This week has been mixed but wonderful. God is so good to spend time teaching us things that will draw us closer to Him and make us more effective workers for His kingdom. This week’s praises:

1). “Blessed are you , O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord?” Deut. 33:29. What a distinction! God is busy teaching me to understand and live by my distinction of who I am in Him.

2). I’ve always wanted to be an oversees missionary. I love other cultures. As I sat in on another English class for adults last night, I met and talked to people from Morocco, Peru, Columbia, Mexico, Pakistan, and Brazil. I fell in love, and I realized that with the privilege of teaching a group like this in fall, God has brought the mission field to me.

3). Despite my political leanings and penchant for following rules set up by our founders, I am a believer before I am an American. Why is this a praise? Because in looking at people with Jesus-eyes rather than American-eyes, I am free to love them unconditionally simply because they are people created by God.

4). God is teaching me what abundant life really looks like. Hint: it has nothing to do with external circumstances. While I realize this is a no-brainer for a Christian, some of us are a bit slow on the uptake. Look for a series on this topic I am working on for the fall.

5). My sweet son injured his elbow when he rolled on it going for a ball in centerfield last week. We are praising God it didn’t end up being more than a sprain.

6). My sweet husband injured himself taking out a toilet. He has three stitches. Again, we are praising God it’s not worse.

7). Finally, you may remember last summer I burned my feet with 22 cups of boiling water. This year it was hot grease on my arm but nothing like last year’s disaster. Praise God. As usual, my daughter is the only one who’s got it all together.