Wratitudnesday

Ok… so I can’t come up with something special and fru-fru like “Gladituesday.” Amy is one of our favorite friends from OBU, and she’s surpassed my blog in Carolyn’s Safari bookmarks. Although she blogs about estrogenized topics a lot, I do enjoy lurking and will even admit to a beaucoup of belly laughs as a result. (Not that I’m laughing at women… I’m laughing with them; let’s get that straight!)

Her recent entry about gratitude nudged me out of my blogger’s block. I have so much to be thankful for, and our recent transition to Virginia has provoked moments of heightened gladness – both in looking back and in looking forward. So here goes…

• I’m grateful that there’s a Taco Bell right across the street from our church office and that Chicken Ranch Gorditos (sounds like a maffia investment in Texas) are only 89 cents. On long meeting days, I can dash across the street and eat for $3.73, which includes a medium Diet Pepsi!
• I’m glad today that I am a Mac User. I know that’s corny and you poor PC users are rolling your eyes. But go defrag your hard drive or something. Click here and get a virus. Really, these are good days to be a Mac fan, and I’ve been one since 1988.
• I am excessively delighted to be married to my wife. We had a “date” at Starbucks this morning – she is not a coffee shop frequenter, but she’s gorgeous and makes me look good when I’m out in public. We laugh hard and play well together. We are able to share our spiritual highs and lows, and I am eternally grateful to the Lord for His introduction of me to her.
• On that note, my most supreme gratitude is always reserved for my eternal rescue. Jesus Christ is my Savior, Lord, Redeemer, Rock and Strong Guide. I unashamedly profess my devotion and obedience to Him. I hope you release your life in faith to Him as well. It He is what you’ve been searching for.
• Another gift of God to me is my children. Sam and Adelyn are fun-loving, joyful kids that are growing up way too fast. I’m so glad that I’m a dad – even an imperfect one. It’s a humbling privilege to be a home hero. However, they are experts at making sure I’m not aware of any hero status. Why is it the duty of every preteen son to gloat over his father’s male pattern baldness?
• I’m grateful and glad for life friends in Arkansas. See more here.
• I’m glad and humbled for quick acceptance and respect granted here in Virginia. We are amazed at what God is doing in the lives of the people of Northstar Church, and we’re humbled by their eagerness to serve and learn and press into the future together.
• I am giddy about wonderful brain-candy shows like Heroes, Smallville, Fringe, Lost and now Community. I am thankful that I can sit down and enjoy such fare after long days of counseling and ministry. In addition,I love how Amy said,“I’m glad for fiction. That may sound crazy, but I’m so glad that people make up stories and write them down so that I can have a place to escape from time to time. Right now, I’m especially grateful for Jan Karon and her little town of Mitford. My brain’s default mode is very thinky. I’ve discovered that if I spend a few minutes in another story before I go to sleep, I can usually turn off some of the thoughts that try to keep me awake. The Mitford series has been wonderful for me. The characters are sweet and quirky and I can relax in Mitford. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I finish the series.”
  I completely agree… not about Mitford, but about fiction. I too love great stories and epics. I’m thankful for the creative and the amazing gift of imagination.
• I’m grateful for ministry. It’s an arduous calling (The apostle Paul told his young ministry protege Timothy to “endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2.3) Some days it feels like war, and some days it feels like a party. Yet, it is a “fine work.” (1 Timothy 3.1; See here for a great article on The Call to Church Leadership)
• I’m thankful for my scooter. Kevin Wieser gave me my first scooter, which was subsequently stolen. Then the people of Journey Church took up a collection to replace it. Having the Batmoped has been a huge blessing in Blacksburg.

What are you grateful for?