every moment = meaningful

The fact that I with you you makes EVERY moment of your life MEANINGFUL.
- Jesus Calling/ Sarah Young

Psalm 139

1O LORD, You have (A)searched me and known me.

2You (B)know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You (C)understand my thought from afar.

3You (D)scrutinize my path and my lying down,

And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

4Even before there is a word on my tongue,

Behold, O LORD, You (E)know it all.

crock pots, bridget jones, dead goldfish...

so today i have ventured into the world of REAL crock pot cooking... chicken... chicken stock... herbs... (dumplings to be added tonight)... i set the timer and i walked out...

BUT NOT REALLY THAT AT PEACE WITH THE IDEA... i checked it 4 times... measured it to sit precisely at the center of the counter top... felt it ... felt it again... set the timer for a practice run and then went back and remeasured... on the way in to work i called mom... she assured me that it was ok so i am FREEING UP!

however when i got in my car i realized that i payed more attention to the crock pot and less to my out fit... i feel as if i am dressed for a look alike costume party. LIVE from SIT UP BRITAIN I am BRIDGET JONES!

ps. three of our new gold fish died... RIP Money Maker, Michelle, and Barack... may The Great White Hunter live on.

so i have a problem...

i am addicted to the heart shaped reeses cups. i cannot help myself...

after i was asked if i was expecting yesterday you would think i would have run home to eat raw vegetables and do sit ups, crunches, planks, etc... but no... i ate heart shaped reeses cups. then this morning a student brought me one ... i cannot escape it... ahhhhhhhhh

resolution deadline 1 approaching...

i made two resolutions this year which i intend on completing.

1. create 1 new thing each month
2. read 1 new book each month

as january is quickly closing and as my week is full of meetings and work deadlines i am concerned that i will miss my first deadline.

i guess i could quasi cheat and say that when i made the intro to power point for the ANNE FRANK unit that i created something new... and i did read Maniac Magee with my students but is this cheating myself...?

establishing a WAFFLE HOUSE home

chip and i have established our waffle house home. this takes time. we tried two locations and have settled on the one. this process is somewhat similar to finding a church home (which i think GOD is making clearer to us and closer to our home... PTL).


you see all WAFFLE HOUSES are created equal in structure and equipment and the staff does their procedures exactly the same. even the "hi welcome to waffle house" ... i will even let you in on one of their secrets... the calling square or tile behind the counter... it is where they waitress goes to call out your order to the cook... but they must be standing on the tile to call it out. look for it ... it is always there. so needless to say they structure and process/procedure are there... but making a WAFFLE HOUSE a home comes down to interactions with the staff as well as your fellow eaters. these two are equally weighted in the decision process.

so this week we dinned in twice and last night we declared that location as our waffle house home. this occurred based on two elements 1 our favorite waitress was not there and we were worried (especially considering her health last time) 2 the other waitress welcomed us and knew our order... this commanded with the smell of waffles and bacon... mmmm and so it is.

confessions

hello I am sarah june thomas and sometimes my life is messy and sometimes i burn the toast... and sometimes i remember the coffee but forget they filter. i love a man named chip thomas and i am proud to be his wife. i love that he loves to take sunday drives. i need him because he is such a great encourager. i love that does not care if we opt not to do the dishes but instead chose to turn the kitchen light off and head off to something way more fun and interesting. i love that chip makes things turn go... turn on... give off light... i love that he is always thinking of others (something i need to learn from him). i love him because i just do.

How Deep The Fathers Love For Us

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocing voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I knoww that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Stuart Townend

BOOK IT is still ALIVE

Yes my friends... BOOK IT is alive... you might be surprised to hear this because this means that PIZZA HUT is still alive too...

Post church yesterday Chip and I headed out on a Sunday drive and WHAM... there it was the red roof like a beacon in the fog of a rainy foggy day in North Georgia. if you are wondering we went hand tossed crust and added the salad bar.

...Nostalgia

green pastures please

Psalm 23
. 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

No green pastures for me today but the birds singing outside my

window they will not only suffice... they will bring me a spring time smile in the dead of winter.

As for the waters they are still... they are frozen.

Even in the middle of the season in the ruttiest part of the rut GOD is GOOD ... never changing... never forgetful... always present...full of GRACE and abundant blessings.

my lot is secure

Psalm 16

5 LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, [c]
nor will you let your Holy One [d] see decay.
11 You have made [e] known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Highpoint of Being an Aunt is on the Horizon

So Saturday I will be dressing in Sunday bests and heading down to the Fox Theatre to take Banks (my creative and precious one and only niece) to her first and Musical... her first experience at the Fox and what is sure to be the beginning of a long life relationship with the creative charismatic, and endearing orphan Annie.