Day 82 - Cake and Candles


This weekend is my husband's birthday weekend... I can't believe another year has passed.

To celebrate, his parents and brother came down to visit and spend a few days with us!

I have mentioned my in-laws in the past, and what I said then still holds true.

It is so wonderful to have an actual relationship with my in-laws. They are not people that I merely tolerate on holidays, but people I can't wait to see as often as we can manage.

I am thankful for the time together with my in-laws.

I am thankful that my in-laws and my parents have also formed a close relationship.

I am thankful for another amazing year with my husband!

Happy birthday darling!







Continue Reading...

Day 81 - Prayers and Pollen

Fall allergy season is officially here. 

I know this not because of anything on a calendar, but because of my poor swollen sinuses. 

Exactly what you wanted to hear about, right? I know!

My head was killing me and yet I had to get through the day with my classroom of little blessings. 

I didn't know how I was going to make it through, but hearing those sweet little voices lift each other up to God made it all worth it.

    I am thankful for the truth spoken by little children.

    I am thankful for the fast acting action of Advil Cold and Sinus ;-)

    I am VERY thankful for the soft pillow where I will be laying my head momentarily! 

Wishing you an allergy free evening!
  - Victoria 
Continue Reading...

Day 80 - Whoops Wednesday... I mean Thursday


Do you ever have those days that just seem to be a different day all together?

Yesterday, all day long, I thought it was Tuesday... and Tuesday's post was already written.

Man I thought I was ahead of the game. Thinking I had tons of free time, with not a care in the world!

Too bad it was just my memory playing tricks on me.

I am thankful for the joy of a full plate.

I am thankful that I haven't (yet) forgotten anything that was vitally important.

I am thankful that everyone in my life, be it at work or home, is so very wonderful and understanding.

Have you forgotten anything important recently?







Continue Reading...

79 - {Tiny Tuesday}

 

Here it is again. Tuesday. The day set aside to give thanks for those most diminutive of blessings.

I am thankful for a cook drink of water on my parched throat when I woke up this morning.

I am thankful that my usual travel anxiety was nowhere to be seen this morning as I made my way to school.

I am thankful for the 85% dark chocolate that I had hidden in my desk. What a wonderful surprise to find!

Continue Reading...

Day 78 - Rest Time


I look out over my desk and stare at a sea of sleeping children.

Well, most of them are sleeping.

One is playing with his shoe laces, despite several warnings to "be still and quite"...

One is counting on her little fingers and thinks that I can't hear her...

One has her eyes closed and is laying very still, but it's the kind of still that you know is fake...

I look at them and I see myself.

God is asking me to be still and wait. Be still.

He knows that I have a long day to follow, that I didn't get enough sleep last night, that I could use the rest... and yet I resist.

Lord, help me to trust that You know what is best for my life. Help me to hear you when you ask me (some times over and over again) to be still. Be patient with me as I wiggle and whisper on my nap mat instead of taking the blessing of sleep that you are offering. 




Continue Reading...

Day 77 - Super Short Sunday


I am thankful for plans that are coming to fruition.

I am thankful for an amazingly restful weekend.

I am thankful that my class of 5 year olds recommended such a great movie (Despicable Me 2)!

Continue Reading...

Day 76 - Year of Thanks


Day 76.

I can't believe it. I am so thankful for so many things that it is hard to only write about a few at a time... But for the last 76 days I've been attempting just that.

Since we've been on this journey for over two months now, I figured I should break down and make it official.

We now have a non "blogspot" address! Find us at www.YearOfBlessing.com

I am thankful for a fixed tire that cost us no money. What a blessing that the tire tech chose to give us today!

I am thankful for the hour and a half wait for our tire that allowed my husband and I to brainstorm over our new novel :-D

I am thankful that the first week of school is now under my belt!






Continue Reading...

Day 75 - Last {Five Minute Friday}


I was recently reminded of the verse telling us to "run the race".

Not win the race.

Not be in the top ten percent.

Simply to run.

Lord I know that I am not the fasted.  I know that I will never win the race. But Father, I pray that You will help me to run.

Your word doesn't even insist that we finish God, but simply that we run. I pray that You will help me to run with every fiber of my being.

Help me to run to Your promises when I am worried.

Help me to run to Your arms when I am scared or lonely.

Help me to run towards Your wisdom when I am confused.

Help me to run, Lord. Even if I am dead last. Help me to run.

Linking up with Lisa-Jo Baker for Five Minute Friday! Join us!


Continue Reading...

Day 74 - A Sweeter Gift {Desire to Inspire}

Pain.

I know it well. Physical and emotional pain ruled my life for several years.

The aches and pains that go along with my battle with Candida; the emotional pain that goes along with being childless.

I had almost gotten used to it. Almost.

But one day, that final straw flitted its way down onto my overburdened load, and I collapsed under the weight of it all.

I couldn't understand why God was doing this to me.

I knew logically, that "...All things work to the good of those who love Him", but somewhere in the back of my mind was a little shadow of doubt that was convinced He was out to get me.

Fighting through the grief of childlessness and a terrible illness had taken their toll on my spirit and I finally hit rock bottom. With nowhere else to turn, I cried out to my Father in heaven to deliver me from this turmoil.

As He was working to heal my finally-released-to-Him heart, I heard Him speak into my soul with such comfort and love this truth.

"I am giving you A Sweeter Gift."

How much more precious will my children be to me after years of waiting?

How much sweeter will those late night feedings be?

What joy I will feel with every contraction.

What pleasure I will take in every correction I will give to them as they grow.

What A Sweeter Gift my Father has prepared for me.


As Augustine wrote in his Confessions, "There is no pleasure at all in eating and drinking unless the pains of hunger and thirst go before."

Oh the things that I would have taken for granted before. All the joy and beautiful moments I would have missed in my haste.

Thank you loving Father for allowing me to thirst and hunger. Thank you for allowing me to know the depth of longing that makes the meeting all the richer. Thank you for granting me A Sweeter Gift than I could have ever imagined.

Are you waiting on A Sweeter Gift?

Linking up with A Royal Daughter for Desire to Inspire. Join us!






Continue Reading...

Day 73 - Growth


Looking back over the last three years, I don't even recognize the woman I was back then.

I was hurt, angry, frustrated, sad, lonely, jealous, devastated, worried, un-trusting, critical, and demanding. 

The pain that clutched my heart with each announced pregnancy was real.

That heartache that I couldn't fix... that my husband, parents, and friends couldn't fix, that was real.

The longing for children was so deep that it drove my every thought....

Flash forward to today. 

I am happy, content, satisfied.

Over the last few weeks, several friends have told me of their pregnancies and not even the shadow of jealousy has crossed my mind.

You have no idea what an amazing feeling that is.
I am thankful for my path. Even if I don't always understand it.

I am thankful for the growth that I have been granted by God through this experience. 

I am thankful for the blessings of so many babies all around me. I pray so fervently for their safe arrival. 




Continue Reading...

Day 72 - Classroom {Tiny Tuesday}


I talked about small things on Friday, but today is all about the tiniest of blessings.

I am thankful for a perfectly formed letter and the joy it inspires in the heart of a little child.

I am thankful for 30 minutes of kind and peaceful play.

I am thankful for the jar of beads that has entertained the girls for over a quarter of an hour!






Continue Reading...

Day 71 - First Day Jitters


I didn't sleep last night.

It felt, in a way, like Christmas Eve. In a way.

I kept going over names and lesson plans, supplies and schedules.


If I am this nervous as the teacher, what are all my students going through?

The day starts and I try to hide my shaking hands. We pray as a faculty before the first bell and that helps a bit. I genuinely feel like I am walking onto stage in front of millions of people.

I've performed for many years and stop feeling those nerves long ago... but here they were.

They don't care that I did this last year, that half my class from last year would be with me again, those nerves are standing up and demanding to be heard!

That all fades away when I walk into the sanctuary for morning assembly.

There they are, my class, sitting and waiting for their teacher to guide them through their first day of Kindergarten.

I feel that Mantle of Authority heavy on my shoulders and I go to meet my little flock.

I am thankful for the guidance and love that overflows from God and into my heart, so that I may pass it on to my class.

I am thankful that the first day is well underway.

I am thankful that dinner is already made ;-)


Continue Reading...

Day 70 - Super Short Sunday

I am thankful that this is not my first year of teaching. 

I am thankful for the butterflies in my stomach! I can't wait to get started!

I am thankful that I am not the ultimate authority in the universe, despite what my class might think, but that I have a heavenly Father to look to for help.

Pray for us tomorrow! Pray that these little kids and their parents will have an easy first day of school :-)






Continue Reading...

Day 69 - Meet the Teacher


 A little face peeked around the frame of the classroom door. A little boy who didn't know what to make of this new teacher and new room.

His mom urges him to come in, but he resists. Several minutes of easy coaxing later, he shakes my hand from behind his mother's legs.

I smile and tell him how glad I am to be his teacher this year. He smiles a little bit.

I ask him if he can find his name on the tables. Without looking he points behind him; he already had.

A few more minutes of small talk and he's running around the room and taking it all in.

Aren't we all like that? Dipping our toes into the water and making sure nothing sinister is waiting for us beneath the surface...

Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.

                                                           Isaiah 41:10


I am thankful to be a part of so many new little ones this year.

I am thankful that their parents have trusted me with their education.

I am thankful that I get to see them all grow and mature throughout the next ten months.



Continue Reading...

Day 68 - Small {Five Minute Friday}


As I look around the room, everything I see is small.

For a Kindergarten classroom, that makes sense.

Small chairs, small tables, small cubbies, small books, small toys...

And soon more small things will be entering the room. Monday morning there will be a room full of small little people eagerly awaiting the information I have to give to them.

Their small hearts ready to give big love, their small hands excited to learn big lessons, their small eyes watching everything I do.

Lord, help me to be a shining light for You. Help me to show grace when it is difficult, and love without ceasing. Help me to remember that to these small children, the smallest word or action can have a huge and lasting impact on their life. For good or for bad.

Father, please continue to teach me through them as You did last year. I am not done growing in You, just as they are not.

Help me to remember that I am small and You help me. I am small and You correct me. I am small and You teach me. I am small and You love me.








Continue Reading...

Day 67 - A Short Lived Dream


I had the opportunity to trust God with something unexpected last night.

We got a call from our realtor saying there had been a bit of a mix-up on her side and as a result, we had to come up with double the money we were originally told in just a few short weeks... and we only had an hour to decide if we wanted to continue with the purchase of this house.

At first we were tempted to "make it work", but that was a daunting thought. After only a few minutes, we stopped and prayed.

My husband and I felt the same prompting in our spirit; to let the house go.

It was disappointing for a moment, but in the end, it's just another opportunity to grow in our relationship with Christ.

I am thankful for the peace that comes from truly trusting in God's plan for my life.

I am thankful for a spouse who seeks God's will and wants me to do the same.

I am thankful that there is an even better situation down the road!

How do you handle a sudden change in plans?



Continue Reading...

Day 66 - Answered Prayer

The driveway seems more welcoming. It's a lot to put on a slab of concrete, but it seems to exude a friendliness somehow.

There is less nervousness this time around, but there is still some. The butterflies are more welcome this time; a happy flutter fills my stomach as I wait for the realtor.

No wondering if this would be the house.

No hoping that our bid is high enough.

No detached emotions as I make sure our furniture will fit here or there.

We won the bid. Pending an inspection, the house is ours. 


Though we are still reserving the full release of emotions for the day the keys are in our hands, we are thrilled at this answered prayer!

I am thankful for everyone who prayed for us and with us regarding this decision.

I am thankful that after eight years of marriage, everything is lining up for us to own our first home.

I am thankful for the trust and patience that I have learned through this experience.






Continue Reading...

Day 65 - Tiny Tuesday



Tiny Tuesday is all about the little things in life we have to be thankful for.

This week's Tiny Tuesday is brought to you by the house we just signed starting paperwork for...

I am thankful for the floors that are already stripped to the concrete! 

I am thankful for the scant 6 miles it is from my job.

I am thankful for prayerful patience that has brought me here. (That's not so small, but I am filled with big thanks today!)

What is your favorite things about your current house?







Continue Reading...

Day 64 - Is It Manic Monday Already??



I didn't start "Manic Monday" on purpose... but so far, that title is proving to be far too accurate!

Today has been absolutely insane! I can't wait to tell you all about it tomorrow. But for now, if I get to sleep in the next 15 minutes, I might just get a full 6 hours ;-)

I am thankful for God's totally unexpected blessings.

I am thankful that I made it through this day; with all it's good and not-so-good parts.

I am thankful that my bed is so very comfy.

I am SO thankful that the air conditioning in my apartment works tonight... it's the only place that has been cool all day.



Continue Reading...

Day 63 - Super Short Sunday

 

I am thankful for this one last day of summer before school starts tomorrow.

I am thankful the 3 hour nap that I accidentally took today. Apparently I really needed that!

I am thankful for all the help that I have received from friends and family in order to get everything ready for this school year.

Ready or not, school starts in t-minus 14 hours! Pray for me, friends! *wink*


Continue Reading...

Day 62 - Rainy Days



It seems like five minutes ago, the sun was shining and wasn't a cloud in the sky. When without warning, the clouds roll in and the rain starts pouring.

That's the way I feel in life most of the time. Things appear to be smooth sailing, no hint of a rain cloud, when BOOM! The heavens open up and God sends down a gully washer.

Most of the time I don't realize that the rain is a blessing until it's passed. But I'm working on that.

Taking away the metaphor, this literally happened today. It was the school wide work day to get everything painted/organized/fixed before the school year begins. One moment we were all out in the sunshine and within minutes there was a flash flood. Yikes!

It was a great time and I'm so glad that I got to help.

I'm looking forward to basking in God's rain in my life from the moment the first drop falls.

Do you tend to see life's "rainy seasons" as blessings right away, or does it take you a while?







Continue Reading...

Day 61 - Lonely {Five Minute Friday}


 Linking up with Lisa Jo Baker for Five Minute Friday.

Rules: Write for five minutes straight. No editing, no second thoughts. Just write and link up! Here we go!

Start.

Lonely.

That's not really a word that I associate with at a glance.

I have a happy family life, a wonderful marriage, a few but fierce set of friends. For the most part, I don't think I've ever really been lonely.

For the most part...

Last year I had a pretty emotional year as I dealt with the realization that I was childless. I know that sounds odd. Of course I knew that I didn't have children, but I didn't realize that I had some severe emotional turmoil that went along with that fact.

Getting through that part of my life was nothing sort of miraculous and I am in awe of God's graciousness each day.

But during that time, I isolated myself. I didn't want anyone to be near me because I was afraid they might figure out what was going on inside my heart.

I didn't want to hear their words of wisdom and intended comfort. 

I didn't want to hear how this person or that had overcome their struggles with childlessness.

I didn't want to hear that they were praying for me.

I was so selfish. And I was lonely. 

I refused to let anyone into my heart in a vain attempt to protect myself. When all that did was make matters worse.

It wasn't until I opened up to those around me that I started to feel less isolated. It wasn't until I opened myself up to God that I truly started to heal.

Lonely. I'm glad I don't recognize that word anymore.

Stop.

Have you ever been lonely? Are you lonely now? How are you/did you deal with it?



Continue Reading...

Day 60 - Where My Focus Should Be


Pulling into the driveway of a house I'd never been to before, I felt the butterflies flutter around in my stomach.

It's the ninth house I've looked at in less than a month. Five of those houses we've put bids on. And we've lost them all.

So many thoughts rush through my mind...

It's on a cul-de-sac, I like that.

I like the landscaping in the front yard.

I wish I wasn't seeing this house alone.

Did I write down the time wrong? Where is my agent?

I really hope this is the one.

God, help me to keep my hopes under control. I don't want them to be dashed again.

After ten minutes of waiting, my agents pulls up and we walk to the front door. Several minutes of fiddling with the lock box and we're finally in.

It's a small house and it doesn't take me long to to a thorough walk-through.

I hear myself tell her that I'd like to put a bid on the house and she says she will submit it right away... but on the inside I'm doing my best to remain detached.

Forty-five minutes later, I am back home and doing my best to put the issue out of my mind. It's difficult, but I know there are more important things to focus on.

A verse comes into my mind and I remember where my true focus should be.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. 
Psalm 37:4
 
I am thankful that God is in control.

I am thankful that I can focus on Him and He will sort out all the details that I am tempted to worry about.

I am thankful that God gives me the mental and emotional strength to deal with the ups and downs of this house hunting experience!

How long did you have to look before buying your first home? How did you get through the process?

Linking up with A Royal Daughter for {Desire to Inspire}.






Continue Reading...

Day 59 - Neat and Tidy


I sit at my desk, staring at a jumble of papers, games, pencils, and glue sticks. The whole room is covered in piles of "stuff" that needs to be sorted through and put away.

Furniture lines the walls; tables, chairs, cubby shelves, filing cabinets... and nothing seems to make sense.

In the back of my mind I know that in just a few short days this classroom will be filled with big personalities in little bodies, but I try not to let it overwhelm me.

My mind is racing with ideas for how to arrange and organize everything; a hundred different ideas at once... It almost keeps me from getting anything done.

K-Love plays Christian music from my iPhone in the background and I try my best to focus.

Ok, move this table...

Alright, these papers should go there...

Oh look! A pencil bucket, I can put that here...

And on and on it goes for hours on end. Though the day is ending, the task it not complete... So back I'll go tomorrow.

I am thankful for uplifting Christian music that kept me motivated and centered amongst the chaos today.

I am thankful for the large trash bags that were filled to the brim with unnecessary items.

I am thankful for the help of friends and family as the school year is flying towards us.

Do you have family heading back to school soon? Are you ready?








Continue Reading...

Day 58 - Tiny Tuesday



There are so many huge things in my life that I am so thankful for, but I don't want to forget the littlest things that God has blessed me with.

I am thankful for a perfectly timed text of encouragement from a friend. 

I am thankful for cleansing tears on a rough day.

I am thankful for the bible verse that pops into my mind as if God Himself is speaking words of inspiration directly into my heart.

What are you tiny thanks for today?







Continue Reading...

Day 57 - Manic Monday



Whew! What a day!

So many things going on and emotions swirling. Five different people that I needed to help, hours of work at my school, and so much to do.

Two classrooms shampooed, one classroom reorganized, and one broken cabinet later, I am finally home.

I am thankful for my brother who came up on a moments notice to clean the carpets in my room so that I could get to work.

I am thankful that my dad came up to look at the broken cabinet (and said he could fix it!).

I am thankful for my husband who had dinner ready when I came up. What a blessing he is to me. Thank you God for my wonderful marriage!






Continue Reading...