Day 60 - White Rock Lake

 

White Rock Lake is my haven in the city. It is where Roy and I go to walk, talk, and enjoy God's creation. Tonight we decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and head over to the lake before sunset. There's something about bodies of water that are just peaceful. Roy loved the first picture because it captures so much of what we love at the lake - the water, the sunsets, and the birds. 

Being a girl who cringes at the thought of living in the city and misses her cornfields and cows, White Rock has been a source of great joy for me over the last few years. And for that, I am very grateful!

  

Day 59 - My Brother

January 9, 1991. The day that my life changed forever. Deep down I wanted a baby sister. God knew what I needed. He gave me Tim. He was my favorite person in the world until I met my husband. Now Tim's number two. But I think he understands :)

We may not always see eye to eye on everything, but it doesn't matter. He's my brother. We've been through a lot together. I have more memories with him than with anyone else in the world. And I love him more than I could write if I had a whole book to fill.

So thankful for the brother God has given me. Love you, Tim.

Day 58 - Purple Martins (and answered prayers...)

This morning was a rough morning. I was feeling discouraged. I had to make a trip to Walmart for work to buy some supplies. As I was walking to another building to get the credit card, I looked over at the many purple martin houses in the field by the road. I thought to myself, "How cool would it be to see some martins? I bet they'll be here pretty soon... boy, that would make my day!"

Yes, I know, they're just birds. But I really like birds. A lot. So it would make my day.

But alas, no purple martins. I got the credit card, and I left for Walmart. I came back about 30 minutes later. As I drove into the lot, I glanced up and saw some birds flying around the houses. Dark birds. Not the usual sparrow that would make its perch there. And then in the sky, acrobatics! Martins? No way...

But it was! There were four or five purple martins that arrived during my shopping trip. And although some may find it coincidental, I know it was my Father reminding me that He hears me, He loves me, and I just need to keep hanging on to Him.

So today, I'm thankful for the purple martins.

Day 57 - Espiga

This little succulent was bought at Ikea back in May. We named him "Spike," but Roy quickly dubbed him "Espiga" (which means "spike" in Spanish). His place on our windowsill prompted us to buy a few more plants. We love having some greenery in our apartment! We like them all, but our favorite is definitely Espiga :)

Day 56 - Pelicans

Tonight we enjoyed the sunset at White Rock Lake. We also enjoyed watching the pelicans sitting on a nearby log. They have such funny antics! I love watching all the things they do with their beaks. I also love their fluffy feathers on the tops of their heads. Cute! These birds are incredible and large, with a length of 50-67 inches from beak to tail. Their wingspan ranges from 95-120 inches. Huge!!

Day 55 - Tealights

I am thankful for the simplicity, beauty, and effectiveness of tealight candles!

Day 54 - Seashells

I love the beach! One of my favorite things to do when I'm vacationing at a beach is gather shells. These shells are in a vase with a candle in our bathroom, and they're all shells I collected (mostly in Pensacola, I believe.). I just think they're so beautiful, colorful, and creative! They remind me of a place of relaxation, with the smell of ocean water, the sound of the waves crashing into the shore, the warmth of sand between my toes... I think I need a vacation...

Day 53 - Signs of Spring

The weather in Dallas today was beautiful. High 70s in the middle of February! All this warm weather has the plants thinking that spring has arrived. Roy and I decided to take a walk after dinner to see our first blooming tree of the year. The campus has lots of beautiful trees, but this cherry tree is the only one in bloom. The bees were going nuts, enjoying the blossoms! I must say, it warms my heart to see new life and know that spring IS on the way!

Day 52 - The Hunger Games (and other great fiction!)

Few books make me want to stay up all night long to read them. After Dekker's Circle Trilogy, I think the Hunger Games are becoming my next faves. In the middle of the second, and I don't want to go to sleep!!! I'm thankful for well written fiction that allows me to enter another world and makes me feel like I'm a part of it. If you haven't read either of the mentioned trilogies, check them out! They're fantastic (at least what I've read of Hunger Games so far is!).

Day 51 - Our Rug

When looking for a rug for our apartment, this was the one and only rug that I loved. It still makes me happy :)

Day 50 - Simple Gifts

I like loving people the way they best feel loved... but that isn't always easy for me. I'm a gift giver. Big time. But I'm also poor. Big time. And honestly, Roy doesn't care a whole lot about gifts. Guess that's good for our budget. He does, however, yearn for words of affirmation. So I decided to put together a little gift (yay!) that includes Roy's love language (double yay!). I saw a similar idea on pinterest, and I decided to make it my own. For the $.95 it cost me to buy the frame, I was able to make a simple gift that keeps on giving! Every day I write on it, I choose to love Roy in a way he feels loved the most!

Today's reason?

Day 49 - Jeans That Fit (and some other fun things...)

A friend of mine had told me about some kiosk at a mall that tells you what jeans would be the best fit for you. Roy and I found  out that Town East Mall in Mesquite has such a kiosk, and I decided to check it out. You step inside their matching station, and in about 15 seconds it scans your body for 200,000 measurements (no awkward pictures are shown like at the airports!). Then their computer prints off the best matches of jeans at participating stores. You can get on their computer with your information (and even access it all online at home!) and choose limitations such as stores, prices, styles, etc. The top suggested jean for me was a perfect fit! And it was on sale for $19.99! After finding a 15% off coupon at the store, I was pretty pleased with jeans for $18 (plus we had a gift card for that store!). Also, if you buy one of the items listed on your print out, you just bring back your receipt and your print out to the kiosk and receive a $5 gift card to Starbucks! I would definitely recommend trying it out. It's completely free and quick, and we all know how much a pain it can be to try and find jeans that fit just right!

Roy had also found an online coupon for a free travel item at Bath & Body Works. We each printed one off, so we also got two free lotions!

I love successful shopping trips!

For the information on the kiosk I mentioned, check out me-ality.com. Enjoy!

Day 48 - Brownies

Um yeah... brownies don't need comments...

Day 47 - My Jewelry Board

Due to the generosity of my husband and parents, I received several cute and long necklaces for birthday/Christmas. My little jewelry box was no match for them, so I decided to find a better way to store (or display!) them. End result -my jewelry board! I really love having my longer necklaces hanging up, and it makes for nice decor, too!

Day 46 - Valentine's Day

Yes, I know that yesterday was Valentine's Day, but due to Roy's evening class, we ended up going out to celebrate tonight instead. It worked out well! We headed to our destination, Cheesecake Factory, armed with a gift card from my mom (which always makes dinner out even better!). We enjoyed the spinach cheese dip appetizer, split the Romano-crusted chicken (and we still have half of it left!), and took home a piece of the Reese's peanut butter chocolate cake cheesecake (our favorite). We gave each other cards that spoke of our love and gratitude for one another. Mine has cute birds on it :)

I'm thankful for Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate the love that God has blessed us with and the love we have for each other.

Day 45 - Moose Tracks

Favorite. Ice cream. Ever.

Roy got it for me for Valentine's Day. He made a last minute decision to skip class tonight and stay home with me (even though we weren't going to do anything crazy because I wasn't feeling too great). We ate our ice cream with brownies and just enjoyed being together.

I think he's a keeper :)

Day 44 - Missionaries

I love hearing how God is working around the world through missionaries. Our church supports many, and our small group prays for and keeps up with one family in particular - the Binions. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that they are in the States, and they joined our small group time tonight. I love hearing their stories, their struggles, and their victories. It's amazing how God is working through them! So thankful for that time of encouragement and blessing tonight.

Day 43 - Monk

One of my favorite TV shows is Monk. I love his quirks and tendencies. Roy and I love watching through the episodes together. It's a nice way to relax together and watch a show that's well done, clean, and funny!

Day 42 - Cells

As much as I don't really love taking this biology class I'm in, there are some  pretty awesome things. Today as I was reading, two facts just put me in awe once again of God's amazing creation.  The chapter was on cells, and it opened up discussing the importance of microscopes in the study of cells. The book made the statement that the most powerful electron microscopes can distinguish objects small as 0.2 nanometers. The period at the end of the sentence (as the one zoomed in on in the picture above) is one million times bigger than an object 0.2 nanometers in diameter. What?!?

A few pages later...

The plasma membrane around a cell is thin. And not just kind of thin. Not just even really thin. Like "thin" doesn't do it justice here. One would have to stack 8,000 - yes 8,000! - plasma membranes on top of each other to match the thickness of one page of my book. Craziness!

My brain can't even really compute things that small. It's like, how on earth can something be that small or that thin!? God's creation is incredible. So thankful for all the amazing things He's created!

Day 41 - My Journal

I mostly use my journal for writing thoughts and prayers as I spend time in the Word each day. It's a great way to keep me focused and organized lest my mind just start to drift off into la-la land. I'm thankful to have a place to write and be honest with myself and God. It's so great to look back and see how God's grown me throughout the years by the things I've written as well!

Day 40 - Pearls

   “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." 

Matt. 13.45-46

I love my pearls. I think they are so beautiful, elegant, and feminine. And they remind me of the verse listed above. Although my pearls are not at all worth selling everything I have, they remind me of the importance of God's kingdom! Thankful today for this visual reminder and the enjoyment of wearing them!

Day 39 - Twice Baked Potatoes

I like potatoes. They're pretty good. But I LOVE twice baked potatoes... and it honestly doesn't have anything to do with the potatoes! It's about all the amazing goodness that gets mixed in. Tonight we made them for a dinner with friends. Some cheese, bacon, scallions, butter, dijon, sour cream, pepper, garlic powder... sooo good!

Day 38 - Hope

"...so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope..."

  

Although most of the time I love my job, it isn't always easy. Working with the elderly in a healthcare setting involves dealing with death. You can't ignore it. You can't deny it. You can't even just push it away. You start to make friendships with these people. You live to make them smile. You listen to their stories. You laugh with them. You cry with them. And then they die. Over the past year and a half, it's gotten easier to deal with death.

But this past week it's been rough. Two residents have passed away that meant a lot to me. They both encouraged me and brought me such great joy. And it brings tears to my eyes as I write this to know that I won't see them again on this earth. 

But that's where today's post comes in. Hope. I love this passage found in 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18. I have great hope! I will see both of these residents again as I know they loved Jesus passionately. I can rejoice and be comforted with this wonderful hope! For that, I am forever grateful. 

And I have to say that although it's my job to love on my residents, I am so grateful for the ways they love on me. God uses them in my life all the time to remind me of His truths and encourage me in His love.

Day 37 - Cookbooks

I really enjoy cooking. Too often I'm just drained when I get home from work, but when inspiration (or hunger!) hits, I love getting in the kitchen. We enjoy trying new recipes, and I love finding ways to make things taste better or make them healthier! Although there are a million recipes online, there is just something about cookbooks that I absolutely love! One requirement - they have to have pictures! I will almost NEVER make something if I can't see a picture of it first!

Day 36 - Cricut

Just a few days ago I picked "Homemade Cards" as the thing I was thankful for. I mentioned the Cricut machine in passing in that post, but I needed to give it a bit more attention. So today, I'm thankful for the Cricut (pronounced like "cricket") Machine!

It's an electronic cutting machine that has endless possibilities. I just found out that DTS has one that we can use in the library, and I've been going a little bit nutso about it. I used it to make this simple card, but how cute, right? So easy! I can't wait to use it more! I could honestly just sit over there and cut stuff out for hours... :)

Day 35 - SWIM Seminars

Once a semester, SWIM (Seminary Wives in Ministry) hosts a seminar for the wives. It's always wonderful with great food, a great speaker, and great fellowship! Today was no exception. The speaker was Susie Hawkins, wife of former First Baptist Dallas pastor O.S. Hawkins. She shared about life as a ministry wife both in how it pertains to your marriage and to your interactions with women in the church. She also gave us one of her books for free! I love free books :) The food is always delicious and homemade at the SWIM seminars. Today we had pulled pork sandwiches with a jalapeno cabbage slaw, chips, salad with fruit and candied pecans, and banana pudding cups. So good!

Day 34 - My Wedding Rings

I am so thankful for my rings. Roy picked out my engagement ring all by himself. He spent hours and hours and hours researching rings and diamonds before he picked mine. I love it :) These rings aren't just jewelry to me. They are a symbol of our love and commitment to one another. It shows the world that I am taken and committed to my husband. It reminds me of the covenant I made before Roy, my friends and family, and ultimately, God. I'm so thankful for these beautiful gifts from Roy that remind me each day of our love for one another!

Day 33 - Homemade Cards

I love making homemade cards! Now that I've found the amazing wonder of the Cricut, I love them even more! I've been making cards since I was in middle school and fell in love with rubber stamping. It's just so fun to be able to give someone something handmade, and it saves a ton of money (why are cards so expensive anyway???)!

Day 32 - Cinnamon Rolls

 LOVE! Especially with LOTS of icing! :D