for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Today, I am thankful for...
1. Teresa, whose birthday is today!! ❤ I'm grateful for her friendship and support and kindness through the years... and of course, I'm thankful for the key role she played in raising the best person I know!
2. That my niece and youngest nephew are having a fun Fall Break... Rach took them TPing Tuesday night, and seeing this pic brings back lots of fun memories!!
3. Happy, colorful fresh flowers! On the latest Eldredge podcast, they talked about how the beauty we find in our favorite parts of God's creation has a powerful healing impact on our souls, and I've been thinking about that and looking for it more since. For me in this season, it's the details of colorful flowers and the calming effect of being near water (ponds, lakes, oceans, even pools).
5. A last-minute lunch plan with Mom yesterday... good talk, good food, and good for me! ❤
6. Long story, and I can't go into all the details here, but I'm grateful for what God has taught me through my first and last paying client at ITS! I was questioning the value of counseling and feeling like access to money made more of a tangible difference in people's lives than any counseling skill or intervention ever could, then something happened that flipped that script and reminded me that strong relationships and self-respect are worth more than anything money can buy. It's been a journey the past couple months, but I needed that reminder! Starting to feel more like myself again, and I'm grateful.
7. At Jace's football game, a kind mom came over to talk to Rach for a bit, and she was wearing a cute t-shirt that said, "Motherhood is Kingdom Work." True, and I felt myself quickly tear up as I read it - reminding me that I'm not quite okay just yet - then I looked away and pulled myself back together. Yesterday was Infant Loss Awareness day, and there were several posts and podcasts that were helpful to me in this ambiguous grief. Anyway, in talking to Chet about that moment at Jace's game, without being dismissive of my emotions, he reminded me that a lot of other things I'm already doing or stepping toward qualify as valuable "Kingdom work." And again, I needed that reminder in this season! So I'm grateful for God-given reminders of better things ahead, for the gradual healing process I can feel, and for what is hopefully the first of many publishing contracts I got to sign this week!! ;-) (I was surprised to learn they're actually paying me to co-author a chapter of a counseling textbook with a CCU professor, and I laughed when they assumed I was also a professor - I'll take it.)
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