Day 31 - Girl Scout Cookies

Today we received a package in the mail from Roy's parents. A Valentine's card and a box of Caramel deLites, or as we know them, Samoas! YUM! I love Girl Scout Cookies. Samoas and Thin Mints are my faves. Now we just have to try to make these last for a few days!

Day 30 - Tulips

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers. They signify the arrival of spring! While springtime is still a bit around the corner, these beauties were only $2.49 at my Kroger today. I knew I just had to pick them up! So thankful for some color and life to dress up our table!

Day 29 - Birthday Celebrations

Tonight we celebrated the birthday of our good friend Aria. He was very excited, as you can tell! :) I love birthdays. They were always a big deal in our home, and I plan to continue that tradition in my own home! It's just a great time to celebrate the blessing of another year of life.

Happy birthday, Aria!

It was also our first time at Buca di Beppo. All I have to say - YUM!

Day 28 - Homemade Chili

Well I had planned to take this amazing picture of my homemade chili topped with cheese, sour cream, and fritos. I remembered this, however, right after I finished my last bite. Sigh. So I resigned myself to the leftovers still sitting in the crockpot, lacking all of the fixin's. But that's ok. It was yummy. And we made cornbread muffins to go along with it. Perfect for a cold day!

Day 27 - Weather

I'm so thankful that God created weather. I love a day where the sun is baking me in its warmth. I also love the rain and how it washes away the dirt and grime. I love thunderstorms, watching the sky light up with brilliant bolts. I love cool breezes when fall is fast approaching. I love warm breezes when winter is almost past. Weather is amazing and wonderful!

The picture is of the barometer that I gave Roy for Christmas. It measures the barometric pressure in the air. Roy greatly enjoys anything to do with weather, so it was a successful gift!

Day 26 - Built-Ins

One of my favorite things about living in Swiss Tower... the built-ins! There are two wonderful built-in bookshelves. This is our decorative one, while the other (and bigger!) one holds mostly books with a few pictures here and there. They are so amazing! A great space saver and wonderful for decor!

Day 25 - My Cell Phone

Living 1,000 miles away from my family, I am so grateful for the ease of communication in our culture. I love being able to pick up my phone and call them whenever I want! Sooo thankful that we don't have to communicate only by pen and paper!

P.S. Happy 11 months 'til Christmas!

Day 24 - An Organized Closet

Tonight I organized my closet, which was much needed! I LOVE an organized closet. The rainbow of clothes makes me very happy :) I'm thankful for so many nice clothes and a great space in which to keep them organized!

Day 23 - Panera (aka Evil Bread!)

One of my favorite places to eat is Panera Bread. Our small group had our meeting there tonight, and I enjoyed an iced chai latte (love!) and a cookie. Right before closing the manager came around and gave us all cookies for free! Pretty sweet. Bible study and cookies go really well together!

Any guesses as to why Roy and I call it "evil bread"? 

Day 22 - Edible Arrangements

Every now and then, one of my favorite places offers up a spectacular deal - Edible Arrangements 12 piece fruit box for only $10! When this amazing offer comes around, my amazing mother is often super sweet and orders a box for us! This time we got strawberries, oranges, and apples - all dipped in chocolate! YUM! Thank you, Mom!

Day 21 - Baby Showers!

There is something so wonderful about celebrating a new life that is about to come into the world! Today I was privileged to attend a baby shower for a DTS wife who is due in February. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, meeting new friends, catching up with old ones, and showering the mother-to-be with love (and gifts!). I'm thankful for times of rejoicing and celebration for new life!

Day 20 - Cold Supplies

Due to this cold that continues to ravage my poor body, tonight I'm thankful for cold supplies! I'm especially grateful for Kleenex with lotion and Delsym cough syrup. And with that said, it's time for bed!

Day 19 - Hot Tea and Fun Mugs

 

A mug of hot tea when I have a cold makes me a bit less miserable... as it did tonight! I love the flavored teas, and tonight's choice was Sleepytime Vanilla. There is something about tea that soothes and calms, that makes everything in the world seem a bit brighter. 

At my job, we celebrate national food days. This month we celebrated National Hot Tea Day or month or something like that! We read a bunch of quotes and trivia about tea, and these are some of my faves. 

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company.  ~Author Unknown

Remember the tea kettle - it is always up to its neck in hot water, yet it still sings!  ~Author Unknown

A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. ~Eleanor Roosevelt 

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.  
~C.S. Lewis  

 The next best thing to the cup of tea is the mug. A mug can really make it for me! I love the pictured mug, given to me by a friend and mentor in my life. It makes its home on the bottom shelf in my glass/mug cabinet so that I see it every time I go to get a drink. It reminds me to rejoice and be glad for this day I've been given!

Day 18 - Luke's Pantry

Dallas Seminary has a wonderful ministry to its students - Luke's. Luke's exists in three capacities - online, closet, and pantry. All three function to provide for students at the seminary. We frequent the pantry when they open up on Wednesdays to pick up a few items. They had been closed since before Christmas, but today Roy came home with quite a load! Crunchy peanut butter, pasta sauce, two cans of diced tomatoes, tomato soup (LOVE!), apple sauce, cooking oil, rye bread, wheat bread, English muffins, and hamburger buns! All for free! God has been so good to provide for us in so many ways during our time here, and Luke's Pantry has been one of those ways!

Day 17 - Encouragement

 

Encouragement is a difficult thing to take a picture of, but this verse does it justice. First Thessalonians 5.11 tells us to "encourage one another and build up one another." Today at work, I was blessed to be encouraged by some fellow sisters. 

Three separate residents, all of whom are very "with it" (which if you know my job, is not the majority of the residents I work with!), talked to me today about the Lord, His blessings, His provision, and His goodness. It uplifted me and renewed my strength! It was like a breath of fresh air to have these wonderful ladies speak truth into my life. I'm thankful that during of time of uncertainty about the future, God provides people to remind me of His faithfulness!

Day 16 - Fondue

I really don't think I even need to say anything about fondue.. because it's aMAZing! Tonight our small group did fondue, cheese AND chocolate! Sooooo yummy! If you've never had fondue, you're missing out. Majorly. Find a friend who has a fondue pot and make some. It will change your life.

Day 15 - Apples to Apples

 

In college I was introduced to Apples to Apples. Some find the game boring. I like it! So does Roy. He introduced me to it! It's a great game to play with a large group, and it's pretty chill (aka doesn't require much thinking or speed)!

Day 14 - Our Guitar

 

Playing guitar is one of those things I've always wanted to do. As a kid, I would occasionally pick up my dad's classical guitar and try to learn a few chords. Then my fingers would start to ache, and I'd put it away until a few years later when I'd try again. 

In college someone put a guitar up for sale on our school's "Classifieds" page, so I got it. I fiddled around here and there with it.

I left that guitar in Ohio, but Roy has one down here. I'm definitely not great at it, but I know enough chords to get along just fine on most songs. I love just sitting down and playing songs to God, sometimes singing along with Roy and sometimes alone. There's something that is so life-giving about worship through music, and the guitar helps me to have those times.

Today I'm thankful for our guitar and the times of fun and worship that it gives!

Day 13 - My Pillow

You may take one look at that picture and think that I must have uploaded the wrong one. That is, however, my pillow - the inside view! It's a buckwheat pillow, filled with buckwheat hulls. It offers better support and adjusts to my head and neck. It also stays cooler than a regular pillow! Roy and I both have them, and they have been great in helping us to sleep better and have fewer aches (especially with all the headaches I get!).

Today I'm thankful for my pillow...now to go put it to use!

Day 12 - My Coworkers

Today at work we went out to lunch to celebrate one of my teammates birthdays! It is always fun to get away from work for a bit! These nine ladies are the ones I get to work with every day, and I'm thankful for all the fun we have!

Extra Gratitude: The birthday girl was having car issues today. I got to keep her company while we tried to figure some things out, and I was privileged to see God provide for us after we thought we were stuck. He is so good and faithful!

I'm grateful for my friends and for the ways I get to see God working in people's lives every day!

Day 11 - Little Caesar's (aka pizza pizza!!)

 

I figured since I hadn't posted anything food related for four days, it was safe to bring it back! 

Good ol' Little Caesar's... 

We have a bit of a history with Little Caesar's. When I met Roy my sophomore year in college, he had a tradition. Eat peanut butter sandwiches and cereal all week at Chuck's (our beloved cafeteria), and then make up for all calories he missed during the week by eating a WHOLE Little Caesar's pizza every Friday. He likes it just like the Tony's one - cheese, no sauce. The people who worked at the location by our college knew him by name. He'd walk in the door, and someone would yell out, "Cheese, no sauce!"

During these days, I wasn't a huge fan of Little Caesar's. I'd have to get my own pizza, since he would eat all of his, and I honestly didn't think it was anything great. Since we got married, however, I've grown to really enjoy it. Now we share the pizza, and I do the same thing as I do at Tony's - dip the plain pizza in the marinara sauce (again, MUCH better than just the plain cheese pizza!). Plus now we get Crazy Bread, often for free thanks to coupons! And how can you beat $5 for a large pizza?! Down here they're actually $5.55 +tax unless they're on sale. But still, what a steal!

So I'm thankful today for Little Caesar's...thank you thank you!!

Day 10 - Body Back Buddy

This is my Body Back Buddy, my trigger point massager. It's amazing, especially on days like today when I get a headache due to muscle pain. It doesn't take it away, but it sure helps to be able to work out some of those muscles. And due to that headache, that's all I've got for tonight!

Day 9 - Small Group

I love these people. A lot. They make up (most of) my small group from church, minus two other special ladies who weren't here tonight! Part of me feels like this picture is worth a thousand words (and therefore I can stop typing!). But I have a few things I have to say to this bunch, just in case they are reading.

I love you all so much. God has greatly blessed me with your friendship and love. It's made living in Dallas a bit easier and much more fun.

More specifically...

Kate - You're one of the first girls I met here in Dallas, and I'm so grateful that God has kept us together over the last 2.5 years! I love how you make me laugh and how you love Jesus. Also, if I had to be in the hospital, I'd want you to be my nurse :D
Aria - I love your passion for Jesus and for people. I love how you can laugh and be an absolute goofball, but also have such a serious heart for the Lord. And I love all of the special things we have in common...
Alen - I love what you bring to our group! From laughing over language differences and soda spewing, we have a lot of fun. It is exciting to see how God is growing you and teaching you, and I'm excited to see what He has in store for you in the future!
Michelle - Wish you were in this picture! I have missed you in our group so much, but I'm so grateful for the times you are here! I love the perspective you add to our discussions and how you love to have fun (including Bollywood movies!).
Steve - You and Tiffany made me feel comfortable in this group from the first day we met. I love the wisdom you impart in our discussions, and you know I enjoy all the laughter you bring to our group!
Tiffany - We missed you tonight, too! I've felt drawn to you from the first time we came to group. You're always smiling, even when life is tough and when you're exhausted. I'm challenged and encouraged by your heart for God and your family. I've learned about parenting by watching you with Shania. Thank you for your wisdom and encouragement!
Daniel - I feel like we've just started finally getting to know each other better! I'm grateful for the companionship you've been able to have with Roy in class/chapel, and I love how God created you with your artsy/creative side!
Jill - I love your passion for life, everything from ballet to teaching to Chick-fil-a to the Lord. I've loved spending more time together recently, and I'm excited to get to know you even more over the next several months!
Roy - I think yesterday's post about sums it up (see it here), but I do want to say that you are a great small group leader. You keep us on track so we actually get things done! You really have a passion for people and their growth, as well as a passion for your own growth in the Lord! Thank you for being an inspiring leader.

I'm so grateful to God for these brothers and sisters!

Day 8 - My Beloved, My Friend

“His mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend."

 Song of Solomon 5.16

 

 After my relationship with Jesus, the most important person in my life is my husband - Roy. He is my lover and my best friend. Every day I look forward to coming home to him. We have a blast together. We sit quietly together. We struggle through the difficulties of life together. We grow. We laugh. We cry. We hold on tight to each other and to God. I can't fully express in words how wonderful life is being married to Roy. I can say that he gives me a tangible glimpse of the love of Christ as he is the most patient, forgiving, and gracious man I have ever met. He brings me great joy!  

Roy, thank you for being the best husband a girl could dream of. I'm unworthy of your faithful love, but I'm so grateful for it!

P.S. I had to include two pictures from today cuz he's such a stud I couldn't decide which one to use :)

Day 7 - Books!

I love books. So does Roy. I think that we, like many seminarians, might love books a bit too much at times. But that's ok. I had plenty to choose from for taking my picture, but I took this shot randomly. As I studied the photo more carefully on my computer, I noticed how many books in this small sample of the many more we own have been significant in our lives.

• C.S. Lewis' writings, especially Mere Christianity, greatly challenged me in my walk with God. 

• The Search for Significance was powerfully used by God in my life during college to completely change my way of thinking and self talk, radically transforming my life.

• Knowing God by J.I. Packer has been one of Roy's top reads ever (still on my list of books I need to read!).

• John Piper's Desiring God and Don't Waste Your Life both grew me in areas of worship and daily living.

And that's just a taste! It's encouraging to look back over our bookshelves and remember how God has used these printed words on a page to grow us, encourage us, and challenge us. I'm so thankful for the ability to read, the freedom to read whatever I want, and the accessibility to so many books!

Day 6 - Unconditional Love (in a bowl of pasta)

 

Tonight I got home from work hungry and tired...and that is never a good combination. After me whining and lying on the couch for awhile, I told Roy he needed to just make something for me to eat ("lest he ruin the night"... yeah I get a bit unreasonable when I'm hungry and tired). So he quickly proceeded into the kitchen to whip up some pasta. I think I inhaled the whole bowl of it in two minutes.

I greatly appreciate his willingness to serve me and love me even when I'm not being loving or worthy of his love. He shows me grace, patience, and kindness every day. He gives me a glimpse of how Christ loves me unconditionally even as the wretched sinner that I am.

So today I am thankful for a husband who does his best to love me unconditionally every day. And today, that was through a bowl of pasta.

Day 5 - Game Nights with Friends

You know what I miss about college life? Spontaneity. No one seems to have time anymore to hang out on a whim. But lately we've had a few of those experiences, and tonight was one of them. Some friends of ours hosted us for dinner and games. I love game nights with friends! We played several games, one of which was Hearts. Although I didn't win, I DID shoot the moon TWICE!!!

Thanks to the Moshers for the invite :)

P.S. If you never have time to spontaneously hang out with people, you're missing out. Give your life some more white space!

Day 4 - Tony's Pizza and Pasta

When I was brainstorming ideas for this photography project, I mentioned the idea of food. Roy said that would be too difficult. I'm starting to wonder if he was wrong. Three outta four days are food so far. I was really set on today NOT being food... but then Roy suggested we eat dinner at Tony's.

Tony's Pizza and Pasta on Northwest Highway is our absolute favorite restaurant in Texas. First of all, you get all-you-can-eat garlic knots and marinara sauce for dipping. Delish. We usually eat a ton of those and then split a pizza. We get the large pizza, cheese, no sauce. Weird, yeah. It's Roy's thing. But I've grown to love it even better than regular pizza (aka with sauce)! I dip the non-sauced pizza in the marinara sauce from the garlic knots, so it all works out.  Anyway, we're so full from the bread that we only eat half the pizza, and then we have leftovers! And it's soooo yummy! The price is awesome, too! Drinks are $1. The large pizza (that feeds us two meals) is $8.95.

Check out their website if you're interested: http://www.tonyspizzapasta.net/

I'm very grateful for a place like Tony's where we can go out to eat for a decent price and have delicious food!

Day 3 - Homemade Bread

We have a breadmaker. I think I have used it once. Roy, however, uses it to make us homemade bread all the time! I find that fantastic. Today he made his first attempt of sourdough. It was delicious, but we both agreed it wasn't very "sour-doughy." Not enough "tang." It made an awesome grilled cheese though.
Knowing Roy's track record, he will make a few more attempts and come up with something fabulous. He's done that before with rye bread, and now he has his own concoction that is quite delicious! He even received a mortar and pestle for Christmas so he can grind up the caraway seeds to put in the rye bread. But I digress...

Day three is homemade bread. Love it.

P.S. Is it bad that two outta three days are food? I guess if you know me, you know I love food. Don't worry, I promised Roy he'd make it in during the first week!

Day 2 - Chick-fil-a

 

I wasn't planning on making Chick-fil-a my day-two-item. Nor was I planning to insinuate in any way that after God, the next most important thing in my life is Chick-fil-a. But an impromptu trip for lunch with some friends left me with no choice. 

So here it is. Chicken sandwich. Waffle fries. Sweet tea.
Best. Fast food. Ever.

Day 1 - My Bible

I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,

And will glorify Your name forever.

Psalm 86.12

Last year, I kept a gratitude journal where I tried to write down ten things I was thankful for each day. I wanted to begin a 365 (or 366 in this case!) photography project this year to improve my photography skills. A friend suggested my focus for the project be things I am thankful for, and I thought that to be a perfect continuation of my gratitude journal. 

 

So each day I will be taking a picture of something for which I am thankful, both growing my photography skills and growing in my ability to give thanks to the Lord in all things! For the first day, I chose my Bible. My Bible signifies more to me than even just God's words. It stands for my personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. He uses His Word to speak Truth into my life, to grow me more into His likeness, and to encourage me when I'm struggling. No matter what I am facing in my life, God's perfect Word never fails me.