Thankful Thursday, Take 53

Thanking God this week for:

• A yummy new pumpkin-blackbean soup recipe - Thanks, Melanie! (And my ability to salvage my initial mistake on a very easy recipe!)
• The NFL - and getting to watch the games with friends (though, it is especially sweet when my team wins! GO GIANTS!!!)
• Reconnecting with old friends (I talked with one of my best friends from college this week - Jessica. I think it'd been well over a year since we talked!)
• Lots of laughter and delicious homemade Indian food with the other women on the church council
• Knowing that our time together Tuesday night (laughing and eating Indian food) was the first of more regular times for the six of us to hang out
• A great time to connect with my new small group worship leaders - to get to know them better, to vision-cast a little together and to enjoy the aforementioned pumpkin-blackbean soup
• MY NEW SMALL GROUP! We had 11 come last night (I think there'll be 18 when all are able to attend). People were so open, so vulnerable and so excited...rightoff the bat. I can't believe I get to co-lead this amazing group of people. I have so much hope and anticipation for what God's going to do in and through us!
• Confirmation from the Lord - to know what to step down from, what to step into (if I get a chance, I'll write more about this in an upcoming post).
• Dreaming and visioning for ministry again
• New opportunities in ministry and in relationship
• My job - and that even though things are really busy right now (same amount of work to do, fewer people to do it), my confidence isn't in my job...thus my sense of peace isn't rattled because of the job market/economy.
• The kindness of the Lord to love me, know my heart, affirm me, care for me and include me in the things He's doing.