Thankful Thursday

(Photo: ehow.com)

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Hey y’all! It’s Thursday, which means another installment of Thankful Thursday and today, I am thankful for…my push mower!

A few days ago, I was outside trying to mow the yard with our push mower. Between the heat, the sloping yard, and having to stop and start to take care of the kids, my motivation was wearing thin. My thoughts kept returning to ,”I really wish we had a riding mower like the our other neighbors.” Almost as soon as I thought that, I felt God telling me, “At least you have a yard to mow. At least you have the strength and ability to push the mower. Be thankful for your situation.”

Before I started on my walk with the Lord, I would have given myself credit for that realization. Now, I know that it is God talking to me when I feel that sudden peace come over me. Our yard is about half an acre, with a decent slope throughout, and it took me two days to finish, but finish I did. I know that I will have to get back out there again in a few days to mow, but I will try to keep a thankful attitude and be grateful for my push mower.

What are you thankful for today? Leave a comment, send me a tweet, or post on my FB page!

Free Chalkboard Printables

(Credit: Shannon from Sweet Blessings)

I was looking around Ann Voskamp’s website, A Holy Experience, and noticed her latest post included a link to free chalkboard printables. (If you get the chance, read her post for today. It will definitely lift your spirit and make you smile!)

These printables are from the Sweet Blessings blog, which I think might also be one of my new favorites. There are 11 printables in all and I love each and every one of them. Here is what Shannon from Sweet Blessings had to say about them:

“I love giving the gift of God’s words. It’s such a great, personal gift- and if you print it out at Walgreens and find a cute, inexpensive frame- it’s a budget friendly gift too! “

I think I’ll be finding some frames and putting a few of these up around my home. What beautiful reminders to have throughout the day. Pick your favorite one and place it on your desk at work for a great pick me up when you have a stressful day. I also know a few women who might be blessed by a gift of God’s word in this form.

I’m all about finding ways to live well on a dime and this goes right a long with that. While I’m not a coupon queen (I’ve tried, y’all. I just can’t get those things to work for me), I’ll be sure to share any other ideas I have with you. Here are a few posts I’ve done for Real Oilfield Wives on the topic:

*Becoming a Frugal Momma: DIY

*5 Ways to Make and Save a Little Cash

Have a freebie or cheap idea to share for home decor? Leave a comment here, on the FB page, or send me a tweet!

Thankful Thursday: Independence Day Edition

 

(Image: klove.com)

John 15:13- Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Happy Independence Day, everyone! Once again, JR is at work on a holiday, so I will be packing up the kids and heading down to my mom’s house for a cook out.

So, what am I thankful for this Thursday? Considering it is Independence Day, I want to dedicate this post to those who have fought and died for our Country as well as those who fought and made it home. Being a former Army wife, I know all too well the sacrifices that our servicemen and women make.

Our daughter, Ashley, was born while JR was home on R&R from Iraq. He left to go back overseas when she was 4 days old only to return when she was six months old. I’m very thankful that the Lord saw fit to bring him back home to us.

Our son, Justin, is named after one of JR’s brothers-in-arms, SGT Justin Joe Duffy. SGT Duffy was killed in action shortly after Ashley was born and JR returned to combat.

I’ve also lost several friends in Iraq: 1LT Levi Barnard, PFC Nicholas J. Greer, and SPC Donovan Witham.

Needless to say, our kids will never be allowed to take the freedoms we have for granted.

To all of our service members, past and present, THANK YOU for your service. Thank you to your families for their sacrifice. And thank you to those who stand behind the troops. Trust me, your support makes a difference.

By the way, I found this quote while doing a little research for this post and just had to share:

“The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country” 
― George S. Patton Jr.

What are you thankful for today? Leave a comment here, send me a tweet, or comment on my Facebook page! 

Have a great Independence Day, y’all!

 

“When Women Say Yes to God” Online Bible Study with Proverbs 31

One of my favorite ministries is Proverbs 31. It’s not just that they are based right here in North Carolina, but that they are real women trying to help other women to become deeply rooted in their faith. I also love how getting the devotions in my inbox each morning. The real life stories and lessons are inspiring and amazing.

Starting in a few weeks is an online bible study using Lysa TerKeurst’s book “When Women Say Yes to God”. If you are interested, check out this website for details and to sign up!

Also, one of the study leaders is giving away copies of the book on her blog. Check out Nicki Koziarz’s site for the details on that.

If you plan to join the study, please let me know.  Maybe we can bounce ideas off each other! I’d love to get to know any of you that are going to participate!

Trying new things: Manna Church Cliffdale

I promised my Facebook fans that I would write a post on my visit to Manna Church yesterday. It’s actually the first time I’ve gone to a church in Fayetteville and I’ve lived here for over five years. The thought of going to a church where I don’t know anyone always made me extremely anxious, so I avoided it. Thankfully, my friend Kristy and her family were there, so I didn’t have to go it alone.

First things first: Manna is a “mega” church. Not like Joyce Meyer or Joel Osteen mega, but big for Fayetteville standards. There are five locations in Cumberland County and they also post sermons online. I’m used to a little country church with about 50-60 people in attendance on any given Sunday. I’m also used to one service. Some locations of Manna have three services on Sunday with service on Thursday as well.

The child care program is huge at the Cliffdale location. The staff registered the kids, took pictures of them,  and then put my cell number into a system to page me if one of the kids needed me. (I ended up getting paged for Justin. Apparently all of the babies started crying and mine was the only one that wouldn’t stop.)

The music was AMAZING. I love music.  I can think of a song to go along with just about any moment in my life. The live music had everyone dancing and worshiping. Completely different than anything I’ve ever experienced. It. Was. Awesome.

I think the only thing I didn’t really like was that the message from the pastor was recorded. The best I can figure is that it is recorded at the Thursday service and played for all five locations on Sunday. This wouldn’t keep me from going back, but it just felt a little weird to me.

One of the locations is actually closer to my home so I am thinking about trying there this weekend. I think it’ll be smaller and more to my liking.

I really want to find a church home. I miss that connection with people and being involved.

Where do you go to church? Leave a comment below or send me a tweet: @Ofwjaimie