Thankfulness {Days 24-30} Summary

What a wonderful month this has been!
I love spending time to think about all of the non-material things that I am so very thankful, number one being my salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.


Our Thanksgiving weekend was very busy - full of family, food and Christmas decorating. Our house looks so festive now! Just in time for the snow that is falling today. It sure feels like the holiday season now! I was having a hard time getting in the spirit when it was in the 60s and sunny outside (although my husband didn't mind it when he was hanging the outside lights).


So let me take some time to catch up on my days of thankfulness and to reflect on this month. I have loved spending this time with my family and finding out what they are thankful for. There were times when, because  of grumbling, complaining hearts, that it was difficult to think of our blessings (an ugly truth). But most of the time, it was fantastic to thing about all the blessings we have.

It was a good feeling to see my six year old run to the calendar so she could fill out the tag for each of us. She loved hearing what everyone wanted to put down each day.

It was very funny to find out what our two year old was thankful for each day. Most of the time her first response was "ice cream" or "cookies", but we'd finally get her to name something she liked or made her happy that was different than the other days. Her big sister was more than happy to help think of something for her.

What a wonderful family tradition this has turned out to be!!


{Day 24}

I am so very thankful for our religious freedom. I cannot even imagine what it must be like in other countries where Christians risk their lives in order to meet for church, learn about God and sing praises to Him. I am so very thankful that the Pilgrims left England during their time of persecution and travelled across the Atlantic to America where they were free to worship God.

Thank You, Lord for the freedom to worship You. Please help me to never take it for granted.


{Day 25}


I am so very thankful for 6 years of marriage to my wonderful husband. He is wonderful (even though I am not always the best at expressing this). He puts up with me, right? We have had a roller coaster ride during the past 6 years (sin, surgeries, babies, forgiveness, love, dislike, screaming, kissing, blessings, and troubles) and all for the glory of God. There is no way we would ever be together if not for the grace and love we find first from Christ, which in turn allows us to grant it freely to one another. God knew that Ed was the perfect man for me and I am so very thankful!


Thank You, Lord, for my marriage and help us to continue seeking You first in all that we do.


{Day 26}

I am so very thankful for the Holy Spirit. What a blessing it is to not only have the Comforter living inside me, but also to have the convictions for the things I should or should not be doing. I have the power of God living in my heart (and so do you if you are a Christian). So when I am watching something on TV and all of a sudden I get the "feeling" that it is not something that is appropriate (sometimes this happens just with commercials), that is the power of the Holy Spirit inside. It is like sitting on the couch with our holy and perfect God.

I need to be sure to actually listen to the Spirit. The more and more a person ignores the prompting of the Spirit, the harder He is to hear.

Lord, help me live my life so that I am sensitive to the Spirit inside me. You have given me the Spirit for my sanctification and comfort and there are just not enough words to express my gratitude.



{Day 27}

I am thankful for the warm days at the end of November. My darling husband was able to put up the outdoor Christmas lights and we were able to play outside. What a wonderful treat when I know we will soon be hunkered down during the long, cold, gray days of winter.

Thank You, Lord for these last warm days in November.


{Day 28}

Laughter. I am so thanful for a sense of humor and the ability to laugh - mostly at myself. There is a danger with comedy and humor that I plan to write about very soon, but for now, I'm just going to reflect on how wonderful it is to laugh!

Thank You, Lord for my sense of humor. Laughter can be like medicine to my soul and I am so grateful!


{Day 29}

I am thankful for the first snow. I love how beautiful it is! I love how each tiny snowflake is so delicate and detailed. I love how God covers the brown and gray Earth in a blanket of white. The Christmas lights are seem to glow even brighter in the white snow. What a wonderful treat! I need to be reminded of this in February. :)

Thank You, Lord for the beauty of each season - and especially now for the shimmering beauty of the first snowfall.
{Day 30}

Today, I am thankful for suffering. When I told this to my daughter, she looked at me all puzzled and said, "Why?!" I explained that I am never closer to God than when I am suffering in some way. As soon as I am hurting, unable to "fix it myself", sad, frustrated, helpless and at the end of my rope, I cry out for God. Just like when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water toward their boat...

And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 

So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”  

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him.
Matthew 14:28-31

I need the Lord each and every day, but the times when I am suffering, I am able to see it more clearly. My own abilities are insufficient and my need of God is so obvious. 

I love the hymn, "I Need Thee Every Hour". It reminds me that whether I am suffering or not, I still need Him.

I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
no tender voice like thine can peace afford.

I need thee, O I need thee;
every hour I need thee;
O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.

Thank You, Lord for the suffering I have endured in the past and what I know I will endure in the future. Help me to suffer well and to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus.


Thank you for joining me during this month of Thankfulness. I hope you were encouraged (as I was). We are to be a people of Thanksgiving, not only during November, but the entire year. We need to thank the Lord for everything - even during times of trouble. Our children are watching our every move and developing their theology, not only on what we teach them, but how we live our lives.

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
 Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
 Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
       
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
 For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100

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Wonderful Post!

I love to read other Christian blogs and share these from time to time. This is an excellent post from Jacinda over at a Growing Home.

She talks about what it means to be a stay-at-home Mom (or wife) and ways that we are tempted to be distracted and neglect our responsibilities. Even though we are at home, our heart and mind might be busy with our cyber-lives (oh the conviction!) - you know blogs, facebook, twitter, email.....

Click below to read further...you may be convicted (as I have been) and God will be glorified!

Thankfulness {Day 23} Heaven is Full of Babies

Did you know that God loves babies? You say, of course. But did you know the Bible tells us explicitly that He does?


Our pastor preached out of Mark 10:13-16, where the people brought their children (the actual words indicate these are infants and young children) to Jesus and then He touched them and blessed them. Why wouldn't He? He created them.


Even though we are all born sinners, babies and young children have no idea they are sinning. They are not at an age where they are accountable for their sins. Therefore, if for some reason a baby or young child does not live long enough to be accountable for their sins, they go right into the arms of their heavenly Father. They spend the rest of their forever in heaven.


So when a young baby or child has an illness and passes away - they are in heaven. When a Mom has a miscarriage and never gets the chance to meet that child, they are in the arms of God. When a woman is deceived into thinking she has a choice about whether the life inside her lives or dies, that baby is alive in heaven with their Creator.


Another place in the bible that supports this is in the passage in 1 Samuel that talks about Kind David grieving the loss of his baby boy (you know the story, right? He had an affair, then had her husband killed and part of the punishment was that the baby they had conceived became ill and then died). When the child was sick, David was terribly upset. It says that he refused to eat and went in to lay on the ground the entire duration of the illness (seven days). When the baby died something strange happened. We find it here in 2 Samuel 12:20-23:

So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. ²¹ Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”    

David's servants were confused, so David explained....

 And he (David) said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again?
I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

So David is declaring that He will one day be with his child again in heaven. What a wonderful blessing to know that heaven is full of babies!!

So if you have ever had a miscarriage, abortion or lost a child to an illness, you can be sure to know that baby is waiting for you in heaven in the arms of our loving Father.

Thank You, Lord for loving all babies,

even the ones that seem to be 'unwanted'.