I’m not generally a vain person – and I didn’t dread the weight gain that would come with pregnancy. I correct women all the time when they disparage themselves in my office. “You’re not fat,” I tell them, “You’re pregnant.”

And despite the wound to my pride when my weight gain surpassed the goal curve somewhere around 20 weeks, I felt fine with my pregnant body – until I didn’t.

I’m not sure at what point the swelling went from being just a part of pregnancy to I-no-longer-am-at-home-in-my-own-body, but by the time we were hospitalized, I was there.

Now, as the swelling goes down and my blood pressure finally decreases too, I am thankful to be myself again.

This week I’m thankful…

…for normal shoes
I never wear tennis shoes, preferring to pair ballet flats or loafers with my skirts or slacks. But when my feet started swelling around 22 weeks, I requested (and was granted) permission to wear tennis shoes at work. Before long, my feet has swollen to the point that I couldn’t have worn my other shoes even if I wanted to – my feet widened to the point that there was sock peeking out on either side of the tongue of my tennies. Now, I’m thankful that my feet are returning to normal, which means that I can return to my normal footwear.

…for the ability to breathe
Not too long into our hospitalization, I started to have difficulty breathing. The X-ray showed a spot of fluid on my lungs but (thankfully) no widespread pulmonary edema. The residents began me on a regimen of incentive spirometry, where I tried to blow 1750 mL of air into a little device to fully empty my lungs – and then allow them to fully reinflate. It felt magnificent after delivery to be able to breathe again without laboring. I’m so thankful that I can breathe.

…for my face looking back in the mirror
We didn’t weigh me that last day before delivery, so I don’t know how much I gained ultimately in my 32 week pregnancy. Weights from earlier in the week showed at least 50 lbs of gain – but I know I gained quite a bit more even in that last day. How do I know? Because my face went from being thin (at the beginning of pregnancy) to being rounded (when I entered the hospital) to being look-who-we-just-carved-out-of-the-recliner-she’s-been-sitting-in-for-ten-years (at delivery). That last day, I gained so much additional fluid, that I could barely see through slit-like eyes and couldn’t recognize the face I saw in the mirror. I’m so grateful that I can now look in the mirror and see my own face looking back at me.

…for limbs that move at my will
I didn’t experience any terrible side effects (except for a single emesis) from my first course of intravenous magnesium, but my second dose, once we began induction, was awful. I shook uncontrollably almost constantly and couldn’t really move myself willingly at all. While I hated the Foley catheter during the first course, I took refuge in it during the second – since there was no way I could have controlled my own body enough to walk into the bathroom, or even keep myself seated on the commode. Having not had any control of my body for 12 hours during the induction, I am so thankful to again be able to move my own limbs when and only when I want to.

It’s harder for me to be thankful that my belly is almost flat, able to fit into many of my old clothes. But the conversation I overheard in the operating room makes me thankful even for that.

I could hear an audible gasp, I’m not sure who from – and then Daniel asked “Is that the waters breaking?” The doctor replied, “No, I haven’t gotten to her uterus yet – that’s ascites.”

I don’t know if the doctor explained ascites or not – but I knew what it was and was (and am) grateful that we delivered when we did. Ascites is a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity, generally because the liver has stopped functioning. While my liver function tests were still normal at the point we began induction, my liver had clearly shut down in the twelve hours between the start of induction and Tirzah Mae’s birth. My womb would have quickly become a toxic environment for her.

So I’m thankful. Thankful that the fluid in my belly is gone – and even though it’s bittersweet that my baby’s gone too, I’m so thankful that she is safe in the NICU rather than being poisoned by my body no longer working.

God has been good, so very good.

“Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
~Psalm 73:25-26 (ESV)

It hasn’t been an awful week, but it hasn’t been a wonderful one either. It’s been a weary week, one full of large and small frustrations that tempt me to take my eyes off Christ and place them on myself. But God in His mercy gives that glimmer of light amidst the valleys that reminds me that He’s still in control, still walking alongside me, still gracious and merciful.

This week I’m thankful…

…that water dries
I dutifully took my medicine when Daniel told me to, but my early-morning coordination was lacking and I spilled almost half my water bottle all over the bed. But Daniel let me sleep the rest of the morning on his side of the bed while a towel soaked up the water on my side (Daniel usually wakes me up to take my medicine when he gets up, then lets me sleep another hour before he brings me breakfast – since I have to wait an hour after the medicine to eat anyway.) Between the towel soaking and a fan on the sheets later on, the bed was dry in time for bedtime that evening.

…that the waves and wind – and, with some coaxing, my soul – still know who’s in control
We weren’t arguing, but we were having a spirited discussion about the use of civil courts vs. college judicial boards for allegations of rape on college campuses. We discuss things like that regularly – it’s one of the things I love about my marriage, the intellectual conversations we have about just about anything. But this particular morning, after Daniel left for work, my soul was disquieted within me. I grabbed Daniel’s hymnal from the shelf and opened to “Be Still My Soul.” With coaxing, my soul learned who rules the earth below.

…for an end to work craziness
Since we schedule 3 months out in our WIC clinic, we have a hard time adjusting when we lose staff – so although our site’s supervisor gave notice, that didn’t mean that we didn’t feel the extra busyness after her last day. However, a nurse from another clinic was hired as a new supervisor and she starts next Monday! It’ll still be a while before the craziness in our books sorts itself out, but this is the beginning of the end (of no time to breathe, much less chart in between clients.)

…for a big kick reminding me that dreams are not reality
I dreamt that our baby was stillborn – and even though I know that dreams aren’t reality, it still bothered me. I practiced deep breathing, read some Psalms. And my belly jumped with an undeniable kick, reminding me for real that dreams are not reality.

…for getting through the first few weeks
Bradley classes did not get off to a good start for us (let’s just say that I have some serious issues with the “Brewer Diet” that the Bradley method – and apparently several other natural childbirth methods – promotes.) But after one week in tears and another close to tears (I think I hid them fairly effectively until we got to the car), it was a relief to move on to the actual childbirth material in week 3.

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.”
~Psalm 30:4-5 (ESV)

Today we enter week 17 of pregnancy – and I am happy to announce that week 16 has marked a turning point. I feel like eating. I have energy (some). I still have to go to the bathroom all the time. In general, though, week 16 has been a very nice change from the weeks that preceded it.

This week I’m thankful…

…for food
Perhaps the most distressing part of the first trimester (and the first few weeks of the second) for me was not morning sickness (although I did experience nausea and a bit of vomiting) but an overall apathy about and distaste for food. I love food. I make my living talking about food. I love to cook. I love to eat. Just not during the first trimester. Despite my strong desire to look at every baby craft imaginable, I considered giving up Pinterest entirely because of the horror of constant pictures of food. I struggled to hold back bile rising as I listed foods for other pregnant women to try to raise their iron or increase or decrease their rate of weight gain. If I had enough energy to start something for dinner over lunch, it was profoundly uninteresting once the time for dinner rolled around. The only things that ever sounded good were popsicles and fried potatoes.

This week, I finally have the energy to cook – and the stomach to eat. I’ve cooked almost every night and enjoyed the varied flavors of Spicy Clam Penne, Chicken Paprikash, Fresh Pickles, Watermelon, and Zucchini from the garden. It’s been wonderful. I feel like myself again.

…for showing and people knowing
It’s easier to dress when you don’t have to worry about people thinking you’re just thickening around the middle. Easier to stand if you don’t have to worry about people wondering and trying to figure out what to tell them if they guess. Easier to talk to the clients I already spilled the beans to without my coworkers getting confused. Because yes, the foundations lady at Dillards and a handful of clients learned I was pregnant before all but my closest family.

I saw one of the first clients I told just the other day – she was ecstatic that I was now showing and eager to remind me again what a blessing children are.

…for an excuse to cry
I had a very difficult client this week. After she was gone, I cried in my office. I cried in my boss’s office. I cried again in my office while writing my notes. A coworker gave me a hug. I cried again at lunch and had potato chips and a book to soothe my emotions. After work, I cried again and got hugs and French fries from my husband. (Am I an emotional eater? Why yes. Yes, I am.) My reaction was most decidedly an overreaction. It was far from professional. But I had an excuse. I’m pregnant.

…for Spotify
I am not one of those girls who needs to have music on (or noise going in general) to be happy. I am perfectly content to drive, do dishes, cook, and read in perfect silence. When I do feel the need for background music, I often turn to Pandora, where I have a praise and worship station set up playing mostly Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman.

But now that I have some energy, it’s time for me to do what I advise my pregnant clients to do: train for delivery. Delivery is like a marathon, I tell them. The better prepared your body is, the easier it can be. With Kansas weather currently either raining or sweltering, my usual favorite form of physical activity (walking) is out, so I’m taking my own advice and turning on some music to dance around the house (or, in my basement with the fan on – alternating dancing with resistance exercise and doing some stretching at the end.)

To make sure that I’m exerting the right amount of energy, it’s valuable to choose my dancing music carefully. Pandora has workout stations that fit my preferred 120-140 bpm range (perfect for low impact aerobic dance), but until I’ve curated them carefully, they’re mostly, uh, music I don’t like to listen to. Enter Spotify. Spotify lets me create playlists that I can then have on “random” from my phone during my workout. I choose songs that I don’t mind dancing to within my preferred range (actually 133-148 bpm) and I don’t have to worry about getting some random awful song thrown into the mix. It’s perfect.

While I’m at it, I made a few more playlists: the Hosanna! praise music of my childhood and my favorite Christian oldies. After all, baby might be starting to hear this week, and what better thing than to hear his mama singing the Psalms or some Larry Norman, right?

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Many times through the early weeks of pregnancy, I had to remind myself to be thankful – not because I was particularly unhappy or unthankful but because I was so exhausted I had little energy to think about or do anything. Now, it’s much easier to be thankful, as I start to have energy for more and more. Oh, that I would get in the habit, though, of thanking God every moment – such that it isn’t an extra but a movement as natural as breathing.

Breathing in grace.

Breathing out thanks.

Even as I’m training my body for delivery, I’m training my soul for life. Breathing in grace, breathing out thanks.

Now that’s breath support.

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!”
~Psalm 150:6 (ESV)

One of the things I miss most about Nebraska is families. I grew up in a small church in which everyone was family – and I had plenty of interactions with people of all ages. Once I moved to Columbus, it took a while, but I got acquainted with families fairly quickly and spent time with people of all ages.

It’s been harder here in Wichita, where most of our friends are single or married young adults without children and where our churches have been big and relatively age-segregated. It’s been harder to get to know families, to interact with children. But we’re gaining traction, slowly – and this week has been particularly full of fulfilling interactions with children.

This week I’m thankful…

…for for an invitation to a picnic
He gathered all the fruits from the puzzle on the table, placed them in the shape sorting basket, and handed the basket to me. “We’re going on a picnic to the Indian. Do you wanna come?” Of course I wanted to come.

While I have children in my office most of the day, I mostly interact with their parents. This little boy provided a delightful change of pace, telling me about the helicopter that was by the river during this year’s Riverfest, inviting me on his picnic (to see the “Keeper”-a large statue that stands where the Arkansas and the Little Arkansas rivers combine), and telling me about how he *couldn’t* see the fishes in the river because it was too muddy.

…for a little girl who hasn’t learned to keep her mouth shut
I descended the stairs after getting some lab work done, my keys already in my hand for my return to work, when her exclamation pealed through the waiting room. “Look at that girl’s pretty dress!” Her embarrassed father grabbed her hand, turned to her, undoubtedly to shush her. I smiled at her and left the office.

In time, she will learn to keep such comments to herself. She will learn that such things are to be whispered instead of shouted. But for now, I rejoice in a child’s voice proclaiming my outfit “pretty” (and me a girl, but that’s neither here nor there!)

…for dances and special songs
It’s been a while since we’ve seen some friends of ours from church, what with them going to a different service than us for a month and then us being sick the past couple of weeks (me first with a nasty cold, then Daniel with pneumonia from that cold – Bleh!) But this week, we were back in the same service and chatted for a while before going out to dinner with them afterward.

Their kids know us, have been over at our house, see us in church and so on – but usually they’re pretty shy around us or have grandma and grandpa or aunts nearby to charm, so they don’t pay much attention to us. But this past Sunday, we were just having dinner the six of us. 3-year-old H was his rambunctious self, dancing on the restaurant booth beside me. I asked him if he likes dancing (which, of course, he does) and what kind of dancing he likes best (swinging – which, in this case, means swinging his arms and swaying his body). I informed him that I too enjoyed dancing, which was enough for him to consider me a dance partner. He wrapped his arms around me and started “swinging”, singing a made-up song into my hair.

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”
~Psalm 127:3-5 (ESV)

Thank you, Lord, for the heritage that is children, for the blessing of being able to interact with them.

Some weeks themes come easily, other weeks not so much. This week is the latter. But I am indeed thankful for plants and people.

This week I’m thankful…

…for mulberries
About a month ago, I realized how much I missed mulberries. Back when we were kids, we walked to the empty field at the end of our street and pillaged its mulberry trees regularly. I hadn’t seen a mulberry since I moved to Wichita. So, imagine my surprise when my brother and sister-in-law were in town over Memorial Day and we were doing some yardwork (pulling out a fence, digging up thistles, and reorganizing bricks and stuff from one side of the garage to the other) and discovered… a mulberry tree. In my yard. Since that point, I’ve been eating mulberries morning, noon, and night – straight from the tree (it’s the best way). I’m limited because there are only a few branches that are within arms reach and the ground’s too soft (and too muddy from digging up fence posts) to use a ladder – but mulberries ripen quickly and there’s usually a new couple dozen ripe berries within reach each time I go out.

…for spinach
I am a dismal gardener, mostly because I garden (like I do almost anything) in fits and spurts. Gardens don’t take too kindly to not being watered or weeded for long spells, and container gardens (which I had when I was renting) like it even less. But I put in a nice big raised bed last year and this year I planted it with spinach and beets and onions and tomatoes and peppers and broccoli and summer squash. And yesterday I enjoyed a lovely spinach salad grown in my own garden. It’s still early in the year and I definitely could still kill the rest – but this taste of success is bolstering my resolve that I *will* see this gardening thing out.

…for sisters
My sister-in-law (and brother) came to visit over Memorial Day weekend and insisted on being put to work. My other sister-in-law texted me on Memorial Day (after her sister had left) and asked how I was doing, said she was thinking of me. I had to reply that I was feeling a bit emotional and mopey – and we arranged a Skype date to talk, which was just the thing to lift my spirits. My sister and I had a nice long text exchange yesterday, part silliness, part seriousness. Having such wonderful sisters and sisters-in-law is a blessing that can only come from God.

…for my husband
I’ve been tired, have been barely keeping up with the housework (Remember when I lost my homemaking mojo? I’m doing a bit better but it’s still struggling.) Then I got a massive cold from a client and was pretty much out of it for three days. Daniel has fed me, made me orange juice, done dishes, done laundry, and generally babied me. I’ve given him rather a lot of worse since the day he pledged “for better or worse”, but he’s faithfully kept that vow. God has blessed me again and again with a husband who faithfully models Christ’s love for the church by loving me as his own body, regularly sacrificing his own comfort for mine, his own rights for my privilege.

…for the Vine
Frequently, I feel like a dead branch, with little life in me. I fail at so many of the good things I intend to do. I would be a dead branch, incapable of accomplishing any good thing of myself. But God has made this dead branch live, not because I conjured up life in myself, but because He has grafted me into the Vine. As I remain in Him, and He in me, He causes this dead branch to bear fruit. And whether I see fruit or not, I cling to Him and to His word. I cannot bear fruit, but cling to His promise that as I hold fast to Him, He will bear fruit in me.

Thank You, Lord, for making provision for my deadness by granting me life through Your Son. Thank you, Lord, for making provision for my barreness by providing fruit through Your work. Help me ever to abide in You.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
~John 15:4-10 (ESV)

Activities are great, but it’s the ones we do them with that really make them wonderful.

This week I’m thankful…

…for Sewing with Ruth
Ruth has been out of town traveling for what seems like forever, but she was free Easter evening so she and I got together for some sewing in my newly cleaned/organized craft room.

…for Dancing with the girls
My sister-in-laws’ brother got married this past weekend and Daniel and I went up to Lincoln for the wedding (as much to see the Little Misses as to celebrate with Johnny, but nobody’s telling, right?) They had a dance and I had a great time dancing like old times with all my Lincoln girls. How many times have Anna and Grace and Joanna and Casandra and I danced together at weddings? I couldn’t say, but it’s got to be at least a half a dozen.

…for Skyping with my family
While we were in Lincoln, we decided to do a whole-family Skype session with Okinawa. Little Master Menter is almost one – and Mommy has an oh-so-adorable baby bump. It took a bit of prodding to get her to show us, but she gave us an exclusive at last (too shy to post on Facebook). Daddy is never shy, and was glad to pull up his shirt and show us HIS belly.

…for Cooking with friends
Rachel was out of town with school, so her husband was cooking for our Tuesday night meal at their house. Cooking for a crowd (ten, in this case) is always a bit of a stress, and everything takes longer than you expect – I was glad to be able to roll up my sleeves and pitch in in the kitchen.

…for Singing with the Living Word
I love going through the Psalms and reading verses that I know as songs – and I’ve long wanted to create a Scripture song database of sorts to catalog those wonderful Scripture songs. While the database idea ended up being too involved (I worked on it a few afternoons, but seem to have lost my knack with Microsoft Access – it was so much easier when I was a teen), I have been going ahead and creating a list of Scripture songs (eventually, I plan to compile them on bekahcubed, along with embedded youtube videos so we can hear the songs in action). It’s been wonderful singing my way through the Psalms, worshipping the Faithful God who is worthy of all praises.

There are plenty of big things that I could thank God for, but sometimes it’s the little things that stick out the most.

This week I’m thankful…

…for compliments
I wore a springy green tiered skirt and a teal shirt today, topped off with a blue and green beaded belt and some blue dangly earrings. I worried a bit that my outfit would be a bit too informal for work–but lost my worries when several of my coworkers complimented my outfit. How nice!

…for humbling moments
At lunch, I shed my white ballet flats and curled up on the couch to write my grocery list. When I was done, I slipped my shoes back on and got in the car for work. As I was walking in the door, I looked down and realized that I hadn’t slipped the white ballet flats on–I’d slipped just ONE white ballet flat on. The other was a hot pink ballet flat from yesterday. Of course, there was too little time to return home–and since Thursday is grocery shopping day, I got plenty of weird looks as I went to my three different grocery stores to fill my list.

…for bloody butchers
I started some tomato and pepper seeds several weeks ago and have been faithfully watering and lighting them since–but hadn’t seen anything until a few days ago, when three little hybrid tomato seedlings sprouted. A little was better than nothing, but I’d hoped for more (I planted 6 seeds each of four different types). Then today, I looked at lunch to find two little seedlings popping out. The heirloom “Bloody Butcher” tomatoes had sprouted. This evening, I looked again and saw another two sprouts. Yay!

…for Facebook conversations
I posted my excitement regarding my bloody butchers on Facebook, and got responses from my sister-in-law, a cousin, my mother, and an aunt. The ensuing conversation was a delight. I’m so thankful I have opportunity to connect with family this way.

…for an expected package arriving unexpectedly
The UPS man arrived during my lunch, dropping off two packages for Daniel Garcia. I didn’t know Daniel had bought anything recently, so I texted him to ask him about the two packages that appeared to be books. (I didn’t open the packages like I normally would because it IS my birthday tomorrow, and I wouldn’t want to ruin a planned surprise). Daniel figured he knew what one of them would be, but not the other. When we got home this evening, we opened them both to find that one was…the copy of Megan McCardle’s The Up Side of Down that I’d won from Carrie’s giveaway. The publisher apparently doesn’t go for the formal and dropped the “Mrs.” before the “Daniel Garcia” in my address :-P

…for repurposed curry
Once upon a time, I had a chicken curry recipe that had much more “sauce” than we could use with the meat. I got the brilliant idea of turning the sauce into a soup and my newest recipe-creation-craze began. This Tuesday, I made coconut crusted chicken (a kinda Indian curry) for Happy Food – and, for ease of preparation, used boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of the whole chicken parts I’d used the last time I made it. The boneless skinless breasts had apparently been injected with significantly more saline than the whole chicken had, because I ended up with flavorful crusty meat on top–and six or seven cups worth of sauce (it’s supposed to be a dry fried-chicken type recipe!) I decided I’d repurpose this one–and did so by simply adding fresh basil and zucchini and pouring it over rice. Voila – from Indian curry to Thai fusion in twenty minutes.

…for this man

It’s hard to believe that we’ve now been married a year. A year out and we’re still newlyweds. I asked him if he’d be up for a walk tonight – he said he was. We walked to the liquor store down the street (can’t buy alcohol in grocery stores in Wichita) to get a wine for the stew recipe I’ve been wanting to try. Then we walked to the Braums a little further ’round the block to get milk and buttermilk. We held hands and talked and enjoyed the lovely weather. I am a most blessed woman.

Looking at what I’ve written so far, I realize I’ve only mentioned today’s thankfulnesses-actually only a segment of today’s thankfulness. I haven’t mentioned a conversation about midwifery, reading a devotional before bed, getting a good deal on vitamins. I haven’t mentioned the good evaluation at work or the prospect of Pizza Hut pizza and my favorite wine for my birthday tomorrow. I haven’t mentioned time to read and fascinating conversations sparked by books. I haven’t rejoiced in the research I’ve been able to complete or the breakthroughs some clients have had.

Yet I have so much to be thankful for. Maybe I should start writing a thousand gifts list, like Ann Voskamp (still working on reading it, will give opinions when done.) Maybe I should start recording ten thousand.

“The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul, worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul, worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore”

~Matt Redman “Ten Thousand Reasons”

Some weeks the theme for Thankful Thursday just flows perfectly. Sometimes I leave out dozens of items in order to keep my post within a theme. And sometimes I have a really tenuous theme, like today. I’ve gotten a lot done in the past week and I’m really thankful that I’ve had opportunity to get so much done. It has been relaxing, energizing, life-enhancing.

I do NOT relax by being unproductive. Lack of productivity makes me crabby.

And I complain in abundance (unfortunately) when I am unproductive.

Which is all the more reason that I should give thanks to God when I have weeks like the last one–weeks full of activity and accomplishment.

This week I’m thankful…

…for a reading road trip
It took me a while to figure out how to get ahold of someone who knew what book the book club at church would be reading for February–and once I’d found out, I had to request said book at the (public) library. Turns out, I didn’t request it soon enough to get a paper copy–so I ended up with an audio version last week (that had to be listened to before our meeting tonight.) But we just so happened to be taking a road trip into Lincoln this past weekend, so Daniel and I listened to R.J. Palacio’s Wonder along the way. Since I was having intermittent nausea (gotta love going off the pseudoephedrine), I very much appreciated something to listen to as Daniel drove.

…for quilting companions
My sister-in-law mentioned quilting at the beginning of the year, and we planned this weekend to get some done. Joanna sat on the couch with her hoop, hand quilting a quilt top she’d picked up at a garage sale. I sat at the table on the opposite end of the room, piecing log cabin blocks at my machine and then taking them into Mom’s office to iron. When I went into the office, I shared the iron back and forth with Mom, who was piecing blocks for Anna’s faux-double-wedding-ring quilt. We didn’t have a crazy lot of conversation, but we did have what is nicest when quilting: companionship. God has blessed me greatly by giving me a family I so enjoy and hobbies that we can enjoy together.

…for an evening off
Daniel had class Monday evening and I’d been dreaming up household projects to do, so I took the opportunity of him being gone to get started. I figured out how to get our plane working and planed down the door to the office/someday-nursery so it actually fits into the door frame. I do so love being productive, and the chance to get something done was a huge morale booster.

…for a taste of spring
The snow from a couple of weeks ago was lovely, but so was this last week’s springy temperatures. I took full advantage of the weather by setting up my sawhorses on the driveway and going to town scraping and sanding the closet door for the office/someday-nursery.

…for the promise of projects to come
Tomorrow night, some girls from church are coming over to craft. I’m hoping to get some embroidery done–and am very much looking forward to visiting with my new friends. Then, on Saturday, Daniel and I are planning on getting some more scraping and painting done (hopefully, we can complete the bathroom door too.) Progress on projects is great, and it’s even greater when I have the promise of completing projects.

…for the promise of a final active rest
I love Jesus’ response to His critics in John 5:16-17. He had just finished healing a man and telling that same man to pick up his mat and walk–and the Pharisees went nuts with criticism for both healing and telling a man to “work” on the Sabbath.

“And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I am working.'”
~John 5:16-17

The implication is that God is at work, even now, on His Sabbath rest from all His work of creating. And Hebrews promises that we, the redeemed, shall one day enter into that same Sabbath rest.

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.”
~Hebrew 4:9-10 (ESV)

Praise God that a Sabbath rest remains, not one of hardship imposed by laws against healing and picking up mats, but an active rest. Praise God that the Sabbath rest He invites His people into isn’t idleness, but instead is life-enriching active rest.

Thank You, Lord, that I can rest in all my labors this week, and that You have prepared a way, through Your works alone (no work of mine) that I can enter into Your rest at last.

We’ve had snow for over a week here in Wichita, which has been uh-MAZ-ing. It started last Monday morning and piled up a fair bit. It was cold enough that it stuck around all week long–and then we got another spate on Sunday to keep it up. Since Sunday’s snowfall, it’s warmed to above freezing every day–so the streets are now mostly dry, but the yards remain a winter wonderland.

I’m loving it.

This week I’m thankful…

…for a winter song
Why is it that we only hear Winter Wonderland before Christmas? It’s totally sad, because it isn’t a Christmas song at all–it’s a winter song, and a snowy winter song to boot. ‘Round here, and even in Nebraska, the chances of enjoying a winter wonderland are definitely better AFTER Christmas. I really enjoyed singing “Winter Wonderland” with gusto while traveling hither and yon through Wichita’s Winter Wonderland.

…for the opportunity to wear my snowsuit
Years ago, before I left Lincoln, I purchased a bright red full body snowsuit at a garage sale in Lincoln. Since moving to Wichita, it has hung forelorn in my coat closet, never seeing the light of day. Even though there was snow last winter, it really didn’t stick around enough for me to be out in it. This year, I bundled up in it to take my weekly trip to the Braums down the street to get our milk (Of course I walk, even if there’s six inches of snow–it’s only a twenty minute round trip.) Then I wore it again for an Olympics opening party my friend Ruth hosted. That’s twice in one week!

…for a strong husband who shovels, scrapes, and sweeps
More than once, over the last couple of weeks, I have arrived home to find my husband hard at work shoveling the driveway. More than once, I’ve come out to my car in the morning to find it already swept free of snow and scraped free of frost. So far, I haven’t done any shoveling this winter–my husband has done it without a complaint.

…for hope for an allergy-free spring
Well, probably not allergy-free. But the week of temps below freezing have me hopeful that my allergies will be a little less severe this year-especially since I’m experimenting with minimal medications for them after years of taking at least three daily allergy meds :-/

…for brightness to cover February’s drear
February has always struck me as the dreariest month of the year. The holidays are over, winter is in full force, and it seems like it’s been ages since we saw the sun. The sky is gray, the days are still short, and everything seems dingy. The regular snowfall of the past couple of weeks has kept this February bright and shiny. The sides of the streets start to get dingy with spray, but then a new little snowfall covered it all up again with fresh white.

…for a reminder
When the snow falls and covers the land, I am reminded…

of God’s power

“He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?”
~Psalm 147:16-17 (ESV)

of His sovereignty over creation

“For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.”
~Job 37:6 (ESV)

of my littleness in light of His greatness

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war?”
~Job 38:22-23 (ESV)

of the One who invites His people to reason together

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.”
~Isaiah 1:18 (ESV)

of the cry I daily make

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
~Psalm 51:7 (ESV)

And then I join with the snow in singing the praises of the One who makes me like snow.

“Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!”
~Psalm 148:7-8 (ESV)

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As a bonus: Because I know you’re dying to know how much snow the Menter Dynasty’s locations get before and after Christmas, I’ve prepared a chart for you :-)

Average Snowfall Before and After the Holidays

	Before January 1st	After January 1st
Columbus, NE	8.9″	22″
Lincoln, NE	8.6″	17.2″
Madison, WI	17.6″	33.3″
Okinawa, Japan	0″	0″
Wichita, KS	5.6″	9.3″