a month of thanks

31 days to name things and people for which I give thanks...

Jesus, Jesus!
dimples
friends who pray
Saturdays
CrossPointe
Philippians
music
home
fall
the talk
body of Christ
Cain's
Young Life
education
curls
Jasper
rest
grace
Darnell's
health
siblings
days at home
deep friendship
fall colors
food
Matthew
my country
Springer

... and then today! 
a warm home to wake up in
Chick-fil-A coolwrap
God's fingerprints all over my trip to Atlanta
sweet neighbors
cute Trick-or-Treaters!
courageous men like Martin Luther {happy Reformation day!}

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
to Him who alone does great wonders,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1-4

What if I gave thanks in all circumstances?  The adventure continues...

thankful for Springer

Today {and every day} I am so thankful for my husband Springer. What a gift he is to me. I'm thankful for how he loves me, cares for me, protects me, prays for me, provides for me, leads me, makes me laugh! I love being his bride.

 

And I'm thankful that we are now parents!  Springer is an amazing Dada to Matthew.  I love to watch him play with Matthew, read to him, love on him. 

I have been richly blessed.  So thankful for my husband to walk with me through this life.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21

thankful for my country

As I type, I am standing outside {in the cold} waiting to early vote. My first impulse is to gripe and complain {did I mention it's cold?} but instead I'll use this time to give thanks!

While I don't think my country or its government is perfect, I'm thankful to live in the United States of America. I'm thankful to have the opportunity to vote... thankful for all the rights and privileges I have as an American citizen... thankful for the freedoms I enjoy... thankful for the men and women who put themselves in harm's way to protect me and my family... thankful for a heritage of leaders who put God first in their decisions.

So as I vote today, I am praying that the Holy Spirit would be at work in the hearts of the men and women who will be in positions of influence as a result of this election... that they would know Jesus... that they would make decisions and legislation that honor Him.

I'm also thankful that God is in control of my country and of all nations. Our pastor shared a sermon yesterday which helped to orient my heart and mind to trust God's hands as He is at work in the world. {Click here to listen.} I hope you, dear reader, are encouraged and challenged as you listen.

thankful for our son

As 2010 came to an end, our lives changed forever as we learned that Jehovah Rapha had answered our prayers. Nine months later came Matthew Springer Cain. I can't adequately express how thankful I am for our son, our gift of grace. We love watching him grow and explore. He is a pretty chill little dude, which has made our first 14 months together relatively easy. I think he's the most handsome boy I've ever laid my eyes on {but I do realize I may be biased}.

We pray that Matthew would come to know Jesus at an early age and with his whole life would glorify God. So, so thankful for him.

For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to Him.

Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD."

1 Samuel 1:27-28

let us thank Him for our food

Today as we prepare for a birthday celebration - Low Country Boil - I am so thankful for the food God provides for us. Day to day I don't have to worry if I will have a meal. What a gift, one that I so often take for granted. Many, many in the world, even in my city, do not have this luxury.

I'm thankful that with each day's meals, I see evidence of Jehovah Jireh, The Lord Will Provide. May I remember to give thanks for my physical meals... and even more for Jesus, the Bread of Life, Who nourishes and strengthens my soul.

Jesus said to them, "I am the Bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger,

and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.

John 6:35

thankful for fall colors

A good chunk of my day was spent in the car, and during that time I marveled at Creation... the bright red, the burnt orange, the vibrant gold. Isn't fall glorious?! And isn't God creative?! He could easily have made all trees brown, or maybe green, but no... each autumn He paints His glory across a landscape for my eyes to behold.

{image via http://hellomynameisginny.tumblr.com/}

thankful for deep friendships

I'm thankful today for friendships that are deep and wide. Women who have walked with me for years and years. And as I thank God for these gifts, I am asking tonight to bless the Slatens, as they prayerfully pursue bringing home the baby He has for them.

http://slatenadoption.blogspot.com/2012/10/piece-by-piece.html

thankful for a day at home

 


I am so thankful to be home with Matthew today!  Yesterday was a wonderful day of working outside of my home, but the fast-paced rhythm of the pharmacy made me all the more grateful for a day that I can slow down and spend time with this little man.  {Though he is getting more and more mobile, so our day might not be as relaxing as I'm imagining!  HA!}

thankful for family, part 3

No surprises here... I'm crazy about my siblings. I can't imagine growing up without Caroline, Will, or David. Life in the Darnell home would have been very different had we not been given the gift of each of them.

Isn't my sister lovely?  Caroline came home from the hospital on my fourth birthday.  By far the greatest birthday present I've ever received!  I'm so thankful for her sweet spirit, kind heart, and FUN personality! 

 Then last year our family grew... as Brian (aka Uncle B) married Caroline... woohoo!  So thankful for a perfect match for my precious sister.

 Oh Uncle Will.  Thankful for how you make me laugh {a lot}, how you think deeply, how you love my son.

And finally Dave... God knew what He was doing when He added you to our family.  It is crazy that I can remember when you were born.  What a gift to watch you grow as your namesake into a man after God's own heart.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the Truth.

3 John 4



thankful for our health

I could be frustrated this morning {had a doctor's appointment, got there, and was asked to reschedule}, but instead I am choosing thanks!

First I'm thankful that Springer, Matthew, Jasper, and I are healthy! What a gift from our Creator and Sustainer!

Also we have had excellent medical care in our lives. We are so thankful for a kind OB-GYN who cared for us through my pregnancy and who delivered Matthew. Thankful for the thoughtful care we received at ACRM. Thankful for Matthew's pediatrician who values listening and has really grown our confidence as parents as he's given us tools and advice to know how to care for Matthew at home when he is feeling a little under the weather. Thankful for a great veterinarian too.

Our health and healthcare providers are truly a gift from God, and we are thankful!

thankful for family, part 2

I loved growing up under the Darnells' roof. When I think about my sweet family, and in particular, my parents, two words come to mind.

 

affection

 

I'm so thankful for the way my parents showed their love to me and my siblings. I have never doubted their love and affection for us. What a gift!

 

 {thanks, Sarah, for the pictures above!}

 

 

sacrifice

 

I know it wasn't easy to take care of four little ones under one roof. I'm so thankful for the sacrifices my parents made along the way to care for us and provide for us. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for modeling to me and all of us godly leadership and Christlike servanthood. We love you!

Oh and three more words... biscuits and gravy

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8

 

thankful for grace

grace: the freely given and unmerited favor and love of God

I am much better at extending grace to others than giving grace to myself. {Am I the only one?}

I said some stupid and hurtful things this week... words I wish I hadn't uttered. I have asked for forgiveness from those I offended. My tendency is to continue to mull over those words, to obsess about what others think of me now, to stress over a strained relationship. Exhausting.

So today I'm breathing deep the air of grace. I can't do everything {anything?} perfectly, and there is much grace in Jesus for this ragamuffin, this pardoned rebel. Oh I am thankful.

From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

John 1:16

thankful for rest

I'm tired today. Little man is up early from his nap, so the possibility of a power nap for Mama is out the window.

Feeling tired reminds me that {for the most part} I'm able to rest each night, and I'm thankful! I know folks that have a hard time sleeping, so I don't want to take my rest for granted.

Also thankful that I know the Giver of True Rest...

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,

 for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

thankful for jasper

November 2008... our lives changed forever as this little pup walked in.

 

Oh Jasper, you taught me how to love a dog.  You are the best pup a dog mama and daddy could ask for, and you're a great "big brother" to Matthew.  We are so thankful for you!
{And Happy 4th Birthday!!}

thankful for crazy curls!

Matthew woke up with a line of curls on his precious head... so thankful for this curly mohawk and the smiles this little man brings to my face!

thankful for the gift of education

Springer and I both were given amazing educations thanks to the generosity of our parents.  {I didn't realize how steep private school tuition can be until I became an adult!}  We are so thankful for their sacrifice and encouragement along the way.

Then we both made our way to the greatest college in all the world.  {Not biased at all.}  While we are so over-the-moon thankful for the friends we made, community we felt, experiences we had in Athens, today I want to focus my writing on the education I received at dear old UGA. 

In the fall of 2000 I entered college on a pre-pharmacy track.  I had taken several AP classes in high school, which made space in my schedule that I could take a number of classes that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise.  One of my favorites was Art Appreciation.  I enjoyed looking at art before this class, but afterward felt like I could truly appreciate the thinking and creativity behind a piece of art even more.  {And Lindsey was in this class, which meant we had a blast!}

In 2002 I started pharmacy school.  And it was a hard four years, people!  But I'm thankful for the courses that pushed me, the studying that stretched me {and kept me up all night on my 21st birthday... quite the party studying for a biochem test...}, the experiences that instilled in me a greater compassion for my patients.  In particular I am thankful for the instruction, mentoring, and kindness of my professors.  Several of them took an interest in me, and their encouragement meant the world to me. 

My schooling, plus the residency training that God provided, made a way for me to work in really unique practice settings, and for that I am so thankful.  And now that I am home with Matthew most of the time, I am thankful for a career in which I can continue to work some.  I know that's not the case with many careers, so I'm thankful for the flexibility that pharmacy has given me.

thankful for young life

We love Young Life.  If you're not familiar with it, Young Life is a Christian ministry to high school (and middle school) students.  Young Life leaders live out 1 Thessalonians 2:8 everyday before their high school and middle school friends... We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.

It was Young Life that God used to draw Springer to Himself, and specifically the presence of godly men like Steven (Lumpy) Swinehart and Brian Alford.  God used Columbus Young Life, as well as summer camp at Frontier Ranch, to call Springer to Himself, so we are so thankful for this ministry!

It was Young Life that God used to give me a heart for young women to know Christ and developed in me a desire to disciple those He would put in my path in my college days and beyond.

It was Young Life that displayed to Springer and me authentic Christian community in Athens.  We were both training to be Young Life leaders in the fall of 2000. Fast forward to spring 2001, Springer was placed on Athens Academy's team, and I would serve for the next 4 years at Oconee County High School. The Young Life leaders in Athens became our community and best friends in college. 

It was Young Life that God used to introduce Springer and I to each other.  Fast forward again to summer 2004, when Springer and I started dating, and well... the rest is history, I guess.

thankful for family, part 1

Isn't it kind that God would put us in families? I hit the jackpot in both the family I had the privilege to grow up in and also the family I married into. Today I want to write a little about Springer's folks. As we soon celebrate 7 years of marriage, it's been a little over 8 years since I first met this awesome family.

I think anyone who knows the Cain's would agree that a word that describes them well is... generous.

Springer's mom and dad are some of the most generous people I know... with their time, talents, home, food, hospitality, money, and lives. And it's neat to see how they've passed this quality on to their children. In fact his generosity was one of the first things I noticed about Springer as we were getting to know each other in college.

I love being a Cain. I'm so thankful for being a part of their family. I hope that Springer and I can model a generous spirit to Matthew, as we hold all God has given us with open hands, and I pray that Matthew will be known for his generosity too.

A generous man will prosper. He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25

thankful for the body of Christ

Last night we had the opportunity to join our brothers and sisters in Christ in worship in an evening called Rhymes & Reformation. 

I was so encouraged sitting backstage with all of the worship leaders, listnening to their earnest prayers, asking God to do great things in the hearts of those gathered, proclaiming the Gospel to each other.  Though our "styles" may be so different, our hearts were united... with a goal of glorifying God and pointing those we were leading to Jesus.  I am so thankful for the body of Christ.

thankful for "the talk"

I didn't go on a lot of dates in high school. {perhaps because of "the talk" I'm about to describe?} Mostly evenings with friends at a school dance, prom, etc, with a couple of "official" boyfriends sprinkled in {though I can't remember how we ever made it "official" before Facebook}.

When a young man would come to pick me up, my mom would meet him at the door, welcome him in, show him the way up to the den. My dad would rise from his chair, shake my date's hand, ask him to sit down for a bit.

"Now Mike {first date, Christmas Dance, 1997}, if you were going to borrow my car tonight, I would want to know what your plans are. Where exactly will you be going? What roads do you plan to take? How fast will you be driving? What time can I expect you to be back?

"But tonight you are borrowing something far more precious to me than my car. You're taking my daughter out. So I need to know exactly what your plans are for tonight, and I expect that you will take care of her and protect her until she is back in my home."

So began "the talk"... in fact it is rumored that Dad got out a map of Macon on occasion, asking the young man exactly what route he planned to take! What was at first "so embarrassing, Dad!" became a treasured tradition for Caroline and me, as we'd sneak down the hallway to eavesdrop on our dad's declaration of our value to him. Isn't that what every young lady needs to hear? I'm so thankful for Dad's affirming words and loving care.

And I wonder how many of our dates will one day be giving "the talk" to young men who come asking for an evening out with their daughters...

thankful for a new season

I love it when it's finally summer, but I also love it when summer is finally over!  The cooler temperatures have been so nice the past few weeks.  To celebrate the autumn season, we went to a pumpkin patch with dear friends on Monday morning.  I think this picture says it best...

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

thankful for my home

We really love our home.  I've written about it several times before.  It's easy to take it for granted.  Today I'm thinking of the thousands of people just in my country who are homeless.  I don't want to take for granted God's kindness in giving me a home.  Also I'm thinking of how many people may have a "house" but not feel like they have a "home"... a place where they feel safe... a place where they know they are loved.

Then I remember the way the Message puts John 15:9-10, "I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love."  At home in Christ's love... isn't that beautiful?!

And as I'm considering what it means to find my home in the love of Jesus, I'm reminded that truly this world is not my home.  I'm just passing through.  My home, where I will know the completeness of God's love, is in Heaven.  Come, Lord Jesus.

thankful for music

Growing up as a Darnell, music was second nature to me.  I can remember singing hymns with my mom on piano and dad on guitar as a tiny girl.  Eventually Caroline picked up the violin, we all learned guitar, and well, David is crazy good at any instrument he touches.  {proof here... the early days are my favorite, Free Fallin, Lean on Me at Barberitos, How Deep, Head over Heels}

Anyway, I am so thankful for the gift of music given to me passed down from many generations.  The old hymns take me back to family reunions and our living room after dinner... hearing "Think of Me" tonight reminded me of the first musicals I saw as a little girl... an old country song will take me back to riding around in a friend's car in high school... worship songs will point me to Jesus. 

What a gift, I am so thankful!  {I've passed the gift on to Matthew too!}

thankful for Philippians

This fall I'm studying Philippians with a group of women at CrossPointe. What a rich and encouraging letter! I have really enjoyed our time on Tuesday mornings, wrestling together with Paul's words. So thankful for this letter and how God's Word is living and active, able to speak to a church in Philippi centuries ago and to me today.

{next up, Colossians}

thankful for our church

In Augusta we had seen community in action through Redeemer Presbyterian. When we moved to Columbus five years ago, we hoped to find a church we could call home.
As we visited other churches in our area, we kept hearing the same thing... "Have you heard about CrossPointe?" First we thought, "Do you not want us to go to your church?!" Then we decided, "Let's try it!"
Our first Sunday we knew CrossPointe was the church for us! And five years later we are so, so thankful for the friends we have made, the Bible-saturated preaching we hear week after week, our small groups, Gospel-centered worship, trips to East Asia and Central America, opening our hearts wider to what God is doing around the world... and all He has done in our lives through this church.

thankful for Saturdays

There's just nothing like a Saturday. I love spending a lazy Saturday with Matthew and Springer. Sometimes we just piddle around... but lately we've been more adventurous!

Our city has a great farmers market downtown on Saturday mornings, and one booth in particular sells delicious scones!

{wishing I had taken a picture before I scarfed it down}

Another gift to our neck of the woods is Callaway Gardens. A few weeks ago we drove over for breakfast at the Country Store {Matthew's first pancakes!}...

 the Birds of Prey show {Daddy's favorite}...

and a walk around the Sibley Center.

Then last weekend... off to our niece's birthday party and then a date with Springer to the Georgia game!

I think I can speak for all of us when I say, "We are so thankful for Saturdays together!" Can't wait to see what today has in store!

thankful for friends who pray

Once a week a couple of friends and I gather in my home.  We read the Word, we share, we apply the Truth, we pray.  What a high and holy privilege to pray for and with my friends!  I don't want to take these women or our time for granted.  So today I am especially thankful for them.  May God continue to knit our hearts together more and more.

Therefore, brothers {and sisters!}, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:19-25

Dear Reader, if you love Jesus, have you made prayer with other believers a priority? I can't tell you what a blessing it has been to me these last few months to pray regularly with a small group of women. Can I encourage you to do the same?