Malachi 3:16-18 - Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.  ¹⁷ “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. ¹⁸ And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.

Thankfully counting...

• health of me and my family
• God's provision and protection
• sister's safe travels and Alaska mission trip adventure
• how my sister lives out loud for Jesus
• we all survived and thrived during VBS
• God uses our life walk to minister to others
• God uses others' experience to draw me nearer to Him and challenge me to be more viligant 
• That some 5th and 6th grade girls now know what they have to do to know Jesus

Trusting Him and Pursuing His Plans for...

• The Wood family and their battle against leukemia.  I so love how He has already answered specific requests and how he's transforming lives in the process.
• Upcoming challenges He has given me.  Praying for obedience and patient endurance.
• Walking through life with some very strong and brave women.  They so inspire me! (you know who you are!)
• What He has in store for me at work.

Totally enjoying...

• Ryan's conversation with me before bed one night, "Mom, do you know about the bad guys who put Jesus on the cross.  But Jesus is alive and He can live in our hearts so we can live in Heaven someday.  Do you think Spiderman has Jesus in his heart?  He has a spider over his heart, but maybe Jesus still can live there.  I really want Spiderman to have Jesus in his heart."
• Ian asking some really good quesitons:  "Mom, why don't we just give the missionaries money so they have what they need instead of it being a contest between the girls and the boys?"
• when Ian and Ryan get a case of the giggles
• putting puzzles together
• playing games together
• playground fun
• watching movies together for the trillionth time 

Jesus, thank you!  Please help me to learn and re-learn how to be content. 

Practicing...

• Laughing more.  This is quite simple when my boys have a serious case of the giggles and keep saying "Whataburger" on our way to Chick-fil-A! 
• Enjoying priceless moments - Ian says, "Man, it's hot out here!"  Ryan responds, "You got that right, brother!"  (you may have had to be there!)
• Prayer
• saying "no"
• saying "yes" to what matters
• enjoying what really matters
• digging into God's word more

Passionately Pursuing...

• Him
• His plan
• His Word
• His voice
• less legalism
• less of me and what I want
• sitting still and knowing that He is God
• His forgiveness, grace and redemption
• His answers to my questions
• Less about accomplishment and more about how I accomplish it