Things That Bring Me Joy

In no particular order, a few things that bring me Great and Abiding Joy :) 

Shadow, or as we call him, Shadow da babies.  Or as he has been recently nicknamed by one of my boys, Stinky, which I must admit is an appropriate moniker.  This (mostly) good boy loves his mamma so much!  He follows me from room to room, watches for me to come home at the dining room window, and loves to cuddle in bed with me (which is not always allowed!).  He's getting a bit older and slightly more gray (join the club, puppers!), but he's still a sweet playful boy at heart.  He's been a good addition to our family these last many years. 

A new Cricut!  I received this beautiful piece of machinery as a Christmas gift and I LOVE it!  And I also love that my 20-year-old daughter figured out how to run it and the computer program so I didn't have to!  We've been making ornaments and the like, with plans to try a few other things soon.  It's so fun!  But I'm not looking forward to having to learn the computer program when she goes back to school.  

Christmas decor and buffalo plaid!  I have been drawn to (read: obsessed!) black and white buffalo plaid this Christmas.  I am loving decorating in the simplicity of black and white.  My kids are not totally on board though - "why are you decorating with boring colors, mom?  Where's the red?"  Sigh.  You can't win them all.  One kid, however, said this a few days ago:  "Mom, the outside of our house is lame at Christmas." As I prepared to defend myself, citing white lights and garland around the front door, the child continued, "But the inside is hecka vibey!"  I'm not totally familiar with that phrase, but I'm pretty sure hecka vibey is a compliment.  I'll take it!

This meme.  Wow, does it summarize where I'm at with my boys these days.  One minute I was their world -- a kiss and hug from me could solve all their problems, and the next minute I'm getting a random hug from a giant man-child while being called bruh.  It happened in a matter of minutes I tell you.  Moms of little boys, hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride, but it's so awesome.

 

Thank You

I woke up at 4:00 am this morning, overwhelmed with thankfulness for our church family.  Unable to go back to sleep right away, I decided to get up and write down my thoughts.  

So my dear Trinity, thank you:

Thank you for loving my children.  Thank you for loving them when they were yet unborn through prayer and support.  Thank you for loving them when they were little and sitting still in church with their mamma seemed an impossible task - for years and years and years.  Thank you for loving them when they were cute, silly and also crazy. Thank you for loving them when they made mistakes (such as, but not limited to: pushing a table into the wall in the hallway and making a hole in the drywall).  Thank you for not expecting them to be perfect but understanding that they are children (and now young adults!), not just PKs (pastor's kids).  Thank you for thinking of them on their birthdays and at holidays! Thank you for supporting them as they've gotten older, asking them about school, college, life.  Thank you for praying for them (sometimes by name!) and letting them know you care for them.  Thank you for loving them, and us through that.

Thank you for loving me.  Thank you for loving me just where I am, and not where you might think I should be as a pastor's wife.  Thank you for not having preconceived expectations of what a pastor's wife should or shouldn't be and imposing them on me. Thank you for your kindness to me day in and day out -- when we first arrived and I was figuring this life out, when I was a young mother learning my way each week in the pew, and as the years have passed, as simply a friend and fellow parishioner.  Thank you for taking an interest in my life too, and supporting me.  Thank you most of all for loving me as I strive to support and be a helpmate to your pastor.

And thank you most of all for loving my husband.  Thank you for encouraging him, praying for him and building him up.  Thank you for seeing the best in him and knowing his heart -- that his every decision and choice is born out of prayer for the people of his parish.  Thank you for trusting him with all your moments -- baptisms, weddings, and loved ones' funerals.  Thank you for turning to him when you're hurting, sad, and afraid.  Thank you for giving him the opportunity to pray for you during your struggles, and for the gift of celebrating confession and absolution with you.   Thank you for inviting him into your homes and making him feel welcome. Thank you for laughing when he's goofy and appreciating his love for 80s rap! Thank you for knowing who he is -- not only how he shepherds his flock, but his likes and dislikes and what makes him unique and special.  And with teary eyes, I thank you most of all for praying for him -- that God would give him wisdom and would guide his thoughts and words as he works tirelessly to bring Jesus to the people God has entrusted him to lead.  

We've been here for over 22 years, and this little blogpost only scratches the surface of what the people of Trinity mean to me. And like I posted about here, through our shared moments we have become more than just "people who go to the same church".  We have become family.  

So thank you, thank you, thank you.  Thank you for letting us into your lives and embracing all of us, faults and all.  Know that you are always in our hearts and prayers.  Thank you for being our family.