Daylight Savings & Sleep: I believe these are self-explanatory. I can not begin to adequately describe how the extra hour of sleep is heavenly.

I realize not all states do this, but I am thankful we do. It is wonderful to go to bed and have it actually be an hour earlier. I learned when I was doing school online, to not use that extra hour the night before. I tend to naturally be a night owl – I used to stay up an hour longer and just “claim” I was going to bed at the same time. It never really worked, and I never learned. However, because I was doing school via University of Phoenix and Arizona doesn’t observe daylight savings…my assignments had to be turned in two hours earlier than the midnight deadline, instead of the 11pm deadline I had when we changed back in April. Ya, I learned quick – had 3 cycles of daylight savings in those 20 months. Thankfully, the first cycle was just two short months after I started.

I hope you are able to have a rest-full Sunday. I am looking forward to a day of rest after a refreshing week :-D. It has been a long time since I’ve been able to look forward to the new week ahead. This continues to be the verse I’m hanging onto this week. I know I will need the constant reminder. In particular with elections this week – He is in control! No matter what our circumstances look like. 

I will Give Thanks in ALL circumstances.

I’m not often political on here – but I will say, it is imperative to vote. This is why we live in such a great country, with freedom. Because our forefathers felt our freedoms were important. Worth giving their lives so we could have a better life. For those of you reading who are Americans, don’t ignore that portion of your heritage. If Tuesday doesn’t work for you, look for your local Division of Elections offices, some have the option of early voting.

I’m linking up with Fresh Brewed Sundays with Barbie over at My Freshly Brewed Life. Come join with others sharing a scripture with each other. What a blessed way to spend time with blog friends!

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Today I’m Giving Thanks for: Power of Prayer.

I realize the map is really small, but it is the picture on the Compassion Bloggers Peru trip site. Compassion International is taking a team to Peru in just a couple days – from November 13-17th.

Pray for these travelers as they are away from family leading up to the holidays. Please follow their trip, praying for safety and good health as they travel. That their eyes and hearts see and hear what the Lord wants for them as individuals, as a team, and for Compassion International. This is my first event to blog for Compassion, so as I figure out more of where you can find updates I will post the information here.

If you are social media savvy – please share the information. The more we share, the more awareness out there for the good of these children. The purpose of the trip is to experience what children in poverty are daily challenged with; and seeing how Compassion helps. If you go to my facebook you will see a fun cover photo (provided by Compassion). Faces to pray for. I will also be pinning pictures on Pinterest from their trip.

When I decided to Give Thanks each day leading up to Thanksgiving, I did not know about this opportunity. I just want to let you know, I intend to post information as it is updated on the Compassion Bloggers Peru trip site. My ‘Giving Thanks’ will take a back seat to this blogging venture. I expect I will be feeling overwhelmingly thankful for the comforts of home and that is pretty shallow to keep posting about. Besides – I’m tired of hearing me talk. Desperately tired of me. I want to hear Him. To be filled up with Him. Less of me. More of Him. I will continue to be giving thanks each day. I just expect I’ll be ending my posts with the statement – rather than starting each post that way. I will keep the banner on the top of the update posts each day.

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Psalm 121

A Song of Ascents/The Travelers Song

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is you keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

My whole life, every time someone in our family leaves for a trip – this is the prayer we pray together before separating. This was a tradition of my mom’s dad, a missionary in Africa, starting when she was a little girl. When I took Beth Moore’s Stepping Up Bible Study on the Songs of Ascent, I learned this is one of the songs the Israelites would sing as they traveled to the temple in Jerusalem. Any time I feel weary in life, the phrase “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” It never fails, when I change my thinking to remember my help comes from the LORD and He MADE heaven AND earth… It always makes taking a deeper breath easier.

Today I am linking up with Fresh Brewed Sundays.

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Don’t forget to go to Compassion Bloggers to see more on their Peru trip.

So many amazing pictures, stories, ways of seeing Jesus’ hands and feet at work. and the smiles. Even though we know there aren’t always smiles, and trips like that are hard, you can tell by the look on everyone’s faces – they are where they are supposed to be.

Today I am giving thanks for: Scripture.

I am so thankful that no matter how many times I read a passage, or how many times I forget what I know to be true – Scripture stays the same. He stays the same. No matter how tired I am. No matter how icky I feel. No matter how much I mess up. No matter what. I. do. or. don’t. do:

Yesterday. Today. and Forever.

Go. Seek Him. Seek Him with your whole heart.

He promises, He WILL be found by you. Jeremiah 29:13, 14.

yesterday. today. and forever. He is the same.

Linking up with Barbie for Fresh Brewed Sundays.

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