be part of a team * take nothing for granted

so i forgot to write yesterday, but my day was full of good things anyway!

at work i finished making the binder with all the notes on how to do my job. it looks so nice and clean and organized! love that

then shauna came over for supper and we enjoyed some delicious asparagus and cheese ravioli, with spinach and cheese tomato sauce and fresh cucumbers as a cool crisp side dish

then we were off to the first summer service of 2009. at 10 to seven i was literally the only person in the sanctuary!! but in true mcivor summer form by 7:05 people were there (never as many as a regular sunday service, but still good). i find summer services refreshing, as they are relaxed (time wise), people have chosen to come specifically for church (rather than a sunday morning ritual/habit), there is time to share where we see God working, or where we feel that he's not, there is time to pray and not be rushed, there is a children's feature, and we have a chance to hear and see their childlike faith. refreshing. i sat with lisa, simon and marcus. i just love those boys. i hope that they will continue to let me love on them. one of my favorite things that i've done this year so far is sit in their kitchen and watching marcus climb on the counter to make me some coffee. he was so pumped about being able to do it, and he was good at it! and that evening while i was waiting for the coffee i was able to watch simon eat an icecream cone... with his whole chin. they are such precious guys. and russ and lisa, well... they are invaluable to us.

then it was time for caregroup. God thank you for my caregroup! it is so nice to be with them, laugh with them, shake our heads at some of the ridiculous things that are said, eat gelati, browse jewelery and just catch up. lisa buller we miss you! this is a very special group.

and then we ended the evening with a tour of james and carmyn's apartment. it is so nice and has so much character. love it.

i haven't even talked about my "inspirations" and evidently i haven't really needed them yet.
be part of a team, whenever i hear team i think sports.
and well, sports are not my forte. i played baseball when i was a kid, but was so nervous that the ball would actually come to me that I just stood there biting my glove. good thing i could sing... music or sports, that's often how its divided.
but i really am part of a lot of teams, all depends on how you look at it
i'm part of teams at church, worship teams, volunteer teams, worship committee
i'm part of "teams" with my husband, with my families
i'm part of a Kindred Production team at work, and part of the Conference team at the office
it's nice to be part of something larger than yourself

and take nothing for granted
this made me think about a little blessing i received in the mail yesterday. it's the picture that is at the top of the post.
a couple of months ago, michael and i started sponsoring a very special little nine year old boy from Burkina Faso (where mike grew up). His name is Boureima Keima. we received our first letter from him yesterday, and that was the picture that he included, he's pretty good i think!
his letter was written in someone elses writting (his writing looks like he's younger than nine) but he tells us about his family. he has 2 brothers and 1 sister. his father has died and his mother has AIDS (he says its an "incurable disease" i'm assuming its AIDS). wow. take nothing for granted. i can't even imagine being nine, with no dad and a mom so sick. Boureima is a part of our family now, Michael and my first kid :) (he'll have to wait quite a while for any siblings!)
i thank Jesus for bringing Boureima into our lives and hope that we can learn to appreciate life and love in general thru getting to know him. and I hope that he can feel loved.

take nothing for granted, that is certainly something i've been learning this past year. i don't think i took Jay for granted, but I don't think I realized how blessed I was until he came and was taken so quickly. i don't think i'll ever take him for granted, or how his little life taught me so much about love. genuine. strong. overflowing love! Jay, you're so special! i will alwyas love you little sweet pea. and never will i forget you, you are a gift.