Worthy?

Am I worthy? Do I know what I am speaking about? Can I help others? Who am I to believe I can? I cant even remember verses in the bible - how much of a "christian" does that make me?

I caught up with a beautiful young lady for a coffee last night, whom I havent spoken with or seen for some time. She is one of those kind-hearted, warm, gentle natured people who has such a passion and fervor for Christ, it is admiring! She reminded me of something I had said to her the last time we had caught up (a good 6 months or more earlier) about something I had on my heart to do. She wondered if I had done anything further about it, and the truth is, I hadnt. I had ignored God's voice because I didn’t think I was worthy. I wondered what people would think of me, if they would say "oh, she isnt entitled to do that", or "I cant believe she is doing this". I confessed to my husband even that I didn’t think I was good enough to go ahead with it.

But God promises that I am. He has called me by name and designed me for a purpose. He is just waiting for me to have the faith and courage to step out in that. There has been quite a few opportunities now that I have turned down for these same reasons, and that upsets me. I wish I had enough faith to leap out into it and glorify Him by doing it. I am thankful, though, that He hasn’t given up on me and He is still waiting, calling and nudging me to step out and trust in Him. It's funny how He tries to get our attention...

In Jeremiah chapter 1 this morning, I came across this powerful verse of encouragement. I hope that as you go through your week, in whatever you are faced with, that this might give you some comfort also. For when God calls us, we should answer and trust in His plan:

The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

"Alas, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am too young."

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

Much love

The [sort of] finished product

So, for those of you who were waiting to see it....here it is!

I did have a great time painting this desk, turning it from the plain, worn brown desk it was into this beauty! However, it didnt come without obstacles!

It was my first time painting a piece of furniture. I sanded it back, put about 2 coats of primer on it, then about 2 coats of water based semi gloss....i did paint the runners of the drawers too...and you may guess that YES - this meant the drawers would not fit back in their holes! :( so hubby had to scrape off all the paint in the runners to get them back in! But...in this hot weather, although they are now in ....i can hardly get them out! haha!

My plan is to line the inside of the drawers with a gorgeous wallpaper - to keep them protected from scuff but to also make them look pretty!

The top of the desk, being gloss, has also meant that things are sticking to it! A book was put on the top of it yesterday and i went to move it a couple of hours later - and it ripped off a chunk of paint! :( *sigh* Might have to see if i can get a sealer spray or something? Not too sure about this so will take any suggestions!

I have used some spare placemats at the moment to put the computer monitor and printer on also - which i think actually look quite cute!

SO...it has been a lengthy process..but it is [kind of] finished now!

Much love

                                                                 Before                                                    After

A little routine...

The little antique writing desk we picked up off Gumtree has provided the much needed 'spriritual' kick in the butt we needed to get into a good routine of quiet time!

When I wake up, I make sure I spend some quiet time in His presence at my desk, reading His word and quieting my heart to hear what He has to say to me. I put on some worship songs and write down what I feel He has been telling me that morning. Then I leave the notepad and pen out for Matt when he gets home. He gets home a couple of hours before me, so then he sits down and does the same sort of process, leaving me with the notes of what he has learnt/been taught/heard that afternoon also.

We have struggled to get into a good routine for some time now - always having some excuse such as 'being too busy' to just sit down, stop and listen. It hasn’t been easy, some days I have been running REALLY late for work, and if I sit down for quiet time, I will definitely not make it to work on time! But...i bite my tongue (as its my fault for running late anyway), sit down and be diligent...and God blesses that. It always turns out that I am never late for work - somehow, time stops and I make it to work on time. God is so good!

So, I have learnt it is important to keep at it, persist and continue with your quiet time. God has been teaching both Matt and I a lot through this, and I have felt that He wanted us to get back in touch with Him, and make Him our number 1, before we are blessed with the things we so desire and want. If we get what we want too quickly, it is easy to lose sight of Him and get distracted by those things that we desire. For Matt and I, this is having our own little family. But God has been teaching us, to make Him our number one, and He will then give us the desires of our heart.

Much love

In uncertain times...

My brother-in-law and his wife are living in Ukraine, hoping to make it back to Australia very soon to have their first child together. Tomorrow, she is scheduled to be in Moscow to get her Visa...we are all so very thankful that she wasn’t scheduled to be there today, with everything that has been going on there.

I had forgotten about this beautiful verse. It is God's promise of protection over us and something that I stumbled upon, once more, in my quiet time today...by chance. I was actually reading Matthew, and came across Matt 4:6 where Satan is tempting Jesus. I wanted to check if what Satan was saying was actually written in the word, so I followed the footnotes to Psalm 91!

I hope that as you read this today, you will find a peace and comfort that our Lord is our shelter and protection.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you

from the fowler’s snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes

and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say, "The LORD is my refuge,"

and you make the Most High your dwelling,

no harm will overtake you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call on me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation."

Much Love

my creative place...

a little desk

some pretty flowers in a jar

His word...

-------------------------------------------

Already excited at what has come out of my time spent at this desk

Much love

Hi, my name is Danica...

...and I am a gumtreeaholic :D

I know I have posted about this before here, BUT I cant help it! I think I am addicted! I cannot stop jumping on to see who else has posted something that they no longer treasure, for FREE or for a really great price!

These are all the things that I have bought in the past week....*gulp*

This was our first "pick-up", for free! Currently in the process of restoring it! It has been sanded back and have just put the second coat of primer on it! Stay tuned to see the finished product! We will be using it as our study desk.

Our second score was the sewing desk for $10. I havent got a photo of this one yet. It is in pretty bad shape though, so will have to do some touching up and painting too!

My third, most FAVOURITE score, is this...A beautiful antique writing desk with stool! This one wasn’t as cheap, but worth it! Thanks to my good friend, Stacey, who helped me pick between 2 desks I couldn’t decide on! Hoping to replace the seat cover with some pretty fabric and perhaps spruce the desk up a little! :)

Next (this morning) I scored this FREE bookshelf/display cabinet! Again, going to be restored to white! (Hubby doesn’t know about this one yet...) ;)

And last but not least (again, this morning), for $10 a beautiful occassional table which will grace our hallway! (Again, hubby doesn’t know about this one....)

So...as I said, a wee bit addicted...but it’s a healthy addiction, right?! And I blame all you beautiful bloggers out there, for all your stunning homes and vintage pieces - you truly have got me hooked on this!

Much love

To be a light...

This is something I have heard many times before in church services, and I have even said about dear friends of mine. They are lights that shine Gods goodness, grace and love to others. Those people that exude His confidence and peace, and by simply being and walking alongside Him, others can feel and see there is something "different" about them.

I long to be a light. To indulge myself in His word and His purpose. To walk beside Him and listen to the things he is teaching me. I hear His voice all the time, and for that, I am so thankful. I am thankful I hear his gentle nudgings and His small voice speaking to my heart. It keeps me on the straight and narrow...it is the sole reason I am still worshipping Him today. The straight and narrow is certainly not an easy path to take - but then again, I have always loved a challenge. I don’t like things to be too easy, I get bored with easy. Perhaps this is just part of my personality...which, as I recently discovered, is extremely independent...but dependent at the same time. I am dependant on His love and trust.

There are many people in my life whom I know that have experienced extreme pain, loss and suffering. They walk their lives on a tight emotional string and no matter how much material things they have in their life, they never seem to be really happy and at peace. This is not to say that I am always happy and at peace myself, life is difficult and sometimes there are days when you just want to give up. But when you know the Father on an intimate level and walk alongside Him, you have a purpose and a reason to live. He gives you the strength to make it through those tough days, and He gives you the desire to want to keep on walking. If it weren't for God, I honestly don’t know where I would be. I don’t have an amazing "story" about my walk, but perhaps I will share it with you all sometime on here. I continually pray for those people in my life that one day, they will see that life is worth living, there is a purpose and it is not just meant to be about who makes the most money, who has the biggest house, or the best job, or who is going on the most amazing holiday, but rather we have an eternal life to look forward to that is going to be SO much more amazing, beautiful, bright, joyous and painless than what we could ever experience here on Earth, and He is the only one who can get you to that point.

So, for 2011, my prayer is for all those people who have friends, family and loved ones that are at this point in their lives, a point of feeling lost, and empty, that they will see your light shining bright and think "there is something different about them, and I want to find out what it is".

Much love



Love and Marriage

I just love LOVE...it gets me all giddy inside and makes me feel so happy!

I was the typical little girl who played with barbie dolls and knew all the words to all the disney princess movies! I would roller-skate down the street singing "Colours of the Wind" and would lie in the bath, swishing my hair around pretending to be Ariel singing, "Part of your world". I dreamed of a knight in shining armour who would whisk me away to our castle to live happily ever after [he came...and he conquered and we are living happily ever after...stay posted for that blog! ;)]. We have had our fairytale wedding, and now, I am so overjoyed when I hear of young ones falling in love and making a commitment to get married! Especially those lovely young couples who LOVE God and worship Him with their whole hearts and lives. Those couples that make a concious decision to stay pure and fight the good fight towards purity for their wedding day. Those couples like my good friends, who just got engaged 2 Friday's ago!

I met young Tracy through church and we have developed a strong friendship together over the last year or so. There are 4 years between us, but we would never know at all! We are studying the same degree together, which is something we help each other with and pray for each other about - which is just awesome [especially when you are doing it externally - its nice to have someone to nut things out with so you don’t feel so alone!] Tracy is a young lady whom I look up to - age is not a factor here at all! Her passion for God is awe-inspiring and her beautiful, gentle heart is something I aspire for. She has the time of day for anyone she meets and has a gift for speaking God's truth and peace. This woman, is going to do amazing things for God's kingdom!

Tracy met her knight in shining armour through church less than a year ago, and they have developed a wonderful, Godly, strong, pure relationship with one another, and have decided to take the step towards marriage! It is SO exciting and warms my heart! Their love story is quite similar to that of my husband and I - which makes it that little bit more beautiful and exciting! Ever since I discovered they were engaged, all these ideas pop into my mind, and I continue to send lengthy emails to Trace of ideas I have and things she could do to save money, but make the day a special one [I think I have missed my calling here - wedding planner much!?].

I cannot wait to see them glorify God when they walk down the aisle and confirm their vows before their loved ones and their creator. What a special day it is going to be, with lots of joy and tears I am sure! Marriage is a huge step, and can be a scary one too - fear of the unknown and feelings of helplessness as the crazy times of planning come upon you. There will also always be trials and tribulations along the way...but as long as God, the creator of life and love, is kept at the centre of that marriage union, you can overcome any mountain that comes your way.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Much love



I Heart Gumtree...

So, I am still yet to actually step foot inside a second-hand shop [i need you all to tell me where the good ones are!]....but we have been using gumtree for quite some time now! It comes in handy to sell things you no longer want for some extra moolah...and i recently discovered it has a whole section dedicated to FREEBIES!

We randomly check gumtree every few days or so and keep an eye out for things that we may like or need....generally, Matt just thinks I am being a hoarder and that i have rocks in my head for wanting to buy all these things and then paint them white - but I have just been influenced by too many beautiful blogs and REALLY want it!

So, when I really want something, it usually happens [not all the time, but.....most of the time....and then Matt generally takes the credit for it!] I found this desk that had been posted as a freebie item today on gumtree! We need a new computer desk, and i think this will do the trick! It was first in best dressed, so the guy selling it said, so we jumped in a friends car (that has a towball) and took our little trailer down to collect it, hoping that no-one had beaten us to it!

I have convinced Matt that yes, it does need to be painted white and restored - so this is going to be my first makeover job!! I am so excited!!

AND....I have absolutely NO idea what I am doing!! But, that's all part of the fun, right?!

You can check out gumtree here!

P.S. - My mum gave me one of her old sewing machines yesterday too - so hopefully going to pick up another FREE sewing desk (from gumtree) tomorrow! It too....yes, will be painted white :)

P.P.S: excuse the bad photos - hubby was not impressed I was taking photos, whilst he was using it as a bench to cut some wood!!! haha!

Much love

Real friends are hard to come by

I was going through some photos from this year, to try and get some inspiration about what to blog about today [i have been slack, i know - punish me!] and came across one of my favourite photos from this year. It is of me with 3 of my girlfriends from school.

I so very rarely get to see each of these girls, maybe a handful of times in a year, if that and it sucks! But what I have learnt, is that real, true friends - the ones with the most beautiful, honest, pure hearts, with the best intentions, are so very precious and rare.

I would say i havent had much luck with friends over the years. I had a best friend from Year 1 to Year 7 - and we did everything together..and I mean, everything! We were the girls who would hang out in the toilets to wag going to sport because we would rather be playing with our barbie dolls...the ones who would stuff their bras with toilet paper to make our boobs look bigger...the ones who would spend hours making up dances to Mariah Carey songs and the Spice Girls, singing into fake microphones. We would make each other laugh SO much we would literally wet ourselves, and we would skinny dip in her parent's pool!

But, as life goes on, people change and as we grow up - sometimes we grow apart. I was apart from this girl for about 5 years, and we have recently made amends...I love that! I love how God works in our lives. There was obviously a reason we went through our 'individual' phases, but now - we are able to talk and laugh together again, and for that i am eternally grateful!

My other, beautiful best friend lives all the way up in Broome! :( We met working at a law firm (my first REAL job) back when i was about 18 years old. Even though we rarely see each other (again), when we see each other, or speak to each other, it is like time has been standing still all this time!

  Leigh, Maggie and myself (many moons ago)

And the 3 beautiful ladies you see in this photo below, are the girls I went through highschool and church with. I have them to thank for keeping me on the straight and narrow, for encouraging me in my faith, for crying with me when I was having tough times, and for making me laugh when life was getting stressful! They supported me through my dancing, even when I should have been studying harder and they have stuck by me through everything! Again, i rarely see them, but wanted to take this opportunity to honour them, along with all my other 'best' friends.

Euphelene, myself, Linzi and Alicia [the 2 on the ends are beautiful, Godly, single young ladies...if you know any suitors!]

I only have a handful and we dont go shopping every weekend, we dont go out on coffee dates and have long gossipy phonecalls to one another - we are just who we are and what we are...and I love that.

I am going to make an effort in 2011 to be the best person I can be. To spend time nurturing old friendships and creating new ones. I have always failed by 'judging a book by its cover'. I thought I was good at it, but have just recently discovered, I am not. I fail in this area. Everyone deserves a chance, and I really feel God is trying to teach me to have a spirit of kindness, and to see the world, and people through His eyes, not my own. For I am but a sinner, and am certainly in no way perfect at all.

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
Proverbs 18:24

Much love

My favourites...

There is nothing like heading down to a beautiful, quiet beach at sunset on a lazy Sunday afternoon with your bestest friends!

I am always pestering Matt to come down to the beach with me and the dogs, and finally...I won! :) Sunday afternoon we took the boys down to our local beach for a walk and some time together! It was so nice to see the boys frolicking in the water together and it made us both so grateful that they are the best of friends too!

Bailey and Zeus even got to meet their own mirror image, but over 2 years their junior! The little girl who owned the puppy lab was in shock to believe that one day her labrador, Oakely, would grow up to look just like Zeus - and just as BIG!

Bailey and Zeus are and always will be our first babies...our fluffy babies...we love them to pieces and have loved having them as part of our little family for the past 3 years!!

 Who knows, there could be some unfluffy babies coming our way soon....

 

Much love

The phenomenon that is...Oprah

If you haven't heard the story (where have you been hiding!!)...my husband and I won tickets to see the Oprah show in Sydney in December last year. The whole thing started by seeing a friend on facebook post that she was trying to get tickets. So, curious me in my boredom at work, logged onto the Oprah website and registered to be in the draw to get tickets to go! I thought nothing of it at the time, but entered 3 times under 3 different email addresses, and left it at that.

Whilst I was on the website, I had a look around and you can enter a story to be "ON THE SHOW". There were some shows they were offering for Australian viewers only, and one of them was for a Makeover. I thought to myself, the one person I think deserves to feel as beautiful and amazing on the outside as she is on the inside is my mother - so 2000 words later, I entered to be put forward to win a makeover on the Oprah show and again, thought nothing of it and left it there. It was all top secret and I only told Matt that I had entered her.

About 2 days later we had an email to our home address saying that we had won tickets to go see the show! It was such a weird feeling of excitement mixed with feelings of OH MY, how are we going to afford this trip!!?? But, we bit the bullet and booked flights to Sydney to head over to watch the show! BEST DECISION WE HAVE MADE - we had a ball and don’t regret a minute of it! I was a bit upset though, as my mum has been an avid follower of Oprah for over 15 years and she would have loved to come over! That was, until I had an email from the producer of the Oprah show asking for more information on my mum and why she deserved a makeover! They wanted more photos of her, and I had to answer some more specific questions for them! I was SO excited and couldn’t believe my luck!

After responding to that email, they asked if they would be able to call me the next day to chat over the phone about it all! This was just getting TOO much - and it was SO hard for me to keep this a secret! I spoke to the girl over the phone and she was just adorable! With her American accent and all, it felt very surreal to be talking to someone who works at Harpo for Oprah! We stayed in touch and she called me a few more times after that and emailed also.

I hadn't heard from her for awhile, so I assumed that they had chosen someone else for the makeover. I emailed her and she responded saying that they loved my mum's story but they had run out of time to do a makeover show whilst they were here in Australia! SO SAD! Knowing that it wouldn’t go ahead, I called my mum (who was in Brisbane at the time) to tell her about it all, as I was about to burst anyway! Couldn't keep the secret any longer! She was thankful that I had thought to put her forward for it, and I suppose a little sad that she hadnt been selected - but being the optimist she is, she said "well, everything happens for a reason, Danica. I didn’t win tickets to the show and the makeover isnt going ahead, but it must be meant to be!" That has been my mother's words of wisdom since I was a little girl - whenever I was upset about not coming where I wanted in a dancing competition, she would repeat those words along with "Keep beleiving and keep dreaming". Love her...

So, in the week leading up to us flying out to Sydney, I get a phone call from the Producer again. She says that she has managed to score my mum 2 tickets to come over the watch the show also! I WAS BLOWN AWAY and my mum was just in shock! It was so lovely and generous of the Harpo team, and it just goes to show what a little kindness can do - it comes back around :) So, mum took my sister and they went to see the morning taping, whilst Matt and I went to the evening taping! Mum and Rochelle scored a beautiful pearl necklace from Oprah and Matt and I scored a gorgeous white-gold pink diamond necklace - Matt will look so beautiful in it! ;) We should receive them in the next few months!

It was amazing seeing Oprah in person - she is larger than life and has the most beautiful personality. She really engaged with the audience and made us all laugh! Mum and Rochelle scored FRONT ROW seats, and Matt and I had an amazing view from the steps of the Opera house - directly infront of the stage! We got to see Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Olivia Newton-John, Hugh Jackman and Bono from U2. The Australian Youth Choir also came out and sung with all the celebrities! It was just beautiful!

After all this talking - the main point of this was to tell you all that if you are interested in watching the episodes, they will be airing on Channel 10 at 7:30pm, starting on Wednesday 19th January and finishing on Sunday 23rd January - so make sure you tune in to check it all out! The 300 audience members she flew over from America would have had an experience they will never forget - they were pampered and spoilt beyond imagination!

AND - the moral of this story is to be nice...kindness is a virtue and even though sometimes you think it is for no reason and it will never pay off, it does. Mum had an experience she will never forget, and I am thankful I was able to play a small role in that, for all she has ever done for me.

Much love

PS: If you would like to see all the photos from our Oprah adventure: click here

PPS: I found this gorgeous little shop at Bondi Beach called Between the Flags that sells THE most adorable swimsuits for little ones - got a few pairs for the nephews and neices so they can be mini lifesavers! Find their website here

A Beach Cottage - Giveaway!

Now, i have fallen in love with Sarah's website A beach cottage since I first laid eyes on it...and have been dreaming of how I might one day own my own beautiful home like hers, and do it up as beautifully and creatively as she has!

I urge you, if you are a dreamer also, to check out her webpage - she has definitely inspired me, so let her inspire you too!

P.S - she has a beautiful giveaway on at the moment too! You can go straight to that blog by clicking here...

Much Love

Do Not Worry

Worrying is one of my past-times. I continually concern myself with how life will be today, why something isnt happening, where we are going to be in a few months time, how we will ever be able to afford that holiday we want, will we be able to have a family!

As I was spending an hour and a half watering our almost DEAD lawn (thankyou water restrictions!) last night, I thought to myself, instead of just wasting this precious thought time singing the words to Happiness by Alexis Jordan, why not spend it talking to my God instead? He is always prompting me to come and sit beside him to have a chat, but I tend to always ignore it being too busy, or I simply will get distracted half-way through.

Now, this wasnt a vast enlightenment session whereby thunder was booming and lightening strikes were coming down all around me and I heard His voice...but instead, I simply just began talking to Him, and laying my worries on His capable shoulders. I looked up at the night sky, which was just filled with stars and I was in awe..what a God we serve...how beautiful is He and all He has created for us? I feel ashamed for taking it for granted most times. It was just lovely to stop and take it all in.

As I was talking with Him, I felt him speak to my spirit and these are the words I remember...."what is your heart, Danica....where you heart is there your treasure is also....make me your first desire and I will give you the desires of your heart."

That was it - and I knew I had heard those verses before, but I couldnt remember where they were from off the top of my head. So, this morning I looked them up and found them in Matthew chapter 6. I have pasted the bits that struck me below.

Treasures in Heaven

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

24“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Do Not Worry

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Isnt that just amazing? I was blown away by how much this has hit home for me! I am always worrying about how we are going to get by day to day, I always get upset that I dont have many clothes or shoes, and in this past month in particular, it has been stressful thinking about where we will get money from to get by just with the groceries and bills! But, our faithful God says do not worry about tomorrow...each day has enough trouble of it's own!

So, as we hit the middle of this week, I think it is important to sit back and reflect on all the things we can be thankful for. I am thankful that I have a roof over my head (even though it is a very expensive one), and thankful that I do have food to eat and clothes to wear (even though they may not be the latest and greatest). I am thankful that I have wonderful family all around me who love me dearly and thankful for a Heavenly Father who never forsakes me or forgets about me.