An attitude of gratitude - Day 26

I am back in the US. After a very dramatic phone call home Friday morning NZ time to wish the parentals Happy Thanksgiving, I found out Mom had been rushed to the hospital after blacking out. She is back home now, as am I. So today, the longest Friday ever in recorded history (it has to be!) I have much to be thankful for!

Day 26

1) My mom is home alive and is healing. THANK YOU GOD!

2) My planes all flew well.

3) My Dad found me at the airport

4) I have now taken a shower. Sooooo thankful

5) I have rediscovered clothing I left here 7 months ago! It's like a whole new wardrobe!

6) These fragile broken bodies we inhabit are but a temporary shell. Jesus is coming soon and this frail hull with be made incorruptible! Woot! Woot!

An attitude of gratitude - Day 25

I got home late again last night and was so tired after cooking all day, eating, and taking an 11 K walk that bed was the only logical option:) So day 25 it is this morning. Tonight I will do today. Phew it gets all blended together!

Day 25

1) Thanksgiving Dinner made by me (with help on the pie) and eaten with friends
2) Long walks in the dark
3) Cranberry Relish! Love it!
4) Marmalade and whipped cream sunsets. It was stunning.
Made us both stop and look and gape in awe.
5) Naps in the sunshine while the biscuits baked
6) My family - the best parents and siblings I could ever have asked for
7) My friends who keep in touch and remind me of love daily

An attitude of gratitude - Day 24

After a two hour walk, half of it in the dark, I got home late and so this blog is being posted a bit late!

Day 24

1) Walking in the wonders of the dark and beautiful hills behind Oamaru
2) Nicknames that I make up for my friends that they promptly ban me from using
3) Coffee breaks with friends that involve decadent chocolate, date, fig torte. Sigh. Bliss.
4) The promise of adventure from a conversation about hiking
5) Finding more wrinkles on my face
6) Making preparations for Thanksgiving dinner with one of my favorite families here

An attitude of gratitude - Day 23

Day 23

1) Sunshine - I have pink legs! WAHOO!
2) The little box in the top right corner of any screen
that lets me get away from trash with a quick click
3) Soy Milk
4) True and honest talks with friends
5) Being able to right justify this blog
6) Almost done with my paper
7) Digital Pictures. Sheer genius
8) Having time to sit and read in the sunshine
9) Two loads of laundry done
10) Having people I pass on the street smile back at me

An attitude of gratitude - Day 22

Day 22

1) A warm day that merited wearing a skirt and sandals
2) Another page done on my last ever paper for school. One day I may actually finish. Doing research with no library. Phew!
3) Enough change in my ashtray to pay for parking
4) Apples
5) Nutella
6) Peonies, peonies everywhere!
7) 23 days until I go home

An attituude of gratitude - Day 21

Day 21

1) Kaprice's birthday (Happy 16th sweetie!)
2) The Victorian Fete to end Heritage Week, filled with awesome booths selling neato stuff, people all dressed up, amazing food, and fun activities!
3) Coming in second in the world championship stone sawing competition with teammate Louisa.
I am a stone sawing maniac! So is Louisa!
4) A long nap after a day spent with the shakes
5) Birthday party!
6) People who keep their end of the bargain
7) Men who look you in the eye

An attitude of gratitude - Day 20

Somehow I managed to let Saturday night slip right by without adding this this list!

Day 20 (a day late)

1) A picnic in the park
2) People came to church dressed for Heritage Sabbath! VERY cool!
3) Maureen helping me get in and out of my dress again and again. All those hooks and eyes were amazingly impossible to do alone
4) Early to bed

An attitude of gratitude - Day 19

Friday Nights generally find me pretty pumped and ready for Sabbath to hit. Tonight I am just exhausted and very much in NEED of Sabbath arriving.
But what a day it has been!

Day 19

1) Spending time in costume with some of my friends from here for an
Afternoon Tea in the Oamaru Gardens
2) Having some of my friends mistaken for being my children
(funny for me, not so sure if it was for them!)
3) Glorious blue skies
4) People who ask me around for dinner
5) The end of this week
6) Being so loved that my heart feels full

An attitude of gratitude - Day 18

"Another day has almost come and gone. I can't imagine what else could go wrong. Sometimes I'd like to hide away somewhere and lock the door. A simple battle lost, but not the war. 'Cause tomorrow's another day and I'm thirsty anyway, so bring on the rain"
- Bring on the Rain
by Jo Dee Messina & Tim McGraw

Day 18

1) Watching Singing in the Rain on the big screen
2) Getting all dressed up in Victorian clothes to go to the pictures
3) Knowing, at a place deep in my soul, that though I may be lonely, I am NEVER, NEVER alone.

An attitude of gratitude - Day 17

The day is not yet over, but my plate is so full of thanks I gotta unload some of it or something is going to wind up plastered down the front of my shirt!

Day 17

1) The smell of roses wafting on the air as I walked into town
2) Seeing all the folks dressed up in Victorian gear in honor of our Heritage Week
3) My senior pastor helping me out with displays for this Sabbath
4) Candy Corn (arrived in previously mentioned box!)
5) The washing machine
6) The totally amazing savory cheese scone I had this morning
7) My Dad and his awesome skills at getting the forms filled out just right so I can get one little piece of paper to get my NZ license
8) Christmas shopping is finished
9) 28 days til I go home for a visit!!!!!!!!!!

An attitude of gratitude - Day 16

Another day is slowing oozing over the hills behind my 'house' and I am slowly losing the ability to keep my eyes open. So as I prepare to head for bed, here is my joyfilled list of thanks.

Day 16

1) New carpet is installed in the church basement! Phase 2 complete!
2) Baked beans
3) Boxes randomly arriving from the US from much loved and sorely missed friends
4) My work visa came through today!!!!
5) Victorian Heritage Week starts tomorrow here in Oamaru
6) The blessed hope

An attitude of gratitude - Day 15

Day 15

1) Perfectly timed discoveries of gas stations
2) People watching at the airport
3) Friends who let me whine and moan
and yet still love me and give me wise advice. (Think, then speak!)
4) Happy new memories tucked away in the file cabinet of my head

An attitude of gratitude - Day 14

Traveling around with Kate has been awesome. However, on Day 14, we were in a place with NO INTERNET!
I will let you pick your jaw up off the desk...
and proceed with my list of thanks for the day the internet left my life:)

Day 14
1) No internet access. Off the grid is good!
2) The turquoise lakes and rivers surrounded by snow capped mountains
3) Hot springs and saunas
4) Massive amounts of lupines in all shades of amazing
5) Having a friend finally come visit me in a foreign country

An attitude of gratitude - Day 13

This morning has begun with crisp weather outside and rested people inside. We are off today on a trip about the central region of the south island. Wahoo!

Day 13

1) My hairdryer
2) Hot drinks in the cold morning
3) Phones
4) Soy Milk

An attitude of gratitude - Day 12

Today has been a tough day to stay positive. Though there was much to be thankful for, I am struggling to hold onto a grateful viewpoint tonight. Despite being frustrated though, there are piles of things I am thankful for. Some of those things are:

1) Kate being here. So nice to hear a ripe American accent again:)
2) Heaters. Cold nights are still here and heaters rock!
3) Fudge
4) Tired legs
5) Selfless acts of kindness displayed by people I know. I got a gift of soy milk today. Awesome!
6) The blessed hope

An attitude of gratitude - Day 11

So much to be thankful for as I sit here chatting with Kate who made it into town safe and sound!

Day 11

1) A trip in the clouds as we drove through the hills around Akaroa
2) Not dying on our trip through the clouds on the really windy roads near Akaroa.
3) Sunshine! We found at the end of the road.
4) Bible Quiz #2 a success! Fun was had by all ( i think!)
5) Food. Yum soupy food with really heavy bread. I think a duck might sink tomorrow.
6) Hugs from Esther. She's five and she gives the best hugs ever.
7) Sabbath! I am so glad I get a break from the usual hubbub.

An attitude of gratitude -Day 11

Day 11

1) Picking up a friend from the US last night at midnight! She's here!

2) Having a set of adopted parents here to spoil me and let me crash at their place anytime

3) Sunshine the whole ride up to get said friend

4) Nobody was hurt in the wreck i saw yestreday on the drive up. Bus and car crash and no injuries. Amazing.

5) The awesome yellow roses that my Kiwi Mom has here at her house. Makes me think i am really am home in Texas!

6) Friends with vacuums that let me clean out my car.

7) Jesus! He really, really loves you and me. and He reminded me yesterday of that. So thankful for grace and love and forgiveness!

An attitude of gratitude - Day 10

Got home so late last night that I failed to get this up and posted before midnight! So here is what I was thankful for yesterday.

Day 10

1) My car. I can get places so fast.
2) Prayer. It works miracles!
3) Uncertainty. It means I have to have faith and be patient!
4) Tortillas. Love the things. Go perfectly with nutella too!

An attitude of gratitude - Day 9

This day dawned bright and very, very early. But today, another day when my body functions, my mind operates and God is still on His throne of grace, has been a wonderful day!

Day 9

I am thankful for:
1) A church business meeting where so much was decided!
2) Hot drinks on cool nights
3) Happy children and their hugs and laughter
4) The calming effect of prayer
5) A sense of purpose and direction
6) Friends who share a belief in God and His plans
7) The promise of a warm bed to go curl up in after a long day

An attitude of gratitude - Day 8

Day 8

Today I am thankful for:
1) Sunshine and more sunshine!
2) My toothbrush.
3) Having an amazing time with a very sick church member. Hope burns brightly!
4) Five weeks until I get to see my family and friends!

It has been a long day and I am tired as, but joyful.

An attitude of gratitude - Day 7

Day 7

1) It is another sunny day here in Oamaru!

2) I rented an amazing costume for the upcoming Victorian Heritage week coming up. I look all girly. Pictures will come.

3) Coffee and time spent with friends at the lovely Riverstone cafe/

4) Being able to hop in the shower and ignore the phone ringing and beeping.

5) Being able to walk around with Kap while her knees heal from a bad fall.

An attitude of gratitude - Day 6

I had such a busy Saturday that I completely failed to get back home before midnight and get a blog written! But I find that I had so much to be happy about that I can fill this up quickly!

Day 6

1) Homemade pavlova! A yummy kiwi dessert, this time made in honor of Tuhi's birthday.

2) An amazing musical piece played in church by some amazing young women. Made tears come to my eyes!

3) Potluck! I love potluck!

4) A good Bible study on criticism. Always good to have news ways and ideas of dealing with tough times!

An attitude of gratitude - Day 5

As the week winds down, I am happily and exhaustedly sitting here munching on hummus and tortillas. I have so much to be absolutely thrilled about! Though there were serious rough patches in the day, I have no complaints, just joy!

Day 5
1) I am thankful that my family was not hurt by the shootings at Ft. Hood today. I was born there some years ago, my family is military, my dad goes to post to shop and see the doctor and my cousin is in the Army. And none of them were there. THANKFUL!

2) There are people who seem nice and then there are people who actually are nice. Today I am thankful for two of those really, truly genuine nice people - Maureen and Memma.

3) My awesome banker. She makes money happen. Money happening is good!

4) My visa application has been sent off and officially I am ready to stay here another year if they accept me:)

An attitude of gratitude - Day 4

With my life at the moment being filled with a routine of painting rooms, dig up gardens and cramming in everything else around the fringes, I find myself being thankful for the smallest disruptions in the pattern.

DAY 4

1) Eating dinner with a friend (at a restaurant!) last night.
2) A free cup of coffee from my favorite cafe as I hit number 6 on my frequent buyer card.
3) Groups of people who have so generously given their time and energy to help out around this church building, getting it into good working order. Without their hands, the job would never be done!
4) The amazing sale at The Warehouse that let me buy some AWESOME dishes.

An attitude of gratitude - Day 3

Day 3

Today I am thankful for:

1) Organic shampoo and conditioner being on sale! I get paid quasi nothing, so this is a bonus!
2) The rich, warm smell of coffee
3) The library called to tell me the books I requested are in.
4) My fleece PJ's.
5) The warm breeze that hit me when I wandered out in said Pj's to water the new plants outside.
6) Facing decisions that make me run to God asking "OK, now what?"

An attittude of gratitude - Day 2

After a day filled with painting, applauding hard work and study, I have so much to be thankful for! This whole project (one month of a daily record of what I am thankful for, inspiration courtesy of Ang*) just seems to snowball. I find myself checking everything with a "Am I thankful for this?" and a conversation in my head about why or why not.

Day 2

1) Subway in NZ has an amazing veggie patty to go on their subs. Makes for a happy, full belly.
2) Being forgiven for forgetting a birthday. So thankful for forgiveness!
3) Helpers in painting the basement of the church.
4) Waking up early in a good mood!
5) My wise mentor, Mel, who calms me down and talks sense into my head.

*check her awesome, inspiring blog at http://anglouise.blogspot.com

An attitude of gratitude - Day 1

Inspired by Ang, this next 30 days will be a feast of thankfulness. Everyday I will post something(s) I am thankful for. Though November is classically a time when we think of the things we are grateful for, I want to join Ang in the quest for living life with a more positive focus.

Day 1

1) I am thankful for The Murphy Clan and Jeanette, champion weeders and gardeners who have helped transform one flower bed of doom into a potential feast of color and variety! Our church is soooo blessed to have such great people in it!
Before - All doom and gloom
Not that you can tell, but the plants were in terrible repair and blocked the view of the church entrance.

After - It's got possibilities oozing out its ears!
Funny enough the sun disappeared just in time for me to take this shot.

2) My Mom and Dad, who, though far, far away still make me feel loved and listened to every time I call or e-mail. Their reassurance is so inspiring and encouraging. I love my parents!

3) Sore muscles. Playing cricket, painting and digging are all conspiring together to make me a stronger woman. Look out Hulk, there's a new game in town!