A Week of Thanks

Friends, I am going through a Jen Hatmaker phase which I hope leave scars so that I never forget it.
Can I just say this without being weird?
I so appreciate Jen.
I kind-of love her, in a "you-write-so-well and I-am-TOTALLY-picking-up-what-you-are-laying-down", kind of way.

In the past month, I have devoured three of her most recent books:

Interrupted: When Jesus Interrupts Your Comfortable Christianity
Seven: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards

AND I HAVE ENJOYED EACH ONE TREMENDOUSLY.

I am about 10 pages away from completing FtL and, boo-hoo, I don't even want it to end.
But I regress....

This post is actually about a handful of great things I am thankful for this week. Because I refuse to post #everyday on #Facebook about how #thankful I am for this life when I am very aware of the many blessing I have #allyearlong, and most of these things that make Facebook are about how much I have #aqquired because I am SO BLESSED to have even #morestuff.
Don't even get me started....

So enough of that (self-righteous) rambling.

This week something like, um, I'm not sure, 5(!) Amazon boxes showed up at our door and can I tell you how exciting that is?
TONS!

And I am thankful.
*Thankful that my beautiful S.I.L. from IN sent two big ole' boxes of toys to my sons because she loves them and this is her love language. (Thank you.)
*B.S.M. got himself some glasses...and...well...be still my heart!
*Then Came Jesus (the Light of the World) 4-week Bible Study showed up!!!!! (If you snatch this RIGHT NOW, like TODAY, you can get it in time to do the study with the author, Lara Williams!!)
*For the Love (noted above), arrived!!!!

Also this week,
*BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) was moved to Monday so that we did not have to miss a week! Bless
*MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) was on Tuesday and can I just declare #I<3MOPS...and my MOPS secret sister, who spoils me (100x thank you)
*WWoT (Writer's Workshop of the Triad) met on Monday- which made Mon. morning-Tuesday morning amazing!!! (BSF>WWoT>MOPS=happy girl!!!)
*my amazing WWoT leader, who works for peanuts. She is incredible.
*Sunday afternoon was #familyportraits on a friend's farm #picturesinhay, #bassinetinafield, youhavetoseeittounderstand, #horsesinpictures, #whoarewe?RalphLauren?, #friendswithcoolaccentstakingpictures
*Caroline's Promise came to MOPS on Tuesday and, while I would, once upon a time, feel funny because we all know that organizations like this (as beautiful their testimony) are expensive and I have lived 30+ years feeling like a poor girl who cannot afford a $30 Christmas ornament, I enjoyed them. Let me elaborate on this a minute.
First, I grew up pretty poor. I did. (USA poor- there is a difference from the REST OF THE WORLD, poor.)
Second, although I am no longer poor, I am thrifty (nature and nurture, here).
But, and here's the kicker, although I am no longer poor, and I CAN buy a $30 ornament -if I want to, I generally don't want to because that is a LOT of money for a thing, and I have a heart for people.  -this is a God thing, people! Because I would have cringed at this organization (and every other organization with a great heart) because I was once plagued by fear of the dollar but now I see the opportunity to bless another human (a child of the King!), and I am happy to give my money to their betterment!
What I am saying here is this, I bought a gorgeous mug (picture below) and spent $20, which makes this the most expensive mug I have ever bought. And I purchased this happily and with a grateful heart because I understand how it is helping the Guatemalan people, furthering the Gospel, empowering the women in their workplace, and helping to end poverty.
And the funniest thing about all this is me.
I am still so thrifty.
So very, very, thrifty.
And I am giving this mug away. Yep, I sure am.
It is a gift to a kind friend. Maybe you....;)
*We have NO Thanksgiving guests this year! Not.A.One! (Frozen pizza and pumpkin pie= no prep work and light clean up. And all God's people said, Amen!)
*Christmas decorations are out NOW and being put up TODAY. #tomucheffortforjustonemonth
*My kitchen floors are mopped!!! (<can we just stop here for a moment and meditate on that? sigh*)

So this week has been great. And there is still SO MUCH more!
Like seeing Cherice. (sweet friend)
And being released from Thanksgiving Day kitchen-duty (which I would gladly have taken upon me, but not having any guests is rather nice, too). And here's the thing, I LOVE preparing a huge feast and serving others- even doing the dishes afterward is nice in its own way because I enjoy taking care of others and making fun memories.
But this year God is doing something new in me and I blame Jen Hatmaker (love you, Jen!), because she prayed for God to do a Holy thing in her and then she wrote about it in Interrupted and then I read Interrupted and, well, how can I not just desire this heart of God (how can I stand here with You and not be moved by You [Jesus]?).

And so November 26th approached us and as we were preparing ourselves for this big day I got this
uncanny stirring in my heart and I just couldn't shake this realization that we were about to spend all this time, energy, and money on ONE DAY and meanwhile, there are hungry, cold, and lonely people everywhere, EVERYDAY. It just didn't sit right with me.

And then I read chapters 3 and 4 in the book of Revelation (as in, the book in the Bible), and I hear about the kind of worshipping we will do before the Ancient of Days, (a.k.a. the Alpha and Omega; Lord, God, Almighty) and I wonder, why wait and worship God then, when I can lead a life of worship now?  

Friends, there are people in need everywhere.
If you don't want your world radically shook-up, don't read Interrupted, but if you are ready for God to do something different and new and exciting and liberating in you, then read it.
Because I am so thankful for so very many things. And I am also very aware of the position the Lord has placed us in, for such a time as this. It is difficult to sit when you are in fire.

And speaking of fire...well, that will be my next post.
-yours lovingly,