Today was another busy day. The quotes from Elisabeth Elliot’s, Discipline: The Glad Surrender, that Becky shared today really convicted me about how I spend my time. I feel like I’m always in a hurry and like there is never enough time to do all the things I want to do, see, read, write, photograph. In fact, the last several weeks, I’ve — dare I admit it — worried about forgetting something important because we’ve had so much going on. Spring is a busy time. All that is to say that I’m thankful Becky shared those quotes today. They served as a good thump to my forehead. I realize now that I need to take some time to recalibrate and readjust my priorities, then create a schedule that reflects those priorities. This life of being dragged from one thing to the next is self-destructive. The end of the school year is a good time for evaluations like this. Oh, and it will be here before I know it!
I am thankful that there are good men like my father-in-law in this hard world. Several years ago, he saw a need for a local ministry center that could help provide food and clothing to needy people in the community. He organized the building and trained the volunteers. Today, it is a thriving, busy, gospel-sharing ministry. This morning, I dropped Benjamin off at the ministry center so that he could get some volunteer hours. It was my first time to be there during ministry hours. Everywhere I turned there were men and women receiving counseling, clothing, and food. They were covered up with people! I am thankful for the work they are doing. I am thankful that Benjamin thoroughly enjoyed his time spent serving, and that he wants to go back.
Last weekend, a few local youth groups got together to observe the 30-hour famine. It’s a time for young people to try to identify with the homeless and hungry around the world. My Hannah and Benjamin participated. They constructed shelters of cardboard boxes and slept on the ground. And they went 30 hours without eating. They spend Saturday morning doing ministry around town. One group visited elderly in assisted living. Another visited those in a nursing home. Then a third group did yard work for those who couldn’t do it themselves. At the end of it all, they broke the fast with Communion.
I am thankful for those 2 youth pastors — they really are the best I’ve ever known. I am thankful for the experiences Hannah and Benjamin had. At the end of the weekend, I heard that Benjamin helped installed a mailbox for someone. Hannah did her best to converse with the lonely people she met. Then, she sat at the piano to play and sing for them. I am thankful that all these years of piano lessons are turning into a way for her to minister and bless others. I hope my children will begin to see that learning music isn’t one of my many torture devices. 
I am thankful that I’ve seen some immediate fruit from the teaching last weekend, too. Hannah and Benjamin both went about their chores this week without any complaining. Benjamin even cut the grass without asking first what he would get paid if he did it.
Even though I’ve been in a spiritual funk for more than a few months (just being honest), I am thankful to have this glimpse of God being at work in someone somewhere. I may not have noticed had I not taken the time to sit down to write this post.
Goodnight.
