Christmas, Edition 2014

So we can all just move on and ignore the un-finished Give Thanks challenge, right? Life gets busy and the thankfulness didn't stop...it just didn't managed to get documented here. ;)

Okay. With that out of the way...

Merry Christmas =)

Our Christmas season has stayed blessedly busy with a variety of activities....

::buckeye rolling

::tree picking

Molly & Mom, the tree selection team 

Dad, who kindly held multiple trees while we made our selection

::a trip to Ohio for Melissa and I to see the gang that I worked with on the CPE3 project

the group having an impromptu meeting

::the annual town parade with Molly's jump rope team

dressed & ready to jump

::surprise creations (no pictures of the works-in-progress...they were surprises after all!)

::seasonal gatherings with our church family

Family Photo before the Christmas Eve Service
Photo Credit: Dad/Kipp

...and we are topping off the season with a beautiful day at home =)

an impromptu "couple" picture

capturing the "sister selfie"

Molly's gift of "sister" notebooks with personalized lists of what she's learned from Melissa and I

Presents were opened this morning and now various family members are relaxing in their own unique ways -- Molly practicing some Hobbit songs courtesy of Melissa who gave her the Hobbit piano music book and Melissa is spending time with a new book. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad have ventured outside for a walk before eating more food ;)

There were beautiful gifts, but my favorite theme this year was watching Dad open multiple gifts and seeing the picture come together more and more clearly:

First, the golf club appeared...

Then the very nice and fancy bag with a built-in stand...

The matching jacket was the next addition...

...and the sunglasses completed the outfit :)

God's been teaching me a lot lately...unrolling the picture of sending Jesus Christ to earth as a baby for the salvation of the world. In many ways, the deeper understanding I have come to this year is much like the revelation of Dad's golfing outfit in the pictures above...

...clear, but incomplete.
...wonderful, but only on a surface level.

As more and more is unveiled, the picture is made whole and ever so much more amazing than it was just to start.

God's been teaching me more aspects about himself and giving me situations where I am forced to seek out the Biblical response. This search, albeit painful, has showed me what it means to forgive and just how deep the pain and how great the gift of forgiveness is.

It seems like more of an Easter lesson, doesn't it? After all, when it comes to the story of the life of Jesus Christ, we think of his miraculous birth at Christmas and save the forgiveness, salvation, and reconciliation stories for Easter.

But what is Easter without Christmas? If there was no baby, then there would be no forgiveness...no heavenly example...no hope.

The lesson that I've learned this Christmas is just how powerful and just how pricey my salvation was. God's taken me beyond the cute nativity sets...and awwing over the youngest baby playing Jesus in a live nativity. He's shown me the price that Christ paid by coming down into my dirty world to offer us hope. He didn't have to do it. He wanted to do it.

That is the miracle of Christmas.

"Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Fragile finger sent to heal us

Tender brow prepared for them
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God"

~Excerpt of lyrics, Welcome to our World (Michael W. Smith)

Family Life // Give Thanks ~ Day 18-20

As of today, we are only 4 days behind in the Give Thanks challenge and we should be caught up before Thanksgiving actually arrives =)

Today was a productive day, albeit filled with constant comings and goings of our household. Dad, Mom, and I took two of our cars and RV for some maintenance and repairs. Molly volunteered for an emergency drill at a local senior-living center and Melissa headed over to our community college for a nursing lunch and study session.

As I type this, Mom and Dad are just pulling in the driveway from a date night while Melissa and Molly compete for the title of 'writing-the-most-words-in-an-allotted-period-of-time'...aka. a word war for NaNoWriMo. Before sitting down at our computers (me to blog and the girls to work on their novels), we once again dived into the buckeye process and this was the result...

round chocolate + peanut butter + powdered sugar goodness =)

{I'm posting this^^ just for my CollegePlus, Ohio friends to be jealous of}

Mom
::having all my girls home
::10+ sweet years with our dog, Emily
::encouragement from my family
::God's mercies in our suffering
::our veterinarian
::sleep
::coffee
::comfort in loss
::pots and pans
::bluetooth
::easy dinners
::afternoon walks with girls
::RV
::friends
::National History Day
::Molly's Greek teacher, Mr. Spotts
::haircuts
::kombucha
::kleenex
::water
::happy family

Megan
::the cars that God has blessed our family with
::8 consecutive hours of sleep
::texting with friends to share memories and get through the missing part of coming home
::the grace my family gives me as I re-acclimate into the family culture
::hugs and smiles from Molly as she shared the family news
::walking with Melissa (even if it was a little cold!)
::compassion
::Emily, our dog
::Melissa's strength and matter-of-factness in difficult situations
::sharing tears and hugs with Mom
::a nap to help with the sleep-deprivation
::girls' only calls to share life and pray for each other
::our family's thanksgiving tree
::laughing and dreaming with Mom and Dad (so grateful for the way you both invest and disciple the girls and I!)
::a home-day to catch-up on projects
::Mom's pumpkin muffins
::Scriptural reminder to "rejoice in all things"
::the four years we've had to live in Maryland and explore the East coast
::the two-hour drive to & from church with Melissa -- lots of girl time
::our pastors and church
::fellowship with believers committed to following Christ

Molly
::songs
::sisters
::parents
::eyes
::solemn faces that make me laugh
::Emily
::computers
::timers
::rope
::buckeyes
::masterminds
::November
::colors
::volunteers
::smiles
::poems
::precious moments
::spreadsheets
::teamwork
::recklessness
::private jokes

Sunday Stories // Give Thanks ~ Days 15-17

Happy Sunday =)

After our typically busy day, the three trays of buckeyes were remembered after prayer time this evening. We had planned to dip them tonight, but their storage location hadn't stayed as cool as needed. Due to our freezer layout, we have traditionally chilled the buckeyes in the backseat of our cars as this time of year usually has the garage at or below freezing. However we've had an unusually warm couple of days and the buckeyes were softer than needed :(

We pulled them out and decided to wait till tomorrow morning to complete the chocolate dipping stage. However that didn't stop all of us from consuming a few of the powdered sugar + peanut butter balls. From my typing vantage point of the kitchen table, I think I've counted at least a dozen balls disappear...

The tray that with a few new "holes"

Perhaps we'll make a second batch tomorrow to make up the lost-in-production difference ;)

Mom
::snow
::warm coats
::hot tea
::rolling backpacks
::sister talks
::clean desk
::salad
::Sunday mornings
::Sunday school
::Colossians
::drive to church
::last day of membership class
::warm clothes
::worship with my family
::productive Mondays
::wise spiritual counsel
::my daughters' voices
::walks in the rain
::tea
::vacuum cleaner
::washer and dryer (thanks, Kipp!)

Megan
::hot water
::Christmas music singing sessions
::ice skating trains
::friends who point me to Christ and whisper "I'm praying"
::doing a mall scavenger hunt (and winning!)
::Skype messages, texts, and emails from Mom encouraging me when I missed my family
::honesty
::new mornings each day
::radio dramas
::Mrs. Subra's awesome cooking :)
::going to church with the CP gang
::singing praise God in unconventional ways
::snow fights
::re-enacting memories from previous gatherings
::having friends who pull all-nighters with you
::getting a few extra minutes with Emily & Charity before they had to board their flight
::reviewing the whole gathering with Andrew
::talking and texting with Mom and girlfriends the whole way home
::Mom and Dad picking me up from the airport
::a safe arrival home
::selfie wars

Molly
::rain
::heaters
::cousins
::autumn evening chats with said cousins
::greek making sense
::elves (Tolkien ones that is ;))
::chocolate graham crackers
::mugs
::black and white
::restoration
::ribbon
::poems
::pain
::bookmarks
::snowmen
::whiteboards
::teapots
::pens
::Heaven
::coats
::pumpkins

Buckeyes // Give Thanks ~ Days 12-14

I think it's time to return ;) Thank you for your patience...coming home from a CP gathering involves exhaustion, some serious missing, and a stack of responsibilities to make me want to run for the hills :P But lest you all begin to wonder why I go to such events... they also result in some pretty amazing memories which I hope to share over the next couple days here on the blog =)

While I begin the process of catching up (not a one day deal), I'll enjoy eating some of these little holiday treasures...

Buckeyes awaiting the chocolate-dipping phase

Melissa & Dad, our awesome buckeye-rolling team!

And let's also get serious about our Give Thanks challenge...Today, we'll cover November 12-14 :)

Mom
::fun surprises
::laughter
::homemade cookies
::long-distance friends
::family connections
::health
::Megan's blog
::consignment sales
::frozen yogurt
::Friday nights
::completed to-do list
::God's peace
::organization
::help with shopping
::our pastors
::bar-b-que
::Skype calls
::cousins
::friends
::my family
::movie night

Megan
::helpful airline ticket agents
::that my delayed flight gave me a push to do some Bible study
::extra sleep on my flight
::Dad's transportation services (complete with lovely conversations!)
::teasing texts
::Melissa and Mom letting me raid their closets for this trip
::sunshine
::chats with Melissa to keep me updated on home life
::texts from Dad and Molly
::posing in the Des Moines sculpture park
::Mr. Subra's entertaining lesson on the 12 tenets of the Bible
::Josh's driving
::sharing a room with two of my dear CP friends
::talking listening to others talk about music and gaining a whole new playlist
::Catherine calling just to encourage me
::sharing hearts and feelings with the girls at the gathering
::getting to do more English Country Dancing (thank you, Emily!)
::Drew's willingness to share his swing knowledge
::the gift of friends who share memories, fun, and laughter
::the Subra's willingness to open up their home (and furniture!)
::sweet emails from Mom teaching on God's work in our lives

Molly
::His story
::language
::learning
::dishwashers
::time
::reasons
::hugs
::Skype
::conspiracies
::snow
::gloves
::new friends
::teachers
::volunteers
::trees
::walks
::church
::clearance
::babies
::jump rope
::(mostly) catching up on NaNoWriMo

Lunch Guests // Give Thanks ~ Day 10

As I worked on some trip prep projects in my room and Molly was doing school, I heard a bit of a ruckus downstairs. Further investigation revealed that Dad had come home to eat with us --a rather unusual and pleasant surprise! We enjoyed discussing the morning's work and read a portion of an evangelism devotion that applied to some situations we've been dealing with lately =) All too soon, it was over and he had to go back to work. But I think we all went through the rest of the day a bit more invigorated by our special lunch!

Mom
::home tech department...thanks Meg =)
::Kipp coming home for lunch
::chocolate chip cookies
::pillows
::Ibuprofen
::eye glasses
::God's faithful servants

Megan
::conversations with Mom

::God's leading through opened and closed doors
::sleep
::my electric blanket
::a clean room
::sister time with Melissa
::that Dad came home for lunch

Molly
::Word docs
::word wars
::promise of future
::prayers of friends
::paper
::Bible time
::my family

Sunday Prayers // Give Thanks ~ Day 9

I had all the best intentions of getting a really good picture of our family prayer time...

...aaaaand. It didn't happen.

But picture, or no picture, this tradition (going on two years now!) is one of my favorites =)

Pastor Scott, who teaches our community (a portion of our church that meets for small group teaching prior to our main church service), continually mentions that praying together as couples or families is a unique opportunity to grow our earthly relationships by speaking to our heavenly Father. We have the chance, through prayer, to let those around us listen and hear the burdens and praises that are on our hearts -- things that we might never voice in other circumstances, can be said through prayer...

It's a really cool concept and one I've seen played out in our own weekly times praying together as a family. One of the neatest changes that I've seen in our family prayer time recently is a move towards more specific requests and an inclusion of praise and confession. I am grateful to my dad for starting this time and leading it by example!

Mom
::late-night talks
::hugs
::family prayer
::warm blankets
::gloves
::our pastors that teach the word of God
::weekend family dinners

Megan
::Biblical teaching on the workplace
::honesty in relationships
::Spiritual growth in my family
::God's grace
::singing with my sisters
::memories of my years as a homeschooler
::God's provision to heal hurting situations

Molly
::water
::heaven
::lightbulb moments
::sticky notes
::the moon
::dry erase boards
::HSLDA

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Friday Family Fun // Give Thanks ~ Days 6 & 7

So I didn't intend to combine two days so early in the month. But that's what happens when school deadlines combine with some work assignments and yeah. We'll be sharing lists of 14 today to make-up for my lack of presence yesterday ;)

But first up. The most exciting part of the day (aside from the cleaning... but y'all really didn't want to see pictures and video of floor mopping and dusting to the sound of Indescribable, Strong Enough, In Christ Alone, and Bring the Rain) was spending some family time playing an over-the-top, typical-Weber-family, competitive ahem. friendly game of ping-pong.

Melissa and Molly...the team with a 1-1 win-lose record

Mom teaching me how to "step into" hitting the ball

Dad explaining the "Weber family house rules"

Mom
::Emily (our dog)
::extra drivers in the house
::popcorn
::sunshine after the rain
::Godly counsel
::prayer
::God's word
::lessons God is teaching me
::God's faithful love
::beanbag chair
::Family ping-pong games
::a working dishwasher
::clean house -- thank you, girls!!!
::Friday family night

Megan
::the opportunity to continue learning
::Mom and Dad helping me with some job applications
::God's love for us
::hot chocolate
::praying with friends
::scheming Christmas trips with Melissa
::my camera
::coworkers to laugh with
::a boss who gives me freedom to learn and grow
::my morning coffee date with Mom
::the years of time that Mom has invested in me (and Melissa, and Molly, and so many other young and mature ladies!)
::the peace that comes from resting in Christ
::friends who point you to set your heart on things above
::new instrumental and celtic music playlists for work entertainment

Molly
::surprises
::encouragement
::God's commandments
::being surrounded by other believers
::our military
::liberty
::union
::humor
::pretty colors
::autumn
::singing
::clean houses
::our senses
::muscles

Sunday Sermons // Give Thanks ~ Day 2

I toted my camera along to church this morning fully intending to take a picture of something. anything. But the cloudy morning did not avail itself to photography. So I settled to wait for the drive home. And then slept the whole way. So it's a random picture. again. And the promise of something more exciting tomorrow =)

Our regular pastor was out of town, so one of the assistant pastors spoke on Hebrews 10:19-25. It was an encouraging sermon as Pastor Rod shared on the topic on holding to our confession of Christ (verses 23-24) by drawing near to God (verse 22) and assembling together as believers (verse 25).

The world will always run contrary to Christianity as our fleshly nature is to live life on our own terms. But it is out of love for Christ, that we strive to submit ourselves to God, rather than live as we would please. Pastor Rod pointed out that men will always be in servanthood to someone. We can simply chose to be servants of righteousness through Jesus Christ, or servants to sin.

The sermon challenged me to evaluate who I am confessing on a daily basis. Is it myself? Or am I confessing my God? I am also encouraged to daily spend time in Scripture to grow my affection and heart towards the things that God values -- as it is only through time spent with Him that I will seek after the things of God, and not those of the world.

Mom
::our church
::forgiveness
::supportive family
::sisters in Christ
::Mom and Dad (my parents)
::family prayer
::colors of the season

Megan
::laughter
::inside family jokes
::my dad
::sunny days
::the privilege of resting in my confession of Christ as Lord
::new church friends
::the extra hour to spend with my friends and not loose sleep

Molly
::NaNoWrimo
::Bible
::best savior anyone could wish for -- Jesus!
::that God created the world
::notebooks
::awesome pens
::paper

Let It Snow...

Snow has been in the forecast and as a result I haven't seen the grass in over a week!

8" fell last Sunday making it an "at-home" day. I was flying home from a CollegePlus retreat in Dallas, TX so I missed seeing the beautiful snow fall, but Dad took these pictures in the afternoon as he worked with Melissa and Molly to clear the driveway...

Melissa with a shovel full of snow

Molly with her own version of a "shovel"

While I will do a separate post soon sharing memories and pictures from the CollegePlus Dallas retreat, I just have to mention this... Mom and Dad worked very hard to get me home on Sunday. Due to an ice storm in Dallas and the snow in the DC area, flights that actually got from one place to another were hard to come by. Mom and Dad spent most of the weekend finding me a flight and Dad also drove to DC in the snowy and rainy weather to get me when my flight got in at 9:45pm. They are awesome parents, just sayin' =)

Tuesday brought another 4" and this was on top of Sunday's 8" as the weather stayed beneath freezing. To get out of the house, Melissa and Molly headed outside and I followed with the camera...

Melissa with her snow shovel and Molly with a snowball

While Melissa shoveled, Molly made some lovely snow creations.

a heart made out of footprints

a smiley face - with Molly's smiling face

The temperature has stayed around or below freezing for the rest of the week meaning that the snow is sticking around longer than it usually does... It snowed on and off today totaling around 2" on top of 8" left over from the last two storms =) 

No snowmen yet, but maybe one will be produced this week as Melissa is now done with her community college classes. I am still busy with school and have three midterms this week. But once those are done, I will have a bit of free time. If one is made, I will be sure and post some pictures on here!

Give Thanks ~ Day 29

2nd to last day...

... of the 'Give Thanks' Challenge :)

We enjoyed hosting the B. family for an afternoon of fellowship! Mr. B. and Dad work together at LifeTech. While the parents talked up in the kitchen, Melissa, Molly, and I played with their 5 year old girl and 8 year old boy. We did everything from play Monopoly (I won!) to pet Emily (our dog) and take her for "walks" around the living room. It was a fun time and definitely a family highlight was getting to hear their Scottish accents and the many non-American phrases =)

Megan:
~showing hospitality with my family
~Scottish accents
~kid smiles with their excitement clearly shown :)
~finding a perfect pair of boots at Sears
~my dad's understanding and encouragement
~dinner conversations of "possibilities"
~the flexibility and learning experiences at my job

Molly:
~Accents (as in like Scottish accents, as in that I got to hear them all afternoon :D :D :D)
~That I spent the afternoon with two adorable kids
~Games
~When the Newsies' soundtrack is blasting, and Megan, Melissa, and I are singing as loud as we can to it. :D
~Christmas! (BEST. HOLIDAY. EVER. EVER.)  And now we get to decorate and shop for it and get all excited and sing carols and bake cookies and....yeah.....
~Running water (Have you ever thought of how much your life would be impacted if you didn't have it?)
~Whiteboards.  (If you've ever questioned their purpose, just spend a day with my family and count how many times you hear the phrase "Write it on the whiteboard." ;))

Give Thanks ~ Day 28

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Chefs

Today was a nice family day. Dad went out this morning to help a family from church move their newly acquired piano. When he got home, we all enjoyed watching the Macy's Day Parade -- seeing the scene from the Sound of Music play was definitely my favorite of the portions I saw =) In the afternoon, we played two sessions of the Risk (the game is now down to Dad vs. Molly) and ate a great dinner prepared by Mom, Molly, and Melissa.

I finished out the evening by studying for a few hours while everyone else hung out watching the Waltons and looking over the Black Friday ads. I'm so grateful for this day with my family to celebrate Thanksgiving and the rich history of our country =)

Megan:
~getting to play Risk with Dad, Melissa, and Molly
~our delicious Thanksgiving dinner
~talking computers and phones with my dad
~late night/early morning chat "parties"
~Christmas gift schemes
~the pilgrims
~God's provision for the founding of America

Molly:
~Scarves
~Abraham Lincoln
~That we have a day set aside to give thanks (it's a good refocuser, you know?)
~Unexpected friends
~When you're not disappointed about something that you feel like you normally would be
~That I'm Homeschooled :)
~That I survived our annual Risk game for another day

Daily Considerations ~ Day 27

No pictures of the family today... If I would have been home instead of at work, I would have gotten some of the kitchen crew. Mom, Melissa, and Molly worked hard throughout the morning and into the afternoon making the usual, delicious dishes that make up holidays around here (pictures of the food will hopefully be posted in tomorrow's post =) I'm very grateful for their hard work!!

We are also getting a good taste of winter weather around here. Although none of it is sticking to the ground, we had a few hours this afternoon of snow that alternated between true showers and flurries! It is exciting and I'm definitely looking forward to having it stick around so we can pull out the snow clothes and head out to play =)

Here's our thankfulness lists...

Megan:
~the traditional family (-Mom) game of Risk
~watching snow fall outside my office window
~time to explain the workings of Google+ to my grandpa
~my tablet
~that my student-led session ideas were approved for the CollegePlus Texas gathering!
~Pandora
~my family stepping in to do many of my responsibilities so I can work, study, and participate in many of the CollegePlus student activities

Molly:
~Snow! :)  (I just wish that the flakes wouldn't just fall at our house; they should stick too.)
~Thanksgiving baking.  So I know the holiday is about giving thanks, but the food is pretty awesome too.  Especially the part where I made jello with Lissy. xD
~Mail--it's soo exciting to see the little truck come down the street and hope that there's something for you.
~That I'm not in college yet (I mean, I want to get a degree and learn a lot and all; but seriously it's the night before Thanksgiving, and Megan's sitting here slaving away on some accounting thing. :P)
~Quiet, home-fire kind-of-days
~Sewing machines
~Scissors

Give Thanks ~ Day 25

The biggest excitement of the day is that Dad was home because he is on vacation all week =) Cue excitement, family activities, and plenty of distractions!

Actually life for Melissa, Molly, and I went on much as normal. Melissa had classes and tests and I trooped off to work this morning (no vacation for me ;)). Molly was home and worked on school while Mom and Dad went out on a coffee date and to do the Thanksgiving meal grocery trip. I'm already looking forward to eating all the delicious goodies on Thursday =)

Dad has a family trip to the ice rink in mind for tomorrow afternoon, provided that we don't get any snow or winter weather... Our area is right on the edge of most weather maps, thus it is always a question as to whether we'll get any of the snow or not. It's plenty cold enough, but it just depends on where the clouds decided to land ;)

Our Thankful lists for the 'Give Thanks' Challenge...

Megan:
~my health
~heat blankets
~a peaceful day at work
~my college presidential team
~that my professor posted grades :)
~having a weeknight with the whole family home
~times to quote movie and play lines with my sisters

Molly:
~water
~chocolate milk ;)
~numbers
~projects that go twice as easy as you expect
~my finger light (thanks again, grandpa! :))
~Melissa's good grades
~Shem (son of Noah as in Noah of Noah's ark)

Give Thanks ~ Day 24

As you'll see on our lists down below, the day's sights have signaled that winter is once again upon us...

Dad posing with his warm fire

On our way to church this morning, we oohed and aahed at the snow flurries that were blowing around. The "high" around here was 34* and the low was/is somewhere in the teens. Thus it was determined that an afternoon fire would be a great way to keep the main level a bit more comfortable =)

With seeing the snow flurries this morning, I thought back to my first sighting of snow flurries... When we first moved to Maryland three years ago, Melissa, Molly, and I were eagerly awaiting the first snow. We'd never lived in a city where it would snow, so this was going to be a whole new experience. Well, one day in mid-November on our way home from the library, we noticed some ice-like things landing on the windshield --and it looked like these things were melting! We all started eagerly proclaiming that "It was finally snowing!!!!"

We all decided it was a good thing that we were close to home because we'd hate to get caught on a blizzard! Confident that we would soon have a stack of snow (we were expecting feet upon feet of snow :P), we raced inside to inform Mom of the weather conditions outside. She took one look out the window and promptly informed us that there is a difference between snow flurries and snow showers.

Sure enough when we got up the next morning, instead of a winter wonderland, I saw a wet driveway and lawn full of green... Just one of the many things I'd learn and adjust to in that first year on the east coast :P

Our 'Give Thanks' Challenge lists...

Megan:
~Google Drive
~Swagbucks
~the first fire of the season
~seeing snow flurries
~Thanksgiving cards
~a beautiful bedroom
~my parents pushing me outside of my comfort zone

Molly:
~My iPod ;)
~Mysteries
~Faith
~Encouragement
~Warm fires when it is (literally!) FREEZING outside *chattering teeth*
~Green lights from God
~the Amy Grant Christmas cd (if you haven't heard it, then look it up RIGHT NOW ;))

Give Thanks ~ Day 10

Day 10 of the 'Give Thanks' Challenge. Today also happens to mark the fact that we are 1/3 of the way through the month =)

But I'm sure y'all don't need to hear anymore analytical or mathematical comments from me...

To see other posts in this series check out this link.

Today was a quiet day -- very typical of our Sundays. The morning was spent at church where one of our members filled in for our pastor and spoke on Psalm 11. 

Snapshots of the afternoon would have looked like this (but since I didn't take my camera on a tour of the house, y'all will have to be a bit imaginative)... Dad officially closed the camping season for the year by winterizing the RV. Mom worked around the house -- cleaning and tidying for the week ahead. Melissa and Molly headed to church this afternoon for children's choir and youth group. And I worked on various correspondence and organizing.

Today we're thanking God for these items (and many more!)...

Megan:
~the fact that God is a perfectly fair judge
~men gifted with expounding on God's word
~Scripture to fill my mind
~a Sabbath rest day
~early morning Bible study with sun streaming in my window
~a closet full of beautiful clothes
~friends who remind me of the blessing in the frustration

Molly:
~Days/daylight when everything is brighter
~Friends from unexpected places
~The words of encouragement that come right when you need them
~My daddy's ideas :)
~People you can be crazy with (like fellow NaNoWriMoers ;))
~That I have a Bible
~That where I live it's safe to be a Christian homeschooler.  I know there are many, many people across the globe who can't say that.

Give Thanks ~ Day 9

Day 9 of the 'Give Thanks' Challenge =)

Mom, Melissa, and Molly enjoyed going to a friend's jewelry party this afternoon. While no one came home with any new accessories, they did come back talking about the beautiful pieces and potential gifts for others! I didn't go with them as I had an assignment that I was still working on. And Dad? Well, one assumes that this party didn't exactly catch his attention ;) And he also put in a lot of work outside cleaning up the leaves that are falling like crazy around here.

And here's the lists of the day...

Megan:
~encouraging friends
~my parents and their example of a Godly marriage and Biblical roles of men and women
~family movie nights -- a tradition that holds many memories for me!
~God's absolute truth -- a strong foundation on which to base my life
~the promise of a perfect eternity with Christ
~movies that proclaim Biblical truth
~a variety of communication avenues with my family and friends -- this blog, the CollegePlus forums, Skype, texting, phone calls

Molly:
~the hope that we have in Christ
~pretty things
~blankets
~cozy time with your sister as you watch a movie :)
~the thoughtfulness my daddy showed this afternoon
~my common sense family ;)
~those who have suffered for the prolife movement
~things that refocus me on Christ

Yes, you did read that right! Molly wrote up a list of eight things today =)

My Dad

Father's Day this year has given me a much-needed opportunity to reflect on my relationship with my dad.

Dad & Mom at Hoover Dam in January 2013

As a young girl, I wasn't a daddy's girl (that title would be better worn by Melissa :P). But I definitely loved spending time with my dad and would gladly spend Saturdays trailing Dad as he worked in the yard asking question after question of why we were doing this or that. Eventually he put Melissa, Molly, and I to work, figuring that we could put our energy to good use ;)

But in my early teens, I went down two paths that would put space in our relationship. The first was adopting a new hobby: crochet. I was hooked on crochet as an 8 year old and eventually this hobby took over my Saturdays. No longer did I help outside, but I spent my time locked away in my room listening to radio dramas while I worked on, yet another, scarf. This wasn't wrong (and I will still spend some Saturdays doing this), but it did distance us and gave us less time with each other.

Additionally, I adopted some convictions on biblical womanhood. These principles were suggested by Godly women, whom I respect. However I twisted the principles and ignored their warnings that 'each family was different' and to 'implement these principles with the counsel of my parents'. I did exactly what they cautioned me not to do: I began to resent my dad for not being their dads, for not doing everything 'according to the book'. I failed to realize that God creates each family different. My dad isn't their dad, but I'm not that daughter, either. 

Dad, Melissa, Molly, and I at an English County Dance (February 2010)

The Lord is gracious and did just what he promises in Malachi 4:6: "...He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers..." God did this in my relationship with my dad. It wasn't overnight. Neither I, nor my dad are real emotional (at least on the surface), so it wasn't some big discussion, or emotional confession. 

It was over time. A big turning point was CollegePlus. One rift in our relationship had been a unspoken disagreement about college. I believed that young ladies shouldn't pursue higher education, but should focus their attention on preparing to be Godly wives and moms. My dad had made it clear that he thought I should pursue college. (Note: He did/does have reasons for this, which I do agree with now, but they are outside the realms of this post) While pursuing CollegePlus, I finally realized that my Dad was rooting for me -- We were (and still are) on the same team. This change in perspective was monumental for me. 

The life purpose planning, that I completed in the early stages of starting CollegePlus, gave me a structured way to work through my future dreams and goals with my parents. In this way of sharing what we believed God was calling me do with my life, I was able to grow my relationship with both my parents. The doors of communication were re-opened and I was able to share my heart with my dad.

Over the past 18 months, I've come to appreciate my dad in so many ways. It's as if when put aside my resentments, God opened my eyes to see things I had been missing. When I stopped nagging and pushing for my own way and quietly prayed and waited for God's timing, things began happening. Then I realized that God had been working all along - I just had been so set on my way that I wasn't open to God's way (which is always better than our own).

This is a (non-exhaustive) list of some of those things I've been able to observe and appreciate in my dad...

• He leads our family is a weekly time of prayer
• He (and my mom) consistently tells others of how grateful they are to have me living at home.
• He encourages me to pursue my passions and is always willing to discuss ways that I can use my gifts
• He has pushed me outside my comfort zone :)
• He teases me and makes me laugh at myself
• He confesses his weaknesses and admits he doesn't have all the answers
• He continually grows his relationship with God. Even though he's not a Bible expert (and he'd be the first to admit that), He strives to grow in Christ and encourages me to do the same
• He allowed my mom to homeschool, then encouraged her to keep going, when the road became difficult
• He supports us! Working long hours and constantly going above and beyond the call of duty, my dad has never shirked his duty to provide for his household.

I also want to honor my grandfathers.

Grandpa Jim (Paternal Grandfather)

Grandpa Bob (Maternal Grandfather)

These two men have (and continue to have) a profound impact on me. Both have been wonderful fathers and grandfathers. They have both remained faithful to their spouses and can boast of marriages that have stood the test of time (over 50 years, each!) They first invested in my parents by raising and supporting my parents. Additionally, they have invested in my sisters and I by sharing stories and encouraging us in life.

Happy Father's Day to each of you! I am so grateful to God to have you as my fathers! 

"Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed." ~Psalm 112:1-2