the toenail An Important Part Of The Whole

I am thankful for…

…the technology of Skype.

This morning I was able to prepare lunch in the kitchen while listening to the live music of my oldest son in real time.  He lives half a world away, literally.  It was early morning here, but late afternoon there.  Time didn’t matter, though.  He had written a new song and wanted to play it for me and get my feedback.  His brothers were in the next room, playing Halo 4.  His stepdad was still in bed.  It was a “normal” Saturday morning in our house, with all family members present and accounted for, and for the first time in a long while, I had the peace of togetherness.  I felt like a momma hen with all of her chicks accounted for and nestled safely under wing.  I hadn’t realized how much I missed those type of mornings.

Recently in our Sunday School class we’ve been studying about Esther.  She was the Queen of Persia.  Mordechai was the man who had raised her – a father figure.  They lived very separate lives after she had been taken to live within the King’s compound, and communication was limited.  Much of their communication was through written message, or verbal messages carried by men from the Queen’s court.  Imagine no audible inflection in messages.  Imagine not being able to see the body language of the person with whom you are communicating.  Imagine having to wait days or even weeks to receive a written letter, or to hear a verbal recount of a message!

I’m so thankful for the technology that is available today.  Through Skype, I can hear the inflection in my son’s voice, and I can see him many times when we are talking.  It sure helps keep us close, though we’re so far apart.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your protection and comfort during this time of separation between my oldest son and myself, and for our whole family.  Thank you for giving us your son, Jesus, who suffered  complete separation from You and took on all of the sins of the world, including my own, so that we could be united again with You.  You understand, Father, when I experience any kind of sadness or anxiety during times when our family seems to be spread out in so many different places.  You understand.  Thank you for your love, your hand in our lives, and for the amazing ways that we are able to keep in touch with each other today.  Thank you for the normalcy provided through Skype this morning.  Amen.

I am thankful for…

…being unfinished.  I am a work in progress.  Praise God!

One of my favorite worship songs right now is “Redeemed” by Big Daddy Weave.  It’s all about not being who I was…and not being who I will be.  God is constantly shaping my life into the masterpiece he has created me for.  Constantly.  That’s absolutely praise worthy!  I get so excited, so emotional, in this part of the song:

All my life I have been called unworthy
Named by the voice of my shame and regret
But when I hear You whisper, “Child lift up your head”
I remember, oh God, You’re not done with me yet

Heavenly Father, thank you for your continual work in me.  Thank you for your love and unending grace & mercy.  Amen.

I am thankful for…

…the ability to predate posts in WordPress.

It sure is hard to post every day!  Days 16, 17 and 18 should post soon.  😉

I am thankful for…

~ ~ ~ * M * U * S * I * C ~ ~ ~

As I write this, my ten-year-old son is dancing “free style” to Charley Pride’s Christmas in My Hometown, ©1970.  “…it’s time for little boys and girls to be tucked in their beds…”  Don’t judge.  It’s out of circulation, but I’ll be happy to let you borrow our cassette tape.  😉

Music!

– Music in worship –
– Music in recreation –
– Music in the car –
– Music in the air –
– Music, Music, MUSIC!

You know how certain scents can take you back to a memory in an instant, without any effort, whatsoever?  Music is that for me, but it’s not just about going back to a memory.  Music transports.  I can get lost in lyrics, in a rhythm, in a state of complete yet-to-come-ness.  That’s the best part for me – music transcends the moment and brings so much joy to my foot tappin’ soul!

“You Are My Sunshine” at 3 years of age at a church day camp near College Park.

“Afternoon Delight” at 7 on the radio of my friend’s teenage brother, while he was building model airplanes or cars. (yeah – I don’t like that one so much now that I’m old enough to realize it’s probably not about NASA or rockets).

Anything by Leif Garrett, Shawn Cassidy or The Commodores when I was a tween.  Yes, I was one of those giddy girls.

This was followed by a season of Rick Springfield.

Then another season of Rick Springfield.

Wait, I’m still in Rick Springfield season.

College and early adulthood was serenaded by Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Gin Blossoms, Craven Melon.

Once I was a carpool mom, the car & 1st graders were rocking out to Sugar Ray and Third Eye Blind.

And so the story goes…

And today, musical praise is playing in my head all day long, even when I don’t have the radio on.  “How Great Thou Art”…”Have Thine Own Way”…even the Doxology (Oh, I love singing this!).  WMHK is where the radio dial stays in the car and there’s this one guy’s CDs I keep handy, too.  “Like a Wave”.  “Legacy”. “I Believe”.  If you see me belting it out in the Trailblazer when you pass me by, you can be pretty sure it’s a song off of the MAGNIFIED CD.

“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.”
~Psalms 69:30

Praise God for music!

p.s.  Yes, I left out the Madonna, Janet Jackson and George Michael references on purpose.  Ha!

I am thankful for…

Day 438.  It’s one day closer to a homecoming.

I am thankful for…

restlessness.

Wait just a minute – hear me out on this.

Restlessness is defined in Miriam Websters as:

1)   lacking rest or denying rest
2)   in constant motion

And my favorite:

3)   characterized by or manifesting unrest especially of mind

I’m a huge fan of “being still” and listening, but I also know that restlessness has it’s place, too.  If it weren’t for restlessness, or rather, discontent, would we ever be likely to make any changes or move from a spot of comfort?

I recently made a change in employment.  This was a difficult decision for me, and one that I brushed off and failed to consider for many, many months.  About 18 months, to be exact.  I worked for a wonderful employer – a great family business.  I liked everyone that I worked with (many with whom I will be forever connected).  I enjoyed my job, and frankly, I was quite good at it.  I had a roomy office.  Flexible hours.  I was comfortable.

Comfortable.

About two years ago, I began praying about my place within the body of Christ and for revelation as to how my gifting is to be used in Glorifying the Savior (hence the name of this blog, The Toenail).  I’m talking boldly asking Jesus to use me – to show me the path that He wants me walking on, so I can giddy up to the right trail.  I prayed to be made uncomfortable, afraid that I would become complacent to His will for my life.  It wasn’t long after I began praying about this that I started to notice a building restlessness.  I asked for it, so why did it take me so long to act on it!?  God’s timing is always perfect, and I have no doubt that the 18 months it took for me to step outside of my very comfortable office was part of His also always perfect plan.  When I accepted a new position with a different employer, I really had no idea of what the job would entail.  It was truly a leap of faith for me.  I have never experienced such freedom before.  How crazy is that?  I wasn’t real sure about what I’d be doing – but I was okay with that.  I wasn’t real sure of whom I’d be working with – but I was okay with that, too.  I also wasn’t real sure of the hours I would need to work, vacation days, and all of that other HR stuff you usually find out about before you accept a job – and I was still okay with that, too.  I knew that God had been preparing me for this change during all those months of restlessness, and He had this.  Uncertain even about applying, then responding, then interviewing…I accepted opportunities as they came systematically, finally leading me to a new job.  And now that I’ve been behind a different desk for a little more than a week, I’m confident that I am where He wants me to be right now.

I am thankful for…

God so loving the world.
God giving His only son.
The gift of everlasting life.

On days like today, I lean into God’s promises and find comfort in His word.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the gift of Your son.

I am thankful for…

My daddy.

My daddy is a Marine.  He is a Marine who has served in Vietnam.  For my entire life, my daddy has been the strongest person I know.  I’m not talking about physical strength, although he has always been very active and, in my eyes, could and can do anything.  I’m talking about the kind of strength that comes from moral values and ethics.  I said recently to him that the way I see things, they are either black or white.  You know, wrong or right.  Dark or light.  At this, my dad got one of those tongue in cheek smiles – the kind that you’re trying not to show, but it just creeps across your face anyhow.  He said, “That’s how it is in the Marines!  They teach you things are either right or wrong – there is no in-between!”    Here I am in my 40-something year old life, and my daddy just heard me proclaim something that made his heart smile.  He saw himself in me – in my personality.  That part of me that is not so tangible.  I got that from my daddy, you know.  My unwillingness to live in or see things as gray.

“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”     -Matthew 5:37

Today is the Marine Corps Birthday, Lord, and tomorrow is Veterans Day.  Thank you, Father, for my daddy and for all veterans who have sacrificed to protect our freedoms, including the freedom of worship.  Father, what an inspiration my daddy has been to me.  That strength I have always admired in him, and have always found security in, I know is something I have, too, to pass on to my children.  I’m happy to have this character trait as part of my lineage, understanding that ultimately, Father, You are the source of the strength and security that is available to all of us.  Thank you for loving us so!  I love you, Jesus.  Amen.

I am thankful for…

God’s faithfulness.  It doesn’t change.  Ever!  His promises to us are for real, and forEVER.  I find great comfort in that as I go from day to day in a world where things seem to change constantly.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new every morning.
Great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 RSV)

In reflecting on this past week, I notice that there are quite a few things that did not go as I had planned.  Oh boy, do I like to plan things!  I love making lists and checking them off as I complete tasks.  At the end of the week, I can look at the list and “see” my productivity in the number of checked off boxes.  My little self loves the tangible evidence that a list provides.  Rarely, though, is the list completely checked off.  And the list never stays as neat as when I first write it down.  That’s because I have to add things and take things off the list.  Often I have to edit items on the list.  On Monday, the list is written in one color ink in print that is symmetrical and sparkly.  By the end of the week, at least 2 more colors of ink have been used on this list, there are scribbled out and squeezed in words, and usually a lot of doodling can be seen around the edges.  What a snapshot of life in general, isn’t it?  I’m so thankful that even more than I can bank on my list changing from day to day, I know — hear me — I KNOW that I never need to worry about God’s faithfulness changing.  When I start to freak out because my plans are not turning out the way I think they should, I take a deep breath and draw on the security of my Savior.  My Constant.  My Everlasting Balance.  He is the same yesterday.  He’ll be the same tomorrow.  And right now, in the midst of my multi-colored, messy list, He is the same.

I think I might start adding a new box to the very top of my list at the beginning of each week – a box I know I can put a check mark in and not have to scratch it out or edit it.  It will read:  GOD, and I will make it the biggest item on my list.  🙂

Heavenly Father, thank you for your tender loving care and your faithfulness that is foolproof, timeless and available in abundance.  Father, in a world that knocks me off my axis daily, let it be the knowledge of your faithfulness where I find comfort and reprieve.  Please help me remember this  as I adjust my list and my plans according to your will for my life, and not just in response to the world around me.  I love you, Jesus.  Amen.

I am thankful for…

…the “I love you!”, shouted across the yard by my ten-year-old, as I left to pick up his brother from tennis practice this afternoon.  It was actually a “Bye, mom, I love you!”.  I never get tired of hearing those words of endearment in the voices of my sons.

Thank you, Father, for blessing me so greatly with three amazing young men, who are confident and secure in Your love, allowing them to love others, including me, OUT LOUD and unashamedly.  Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!  Amen