June 17: 3 gifts in your dad

June 14: a gift unexpected, unwanted, unlikely

A gift unexpected was when one of my clients rescheduled for later in the day and I got to take an hour long nap on the couch in my office!
A gift unwanted was when I felt tired at the end of a long day and was tempted to skip going to the House of Prayer. This helped me to celebrate the period of time that I did have to be home before going to R2HOP. I savored some dinner while reading a book and then visited with Karyn.
A gift unlikely was reading The Voice of the Martyrs magazine and being encouraged in my faith by reading their testimonies of persecution and perseverance.

June15: 3 gifts in His word

The example of David, "who obeyed my commands and followed me with all his heart and always did whatever I wanted him to do." 1Kings 14:8 I want to be like David in my obedience and love for God.
The encouragement given to Cornelius, "And the angel replied, 'Your prayers and gifts to the poor have not gone unnoticed by God!'" Acts 10:4 I am tempted to doubt that God hears me and responds to my prayers when they are not answered instantly. I love this story of how God sent an angel to Cornelius and the first part of God's message was an affirmation. God does hear our prayers and He does notice the actions of our hearts!
"How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony!" Psalm 133:1. This is a good reminder of how important it is to bless others and to seek their good.
Spending time with Noah and Kingston tonight was another gift. I love their constant moving, exploring, smiling and playing.

June 16: 3 gifts moving

Running through the forest preserve with Lily and trying to stay in the shady spots on the path
Trees, wild grass and flowers dancing in the wind
Swaying in worship and lifting my hands in thanksgiving
Celebrating my parent's 33^rd anniversary is another wonderful gift

June 17: 3 gifts in my dad

His incredible mind for mechanical things and his creativity in building and rebuilding so many things
His passion for God's word and His wholehearted pursuit of intimacy with God
His playfulness, sense of humor and wonderful ability to have deep conversations almost anywhere. (Even the lazy river!)

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Transition

It's snowing outside my window. It just started to stick a little bit. I can see it on the trees and covering the leaves. This is the first snow of the season. It means change is coming. Fall coats are no longer be sufficient. Hats, scarves and gloves become a part of my daily wardrobe. My car needs time to warm up and I should fill up with gas when it gets down to 1/4 tank. I really like this time of year. Fall is ending and winter is coming. I like snuggling in front of a fire and wearing sweaters. I like drinking hot chocolate, apple cider and spice tea, in addition to my usual coffee consumption. I like Thanksgiving, the holiday and the practice. While I welcome this change in season, I am so aware of how I am struggling in my own transition. I have spent several hours contacting insurance companies to change my name now that I am doing business as Jody Striker, LCPC. Ben is still collecting our things from the various places where we have been storing them. Th

How do I like being married?

People keep asking me how I like being married. I get it. I’m adjusting to a major life transition. People are excited for me and this is an easy way for them to enter into my joy. They ask this question and I start gushing. I say that I love it. It’s wonderful. Yes, we’re settling in well, there in the basement of my parents house. I may mention that Ben has been hanging things in our room and brought furniture out of storage to make our space more like home. If the conversation lasts long enough and becomes more intimate, I may even tell them that some of my favorite things are when we pray together in the morning and he makes me coffee to help me wake up. I like when we fall asleep with hands and toes just barely touching; in our space, but still nearby. I like calling him my husband and hearing him say that I’m his wife. Being married has been wonderfully different and also surprisingly the same. My life at work, for example, feels exactly like it did before I w

3 weeks ago today

I got married three weeks ago today. I’ve been thinking a lot about our wedding since that day. This was my first week back to work, which meant that I got to talk a lot about that day and show pictures, because everything is still fresh and new and people are anxious to know how it went. I have missed writing. Several times during our honeymoon, I almost grabbed my laptop because I had the urge to write. I never did, but I wanted to. I think that it felt too intimate to record in some ways. And, in others, I was just enjoying being lazy and carefree. I plan to write about what I remember from my wedding. (Maybe even some things from our honeymoon. We shall see…) I don’t know what I will share, but I want to make a record of my memories and experiences from that day. Just three weeks later, but the feelings are less vivid and the mental pictures are less crisp. Fortunately, our photographer did an amazing job and I am thankful that I have those images to remind me.

pursuing LOVE...and JOY...and WHOLEHEARTEDNESS!

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