Thankful Thursday

In an attempt to return to blogging, I'm joining others who are publicly giving thanks to the Lord. This week, I'm especially thankful for:

~the Word of God and the wisdom the Holy Spirit imparts to help me understand it

~wonderful, matchless, infinite grace and the evidences of it in my family

~an answer to prayer

~the coming end of a season that's both grown and strengthened my family

~friends who encourage and pray

~friends who have modeled 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

~a book that has offered instruction and conviction

~a book that has made me delight in its wandering prose

~a family outing to my alma mater for a baseball game

~the lingering warmth of a good conversation

Blessings all mine, with 10,000 beside!

Thankful Thursday

Praising the Lord this week for:

~a freshly painted living room and kitchen

~the man and the girl I worked with to make it happen

~answered prayers

~refreshment provided by a visit to this church

 ~a new Bible study

~these words...

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ~1 Peter 1:1-7

Thankful Thursday

It's been three years since the rug was jerked from beneath our feet. Three years since we started forging a new life. We're starting to grow comfortable in this place that looks remarkably the same and yet radically different. Sometimes I find myself slipping into old attitudes, old desires come stealthily creeping. I don't ever want to forget how the Lord brought us through. I never want to stop praising Him for it.

He is giving us an opportunity to do just that. Dear friends are now walking that same scary path of unemployment. As we approach the Lord on their behalf and seek to minister to them, we reminisce about our own journey and the faithfulness of the Lord. Reading through old blog posts causes me to catch my breath in wonder. How utterly dependent I was upon Him. How far I feel from that now.

And so today I am thankful, deeply thankful. Not just for an opportunity to serve friends, but for His loving call back to a place of remembrance, a place to raise our Ebenezer and say that we are here only by His help.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
~2 Corinthians 1:3-7, ESV

Thankful Thursday

We celebrated my girl's 14th birthday this week. The Lord has given us many reasons to be grateful these past 14 years. This week, I've been thankful for:

~watching her blow out those 14 candles, surrounded by a band of giggling girls

~her stand for something she believes in strongly, even though it's been hard and has pulled her away from people she cares about

~the way God is growing her through this difficult situation.  Watching Him work in her life takes my breath away.

~coming home early from work one day, only to find her studying with classical music playing in the background

~watching her read while I prepared dinner. I nearly asked her to put the book down and help me. Then I remembered all the years I've struggled to get her to read outside of school, and I kept quiet.

~her compassion for those in need

~that her pick for Celebrity Day at school was someone to be admired, rather than one of the many lesser options out there. (True, her decision was made easier because she has the hair to pull it off!)

~picking her up from practice and listening to her enthusiastically tell me about her day. The words come so fast I can hardly understand them all. I drink them in as much as I can, because I fear the alternative.

My girl is far from perfect, but as her Daddy said this week, "She's a good kid." And she is. Not because of her. Not because of her parents. Only because of God.

For you formed my inward parts; 

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

~Psalm 139:13

Thankful Thursday

Praising the Lord this week for:

~A long-awaited answer to a friend's prayer. Not happening the way we thought, but happening nonetheless and it's wonderful to see.

~A double date with my man and our closest friends to see this show.

~Football, football, and more football.

~The opportunity to teach and discuss things of the Lord with my girl.

~Friday night in with a good movie.

~A husband who motivates, inspires, and encourages me.

~Our youngest niece's baptism.

~Our oldest niece's birthday.

~Opportunities to guest post for Elizabeth and Jessalyn, and on the same day. As I jokingly told Jessalyn, apparently I'm storming the internet, one blog at a time.

~These words:

...we have nothing. Recognizing our innate destitution and bankruptcy is so freeing. It so strips us of self-reliance that our busy heart is able, at last, to find calming rest. It tells us that what we need to do is stop milling about, trying to find something we can do to make ourselves better. All we can do is sit down & trust that he is handling it. He's got lunch covered. He's got eternity covered. He's got our sin covered. All we can do is sit down & let him serve us. Amazing condescension & grace.
~Elyse Fitzpatrick
Comforts from the Cross: Celebrating the Gospel One Day at a Time
(emphasis mine)

 and these:

"I would to God that saints would cling to Christ half as earnestly as sinners cling to the devil. If we were as willing to suffer for God as some are to suffer for their lusts, what perseverance and zeal would be seen on all sides!
~Spurgeon

and, most importantly, these:

 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
~Isaiah 55:8-9

Thankful Thursday

~A date with my man. Sharing a pizza at our favorite local restaurant always does my soul good.

~Friends who pray.

~The bittersweet ending of a good book. I didn't want to let Francie go.

~The announcement of October's reading selection for The Book Club at Desiring Virtue. I ordered Fierce Women: The Power of a Soft Warrior the day Jessalyn told us about it.

~Thought provoking and encouraging discussions.

~Seeing my sister so happy as she said "I Do" to her best friend.

~The love and prayers of an older woman who ministers to me as a surrogate mother.

~Watching my girl mature physically, emotionally, and spiritually with more finesse than I could ever muster.

~The first day of Autumn.

"It is grace at the beginning, and grace at the end. So that when you and I come to lie upon our death beds, the one thing that should comfort and help and strengthen us there is the thing that helped us in the beginning. Not what we have been, not what we have done, but the Grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. The Christian life starts with grace, it must continue with grace, it ends with grace. Grace wondrous grace. By the grace of God I am what I am. Yet not I, but the Grace of God which was with me." ~Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Thankful Thursday

Praising the Lord for:

~September, the first of the "ber" months, ushering in my favorite time of year.  In anticipation of Autumn, I've already made my first batch of pumpkin muffins. I think I'll be breaking out the Autumn decorations this weekend to further celebrate.

~A week of cooler temperatures. Hallelujah and Amen.

~A weekend visit with friends who are always so gracious in opening their home to us.

~A fine start to high school for my girl. The work load is heavier, and playing field hockey along with that means she has to manage her time well. So far, she's been very responsible.

~Such a positive response to Out of the Ordinary.  It's been especially encouraging for me to see the number of women who want to fight like a girl. My partners in this group effort are much more learned and articulate than I, so please check out their posts. You'll be blessed.

~Safety during automobile woes last week, and my man and my dad who handled it.

~Real foods. After eating out too much lately, I'm happy to be back in the kitchen to prepare nourishing foods for my family.

~Every juicy tomato my man is able to coax from one of 16 plants. My freezers runneth over, impatiently awaiting sauce-making day.

~For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. (1 Peter 3:18)

Thankful Thursday

Praising the Lord for:

~Weekend dates. My man and girl had one Friday night, while she & I had one Saturday night. Hopefully he & I will have one soon.

~Safety during a rash of recent thunderstorms

~The opportunity to minister to my youth girls these past few years. Circumstances have taken me away from that ministry for the upcoming year and I'm heartbroken. However, I'm reminding myself how blessed I was to teach them, and that God is sovereign even in this.

~Dinner time conversations as we three read through Voices From The Past - Puritan Devotional Readings

~The end of an eventful summer

~Thoughtful discussions of the iron-sharpening sort

~The upcoming launch of a new group blog. I am deeply humbled to be associated with these women.

~These words: "God's grace is his unceasing loving commitment to a race that has acted in a way that not only does not deserve such love, but actually deserves the very opposite." ~Graeme Goldsworthy

~And these: "The Gospel is called the ‘good news’ because it addresses the most serious problem that you and I have as human beings, and that problem is simply this: God is holy and He is just, and I’m not." ~R.C. Sproul

~Most importantly, these:

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
    our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
    for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

~Psalm 116:5-7

Thankful Thursday

Thanking the Lord this week for:

~hugs and giggles from a 3-year old overnight guest

~completed projects around the house

~the man who's completed those projects

~the girl who's helped the man complete those projects

~cooler temperatures

~rain

~one last date with my college girls

~my girl saying "Nanny taught me..."

~upcoming opportunities to write outside of this little blog

~a visit with a widower in our church family

~impromptu ice cream dates

What shall I render to the Lord
    for all his benefits to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name of the Lord,
I will pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

~Psalm 116:12-14

Thankful Thursday

Praising the Lord this week for:

~A man who corrects me gracefully, encourages me constantly, and loves me fiercely

~An ever-strengthening bond with my girl.  The Lord is knitting our hearts together as she grows; I pray it will continue throughout her teenage years

~Love and encouragement from a substitute mother.

~Beautiful, haunting words

~The Lord's comfort and hope in a difficult situation

~The upcoming launch of a new blog, which I am privileged and honored to take part in with a group of wonderful Christian women.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

~Psalm 100:4-5 (ESV)

Thankful Thursday

It's been a strange summer - a girl too often gone, a schedule too filled, temperatures too hot, circumstances too difficult and grief too fresh. I have allowed myself to become mired in self-pity and melancholy.

Yet today I look to the words of Psalm 116 and see myself.

And I am reminded to be thankful.  This week, I'm thanking the Lord fo:

~Lunch with a sweet friend and her beautiful daughter.

~Words of encouragement

~Hot tea

~Cold medicine

~My caring husband and daughter

~Long-awaited good news from family

~A thought-provoking Bible study

~Iron-sharpening friends

~Tomato plants full of fruit

~A new ministry opportunity (more to come on that soon)

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
    our God is merciful.

The Lord preserves the simple;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.

~Psalm 116:5-6

Thankful Thursday

Giving thanks this week for:

~posts by iron-sharpening women.  Aimee's post on submission really hit home. Kim's words on gurus are wise, indeed.

~my girl's return for a few days. She's been gone quite a bit this summer and it's been rather strange.

~God's reproof and correction through Scripture. Handling a situation the way He wants, rather than how I want, brings such peace. Why is my heart so stubborn and resistant?

~garden bounty

~time spent with my 90-year old grandmother.

~a change in the way we live

~my man standing strong beside me as I look on Mama's name etched in stone for the first time

~air conditioning in these dog days of summer

~the Word become flesh

Thankful Thursday

Giving thanks for...

~the first fruits from the garden
~heart-to-heart conversations with my man
~household projects completed
~a good book - or two!
~thoughtful discussions with my girl
~hugs from my college girls
~breathtaking fireworks
~time to rest during a headache that lasted several days
~the end of a headache that lasted several days
~a girl who loves to help in the kitchen
~motivation to keep simplifying our home

Thankful Thursday

This week, I've been particularly thankful for:

~My loving husband.  He's held me while I've cried and called me on negative attitudes.  More importantly, he made me defend my position on something because he doesn't want me to be swayed. I must admit, I didn't take that as gracefully as I should have, but in retrospect I'm very grateful that he cares that much for me.

~Friends near and far who prayed me through last weekend

~Grace upon grace

~An answered prayer

~Miss Marple.  I'd forgotten how much I adore her!

~The time, energy, and motivation to continue to simplify our home. The more I purge, the more I want to purge!

What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday

I look at the calendar and my first instinct is to run. Duck under the covers and sleep through the weekend. But I am reminded that even though Mama isn't here to celebrate her birthday or Mother's Day, I have much to be thankful for.  As I prepare for my parents' birthdays this weekend, I'm thankful for:

~The things Mama taught me, especially cooking. I can't help but smile when I look at the last of the green beans we canned together last summer.  I'm savoring them all the more.

~My parents' steadfast love and support.

~A father who chose to be my Dad.

~The love my parents have given not only to me, but to my man & my girl.

~That CJ was able to spend quality time with Mama on the day she got sick, and talk to her on the phone when she was on the road to recovery.

~The fact that CJ loves to go fishing with Daddy.

~The privilege of  being the first member of our family to know Mama, and being the last one to say goodbye. Very fitting indeed.


~The peace I have about Mama's passing, and her eternal home.

~The blessing of being my parents' daughter. It's something I've too often taken for granted. We've never been a perfect family, but the Lord in His sovereignty put us together. And for that, I'm truly grateful.

Thankful Thursday

Giving the Lord praise for:

~His comfort, as I still mourn losing Mama

~His mercy

~His provision

~my dad, who is a master at fixing cars

~The Book of Hosea
  
And I will have mercy on No Mercy,
and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’;
and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’” - Hosea 2:23


~my dear husband, who loves me unconditionally

~spring rains

~a friend's successful surgery

~winning (in the same week!) a book from Persis and a CD from Jessalyn

~a new bookclub

~books that make me think

~music that makes me smile

~movies that open my eyes and  touch my heart

~wise words from a dear friend 

(Banner HT: Hollie)

Thankful Thursday

Praising God for:

~medical professionals who listen thoughtfully

~13 years with my beautiful girl.  We celebrate her birthday tomorrow

~CJ's willingness to fast on her birthday as part of the 30 Hour Famine

~the prayers of friends...always sweet and always necessary

~the beauty of His creation. A storm coming in over the ocean. The pounding of the waves. The majesty of an eagle in flight. Incredible to watch this week.

~traveling mercies

~His forgiveness and grace for a wretch like me

If you fix deep in your understanding the natural goodness of God, even this will fall far short of God’s actual graciousness.

~Richard Baxter

Thankful Thursday

Praising God for:

~long-awaited & much-needed answers

~cooler temperatures in the forecast

~friends who bow their hearts and knees to the Father on my behalf.

~a husband who loves me, even when I am selfish, ungracious, and unkind

~the mercy of God & the atonement for my selfishness, ungraciousness and unkindness.  Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe!

~the conviction of God regarding my place of service to Him and to my husband

~the upcoming turn of the calendar page.  One step closer to December and college graduation!

~His sovereignty, and the peace that gives. Although, I confess I need to keep reminding myself of it so that I don't give in to the temptation to micromanage our current circumstances.

~music floating through the air in our home as CJ practices the piano




*Banner HT:  Hollie

Thankful Thursday

Today I am giving God thanks for:

~the last day of school. A year of hard work, of stretching and growing both inside and outside of the classroom. I'd forgotten how difficult middle school can be.

~my girl's desire to live differently. She's not the most popular or athletic kid, but she loves Jesus. I'll take that over earthly accolades any day.

~a summer calendar that's virtually empty. Plenty of time for family fun and games, impromptu cookouts with friends, last minute trips to the amusement park, and church softball. The stuff that great summers are made of.

~weekly Bible study with a group of 9 college-aged ladies. They sharpen and inspire me. I'm so thankful they're allowing me to invest in their lives.

~the Holy Spirit's conviction this morning. May I be broken and poured out for Him!

Thankful Thursday

This week, I've been particularly thankful for:

~This post by Kim @ Lifesong. My poor toes were black & blue after reading it, but it was a good thing. In fact, it motivated me enough to become a member of the 6:00 a.m. Club. God & I are having a blast.

~A Godly husband who genuinely cares for the women in his life: his wife, his daughter & his mother.

~Watching CJ grow in her faith. Those baby steps are just precious!

~CJ's boldness in asking a family member if she'd ever asked Jesus into her heart. (the answer was "yes", but I'm not sure it's genuine)

~Wednesdays with Beth on "Life Today". If you haven't watched this program any day of the week, you will be blessed by tuning in. I especially love Wednesdays because I get to listen to Beth Moore!

~CJ's been invited to go to the beach this weekend with a friend. She would live at the beach if we'd let her. I'm glad she gets to go and end the summer with a bang.

~The Book of James. I'm taking my time studying it. It's really packing punch! I hope to share this weekend.

You can find out who else is thankful by visiting Iris @ Sting My Heart.

Melissa