Just arrived home this evening from a fantastic 10 days in Arizona, and reflecting on all that I have to be thankful for this week:
1. Family! While in Phoenix this time I got to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and second-cousins! Some of them I haven’t seen in 10 years, so it was so special to be able to spend a few days reconnecting with one another. It is such a treat that members of both sides of the family live in Phoenix, so that I can see so many of them at once! We had a great time eating lots of good food, playing catch phrase, taking walks, and staying in the air conditioning as much as possible. My uncle and aunt also just happened to be in town this week for the Southern Baptist convention, so I got to see them as well!
2. A fantastic eye maker. Dr. John Hadlock has been making my prosthetic eyes since I was 2.5 years old, and this trip again reminded me that it is worth every penny to go to Arizona to see him, no matter where I live. It is fun having a friendship established after 23 years, and being comfortable with one another and able to share about life and talk while I sit in the chair for hours on end. He is the reason most people have no idea I have a fake eye, and I am thankful that he has promised me not to retire anytime soon! 🙂
3. My home. Every time I walk in the door and each morning when I wake up, I have to pinch myself that I really get to live here. From the homey feel, to the lake out back, to my patio, to people feeling welcome and ‘at home’ when they come over – it is so much more than I dreamed of asking for, and the perfect place for where I am at right now!
4. Heirlooms. While in AZ this trip my Grannie passed along this beautiful and lovely locket that belonged to my great grandmother (her mother). She and I share E as our initial, and this is something I will always treasure.
5. And finally, small answered prayers that remind me that He hears every single one I pray. Sometimes, after praying for something for a very long time, I can begin to believe the lie that He isn’t listening and doesn’t answer my prayers, no matter what they are about. A couple weeks ago I went to a shoe store to look for some new running shoes. They can be pretty expensive, but I found some that I loved for just a little bit more than I wanted to spend. I left, hoping to find them cheaper online, but sadly couldn’t find them cheaper on any website. I stopped back in on my way home from my errands, just to make sure those were the ones I wanted.
As I walked into the store, I silently prayed and told the Lord how much I loved the shoes and that they were exactly what I was looking for, and wished they were just $10 cheaper. I went to the aisle where they were, and right as I was beginning to look at them again, the salesclerk came on the speaker and announced a special that anyone who bought a pair of shoes a certain amount or higher in the next 15 minutes would get $10 off!! Wow. If I had bought them earlier, or not gone back to the store, I would have missed out on seeing the Lord remind me that He cares even for the little things. He didn’t have to do that, and it wouldn’t have made Him any less good or unworthy of my praise if he didn’t. But in doing so He spoke to my heart and reminded me that if he hears and cares for things as little as shoes, how much more so does He listen and care about the big things of my heart?
A Mosaic 
I love your story about the shoes! Praise the Lord for how He cares for us!! Thanks for sharing Emily!