::this week::

praising:  the return of my perspective... joy... peace... hope... trust.  some more promised provision for our ministry... still so humbled and blown away by all of it!  some cool healings, freedom, and ministry opportunities for J over the last week, and the faithfulness of our Lord through them!

praying:  for boldness, obedience, opportunities to love others in action and in Truth, and that I'd make the most of each of these opportunities.

reading:  1 Kings, Isaiah, 1000 Gifts, cookbooks

thankful for:  my husband, he is beyond an amazing leader for our family, he challenges and encourages me daily to seek and live for Jesus, by both his example, and gentle words.  a new to us/ used dryer so I can return to laundry duty.  a healthy doctor's appointment for me and baby M #2.  the weather.  trips to the park.  my job and these sweet kiddos, their different personalities, and the way they play together.  my new doctor, I am very happy with her personality, philosophy, and outlook... wish I would have had her the first time around!  a more than reasonable compensation promise for our car from the insurance company.

cooking:  lemon bars, dark chocolate drizzled salted caramel popcorn, BBQ chicken and Thai chicken pizzas, buffalo chicken enchiladas, pulled BBQ pork with homemade BBQ sauce,  ham and bean soup, hummus, slow cooker vegetable pavlava, cinnamon roll cake, Thai tilapia curry

creating:  more Christmas presents

inspired by:  Isaiah 32:20 the Lord will greatly bless his people.  Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up.  So encouraged to know that even when I am not seeing the fruit of the seeds that I sow, that a bountiful harvest is coming!

Isaiah 30:15b "Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved"  {rest}

Isaiah 30:18b For the Lord is a faithful God.  Blessed are those who wait for his help.  {wait}

doing:  doctor's appointment for baby M #2.  making and distributing neighbor gifts.  family zoo trip.  trip to the Northshore to have breakfast with some guys (and their wives) who have been investing in Jeremy, he has been so blessed with so many great spiritual fathers!  a date with my hubby.

Noah:  now that I don't do monthly posts on Noah I feel compelled to give random updates...last week I took Noah for his 2 year well appointment and the doctor noticed some breathing trouble. we are waiting for his cold to clear up and keeping an eye on it in case it could be asthma.  He is quite the picky eater these days.  right now his foods of choice are apples, popcorn, any type of cereal/ granola/ protein bar, yellow cheese (NOT white!), applesauce in packets, crackers, pretzels, and pb&j... everything else including pizza, bananas, pasta and all other kid friendly foods has pretty much been abandoned, even his once beloved guacamole.  he is starting to learn his colors.  he can say the whole alphabet, minus L and one other letter that he skips.  he can recognize/ read W's, O's, B's, and S's.  he isn't really interested in practicing numbers or counting right now.  he is just as energetic and fearless as ever, finding new avenues for mischief in our house (including climbing up on the back of a chair and adjusting the thermostat... sometimes as high as 80 degrees.