Joy for Joi, week 12

Over and over the Lord shows His great mercy and grace to us.  When I take the time to look, there are many, many things to be thankful for... and when I change the channel in my brain from worry to gratitude, JOY results!

Here are some of the things for which I have been thankful during this last week:

+ Realizing a really nice, woodsy park is within walking distance of our house

+ Going for a fun family walk there on a 70-degree (finally!) day

+ A relatively easy time at the hospital when all 6 of us had to get little blood tests.   I was nervous when we pulled up and I saw the smallest parking lot I've ever seen at a hospital:

 But the place ended up being nice, and the nurses were quick and efficient (and had cool braids in their hair).  And it was super-cheap!  Here's the scene in the backseat on our way home -- with everyone's badge-of-honor band-aids.

(Not everyone found joy in this experience.... but I was thankful anyway!)

+ Going to the International Women's Club meeting, watching a video about an orphanage that someone presented there, and seeing someone I know in the video!  Small world.

+ Meeting a woman at the bus stop, and riding all the way back to our neighborhood with her, and finding out that we actually have a friend in common (and I only know about 10 Moldovans... what were the chances of that??)!  Small world, again.

+ Finding time to play Monopoly

+ Spending the day preparing for a (sort of) Passover dinner with friends

and,

+ The reality and significance of this Holy Week, meditating on Truth and Love.