Friday Night Five #9

What a wonderfully busy week we have had in Phoenix!


I decided to share my Friday Night Five with you this week ~ In Pictures!


Though I wish I had some fabulous camera and was proficient at editing, I must admit that all of these pictures are straight out of my little Sony Cybershot that I bought nearly 6 years ago, the day before our little Kori was born! It still works so I suppose no new camera is in my future unless God chooses to bless me real BIG!!!


So, for this week here are my 5 Thankfuls:

1) I am so thankful that we were able to attend the WestWorld Horse Show last Saturday. It was a long and rather hot day, yet we always enjoy spending time with our SilverLining friends. This was a much more intense show than most we have been to and there were many rated riders, yet Matthew still came home with 2 ribbons and a HUGE smile!!!

2) I am thankful that our kids came over to spend Sunday afternoon with us after church and the weather was so delightful that (some) of us were able to brave the cooler waters of the pool. 78 degrees is just a bit chilly for my fluffy body but the kids LOVED it! We had a great afternoon, dinner and fun family time.

3) Monday we were bless to be able to see new pictures of our precious little angel (Katie) who will be joining us in September. I had to hold back tears as I watched HER move around in her mommy's tiny tummy. She is precious and I just cannot wait to hold her.

4) Everyday is fun around our home, especially at night when little Sammy wants to play. When I get home from work, I can hardly sit down before Sam thinks it's time for a bone. He jumps on the couch and onto my back, he directs me to the bone cabinet and then takes a ride back to the living room where he will want to chase the bone when I throw it, bring it back, jump on my back again to chase it again. This usually lasts about 10 minutes until he is tired and just wants to eat the bone. Good thing it only lasts that long because these 51 year old knees have trouble crawling around too long. He sure brings joy to our evenings though.

5) Some of you already heard about this but I am quite thankful that this is gone:

AND...this has arrived:

We are lovin' our new refrigerator!!!

Well, there is a glimpse of my week! Hope yours was wonderful and your weekend is blessed!

Thanks for stopping by and leave a comment so I know what YOU are thankful for!!

Considering A Week In Pictures Delightful,

Cindy

Farewell Middle Child

My husband and I are into adoption! We adopted our children, we have adopted numerous pets and even some of our furniture has been adopted. We LOVE adoption. What we don't love is saying goodbye, but tomorrow we will have to say goodbye to our middle child.

Our oldest son was born in 1981 and our youngest in 1985. Our middle child was born somewhere in between though we don't know the exact date. However we do know that she joined our family in 1984. We treasure all of our children and are thankful that God closed my womb and allowed us to adopt.

I must say that ours does not display the typical middle child syndrome. No, not ours, she knows she is loved and appreciated for who she is. She understands what a blessing she has been in our lives for 26 years and how many times we have individually stood before her and just been in awe of her qualities and provision of joy in our home.

On many nights she has comforted me especially when sadness or lonliness loomed like a dark cloud. It seemed as she grew older, she understood me and was instantly able to meet the longings of my soul. She has become a treasured friend.

It is with great sadness that tomorrow we will close the doors on our relationship one final time as she leaves our home for an unknown future.

Farewell my sweet! You will be missed! AND.........















You will be replaced with one of these:)



Considering A New Refrigerator With Great Joy,
Cindy

Friday Night Five #8

It is Friday Night again for which I am always thankful!
I just LOVE Friday nights.

An honest and revealing statement is that I have battled depression most of my life. I HATE IT~!!! However, though I battle depression and sadness I am truly a positive person. I can find good in everything and I consider myself a glass half FULL kind of gal ~ for that I am truly grateful.

Most people would not think those two statements could be true about the same person but they are with me as I have prayed MUCH-O and work very hard and staying positive.

One of the ways I work at staying grateful and positive is to encourage others. And, one of the ways I have found to encourage others is to share the little things I am thankful for. We tend to look at the BIG bad circumstances in our lives and become down yet when we begin looking at the little every day things it begins to lift our spirits and pretty soon that old gloom and doom just disappear!

It is one of the reasons I love Friday nights because I get to share things I am grateful for with the world ~ well, at least the few people who read my silly blog:)

Here is my '5' for this week:

1) I had an opportunity to spend several hours with my mom yesterday and I enjoyed my time immensely. We worked hard cleaning her garage and then got to have lunch and visit for awhile. I am aware that many people don't ever get to spend time with their mom's and I am blessed to be able to do so.

2) I am grateful for PTO. I was off work Sat & Sun then worked Mon, off Tue, Wed, and Thurs, then worked today and now I'm off Sat and Sun. Doesn't that sound like a fabulous work week? Can't happen every week but it sure was nice and I enjoyed every minute of the entire week even the work time.

3) I am so happy for a great new dentist who is fixing my hubby's teeth. He has been missing a few of those pearly whites and Dr. Dentist is making him so fine new ones! I am so happy for him.

4) I am most grateful for tax returns to pay for those new pearly whites!!!!

5) Today is April 16th and it is one of my best friends' birthdays. Though I don't get to see her or even talk to her as much as I used to or would like to I am still grateful that she is in my life and that God joined our hearts from the first moment we met way back in 1989. Susan, you are loved!!!!!

Well, I could go on and on of course, but I will spare you! What about you? Are there things that you are grateful for tonight? I hope you will share them with me but if not please at least share them with those you love. Encourage someone this weekend. Give someone a hug. Send someone a note. Do something for someone else!!! You will be surprises how good it makes YOU feel!

Considering Gratefulness with Joy,
Cindy

An Open Letter to God!

Dear God,

Today my heart hurts. But at 51 should I really have a hurting heart just because someone talked negatively about me to someone else? Should I really be so affected at all by words? Sticks and Stones and yes words hurt!

Today I want to crawl into a hole and cover myself up. Oh how sad to feel such hurt over a few misguided words. But unfortunately my defensive walls sprang up today and I felt ugly and sad at my reaction. Why do I care? What makes it hurt?

God, can you see my heart that wants so much to please YOU yet crumbles when it is criticized? I know Christian means to be Christ-like yet today I wasn't. I wanted to be, but I just wasn't. No, I didn't raise my voice or say anything, no retaliation, just sadness in my heart and a feeling of . Isn't that sin enough?

I wish I could say that I reflected your absolute love today but I cannot:( Discouragement filled my soul and I'm quite sure reflected in my image to all. How sad for opportunities missed today because I got my feelings hurt. How unimpressed You would be.

Your Word teaches me that ~ "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 ~ but today I feel like we are starting over at square one!!

An ugly word sneaks into my heart as I type: PRIDE!

• A man's pride brings him low ~ Pro 29:23a
• Patience is better than pride ~ Ecc 7:8a
• Pride goes before destruction ~ Pro 16:18a
• When pride comes, then comes disgrace ~ Pro 11:2a
• Pride only breeds quarrels ~ Pro 13:10a

I'm sure that pride has something to do with why I get so hurt if someone puts me down. I think all of us want people to like us but especially in a work setting where you not only want people to like you but respect you and the work you do. I want my employer and my coworkers to see what a good job I do and to be appreciative of that work. I certainly don't want them to disrespect me in any way.

Oh Lord, no matter how I share my heart with You, You always speak back. I suppose this is ultimately a pride issue, one that I need to be on my face about, one that needs repentance and forgiveness for, one lesson that I hope to not soon forget.

The back side of the previous scriptures share more truth:

• But a man of lowly spirit gains honor ~ Pro 29:23b
• But with humility comes wisdom ~ Pro 11:2b
• But wisdom is found in those who take advice ~ Pro 13:10b

I believe I will be seeking wisdom and advice over the next few days as I lay the brokenness of my heart in Your hands and the pride of my life at Your feet.

Considering Letters To God With Joy,

Cindy

Friday Night Five #7

How do you share your heart in a simple list of five things you are grateful for on a day like today? I can not!

Tonight my Friday Night Five is simply this:

A Father

A Son

A Garden

Prayer

Brokenness

Betrayal

The Cross

The Blood

A Sacrifice

For Love

Mercy

Grace

Hope

Forgivenness

Peace

Joy

'For God so loved the world (you and me) that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.' John 3:16

Tonight, I am humbled! Thankful for the cross and Easter morning!

Considering my life nothing in comparison to the cross, yet everything because of a Father's sacrifice.

Cindy