October 25, 2009 Trunk or Treat

Tonight was Trunk or Treat at church. It was a wonderful night for this. The weather was clear but a little bit crisp which was appropriate for the season. It was well attended and think everyone had a good time.

October 24, 2009 Autumn 2009

In autumn every leaf is a flower.

October 7, 2009 50 Things For Which I Am Thankful

Today is the 1st day of my 50th year. In honor of that I decided to make a list of 50 things for which I am thankful. I opened a document at work and just added to it when something came to mind.

1 The Master Creator who cares for me
2 Jesus who left the glory of Heaven to redeem the world including me
3 The Holy Spirit
4 The angels
5 a heritage of faith
6 Jay - a husband who loves me despite by inadequacies
7 Kathleen - the first person to ever call me Mommy
8 Daniel - my one and only son
9 Charlsley - my baby girl
10 spending time with my family
11 Mama & Daddy - no one could have asked for better
12 my brothers - David, William & Lindsay
13 my neices and nephews - Brandon, Jason, Andrea, Michael, Rachael & Mitchell
14 my in-laws - Jiggs & Harriet
15 my siblings-in-law - Sam, Patti & Lorraine
16 my extended family - aunts, uncles, cousins
17 Bonnie who loves me like a daughter
18 my dearest friends
19 the Bethia Church family
20 trust in the relationships in my life
21 my health which I need to be more conscious of taking proper care of
22 today
23 a childhood blessed with devoted parents
24 my Mama's sisters who filled in the gap when needed
25 freedom to believe
26 coming home at the end of the business day
27 when Kathleen comes home for the weekend
28 watching Daniel play baseball
29 the smile on Charlsley's face when she is in hip hop dance class
30 a house provided for us by Bethia Church
31 a cellphone that I can keep in contact daily with Kathleen at college
32 a van that is paid for
33 choices and the freedom to make them
34 holiday times - fond memories of past and anticipation of future
35 laughter
36 offers of help in times of need
37 having fun with photography
38 a phone call or email from a friend
39 education
40 clergy appreciation month
41 compassionate doctors
42 all the modern conveniences I couldn't imagine living without
43 the Atlantic Ocean and hopes of seeing the Pacific
44 the internet - a wealth of information, support, and sometimes plain nothingness
45 an abundance of books
46 the ability to provide for my family financially though I would rather not have to
47 Thursdays off most of the time
48 health insurance - don't know where I would be without that
49 the hope of a big vacation planned for next year
50 diamonds

Photos of myself definitely doesn't make the list

October 6, 2009 My 49th Birthday

These flowers were delivered to the house today for my birthday from my lovely daughter. Thanks sweetie!!

Today I turned 49. It's been an interesting birthday, one filled with celebration, joy and a heavy dose of emotion. The past year has certainly been one of the more challenging years. Having had breast cancer changes your perspective on birthdays. A birthday is a precious gift and I will never ever complain about being a year older. I'll take as many as I can get.

Not only is each birthday a gift but each day is as well. May I begin each day with a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of a new day.