A Lesson

At school this week, I am talking about gratitude and thankfulness with the kids...I feel like the Lord has given me an opportunity to practice what I am about to "preach" this weekend...

In my initial panic last night, I posted my "Silly Request"...below is an update from my heart in regard to the post...

This weekend, we were blessed with the opportunity to attend the big TCU game with friends. We had fun, we wore purple, B dressed as a little horned frog and got to tailgate with some friends before the game. After walking to the game, entering the stadium with all the masses of people, and finding our seats, I noticed that my wedding band wasn't on my finger...it had fallen off in all the hysteria of navigating through the purple masses with B in tow. Both C and I hoped that I had forgotten to put the ring on, we hoped that it was simply at home...no such luck! After retracing our steps several times, we have still not been able to locate the ring. I admit, there were tears...but later after I calmed down...I realized there was really a lesson in contentment, patience, thankfulness and gratitude in all of this, let me explain...

After coming to grips with the reality that the ring may never be located, C and I decided to replace the ring with a temporary simple and very humble wedding band. Would I like to immediately replace the lost ring with what I had previously had? Of course! But that isn't realistic right now...hence the lesson in patience and contentment. As I think about this new simple band around my finger and my original wedding band, I am humbly reminded that though symbolic...both pieces of jewelry are simply pieces of metal, both can be replaced (and neither can come to heaven with me someday), but there are other parts of my life that can't be replaced...hence the lesson in thankfulness. This entire ordeal has reminded me of the gratitude that I need to have ultimately for my salvation, and then for my husband, our son, our family, our friends, our health, provision for our immediate and daily needs...remembering Matthew 6:19-21 that reads
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, I felt convicted to share this humble lesson that I am learning...as I have been challenged to take account of all the treasures that the Lord has so graciously provided and blessed me with...and to find joy in the place that He has me right now...for this time...
Am I sad about the ring? No Doubt! But I am thankful for this unanticipated lesson...

Silly Request

I have no idea who reads our blog... but I have a prayer request...

We attended the TCUgame tonight (Go Frogs!) and while at the game, I noticed that my wedding band wasn't on my finger...we searched the area that we were sitting in and didn't see it...and I simply assumed that I had forgotten to put it on before leaving our house...

Well...we got home and the ring wasn't at home...we have searched the car seat, car, house...what seems like everywhere, several times...

I know that it is just a piece of metal...but I am really sad about not having it...yes, maybe someday it can be replaced...but it still will never be the ring that C gave me on our wedding day...

Would you mind praying that someone would stumble upon it, call TCU to turn it in and then that they would contact me?

Thank you so much!

Go Frogs!

Just for the record...

-The new clock tower on campus is purple...

-The Chesapeake Energy building down town is purple...

-The mayor named today as "Wear Purple Day"...and rumor has it that this was on the national news this morning...

-The meteorologist on the morning news, was wearing purple this morning...

-The campus is buzzing with media...visitors and tons of purple and the trees along University are adorned with purple and white (and pink) ribbons...

-Houses around the campus have flags hung, signs hung on windows, streamers in front yards...

-C wore his game day shirt to the office today...

-I wore a purple sweater and purple scarf to school today...

But most noteworthy...

-B wore his game day shirt to school today...along with almost his entire school!

You have to love the fall, football and of course the FROGS!!!!

Here is a video of that little guy that is celebrating Christmas early this year...

www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/11/13/boy.early.christmas.wdiv

Three Sweet Years

Yesterday, C and I celebrated our third anniversary...at times if feels like the time has flown by, and other times if feels like time has stood still since November 11, 2006! We celebrated by taking a walk with B and Ella. We walked through a park that we walked through countless times while we dated in college and then later got engaged in. It was so sweet to walk through the park together as a family last night, we found our conversation to be flooded with memories...it was pretty surreal to think of the journey that the Lord has and continues to take us on...

Our first date at Bass Hall, walks around the park, the park bench, the bridge, time at the ball park, Reunion Tower, time spent with family, the cabin, skiing, Patagonia, Mesa, being together, being apart, our engagement, planning our wedding, Saint John, our first house, Ella, our precious church, our Bible study, learning about B, meeting B, becoming parents....

I can't wait for whatever is around the corner...it has been and continues to be such an honor to be on this journey together...

Special Request

Below is an email that I received at work today...I thought I might post it in effort to get as many Christmas cards to this sweet little guy as possible...but even more, in effort to rally prayers for this precious little one and his family. It is hard to understand things like this...praise God for being bigger and greater than cancer!

***Special Request***
Diana Harrison Biorkman has a 5 year old son in his last stages of a 2 1/2 year battle with Neuroblastoma cancer. They are celebrating Christmas next weekend and Noah loves Christmas card. Please take a minute to send a card to:
Noah Biorkman
1141 Fountain View Circle
South Lyon, MI 48178
Thank you! Please post on your wall...let's get a truck load!!!

A side note that seems appropriate to share...
Today the kids in my classes sang "My God is so Big" as we have been learning about the story of Abraham...the lyrics go like this...
"My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God can not do...for you!
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God can not do.
The mountains are His, the valleys are His, the stars are His handiwork too...
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, t"here's nothing my God can not do!"

These lyrics are so true...so simple...yet so hard to grasp...

Father, thank You for being so big, so great and so mighty! Please be big, great and mighty in Noah and his family's life!

Thankful

We have been a little cooped up recently in effort to stay well...so...I have had a little extra time on my hands during B's naps... I saw this idea for center piece in photo in a magazine...I changed it a little and put it on our living room mantle to serve as a reminder for us this month as we anticipate thanksgiving of all of our blessings ...
Below are some of the little blessings that I have been able to capture recently...


B & C love to watch football (well really any kind of ball games) together...B usually sits with C right before bedtime...I love those precious little sleepy eyes...Thankful for rest!

B is hysterical when he eats...he continues to grunt...this particular evening C fed him on the floor and B sat on his own...Thankful for B's milestones!

B's new swing has given all of us a new lease on life...he continues to love to be outside and this provides another avenue for us to enjoy being outside on the porch...Thankful for outside!

It's even fun to swing in the Synchilla fleece when it is "chilly" outside...Thankful for the cool weather!

Another game...Thankful for more rest!

B & C taking a "self take" while I was away at Bible study one evening...Thankful for special C & B time!

B's new face...just imagine him making a grunting type noise through his mouth and nose as he is making this face...it is hysterical...Thankful for giggles!

Exploring with his little hands...he seemed to be enamored by our green pumpkin...Thankful for learning!

And finally...how can you not love the baby Carhart overalls and cowboy boots? Thankful for laughs!