The Body & Blessings

Brooklyn team, praying after their last meeting.

A big part of our world involves my husband traveling on various types of youth trips. During the "school season" the trips include weekend retreats, conferences, etc. and those are quick and wonderful little learning times. The summer, however, offers the lengthier trips and fuller weeks. At this point in the summer we've already gone through a week of VBS at our local church, a week of SOS (students offering service), a day trip to our local amusement park and several Wednesdays in a row of our summer study - hosted in our home.

Right now we're smack dab in the middle of a LONG trip week. It's day 5 that my husband has been gone and its no wonder I was feeling like an emotional train wreck last night when I went to bed. {But, I'm also blaming a certain sappy, sad, Netflix movie. WHY do we subject ourselves to those things?! }
My husband and a team of teens and leaders are in Brooklyn, NY and they'll be back on Sunday night. I miss him. Not just the security of having my man in the house, and not just his help with the children or his work around the house.... I miss him. It's truly amazing how God can bring two people together and turn them into one! My life and days really do feel incomplete without him in them. I'm so thankful for the opportunities that he has to travel and learn and serve - and I'm thankful that it's not every week. :)

But let me share with you just some of the ways the Lord has really shown me this week how much he cares for us in so many little tangible ways. I'm always blown away and so thankful.

- Sunday after church a lady stopped by and handed me a gift card to Wendy's. She mentioned how she knew she wouldn't have had time to make us a meal (which I wasn't even expecting) so here was our meal. We ended up using it that night! Such a treat to my girls and I!
- Prior to Wendy's we spent the afternoon in our friends beautiful pool. This is also such a treat for us! We are so thankful for friends who give up their family time to open up their home and pool to us. My girls were thrilled and it made our otherwise difficult Sunday evening much more pleasant.
- Yesterday one of our sweet teen girls watched my girls for a few hours so I could get grocery shopping done alone - something I've vowed to do from now on. When I shot her a text to say I was heading home she encouraged me to do something else because they were "just fine" there. :) Music to a momma's ears!
- A friend teaching me how to air up my van tires after trying to do it herself.
- Our precious Sr pastors wife dropped off ice cream and pb M&M's. She loves me!
- Encouraging check up texts and facebook messages
- A cell group of ladies who share scripture and challenging thoughts - keeps me focused!
- Air conditioning. It's HOT here and I believe I'd be losing my mind without this "extra".
- Kids who love nap time and bed time. Yep. I have amazing kids.
- Netflix. This is an extra we budget in each month (it's $7.99) and it has been wonderful on the really hot days this week to pick a fun family movie and just veg it.
- Coffee. I'm tired.

Every time my husband goes away I get a first hand look at the Body of Christ and how it was made to build up and encourage the other members. These are all blessings that I cherish. And some of them may seem silly, but, each one meets us where we are and what we needed this week.
I'll close this out with a special blessing from today.

Today was Cow Appreciation day at Chick-fil-a and the rules are simple: Dress up like a cow and get free food. I've never done it before because honestly it seems like a load of work - long lines, making costumes, taking 3 kids to fast food ALONE, etc. But we did it and it was totally worth it. We got 5 free complete meals and the girls were able to jump around the play place afterward. Wow, amazing time and such a blessing to score some yummy free food. Not to mention that it broke up our middle of the week!

We are so thankful for the body and the many blessings the Lord shows us! Here's to a fantastic rest of our long week... 5 more days :)