Let Your Light Shine: Three Eighty-Nine thru Four Hundred Two

"I lift up my eyes to the hills-

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip-

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you-

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The lord will keep you from all harm-

he will watch over your life,

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore."

Psalm 121

Friday, July 29th

389) Shade- After living in humid climates for several years where the shade does not ease the oppressive heat, I have gained a stronger appreciation for shade here in Albuquerque. What an incredible difference between standing with the sun beating down upon your head and relaxing in the shade. The temperature is significantly different. Shade has allowed my family to enjoy the outdoors far more than we were able to during past summers.


Saturday, July 30th

390) Singing- How thankful I am that God gave us the ability to sing!  I love singing myself, listening as others sing- particularly when standing in the midst of a congregation singing praises to God, and hearing our little girl find her singing voice. They all brings me joy, entertainment and peace. I cannot imagine life without singing.


Sunday, July 31st

391) Clothes for our little one-I  know buying toys for children is far more fun than clothes, but we are ever so thankful to those who help us keep our little girl dressed. The older and bigger she gets, the more I am reminded of this blessing.


Monday, August 1st

392) Crock pot meals- I love my crock pot. In fact I use it frequently enough that we have two (comes in handy at Thanksgiving time). I love that I can make a wide variety of meals where the preparation takes place earlier in the day before I get busy with other things, and it doesn't add too much additional heat to our house.


Tuesday, August 2nd

393) A good end after a rough start- This morning was a rough morning for our daughter. It was one of those days where I felt like the only word I said was "no." I wondered briefly if I was just being too strict and putting too many boundaries up, but as I looked back over the various situations, I realized it wasn't me. Our daughter was just having one of those days. It was wearying and hard and settling down for nap time was no different. What a pleasure it was for me then when our little girl awoke full of smiles, laughter and obedience. The rest of our day went smoothly and it was just a reminder that "this too shall pass."


Wednesday, August 3rd

394) Others' prayers- My headaches and migraines have been giving me a great deal of trouble over the past few weeks and no amount of rest or assistance from Drew has helped. I had already decided it was time to try to get a more thorough check-up and the past weeks have only confirmed that. Needless to say, I was a bit disheartened when I called the doctor's office where I was to be referred and was told that the wait was six-seven weeks. I really didn't know if I, or my family, could make it that long if I didn't see some relief. I had told my family and friends about this delay and I knew they all were praying. What an incredible blessing to call yesterday and be told there was a cancellation and I could get in today. The timing of my call with the new opening in my doctor's schedule was far beyond coincidence, it was the answer to prayers of so many people. Thank you!


Thursday, August 4th

395) Medical Insurance- I have been very blessed to have some form of medical insurance for all but six months of my life. Don't get me wrong: I know there are lots of problems and difficulties when dealing with insurance. I remember the discussions and struggles my parents had when my Dad changed jobs, but they needed to maintain my coverage in order to insure my epilepsy wasn't classified as "pre-existing." I remember weaning myself off all my migraine medicine after college and enduring severe rebound migraines because I was without insurance and could no longer afford prescription medication. Even now we have to go through the correct hoops in just the right order- for both our insurance company and any civilian doctors- to insure any visits or procedures will be covered. Despite the hardships, the rising deductibles we have paid and all the red tape, I am still grateful for medical insurance. There is no way we could afford the medical care we have and continue to receive otherwise, and in times of crisis, insurance can make what could be an astronomical bill more manageable.


Friday, August 5th

396) Creative solutions- Sometimes necessity leads to creativity. When the easy, most obvious method just isn't readily available, I am thankful that I can think a little outside of the box and find another solution.


Saturday, August 6th

397) Our BioPark membership- A few months back, Drew and I decided to become members at the Albuquerque BioPark (which includes the zoo, aquarium, and botanical gardens). It was a wonderful decision and has given us many wonderful days of enjoyment already.


Sunday, August 7th

398) Enjoy my "job"- No I don't work outside the home, but what I do is a good 40 hour a week job all the same. Drew and I have always said that, if possible, we wanted me to be able to stay home when our child(ren) were small. We felt it was important and beneficial, so it has always been something I wanted to do. Now it's more than something I feel compelled to do, it's something I love to do. I love being able to spend time with our little girl, watching her grow, laughing with her when she is silly, and helping to mold her into a loving, respectful, obedient young person. I also enjoy the ability to try new, more time-consuming meals. They are nothing too outlandish, but it's more than I would have done when I was working outside the house. Last- and this will likely show my OCD some- I love a clean house. There is something wonderful about a spotless stainless steel faucet and the feel of freshly swept and mopped floors. I didn't always know if I would be a good person to stay home full-time and sometimes I still have my doubts. No matter what, I love what I do and you can't ask for more than that.


Monday, August 8th

399) Light- In the past thirty-six hours or so, I have heard several comments about darkness versus light. It has only reminded me just how thankful I am for light. I had never really thought about it before. I suppose it's just too much a part of our everyday life, but without light, what a chaotic and difficult life it would be. While this is true in our physical world, there is an even greater spiritual truth. The light, given to us by the Holy Spirit, has the same effect on darkness. I am grateful for everyone who has let their light shine before men, and in doing so, pointed people to Christ. Their light blazes forth in a darkened world and offers hope, peace and joy unlike anything else available in this world.


Tuesday, August 9th

400) Dust Mop- If you haven't caught on yet, I do love a clean house. For a long time, one of my biggest pet peeves was that even after sweeping and mopping, my tiled floors would still feel dirty and gritty. The broom and mop just didn't clean well enough. Then I found a dry/damp dust mop and decided to try it out. Now when I clean my floors, I walk away feeling as though the job has been completed and completed well. Yes, it adds a little more time to my cleaning, but I think the end result is worth it.


Wednesday, August 10th

401) Our daughter's blossoming sense of humor- Over the past few weeks, the word we have most frequently used to describe our daughter is silly and with good reason. She has started to intentionally say the silliest things just to get a smile or laugh. The more we react, the more she continues. It struck me that this is just the beginning of her sense of humor and it is a joy to watch.


Thursday, August 11th

402) Living unafraid- Fear can be paralyzing. I know that personally. I have an uncontrollable phobia of flying insects or any insect that resembles a flying insect. I know how this fear started, and I also know it is irrational. All the same, no matter what I tell myself, I still find myself nearly frozen in fear with a racing heart and rising body temperature thanks to a tiny bug several feet away. Other fears in this life can be far more paralyzing with a far greater impact on our lives. I have a few other fears that I regular combat: some related to my own fortitude, others related to military life and still others stemming from my people-pleasing, perfectionistic mindset. I know these fears exist because at some point or another, I have had to face them and decide "Will I allow my fears to rule my life or will I live by faith?". So far every time I have stepped out in spite of my fears, I have been blessed.

I know only one thing in life to truly be afraid of and that is living a life apart from God.