Friday Five - What I'm grateful for this week

So I know last week I wrote about what I was thankful for, but I'm gonna do it again - because I can. =)

Five things I'm grateful for this week:

1. Old friends. Today I saw my friend Marti, someone I've known for years, someone who just graduated from college and who I hadn't seen in months. It was good to see her and to congratulate her. I'm very proud of here. Also, some good friends of mine - the Clietts - are moving to Dallas in a couple of weeks and I got to spend some good time with them this afternoon. Tom and his daughter Kayla are heading out today because Tom starts his new job on Monday, and I'm really glad he got a good job, but I sure am gonna miss them.

2. New friends. It's hard to say goodbye to old friends, but I'm also glad to make new friends. I'm thankful for the Pryors, the Mosers, the Cossels, Greg Hunt, and John Roman among others. Having new friends to do life together with makes it just a bit more bearable to say goodbye to old friends when the Lord moves them on to someplace else.

3. Having a job. I know I said it last week, but today was payday and I was so grateful to have a paycheck to deposit in the bank today.

4. Air conditioning. Seriously ...it's getting mighty warm these days and in this desertland we call El Paso, Texas, it's good to have air conditioning. There are people in our city who don't have it, or who can't afford to use it because of a job loss or income reduction, and so I'm very grateful to have this nice little perk called air conditioning.

5. Art. Several of my friends are incredible photographers. They get a hold of a camera and they don't just take a picture - they create art. I know others who design graphics and create art with a mouse and some software. Some use a paint brush and canvas; others use a guitar or piano or bass or drums. Some even use lights and light mixing boards to create incredible light shows, or they use a sound engineering board and and sound effects panel. The world is full of art in so many different places and in so many different forms, and I'm so grateful for those who, acting like their Creator, use their creative abilities to bless this world with art.