#1000

I cannot believe that this post is my thousandth post.  I cannot believe I've had that much to say over the years, and that some of you read what I write.  I cannot believe that I've stuck with it. 

For a long time, this blog kind of took the place of my journal.  For those of you who don't know me, I am an avid reader/writer/journal-er.  I love to read my Bible and write in it, and then I write it all down in my journal.  I have pages filled with just that day's reading plan, I've got pages filled with prayers over my husband and kids, I've got pages filled with verses. 

It's another one of the things that I would like to hand down to my kids someday. 

But along the way, the blog started to replace my journal. 

This Christmas, one of the gifts I received that Drew picked out for me was a new journal.  Since then, I have filled almost half of it.  I've picked it back up and spend my quiet time in the morning doing what I love to do.  There are some things (actually, there are LOTS of things) that I don't write on this blog or on Facebook. 

As for my quiet time in the mornings, sometimes I have this time when the boys are at school, but sometimes I have it when they're here.  It just depends on what we're doing that day.  It's important for them to see me have this quiet time, especially the older two.  They're at the age when they should be having their own quiet time.  Our church really teaches that to the kids...they reinforce over and over and over that a relationship with God doesn't just happen at church.  Most of your relationship with Him should be cultivated throughout the days that you're not in church.  I know that God speaks to me most often in the midst of the quiet...and through His written word. 

With all that being said...I can't believe I've written so much over the years.  Thank you for taking the time to read this silly 'ol blog.  I started it on a whim one day, then didn't write again for months.  Then when Todd had his major surgery four years ago, I started writing again as an outlet for all the fearful emotions I had going on inside my head.

For those of you who comment, thank you.  Even if I might not always respond back, I appreciate you taking the time to comment.  It makes me feel loved.  :)  For the majority of you who read this and don't ever (ever, ever, ever) comment, thanks for reading.  I've gotten a few comments over the years from someone who had read what I wrote, and I was shocked that they read it.  I forget that I have this under my signature on the emails that I send out.

I hope that somewhere along the way the Lord has used what I wrote to reach your heart.  I hope that you see through the verses I've written out on here how much He loves you.  My prayer is that He uses what I write to reach people that may not know Him...or to encourage people to have a deeper relationship with Him.  I've prayed many times over what I wrote before I hit that little orange button that says 'PUBLISH POST'.  Because that button is sometimes intimidating to me.  I pray that I've never seemed preach-y, or that you've taken what I've written as me bragging.  That has never been the intention of this blog, I assure you.

And for those of you readers who never (ever, ever, ever) comment, please do so every once in a while!  As I've started saying lately, share the love.  :) 

Happy President's day.  Love to all.

Jen.  (aka Jenny, Mom, Mommy, Aunt Jennifer, Mrs. Goodwin, Mrs. Jennifer, the Mom of those boys, and Todd's wife.)