gratitude

The Times, They Are a Changin’

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Hello, Dear Readers!

Please, do forgive my absence, but my little family has been in the midst of absolute upheaval, chaos, and undone-ment. That’s right: we were moving house! My husband Ben has been given a wonderful opportunity for full-time ministry so that means the Snyderhaus has up and moved. After a month of packing and prepping and sorting through our old house of 12 years (a task that reduced me to overwhelmed tears more than once), we are now officially ensconced in our new home, which is far beyond anything I ever envisioned. We have spent the last two nights here, the rest of our furniture arrived yesterday, and, this morning, my daughter and I sat at the table in our DINING ROOM and ate breakfast together. Then she went upstairs to her bedroom to play and my husband settled at the dining room to do some work, while I enjoyed my first cup of tea on the couch in my new house, with the blinds open on our NEW PATIO DOORS to look out on our deck and backyard.

Can you tell I am a touch excited? I (and, by extension, my anxiety) am actually allowing myself to be so, now that the major push is done. I have also found a new job and that alone is miraculous, never mind the gobsmacking circumstances that surround it. We still have the old house to finish cleaning out and cleaning up to get it ready to list, and I am ever so thankful for the resources and family/friends that are helping with that task. God has deeply provided and is truly wonderful! I pray that He will bless this house and all that come into and go out from it. May they leave better than they arrived.

Now, that is not to say that this first month won’t be challenging. It will. It absolutely will. I will be transtioning from one position to another, Ben will have just begun his new pastorship and all its responsibilities, and Elizabeth will be acclimating to life in a new city, neighborhood, and house. But I believe that God is good, that this is what He has planned for us, and that He will, as I have prayed so many times and continue to, be our meal and oil and provide what is needed. What we want can wait for a little while. God has provided what we need thus far, and so I believe He will not let us down now.

Again, thank you for your patience, Dear Ones. I appreciate your encouragement, your support, and the Love that shines from you. You are what this world needs. Let us continue to show up, show Love, and do what is needed.

Hero on, Dear Ones!

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On the Last Day of November

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On this last day of November, I am thankful for so much and so many. I know that I will never name everything. But I will say this in particular, dear Reader:

Thank you for your love for my work.
Thank you for your patience with my silence.
Thank you for your generosity in your encouragement.
Thank you for your care.
Thank you for your trust in me when you give me parts of your heart to help hold, even if just for a moment.
Thank you for warm blankets and pillow forts for my soul.
Thank you for sharing my burdens, my joys, my laughs, and my tears.
Thank you for teaching me to hold space for others.
Thank you for reminding me to hold more space center stage for myself.
Thank you for your likes, your comments, and your shares. My words are not big but you make my heart feels so
Thank you for all you have done and all you will do, for who you are and who you will be in days to come.
I thank you, and I love you.

Thanks in the Season of Giving

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Christmas is often known as the season for giving but I am also endeavoring to be thankful. As we near upon Christmas Day, I am coming upon another very important date within the next week: my daughter’s birthday. On the 19th, my daughter will be one year old. This time last year, I was preparing to be induced, preeclampsic, on bed rest, and growing very nervous. I had never been hospitalized before, not since my own premature birth, so this was completely unknown territory for me. By the end of the day, after laboring for fifteen hours, two of those spent pushing, it was decided that I was to go in for an emergency c-section. An hour later, I held my daughter in weak, trembling arms.

As I look at Elizabeth now, toddling and babbling, smiling and clapping, I am incredibly thankful – for her and to have her in my life. I am thankful for the expertise of the doctors who took care of us that night and the nurses who did so the rest of the week afterward, and for the patience and strength of my husband who was at my side the whole time. I realize that, without them, I might not be here, might not have the blessing of holding my daughter in my arms each day, might not even be here to do so. There is no way for me to say just how thankful I am, as I know how fortunate I am.

The other day, I was contacted by Heather Von St. James, a wonderful woman, and I’d like to share some of her story with you in her own words:

In 2005, at the age of 36, and only three months after giving birth to my beautiful daughter Lily Rose, I was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. Upon learning of this life-altering diagnosis, my husband Cameron and I embarked upon a search to find the best mesothelioma treatment care available. Our search eventually led us to Dr. David Sugarbaker, a renowned mesothelioma surgeon at the Boston based Brigham and Women’s hospital.

Today, I am a seven-year mesothelioma cancer survivor and have made it my mission to help other mesothelioma victims around the globe. I share my personal story to help spread hope and awareness for others going through this, in hopes that one day no one else will have to.  If having cancer has taught me anything, it’s the value of life and the value of gratitude. My diagnosis was in November, and every year during the holiday season, I am reminded of this difficult time. Therefore, I have set out to acknowledge something in my life that I am thankful for every day throughout the month of December.

– See more at: http://www.mesothelioma.com/heather/#.UqvE8vRDu-c

This Christmas and every day, be thankful for the wonderful things in your life. I know that I am. And thank you for your courage and inspiration, Heather.

Heartwarming

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A week or so ago, my in-laws stopped by to see their granddaughter, something that I am always glad for and welcome them to do. They adore her, it’s plain and obvious and I would never keep her from them. They came over and Grandma immediately took Elizabeth onto her lap and they proceeded to smile and coo and dote over her. It’s rather beautiful to watch. I watched them with our nephew when he was a baby but it’s different with Elizabeth. I’m not entirely sure how but it is slightly different. Still beautiful, though.

As we sat there and Grandpa dandled (look it up, I swear it’s not a dirty word) Elizabeth on his knee, they told me that they had been watching Dr. Phil the day before and the show was about in-laws. Because of something they had seen on that show, they wanted to make sure that I knew that they think I am a wonderful Mommy to Elizabeth and that I do a wonderful job taking care of her. I have to admit that I teared up a little bit and felt my heart swell. It’s amazing to know that someone thinks that you are doing a good job of being a Mommy, especially when you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing 90% of the time.

So, thank you, Mom and Dad. That meant more than I can ever say! ^_^