The rush to get out the door and get to school and work on time can be brutal.  Breakfast is frequently consumed in the car.  Bed head is often the style of the day for the ten year old.  Although the local Christian radio station is on and belting out really good worship songs, our heads are usually so busy with thoughts of the day’s schedule, that we sometimes have trouble “tuning in” ourselves.

One of the longest pauses we have in the morning drive is at an intersection we call “Five Points.”  This light can take FOREVER to rotate through the six different cross directions.  I know –  5 points, 6 crosses – I can’t answer the math on this one.  Another blog, another day.  ANYWAY, we started praying at Five Points this year during our morning commute.  The boys start naming specific prayer requests as we approach the intersection, then, as we stop, we pray aloud.  Prayers of thanksgiving for a new day, full of new opportunities.  Prayers for protection.  For guidance.  For clear directives.  For healing.  Whatever the need or concern.  Sometimes we pray for the social studies test that Lane will be taking.  We often pray for Reed’s busy schedule, and for his grades.  We pray for needs close to us, or those we learn of through news media.  Our daily prayer time at Five Points has become something we all look forward to.  It’s a pause.  A time to reflect.  A time to be energized.  A time to be united in outpouring to our Saviour.

This morning we had to take a different route than normal.  This meant that our Five Points prayer time had to be altered.  We named a different intersection “Baby Five Points” (it was really 4 crosses, so the math element is constant) and had our prayer time there.  After making a few stops, with my youngest son still in tow, we approached the Five Points intersection from the opposite side in our normal route.  As we waited, silently, my head running through the day’s check off list, Lane spoke up.  He said, “Mom!  We’re at Five Points now!  Can we pray again?”

Can you hear that?

It’s the same thing I heard in that moment.

Pin.

Drop.

Quiet.

“Of course we can!”, I exclaimed.

As we prayed, I could hardly speak clearly, because of the choked up feeling I was having, fighting back those tears of joy.  Pure. Joy.

We pray all the time, together and independetly.  We encourage the kids to have prayer with the Heavenly Father, letting them know that anytime is the right time.  But this instant when my son asked, so excitedly, for prayer again…what a blessing I received, a gift straight to my heart from His.  Thank you,  Lord!

So much for writing about an “I Am Thankful” thing every day in the month of November.  Truth is, I’ve become sidetracked.  Does that ever happen to you?  I have the best intentions, and the most willing heart, but then —WHAM!— something diverts my attention, my focus, my initial (often the most genuine and productive) forward motion.

Because I want to make sure you don’t miss this point, I’m going to go ahead and tell you:  I’m not talking about failing to post a blog about my thankful heart every day.  That’s small potatoes.  I’m talking about the state of my heart in this real world the last few days.

I hate to admit it, especially during a time when having a thankful heart seems most commercially acceptable by the general population… especially during a time when so many eyeballs are on me, waiting to see how I react to certain stimuli… especially when I know deep within my soul how pleasing my thanksgiving is to the Heavenly Father.  So what is it when I don’t share my thanksgiving with Him?  I would think that to be the opposite of pleasing.  Yuck!  I never want to displease my Father, but boy do I mess that up.  Daily.  Oftentimes several times a day.

Work.
Indulgences.
Relationships.
Pride.
Schedules.

I’ve let “things”get me sidetracked.

“OOOoooo!  Something shiny!”  That’s me.  And the shiny isn’t usually a positive thing.  Shiny like a fishing lure.  All that flashy bait that’s used to lure my footing off of the narrow path.  It happens so easily and comfortably, that I hardly even notice how wide the road has become until I am joined by all sorts of well-intentioned, but distracted, others who seem to feed the ease and comfort of walking along this wide open, directionless pathway.

I recognize the sin that’s been looming around the last few days.  Nothing anyone would notice.  Nothing anyone would hear or see.  But I’ve let worry and what ifs steal some precious time lately.  I’ve let these things that are definitely not of the Lord override what I know to be His truth.  I recognize it and I’m grabbing it by it’s strongest point and getting rid of it.

Heavenly Father, I desire to please you in all that I do and say and think.  I want to walk the narrow path you have carved out specifically for my footsteps.  I don’t need the company of things that are not of you, Lord, and I ask that you help me recognize things that are of this world and limited, so that I may move on from them.  Father, I want the light of Jesus Christ to shine so brightly through my life that the things I should steer away from are illuminated as such.  Thank you for washing me anew, Heavenly Father, with your mercies and grace.  Thank you for loving me just as I am.  Amen.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.    Romans 12:2

I am thankful for…

…spoonerisms, and the entertainment they provide my family.

Long before I ever knew that there was an actual name for it, this impediment had taken on the descriptor “verySherry”, as in, that is verySherry.  I can’t help it!  Those who know me also know my rapidly firing mind that sometimes processes and questions so quickly, my poor mouth just can’t keep up!  That’s how we get things like, “Did you log the dets out?”, or “Put on your jed racket”, or “I thought we’d have reas and pice for supper”.  The thing is, they come so fast and furious (and unexpected) that most people within earshot don’t catch the slip ups instantly.  Boy, has this kept my family and friends laughing over the years.

Imagine our delight when, several years ago, we discovered the book, Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein.  This entire book is dedicated to spoonerisms and it is a barrel of laughs.  There have been other books that we really enjoyed by Shel, like The Giving Tree (Favorite!!!) and The Missing Piece, but Runny Babbit holds a special place in our literary collection.  This probably has something to do with why my kids see me as “talented” instead of “misspoken”.

Just the other night, sitting around the backyard fire pit, our family yucked it up, spouting off silly spoonerisms, trying to top the one that was said before.  We came up with some good ones, like

Licken Chips  (Chicken Lips)
Sped Bread  (Bed Spread)
Naghetti Spoodles (Spaghett…..oh, you get it now!)
Cog Dollar
Stean Balk
Bigs in a Planket

We were laughing so loud, I was certain our neighbors were going to start flashing their porch lights or telling us to pipe down.  Good, clean fun.  Well, mostly.  There are a few things you should never mix up when it comes to this type of entertainment, but I’ll leave that to your imagination.  In a family filled to the brim with young men (including my husband here, I’m in need of prownie boints), it wasn’t a stretch to come up with some sketchy combinations.  But, we always come back to chicken.  Chicken is probably the funniest word to use when you’re honing your talent.  We have laughed a ton over things like Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Fingers.  Thinking of KFC, the winner of our night’s competition around the fire was the following:

Chicken Littles and Chicken Dippers

Go on.  Give it a try.
It will surely be easier to spit out reading it, instead of pulling it from memory.

You know you want to, so just do it.

Out loud.

No one’s listening.

Just switch the first sounds of each word in the pair.

You can do it.

And then, enjoy the laugh.

Licken Chittles and Dicken Chippers

Isn’t that hilarious?

Heavenly Father, yes!  I am thankful for laughter.  I have no doubt that you have a sense of humor, too, sometimes.  Thank you for my boys and my husband, with whom I love to spend time with in laughter.  All good things come from you, Lord, and I’ve no doubt that the authorship of our good fun around the campfire the other night, was penned from your hand.  Thank you, Lord!  Amen.

I am thankful for…

…the rainy days that keep our family tucked neatly at home, often landing us in the friendly competition of a board game.

Life is fast.
Busy.
On the verge of chaotic most days.

Give me one good blustery in-door day with my family and outside stress seems to fade away.  No schedules.  No deadlines.  No running up and down the road.  Just Monopoly, Scrabble or Phase 10…and all is right with the world again.

Togetherness, as stated perfectly is this poem by Lori Beal:

Family Togetherness

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.