Thankful Thursday - April 11

It's been a while since I've posted a Thankful Thursday post. I'm not doing so today simply because I'm just boiling over with gratitude and that everything is just fine and rosy in my neck of the woods. Actually, things are very difficult for me right now and I'm NOT feeling thankful at all.

But the Bible says that we are to be thankful in all things. That means ALL things. So that means I must CHOOSE to cloak myself with a spirit of gratitude and praise for the One who loves me more than I can ever love Him. I must CHOOSE to shrug off the heavy curtain of despair that threatens to overwhelm my soul and steal my joy.

So, this week I am thankful for:

• My house - Though we have a big mold issue and though the insurance company refuses to cover it, I still have a roof over my head and over the heads of my family. We are not out in the snow and cold. Though the hot water heater won't work and we don't know what to do, we can still boil water on the stove to provide hot water. No, it's not convenient. Yes, we have it better than a lot of other people. We will survive.

• The beauty of northern Michigan - Though I literally hate the snow and the cold still with us in April, I still live in one of the most beautiful spots in the United States. Our house is right on the edge of a gorgeous state forest that we are free to enjoy at any time. Mushroom season is nearly upon us and we will be having a blast hiking and trying to spot morels.

• My family - My brother and his children came for a visit last week. I had such a good time with them that it was hard to see them go. I am so thankful for my family, those who live with me and those who don't. There's nothing quite like the bonds of family.

• My friends - Many of my friends are to me what my family is to me. I have to admit that the lines are a little fuzzy. My closest friends pray for me and uplift my spirits when they let me know how much they care. Often, they will physically do for me what I can't - their prayers spur them to action. They practice Christianity rather than speak it. I love that and I make them examples to follow.

Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on my life. May I never take them for granted.

Thankful Thursday - August 18

For the month of August, Thankful Thursday is hosted by Laurie at Women Taking a Stand. Please visit and refresh your spirit.

I have been away from Thankful Thursday posts for a while because I was under some condemnation from family members regarding anything personal I post on this blog. It's been a great strain to only publish that which is generic and sure not to offend. Quite frankly, I don't think that's what I'm supposed to do. Here's why:

Isaiah 43:10 (NIV) says:

"You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me."

Wow! Pretty powerful stuff, wouldn't you say? Judging by what God says here, I have to believe that it is healthy for me to share my thanks and praise for my great and powerful God. He declares that I (and all of you believers out there) are chosen by Him to witness all that He does and is. And a witness usually tells others about it - doesn't she?

Acts 1:7-8 (NIV) says:

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

There's that word "witnesses" again.

I take the Word of God very seriously. This is a personal charge - Witness all that God is and does, then share it with my village, my county, my state, my country, my world. I  will not shirk from my duty simply because a handful of people do not like me and want to trip me up. How about you?

My thankful list this week includes:

• The ability to stick my diet plan and the good health (and weight loss) that has occurred because of it.
• The little 2-year-old I've had the blessing to babysit for the past several months.
• My ongoing friendships with my sisters and brother.
• My church family is amazing - thanks to the Lord for giving them enough confidence in me to ask me to serve on a church committee (still a little scared about it).
• The extra money my husband has been making at work. The hours are long, so that's a prayer request - that my husband might be relieved of some of the hours and pressures but continue to make decent money for a while. Winter's coming and we both know how that affects the job and the paychecks.
• Praise the Lord for my oldest son, Josh, and his commitment to the police department for which he is a deputy. May the Lord keep him safe as he strives to keep others safe. He is getting lots of praise at work for his hard work and for how well-suited he is for the job. Praise God that Josh makes homeschooled children look good. May he not let the praise feed his ego but that he continue to give the Lord the credit and glory.

 
 

Thankful Thursday - April 21

It's Thursday - Holy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. As I think about what Jesus did during Holy Week about 2000 years ago, I am in complete awe. He went from being praised and proclaimed king on Palm Sunday to despised by Thursday to being hung on a cross on Friday - to rise from the dead on Easter Sunday. 

Fickle sort, aren't we humans? One day we can be shouting "Hosanna!" and the next "Crucify him!" 

Praise be to God who is NOT fickle. He could have decided that we weren't worth death on a cross. He could have said that we could die an eternal death in hell instead.

He didn't, though.

He willingly died on that cross with the sins of the world upon Him. He could have ditched it all at the last minute. He could have come down from the cross. He could have vanished into thin air to leave everyone mystified.

He stayed there for three hours. When He died, the curtain in the temple was ripped from top to bottom (Mark 15:37-38). This happened right when the lamb was to be sacrificed in the temple. It happened right when the Lamb of God (Jesus) gave up His last breath. 

"It is finished," He had said right before He gave up His life. Have you wondered what that means? 

He gave up His life as the final sacrifice. That lamb in the temple was no longer needed. Jesus was the lamb Who was slaughtered for an all-time sacrifice for sins. 

It doesn't end there, however. Jesus Christ rose from the dead three days later. He had predicted this. Why was everyone surprised?

It's because they didn't think it possible. That boggles my mind but only because I have the Bible - I'm looking backward. The Jews who were right there - I'm talking the disciples and others close to Jesus - didn't have that hindsight. They didn't have a written Bible with tons of prophecies fulfilled - did you know that all but those concerning the very end times (Revelation and some of Daniel, Ezekiel, etc.) have been fulfilled?

Let's praise the Lord together this Easter for His sacrifice - for us. Happy Easter. 

Visit Thankful Thursday at Spiritually Unequal Marriage.

Thankful Thursday - April 7

I haven't put up a Thankful Thursday in a month, so I'm feeling a little bit guilty for that. The Lord says to be thankful in everything....that's what I'm trying to do today.

Someone close to me is hurting and that is causing my heart to ache. When we hurt, our Father in Heaven hurts for us. He tells us that we are to bear one another's burdens, just as He bears our burdens. Does it  feel as if God is bearing your burdens as you seemingly buckle under from the weight of life's difficult circumstances?

He can't bear them if you won't let go of them. If you get a chance to read or watch Pilgrim's Progress, you'll clearly see the picture of a puny human being trembling as he tries to balance a tremendous load of junk he's been carrying around everywhere. God wants to take the burden from his shoulders, but the crazy pilgrim just can't seem to let go. Because of this, the pilgrim nearly drowns with the burden. Only when he lets it go does he live.

Today, I'm thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, who bore my burden and that of other Christians when He took the cross upon His shoulders - when He died for us. The burden of death and damnation was taken from my shoulders and transferred to His.

I'm thankful for family and for friends. I'm thankful that we can bear one another's burdens - that we have the opportunity to pray for and with them.

Visit Spiritually Unequal Marriage for more Thankful posts - and link up your own while you're there.

Thankful Thursday - March 10

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,    “No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
      and no mind has imagined
   what God has prepared
      for those who love him.”
  But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.
(1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

Tonight, Amanda and I braved the weather (snow mixed with rain at times - very messy roads) in order to attend a Secret Keeper Girl "pajama party." It was an energized time, to say the least. The girls were taught the "truth or bare" fashion tests (showing too much skin?). We watched a video clip which showed famous celebrities with and without their make-up (and photo touch-ups). We learned that we are all beautiful in God's eyes because He does NOT LIE and He says that we are beautiful in His Word.

You know the best part about tonight? Amanda (age 9) asked me to walk with her to the front of the church so she could accept Christ into her life. In other words, she wanted to make a commitment to Him and I was blessed enough to be there as she did so.

This whole thing tonight reminded me that, although we homeschool and we teach our children every day the importance of living for Jesus, it is ultimately their choice. The Holy Spirit calls them and they can either respond or not. My Christianity is not passed down to my children like some sort of inheritance.

Humbling experience - going to the front of the church for your daughter to commit to Christ when it's your church and many people there might be scratching their heads thinking, "I know that family! They're always here!" Ugh.

It's SO important to push aside those negative voices and just push on toward the prize. The prize here is my daughter's salvation. It all "clicked" tonight.

Please visit Grace Alone this week for other Thankful Thursday posts.

Thankful Thursday - March 3

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!”
~ 1 Chronicles 16:34 (ESV)


I'm using the verse that Iris did for this week's Thankful Thursday. Everyone is meeting at her blog to link up this week, and for the month. Please go check out the other thankful blogs and maybe link up your own.

The Lord IS good. I'm amazed at all of the wonderful things that have happened - and have happened because of Him. This month I've had much opportunity to give thanks and praise to the Lord for added income, all of which we had not expected. Here and there checks showed up in the mail. We didn't expect them and, at times, wondered who was behind them. We are at the point now where we say, " GOD is behind them!" During the winter months, we struggle with the income/bills ratio. Somehow, we always break even.

Speaking of bills, February 2011 marks a victory. We paid the last payment of a $43,000 debt - paid off in five years. It has been a strain on our budget to continue making the large payments, but we did it. We are now breathing a huge sigh of relief - and thanksgiving. We know that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. He cares about us. He shows His great power.

Today I got up the nerve to tell two ladies in our homeschool group that my children and I are dropping out. This was extremely hard for me to do, yet I strongly felt - and still do - that it is a move we must make. The group is a good one, but it is not serving the purpose it should for our family. I am finishing my 17th year of continuous teaching at home. It has been a joy, a blessing, and even a great source of irritation. Through it all, I still believe we have been doing the right thing, for our family. At this stage in the game, with another eight years to go, I don't need another play time for my children. I desperately need a support group. I need to talk candidly with other mothers, mothers who have also struggled through the years. The ladies I spoke with today heard me and have told me that they agree. Perhaps something good will come of my willingness to obey the Lord's voice in bringing this matter to their attention.

Spring is coming and I've received the seeds with which to plant it. I can't wait for it.

How has your week been? For what are you thankful? Above all else He's blessed you with, remember that "He is good and His love endures forever!"

Thankful Thursday - February 17

It's Thursday again and I have a lot for which to be thankful. I think that if we're honest, we'll find that we're all blessed. The difficult lesson that I've learned is that we are all blessed, but we don't all see the blessings - at least from God's perspective. When He blesses us, it's for our good and not necessarily for what we think is for our good.

Over last weekend, my husband and I attended The Art of Marriage conference. This is a conference that was held on the same weekend all over the country, a video event that was different than any I've ever attended. Our church hosted it - something like 90 couples came both Friday night and all day Saturday.

If there's one thing that I took away from the marriage conference is this: What is my legacy going to be for those who follow me? Will I have modeled love or will I have modeled something else? When the going got tough, did I get going or did I stick it out to find a deeper relationship with my spouse?

This week I'm thankful for my husband and the nearly 24 years we've been married. I praise the Lord that we did not fall into the trap of intimacy before marriage - that we waited for God's best in our lives. I thank God for the good times and, gulp, the bad times too. There is a reason for the hard days, though it's sometimes difficult to know just what that reason is! I'm trusting God to someday reveal His whys and wherefores.

This post is linked with Thankful Thursday.

Yogurt

I am thankful for the many ways our family has been blessed this winter. From unexpected checks in the mail to friendships to "angels unawares", we've seen them all. This week we enjoyed something that was lighthearted and fun, not to mention tasty. General Mills has a program called "My Get Together" and I am a member. They had mailed a prepaid VISA to use toward purchasing Yoplait yogurt and other food. I was to host a home party, you see.

The fun thing about this home party is that I didn't have to sell anything, as I have had to do in the past (i.e. Pampered Chef, Tupperware, etc.). With the pressure off, people are free to enjoy the party. I enjoyed the party because it didn't cost me a ton of money - Yoplait had paid for most of it with that prepaid card.

I prepared Raspberry Trifle - the hands down favorite of the night, Southwest Taco Dip, crunchy tacos, and Chocolate-dipped Fruit Wreath. We also tasted some different flavors and varieties of Yoplait yogurt. Yoplait is gluten-free but the raspberry trifle, sadly, is not. It is prepared with angel food cake so I couldn't eat it. My friends and family, however, love it. It smells wonderful.....

As for other thankful things, we did not get much of a winter storm way up here, though not all that far south of us the blizzard raged. My family back in Indiana are safe even though they were blasted by it.

God is good.

This post is linked with Thankful Thursday and Full Plate Thursday. Please visit each of these if you can.

*I received free product from Yoplait to host this party.*

Thankful Thursday - January 13

Thankful Thursday is linking up at Spiritually Unequal Marriage this week.

We had some great blessings this week, but for some reason we've been almost at one another's throats.  Why is that?

When hard times bring on stress, I know that I tend to look to myself for all of the answers rather than look to the One who can solve the problems. If I looked to God and brought my troubles before Him FIRST, I think I would have peace.

Hmmm, something to really work toward.

This week I'm thankful for:

• We received an unexpected sum of money in the mail this week. The letter with it just said, "Thanks for all you do." We were able to help Josh get his car insured and licensed again. Now that's he has a job, he is well on his way to becoming independent once again.
• We are healthy even though there are flu bugs and colds all around us.
• Our three oldest boys all have jobs now - this will relieve a lot of the stress in the household. I don't think I need to expand on that.
• We have a great church family. 
• We have joined a small group at the church and LOVE it.
• I'm loving my study of the Bible using God Sightings - One Year Bible.

Thankful Thursday - January 6

Thankful Thursday is being hosted by Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage. Please visit her and thank her for hosting this month.

Are you having a cold, blustery winter like me? I look out at the snow and I wonder what use it could possibly be. It covers the roads and makes them slippery and dangerous. I hate when I hear sirens scream by and head down the interstate. When I hear them, I stop whatever I'm doing and say a short prayer for those who are in need of the emergency crew that is responding.

In spite of the dangers of winter, there are some blessings that come as a result of it. For one thing, the heavy snow that we receive up here in the north country blankets the ground and insulates plants from the many days and nights of below freezing temperatures - especially those temperatures that plunge below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Brr.

The snow is also beneficial to the many people who head out to the woods each spring in search of morel mushrooms. If we don't get a lot of snow, we won't have mushrooms.

The snow is also beneficial to my husband's paycheck. If we don't have a lot of snow, tourism comes to a halt. Since my husband is in sales - and receives commission checks - he desperately needs tourists. In the winter months, these tourists are mainly in the form of people who come here to snowmobile and ski.

The biggest blessing, for me, is that when a long, cold winter is over, spring rushes in and reminds me that winter doesn't last forever. The cold times in my life, those which are darkest and hard to endure, are here only for a season.

Thank you, Lord, for bringing spring after the winter. In You do I find comfort and warmth.

Thankful Thursday - December 30

Thankful Thursday is hosted this month by Iris.

This has been an interesting week. Our snow has nearly melted from the warmer weather - I love not having snow, but upper Michigan economy depends upon it. No snow = no snowmobiles = no tourism. I swear half the town heads south every winter, so it is almost lonely here. We do have a casino within walking distance from my house. I loathe the thing and am praying for the day the Lord closes it. I expect I'll be praying for a long time, but I won't give up hope. Crime is not the sort of company for which I'm looking.

Christmas was interesting as well. Instead of staying home as we normally do, we went one state south to visit both sides of the family - all in two days! It was a whirlwind trip. While we were happy to see our families, we were not happy to drive so far down and then back in a short period of time. Amanda ate nothing but candy and was sick by the time I put her into her own bed. She now has a nasty cold that is lingering.

We opened our presents the eve before Christmas Eve. That was a little weird since we had always done so on Christmas morning. We had very little to spend this year and I think the children were a little dismayed to see what a difference that made in the amount and quality of gifts received. To that I say, "Too bad!" Christmas is truly about receiving one gift only: that of the Christ, the Savior of the world. The gift we are to share is found in Him - the good news that eternity with Him is received by faith. All other gifts pale in comparison.

We gave our oldest son a handmade quilt (the nicest gift by far), crafted from his old t-shirts - some from his police academy, some from places he's worked, and even a couple from the Big Ticket Festival where he volunteered as security help. We told him this a combination Christmas/graduation gift. It's something special that he plans to keep forever. My friend, Jenn, from Sunshine Autumn Quilts handmade the quilt. If you like this quilt, you can order  a personalized one for yourself. They can be as small or as large as you like. Ask her about pricing on the different sizes.

 Above: The blanket I crocheted for Ryan.

(above photo courtesy of Sunshine of Autumn Quilts)

 Above: Josh's quilt.

Above: I got Jeff a large print NKJV Bible.

This year, looking back, I see tough times and I see good times. I've seen friends who've given up on their marriages. I've seen other friends tough it out with the Lord's help. I've seen struggles with finances and I've seen easier times.

Life is hard. God never promised that it would be easy. He only promised to carry our burdens as we take up His. "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30 (NIV)

May you all have a blessed New Year.

Thankful Thursday - December 23

There are only a few days left until Christmas 2010. I hope that as you look forward to next year, you will have optimism and peace. I hope that as you look backward, you will see the good times and have joy; as you see the bad times may you see them for what they are - times of learning.

Sometimes I think that my life is so stressed that I have no more room for the bad times. In reality, though, I know that God is in control and that He will allow only that which I need in order to learn the lessons at hand. Thank you, LORD, for the lessons.

Merry Christmas everyone. I will likely not be on the computer too much in the next few days as I will be visiting family. I'll be back to approve comments and visit again soon.

Be sure to check out Thankful Thursday with Iris.

Thankful Thursday - December 16

I just have to share this gluten-free sugar cookie experience with you. I mixed the dough while my daughter rolled and cut out the cookies. I baked them and made up a few bowls of frosting, which Amanda then generously colored with food colors.

She frosted them herself....can you tell? Anyway, the cookies are scrumptious. I've wanted a good gluten-free cookie recipe for some time and was SO relieved to find this one. It calls for amaranth flour, which I don't have. I substituted corn flour. I also doubled the sugar. I am here to tell you that these cookies are delicious - even with the weird shapes and colors.

This week I am thankful for sugar cookies! It sounds like such a trivial thing, but when you've gone without gluten for almost a year and have been forced to eat a lot of stuff that tastes like cardboard, you rejoice when you finally get to indulge in something good - good tasting that is.

We've received some special blessings this week from friends. One showed up yesterday with $100 in grocery gift certificates. This was totally unexpected but totally needed. The Lord spoke to his heart, no doubt, and he listened and acted.

Another friend has donated her time and energy to make my oldest son a quilt from his old t-shirts. She has listened to the Lord speak as well.We didn't have a Christmas present for this boy and God must want him to have one - a very special one. When he opens it, I'll post a picture or two.

We are surrounded by people who are tender to the Spirit's leading. I feel that I owe a debt to "pay it forward" when I am able. A chorus we sang in church for years (and one that I learned to play on the guitar when I was younger) sums it up completely:

"That's how it is with God's love, once you've experienced it. You spread His love, to everyone. You want to pass it on." (Kurt Kaiser)

You can find more Thankful Thursday posts here.

Thankful Thursday - December 9

Everybody is meeting at Grace Alone for Thankful Thursday this month. I'm really late posting this, but I'm going to do it anyway.

In the midst of the storms in life, we can be sure that God hears our prayers. The Bible says that the prayers of the saints are a sweet smelling incense to him. I like that. "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." Revelation 8:4 (KJV) I'm trying to fit prayer into my daily routine - I spend countless hours in Bible study but I don't always put a lot into my prayer life. I'm going to change that.

Today I'm thankful that I can KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that I am saved.

"He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace." 2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV).

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." 1 John 3:1 (KJV).

"For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved." Romans 10:13 (AMP)

"And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:26 (NKJV)

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." John 11:25 (KJV)

I'm also immensely thankful for the Holy Scriptures. It's God's love letter to us.

Thankful Thursday - November 25

Thankful Thursday is hosted by Women Taking a Stand.


I hope everyone in the United States is having a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. We have a cold, rainy one. There was some ice during the night. One doesn't really "feel" thankful on these sorts of days. You know the kind - the house is dark, cold and dismal. Everybody's cold and nobody wants to move. The kids don't want to get out of bed to help Mom in the kitchen. For us, Dad is at work and won't be home until middle of the afternoon. That means Thanksgiving dinner won't be served until probably 3:00. And that means lots of grumbling, "I'm hungry!"

We're supposed to be grateful and find joy in all things, and sometimes that's tough to do. God promises a reward for those who remember to give Him the praise and glory in everything. Why give Him credit for the bad times, though?

For some of us who are now middle aged, we've learned that, although God didn't necessarily give us the hard times in our lives, He did bring us through the hard times. In the process, He took what was bad or hard, and used it for good. (Romans 8:28)

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for the hard lessons that I've learned. I praise Him for holding me in His arms when I could no longer stand.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

Thankful Thursday - November 18

It's getting close to Thanksgiving Day already - just one week left. Can you believe that it has crept upon us so quickly? I think it's a sign that I'm getting older because I can barely remember the time when a year took forever. It flies past me so fast now that I barely have the chance to get all of the things on my ever growing "to do" lists.

I'm thankful for the years I've lived on this earth thus far - and for the unknown number that I have left. I'm even more grateful that I have an eternity waiting for me after this journey has ended. Eternity here would be unbearable, with the aches and pains I seem to be gaining, but eternity in Heaven will be glorious and FREE!

We have had a good autumn so far, not too terribly cold yet. It's coming, though. This week I'm thankful for:

• My family
• Our pets - they make the days more interesting.
• Food on the table
• A wonderful church
• Facebook - I've reconnected with many folks from my school years and I'm loving the chance to talk to them again.
• My blog buddies, without whom I don't know how I ever got along without.

What puts a smile on your face these days? Remember the old saying, "Smile, God loves you!" Knowing that should bring you joy.

Laurie at Women Taking a Stand is hosting this week. Visit her to link up or to read the many thankful posts.

Thankful Thursday - November 4

Please visit Women Taking a Stand to find the link-up for Thankful Thursday this month. 

The entire month of October was an interesting one, to say the very least. My son (see pictures below) was working as hard as he could, in spite of severe illness and a shoulder injury, to pass all of the tests required to graduate from the police academy that he had been attending since early July. When it looked as if all would not work out, God worked a miracle. 

Josh passed all the tests with flying colors and graduated with the other cadets last week. That's not really the miracle, however. The miracle is that the boy who went into the police academy is not the man who came out of it. This young man has a stronger faith and a testimony that "God did it!"

THAT is a tremendous miracle and worth all of the money in the world.

So, this Thankful Thursday, I give thanks and praise to the Lord almighty for His miracles. I also give thanks for the many friends, fellow bloggers, family, and others who prayed and prayed for a miracle. NEVER underestimate the power of prayer. It is the weapon of choice against the dark forces of this world in which we live. 

Thankful Thursday - October 28

Lynn is hosting Thankful Thursday. I hope you'll visit her today.

This week I have much for which to give thanks. First and foremost, I want to extend a great shout of thanks to the Lord - and to you, for praying. My son, Josh, has passed the physical test that nearly kept him from completing the police academy. He will stand and tell you today that the Lord gave him the strength to pass. He had been very sick for months and had even lost muscle while taking hours of physical training lessons at school. Then, defensive tactics messed up his shoulder. Could he do the push-ups and sprinting that he needed to do? Well, not in his own strength...but in the power of the Lord.

I praise God for the blessings of added finances when we've needed them most. Some weeks my husband's paycheck (he's on commission) dipped below what we needed. Those were the very weeks that people gave us either groceries or money. None of the people knew we needed any of it. Praise the Lord for folks who are sensitive to the nudging of God.

Thanks to the Lord for friends. I've always needed them, wanted them, and treasured them.

Thankful Thursday is linking up at Spiritually Unequal Marriage this week. Lynn asks the question, "What victories has Christ given you?

That's pretty thought provoking for me. He's freed me from all that enslaves me - namely, SIN. My biggie has been worry. Worry doesn't come from God - it comes from the enemy who would seek to destroy us by causing us to doubt and to fear, to think that we cannot trust the Lord to take care of our needs.

Right now, my oldest son, Josh, is struggling to finish his final three weeks of police academy. This is something he has wanted pretty much all of his life. He's worked very hard to get to this point. He must pass a physical test of endurance and strength (consisting of sprinting, push-ups, sit-ups) this coming Monday. I am SO worried that he won't pass - he's really close, but we're not sure.

Is this worry for me or for Josh? Am I afraid I'll be embarrassed if he fails and has to retake the academy? I have searched my heart and I know that I simply want this for Josh - he's my son and I love him that much. The problem is, though, that I'm not putting my trust in Jesus enough to let Him take the burden. My job is to pray and to rest in His arms - and to encourage my son.

So, tonight, I'm letting the worry go. He's freed me from that and so much more.

Thankful Thursday - October 7

I spent last week in Indiana on vacation - or a trip, as Jay Laffoon says of such things. Hopping from one house to the next to please all of the extended family is not my idea of a great vacation. We did exactly that this trip. We actually stayed at a different house each day of the week just so no one person would be aggravated that we left them out. It was ROUGH packing and unpacking that many times. 


The main reason for this trip, however, was not to visit everyone. It was to allow me to spend time with my dad before he went into surgery for a hip replacement. We weren't altogether sure that he would make it out of the operating room without another heart attack. Praise the Lord that he had no heart attack and did very well. He is now in step-down care and will probably go home early next week. 


My thankful list this week includes:


1. My dad's successful hip replacement and continuing healing
2. My adorable great-nephew, with whom my sister and I spent an entire day in Shipshewana, browsing some great stores. 
3. My oldest son's continued healing from a fairly serious throat infection. He's on the mend now and working hard to pass his last physical strength/endurance test scheduled for this upcoming Monday.
4. As I see turmoil in our country and our world, I praise the Lord that I'm a Christian and that I know God is in total control. 
5. I'm so thankful that God gave us prayer. I'm seeing miracles because of prayer's power.


Please check out the other Thankful hearts here.