Thankfulness {day one}

The kids are off this week for fall break.  I love having my kids home, but I'm quite certain that between bee-bopping around with them and heading to my Sissy & Mom's house on Wednesday, my blogging may go by the wayside.  But I still want to share with you little snapshots of thankfulness this week.

Before I begin, however, I want you to take for granted that I am grateful for all the traditional stuff:  great kids, wonderful hubby, God's word, our loving church, terrific family, our cozy house, running water, indoor plumbing, my household appliances, my flannel sheets and an abundance of food to eat.  I am grateful for all those things and plenty more that I didn't get on the list.  But, I'm also grateful for ...

Pandora Radio.

I love that I can choose the station of my choice, be it Ella Fitzgerald, Mamuse, Broadway Show Tunes, Jack Johnson, French Cafe, Gypsy Kings or Adelle; and enjoy whatever music I am in the mood for.  Sometimes I want something a bit perky to get me moving in the morning ... then when I've had enough of Aaron's obsession with Erasure ... I can flip over to Hymns and get my spirit energized, too!  And I don't have to have an enormous library of music.  This in-exhaustive supply of music all fits into that capital "P" on my iPod.  And now with Christmas on the horizon ... I'm itching to listen to my Christmas stations:  Christmas Medley Radio and Messiah:  Hallelujah Radio.  But not until after Thanksgiving!  It's all in the anticipation! :)

This is coming from the kid who for a five week trip in a motor home with my grandparents brought two ... two cassette tapes.  Two.  Five weeks, fifteen songs tops ... listen, flip over and repeat.  For five weeks as we drove up and down the eastern seaboard I listened to The Bangles and Wilson Phillips.  (I confess that with the hopes that you won't un-friend me.)  I am quite certain that I never listened to either of those tapes again upon arriving home.  Ever, ever, ever again.

So you can only imagine that with the vast musical talents quite literally at my finger tips, I am like a kid in a candy story!  So many musicians to choose from!  Who to listen to next?

I am still in amazement (read puzzlement) over how this program works ... I'm sure it involves algorithms and statistics ... but still I appreciate it on a daily basis.  In the same way, I am in great puzzlement about how God works sometimes.  (Ohhh ... see how God sneaks into every little aspect of life?  I think that's how He likes it!) I don't understand why He chooses to do some things.  I don't grasp His plan or His purposes on tough days or when life gets bumpy.  But, in reality, I don't have to comprehend Him to love and be grateful for Him.  In fact, in Paul's letter to the Philippians he addresses this need to rest in God's goodness without having first answered the "whys" of life.  And when we settle into Him, He promises to give us a peace that we can't comprehend ... and a rest that we can't unravel or exhaust.

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, emphasis mine)

So there you have it ... I'm grateful for God and all of His mysteriousness.  And that goes for Pandora, too.

One more thing about Pandora -
While it's fantastic to have such a variety of music to accompany any and all activities in our house, we have run the risk of introducing our kids to music unintentionally.  Music that will forever change our children.  And not in a good way.  Have a listen ...



So yeah ... there's that. :)

ooo ee, ooo ah ah ting tang
walla walla, bing bang,
ooo ee, ooo ah ah ting tang
walla walla, bing bang,
ooo ee, ooo ah ah ting tang
walla walla, bing bang,
ooo ee, ooo ah ah ting tang
walla walla, bing bang,
ooo ee, ooo ah ah ting tang
walla walla, bing bang.....

Sorry about that.