Multitude Monday

-






It was a very busy week and weekend, but a good one. Dan and I have been praying about ways to encourage our congregation. A few of our members have gone into nursing homes over the past year and we've lost a number of young people as they've gone off to college. So our numbers have shrunk a bit and it's easy to get discouraged. 

Our church has been so good to us. They are generous, they make us feel loved and they give of themselves regularly. So we wanted to do something to show them how much we appreciate them. We decided mid-week to throw an impromptu luncheon for them after church yesterday. Someone teasingly said, "Terri really threw the luncheon since she did all the cooking." However, it was a team effort. Dan's money paid for the food and he did dishes all day long on Saturday while I cooked and Sunday afternoon as we cleaned up. It's definitely Team Groh!

I'm thankful that we were able to give back a bit of what we've been given. I told Dan on Saturday that I really should be a caterer because I was in my element and had fun. I was exhausted by yesterday afternoon, but it was a good exhaustion! I made more than enough food and everyone was able to fill up and I had plenty leftover.

I'm feeling thankful this morning for blessings #3,606-3,614.

3606. I love dogs and every now and then think I would love to have one BUT I don't like the mess, my kids are allergic, and our lives are too crazy. So I'm thankful I get my doggy fix each day as I've been letting my neighbor's dog out mid-day for them while their parents who normally do it are away.

3,607. I told Dan the other day that this process of working on consecration has stretched me and I have grown in ways I wouldn't have expected when I first started. That's a blessing!

 3,608. My 3D Kids program has not met since Christmas because there has been a snowstorm every single Wednesday night since we were supposed to restart in mid-January. This past week I canceled it on Tuesday because of the impending snow. I'm always a bit uncertain when I do that because things can change but I'm glad I did because sure enough the snow started right on schedule on Wednesday afternoon and it was bad. I'm thankful for good judgment and praying that we can actually finally meet this week.

 3,609.I'm thankful for speaking engagements and I'm looking forward to a few that are coming up.

 3,610. Flowers from a friend that brightened my day.


3,611. I'm thankful for our worship team that gives up each Saturday morning to practice, prays together and longs to lead our congregation in transformative worship.

3,612. Bars of soap lining my cupboard tops while curing and making my house smell wonderful!


3,613. Quiet Sunday afternoons.

and finally...

3,614. A congregation we love.

Comments

Post a Comment

I love your comments and encouragement! I can't always respond back but do read each comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Oh What to Do; I'm Sixty-Two!

-
Image
Today is my sixty-second birthday and it's hard to believe I've achieved that....um....seasoned age! My first thought this morning was one of not being sure that I like it. However,  as I thought I about it, I decided to take joy in the fact that I've reached an older age. Because age comes with benefits. Benefit #1 - I'm a bit wiser.   When I look back at some of the decisions I made when I was younger, I cringe. With age has come the ability to slow down and think things through before I make major upheavals in my life. I've also discovered that getting worked up about certain things is just an absolute waste of emotional energy. Benefit #2 - I'm enjoying my life.   As I've aged I've learned all kinds of skills and hobbies and can honestly say that I'm never, ever bored. I love all the different things I'm able to do and it's fun! Benefit #3 - I've learned to appreciate my relationships. With age I've learned to work on developing a...
Read more

Eating to Live

-
Image
  Despite the unexpected busyness and interruptions, I have been plugging away at my weight loss as well as writing the plant-based, whole food cookbook. Recipe testing fell by the wayside the past two weeks, but I've still gotten a good chunk of the book done. I also got on the scale this morning for another one pound loss which makes a total of 61 lbs. since I started this journey back in July. It's second nature at this point and I have so much more energy and feel healthy. The only negative is that because I've lost so much weight I'm seeing some sagging, crepe-papery skin happening. Yuck. Some of that is age and I need to figure out some toning exercises. It's definitely a life-style change, but a positive one which I'm so thankful I started on. The pictures above are a small selection of meals I've eaten the past two months and many of those will be included in the book.  This will be a printable e-book as I find that will be the easiest and most cost ...
Read more

When the Unexpected Pops Up

-
Image
On Thursday afternoon, just as Dan and I were getting ready to leave for a meeting, we received a phone call from our son. He was sitting on the side of the road with a blown engine in his car. The problem is he lives 3 1/2 hours away. After back and forth phone calls he called a tow truck and got it towed to a garage. He ended up renting a car and headed here for the holiday. We've been working with him to figure out his next steps because he still owes thousands of dollars on the car which will also take a significant amount to replace the engine. His rent is going up in the new year. His seasonal job ended and he is trying to find something else, but needs a car for that to happen. His car still has not been looked at by the mechanic. It is all more than a little overwhelming. Long story short, we extended an invitation for him to live here temporarily so he can get out from under all of this. It would save him money on expensive rent and utilities.  The timing was right since h...
Read more