In I Thessalonians 5:18 Paul commands us to "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." How much I have to be thankful for! So many people have said to me, "After living like you did for a year, you sure deserve a nice house!" While I want to agree with them, I know in my head that I don't deserve any good gift here on earth. Each blessing is just that, a blessed gift from my Father that I did not do anything to deserve. Now, in my heart I can sure get haughty and start believing that I ought to be rewarded for the "sacrifices" I make or "good" I do for my family. But all I have to do is stop and look around me or revisit history for a moment to remember that each breath, each dollar earned, each precious child is a priceless gift that I could never do anything to deserve. So, here is my continued list of heart-felt thanksgivings as I utter a prayer beckoning my Father to fill my heart with unending thanks instead of rumblings and complaints.
191.a place to call home. I really do lay my head down most every night and say, "thank you, Lord" for this place we call home! I can appreciate it so much more after a year on the prairie!
192. a home filled with marital love. I am most thankful for this! That my children get to see their parents love each other and know that we love them. True, biblical love is nothing to take for granted; especially when you see divorce and unhappy marriages falling apart all around you.
193. a "new to us" car! Though I fought this purchase for while, I know my husband has only wanted to provide for and take care of me and his children. How could I not want him to buy me a car with that as his motivation?! He really is MY Knight!
194. cash to purchase a "new to us" car! This was a new experience for us and one that was filled with a few different emotions. BUT, what a HUGE blessing it was for 1. God to lay it on our hearts to save cash and not use debt for purchases 2. God to provide us with just the right amount of cash we needed. It was a scary, but fun 1st time experience! Praying for many more of these!
195. excess. Plain and simple - we have so much more than we could ever need. Our closets, our drawers, our bookshelves, our homes tell this much.
"For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required." Luke 12:48
196. no TV (well, no connection to the outside world at least!). This has been one of the biggest blessings for our family. We decided not to upgrade our TV from analog to digital when the rest of the world did and we, in turn, lost our signal. It was a challenge at first, for we enjoyed lazy nights watching whatever was on TV, but now we rarely miss it!
197. CR's health - Today I was remembering how sickly he was as an infant and toddler with all of his known and many unknown allergies. What a blessing his health is today! Praying now for Ellis to be healed of his allergies and asthma!
198. Amazing teachers! Though I sometimes miss my role as "teacher" during the school day, I am sure thankful for all the hard work our teachers do!
199. My husband's constant words of affection! Though I have a really difficult time accepting his beauty remarks, they sure are nice to hear!
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