thing I can think of is do you drink tea?" Ummm yikes over abundantly...apparently that negates the absorption of iron regardless of decaf or not. So, two weeks prior to my donation appointment I limited to one glass of tea (Yikes...how to stay warm during this polar vortex weather)
Thursday was the reveal day...one prick epic fail 11.7 ...retest 12.5 which is exactly what you need. THANKFUL I could give blood Thursday... what a great way to give it away!!!
#giveblood #joyin365journey #notea

Day #36

Today would have been Kat's 29th birthday and oh the celebration.  Today is bittersweet...miss my friend but she isn't in pain anymore...and for that I am THANKFUL. 
"Stupid Adam.  The first thing I am going to do when I get to Heaven is punch him in the face.  If he'd just been a man, and said no, we could all be living in paradise instead of just dreaming about it.  How about THEM apples."  She had such a spunky attitude! Check out her interview http://katyagray.tumblr.com/interview and while you are at it, check out her blog posts  http://katyagray.tumblr.com/archive 


Some of what I learned and my memories!

Keep it Real  Kat taught me to keep it real.  Life here on earth is but a blink of an eye                          

Attitude   Kat had an attitude that was contagious.  She had this amazing smile that would light up the room.  She looked at everything through God’s glasses!                                                                                                                       Trials    Our trials are for our growth.  They are meant to bring us closer to God, she believed this and inspired others to persevere.     
You…    she cared deeply about everyone… I suffer from nerve damage in my neck.  Bottom line I have a headache everyday just depends on how bad it is…At the time Kat was suffering from terrible headaches.  When I came over she said “ I don’t know how you do it, without ripping people’s heads off every day, you are an inspiration.  Haha I laughed and thought how silly, because she was an inspiration to me.  But that was just Kat, finding a way to make you feel important. 
Aladdin’s          I remember eating rolled Beef Shawarma in her basement, drinking red wine and indulging in Godiva chocolate one night.  All things she wasn’t supposed to be eating at the time.  We were rebels  J 

Laughter          I remember laughing at the silliest things: boy stalkers, strange books, cheese, and my meanie grandma who caused me to over abundantly enjoy LemonBerry.
Open  Opened, she opened my eyes to not taking for granite each day we are given here on earth.  BUT not to fear the end…because it is our goal to reach Heaven!
Vibrant    She was filled with vibrancy…who else could pull of stiletto heals while participating in FMSC…and she wasn’t just standing there, she was a box runner!
Eternity    Life with God forever is our goal, and it STARTS today!  SHARE it!
Royalty  I was never one to follow royalty but Kat was and she was always up to sharing with the latest news.  I had never watched a royal wedding or even cared to, until I met Kat!  Such a fashionista!

 

Oh       how He loves us!  How He passionately pursues us, to our darkest corners and reaches out His hand and calls us back to Him! 
Family      is to be Cherished and loved.  Spend time together laughing and loving.  Enjoy the moments we have together, and that she did!

Calories don’t count when you are eating Panera mac n’ cheese
Help       asking for help is hard we have this desire as single women to be independent, but admitting we can’t do it alone is the ultimate freedom!
Roebek’s smoothies are always welcome!  They are the best when nothing else will go down.  Every time I go I think of her and have to smile.
Indians   I remember we were supposed to go to an Indians game.  I have never fretted so much over what I was going to wear to an Indians game.  Usually it is an Indians t-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes, and maybe a baseball hat…BUT Kat was going, and I needed to step up my attire…it took me over an hour to get ready.   She didn’t feel good that night and didn’t end up coming...But I looked good thanks to Kat…She made you want to be the person God sees…a priceless princess.
Strength  I came to visit her in the hospital, and the effects of the radiation had burned her esophagus and I just remember wanting to cry because I couldn’t stand to see how much it hurt but, Kat…she was a trooper.  I wish I had half as much fight as she did!
Time       I cherished the time I spent with Kat…she had this way of cheering me up, even when I was there to cheer her up.   I miss her, and often want to text her to share a song I heard on the radio or a verse that I was reading…I wish her time her on earth was longer, but as I sit here and listen to Jason Gray’s Pandora station I know she is celebrating in Heaven, and for that I am forever thankful, and can’t wait to join her!  But until then I will use my time here on earth to Share Christ with whoever will listen!  As she would say “The more the Merrier!”

 

Day #35
God is the ultimate creator! He has filled each one of us with creativity...we just express it different....cooking, music, art, dance, etc....we can not squander this gift. We looked at Matthew 25:21 today in regards to whom much is given much is expected. The picture is of Jennifer's creative nail art work...all glittery!!!
We do a lot of journaling at Garage MS for girls and tonights was no different. I conversed with Lou today and said her worst creative day is still better than my best day at making tags....so my journal time was spent acknowledging we are all given different talents of creativity and I shouldn't compare! THANKFUL for the reminder we are creative in different ways, all of us!!! (I think I am learning so much along with the girls!)
#garagemsgirls #joyin365journey #nailcreativity

Day #34
This little girl and I got to have dinner together and talk about our days. I was reminded what a blessing it is that I can watch her and hang out with her and I shouldn't take it for granted. Thankful for the great reminder and for my time with Brianna
#joyin365journey

Day #33 Thankful for lack of miscommunication... which is super hard for me to be thankful for because it is one of my biggest frustrations. However today I was able to spend some time with my Uncle for his birthday. #joyin365journey #unclesbday

Day #32
Today was fantastic... After spending sometime in Galatians with a friend...we were on a mission! She was in need of a study Bible, some tabs, and no leak highlighters! I am so THANKFUL that I was able to help her pick out a great Bible ( it is pink) and some great resources!!! The great part isn't because it is pink but it was on sale and it has a study section and then life application! But I am also THANKFUL that she indulged my little kid in a candy store attitude....love getting excited about that stuff...got the HCSB study bible on sale and ended up getting the Hebrew / Greek keyword study Bible. I could spend hours in there!
#joyin365journey #newbible

Day #31
Our church had a combined worship night. I truly felt blessed that I got to stand next to my friends who went to Medina East. It has been a long time since we have worshipped side by side. So THANKFUL for that time and their heart to go to Medina!!!!
While we were worshipping I was reminded of a promise I made...if my actions don't align with the song I will not sing...Living by Grace and grace alone is not easy with all the world constantly bombarding us and telling us what we need to do to be right with God (sing, baptize, be a bible scholar, serve, serve,serve, communion, go to church, etc) but God says NO....Grace alone saves....PERIOD....it is through our faith that we are made righteous....I heard this theme over and over again last night in the song selection....Galatians is everywhere!!! #joyin365journey #galatians #gracechurch