High Five for Friday

I decided to try something new today. A couple of my friends have been doing it on their blogs, and today it seems to fit with what God has been showing me this week. It’s called High Five for Friday, and I will be linking up with From My Grey Desk. This week I’ve felt compelled again and again to praise and thank God for the big and little things He’s doing in my life. Here are just five of them.

1. My man passed another big test and only has 3 more to go. This probationary year for my fire fighter has been full and overflowing with training, state exams, and random surprise classes. (Like the Saturday class he has in 2 weeks that he just found out about last night…oh and raises his remaining test numbers up to 3.) Through it all, God has been faithful and made Himself known in the entire process. There’s a fantastic kind of peace that comes with knowing you are where God wants you to be while watching Him provide for each need. On a related note, another highlight of the week was when my ever-moving Dash took time to pray for Daddy at the time we knew he was starting his test.

2. God renewed my understanding of worship through thanksgiving. A year ago I was not okay with where I was in the gratitude department. I could not figure out why on earth I couldn’t get my heart behind it no matter how much I prayed and tried to make it happen. It was just this week that I realized what a dark place I was in at that point. I was in an intense spiritual battle, and now that I’m through it, I thank God for bringing me out the better for it. I also believe more now than ever that it is crucial to look for the good in all situations and strive for gratitude even when it doesn’t come naturally.

3. Jumping in leaves. I know I shared this picture earlier this week, but it was one of my absolute favorite memories of this week!

4. Feeling the tiniest bit caught up on housework. There are lots of reasons I’ve felt behind in the homemaker department lately. While they’re all valid, it still drives me crazy when I get to a point where I can’t see order anywhere in my home. I was talking to Tanner yesterday about how good God has been about giving me breaks from writing the book when I need them most, even if I didn’t realize it at the time. I have reached a point where I needed help from others to finish things up with the book, and that requires waiting. At different points earlier on in the writing process, I’d get antsy and feel like I was losing out on valuable time when I had to wait. By now, I appreciate the waiting periods so much because it keeps me sane and reminds me why I’m doing what I’m doing. Also, it has allowed me to accomplish those tasks that have been piling up (literally).

5. Reaching the 30 week mark in this pregnancy.

My precious little girl is due to arrive in 10 short weeks! I’ve learned much from her little life already, and I can’t wait to hold her on the outside! She is a symbol of so many things for me – God’s faithfulness, His perfect timing, that I must die to myself, and overcome my fears because God is in control.

If you’re new to this site, thanks so much for stopping by! I would love to have you as a part of this humble little community of women who want to find the exceptional power of God in our otherwise average lives. If you would like to receive updates when I add new posts, you can like my Facebook page, subscribe to my RSS feed, or receive new posts by email. You can also find all of these options easily by going to my home page and clicking on the appropriate icon located in the right side bar.