even though

Thankful

Even

Though

1.  i am kind of sad to be downsizing, i am looking forward to using the skills this big house has taught me.

2.  the cold water is hot(because it is 200 degrees here in Columbia), we have water and it is clean.

3.  i needed a little break from my precious girl, i miss her something fierce and can't wait to wrap my arms around her:)

4.  selling our house is a pain(i mean who really wants to keep their house tidy everyday?), i am thankful for the encouragement i am getting because it feels so much better to have a clean house.  motivation...baby:)

5.  it is sometimes hard to trust in the Lord with all my heart, i am learning that it is easier to trust and rest in Him than trying to have control over everything.  control makes me crazy.  trying to give it up.  it feels pretty good too;)

6.  the daddy cardinal's have left the premises, i am thankful for the momma cardinal that has perched outside my window.

7.  i will miss the beautiful yard, i am thankful for the love i have developed for working in the yard. 

8.  it was hard to tell my son about my real father, what a joy it was to tell him about my earthly and Heavenly Father!

9.  it is hard to get rid of "stuff", it actually feels good and liberating.  it is just "stuff."

10.  we have a 7 hour trip ahead of us, we are going to have a glorious weekend with family in Alabama:)  WHOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!

Day 30

Wow.

Today is Day 30 of my journey on giving thanks.  

I can honestly say that I feel different.

I feel better.

Wow.

I am going to post some of the things I have found that I am thankful for:

 

1.  Breathing Out and Breathing In
by A.B. Simpson (1843-1919)

Jesus, breathe Thy Spirit in me,
Teach me how to breathe Thee in,
Help me pour into Thy bosom
All my life of self and sin.

I am breathing out my own life,
That I may be filled with Thine;
Letting go my strength and weakness,
Breathing in Thy life divine.

Breathing out my sinful nature,
Thou has borne it all for me;
Breathing in Thy cleansing fullness,
Finding all my life in Thee.

I am breathing out my sorrow,
On Thy kind and gentle breast;
Breathing in Thy joy and comfort,
Breathing in Thy peace and rest.

I am breathing out my longings,
In Thy list’ning loving ear,
I am breathing in Thy answers,
Stilling every doubt and fear.

I am breathing every moment,
Drawing all my life from Thee;
Breath by breath I live upon Thee,
Blessed Spirit, breathe in me.

 

2.  "God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him....choose joy."  Jim Elliot

3.  "Too many people miss the silver lining because they are expecting gold."  Gitzen Girl

4.  "I am simply overwhelmed with thankfulness to Him."  C.J.  Mahany

5.  Over time, choosing gratitude means choosing joy."  Nancy Leigh DeMoss

6.  "And above all these put on love, which binds everything together."  Col. 3:14

Day 29

“Difficulties for which I am and will be grateful:”

I like your determination in the “I am and WILL be grateful.”

1. This is so shallow. I am thankful for the bull frog that is going crazy in my back yard right now. I mean it is the most annoying sound, but there are now tiny frog eggs growing in our pond. My son proceeded to tell me all about them and when I said, “son, how do you know all of this?” He replied, “Well, mom I read the book about the life cycles of frogs.” So, every time I hear that bull frog, I smile because my boy loves nature. I mean really loves nature and I thankful for his excitement over God’s creation. (It really is amazing….stay tuned because I am going to take pics and put them on my blog:))

2. I am thankful for my real father. Even though we don’t talk and most likely never will. The Lord has really used him to teach me what a Real Father is like and for that I am eternally thankful. My heart has been broken more times than I care to even think about. But, the joy, peace and love from the Lord are the Best Band-Aid ever. He is the best wound Healer.

3. Through all the difficulties, He teaches me so much. It never ceases to amaze me at all He has us His sleeves. So, I am thankful for sanctification.

4. I am thankful that even though it was hard for me to get pregnant and many tears were shed, I was able to have a baby. And He gave me the sweetest boy ever. I am thankful that M is such an affectionate child. He has taught me a lot about accepting love and not turning it away or running from love.

5. I am thankful for the trials that my husband and I have had in the past. These trials were not fun, but they have played a part in the restoration of our relationship. HE has redeemed our broken marriage and made it something beautiful.

I am too tired to proof read. Please forgive me:)

Day 28

1.  So, so thankful that my girl is alright.  She woke up from her nap and was coming down the stairs and took quite the tumble.  Bless her heart.  I actually shed tears.  It scared the mess out of me.  For Real.  She is one tough cookie.  Thank you, Lord for protecting her.  Thank YOU!

2.  Thankful for such a fun morning with friends:)  

3.  Thankful that I am thankful;)

4.  Thankful for my momma.  Maybe this is a repeat, but let me tell you....she is pretty awesome.  My mom and dad are having a rough time as of late.  She sent me an email recently that asked us(my sister's) to pray for the people that have hurt them.  Such a sweet example of seeing Christ.  Love instead of hate.  Love instead of anger.  It doesn't mean we don't hurt.  Or that we aren't disappointed.  I am proud of her.  She has been through a lot and I respect and love her more now than ever.

5.  Three words:  Diet Mountain Dew. 

Day 27

I am going with the theme of the past post.  Quotes or scripture I am thankful for.

1. “God’s faithfulness never fails us.” I have this little business card thingy in my kitchen window sill. I love being able to look at it while I am loading and loading the dishwasher. Two things I absolutely loathe.

2. “I will trust and not be afraid.” Isaiah 12:2

3. I love that I continued to read the rest of this chapter in Isaiah and it goes like this. God is so cool. Period.

“for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day:
‘Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name be exulted.’
‘Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.’
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 12:3-6

4. For some odd reason I just broke out my handwritten journals. I have been scared to open them for months, but this is what I found.

“We cry too often to be delivered from the punishment, instead of the sin that lies behind it. We are anxious to escape from the things that cause us pain rather than from the things that cause God pain.” G. Campbell Morgan.

I wrote this in my journal five days before my husband lost his job. Five days before I started graduate school.

5. “God certainly blesses our prayer and our hopes, but to break cycles and provoke lasting change we must be willing to deliberately cooperate with Him.” Beth Moore. Boy, this is so hard to even type. But, oh so true. I need to be more willing to cooperate with Him and this is where true joy is found in Him. I believe it now.

Day 23, 24, 25 and 26

Better late than never.

I am going to write specific quotes from people that have made an impact on me this week.  

1.  Ann Voskamp's words,
"Maybe more than scientific, conclusive evidence of the reality of a Greater Being moving the strings behind the vaporous veil of the universe, maybe the dark depths of us really long for the filling of a wounded, weeping God who doesn’t write answers in the stars but writes His ardency in our scars.


With His scars.


Maybe in ditches and by death beds, maybe we aren’t seeking evidence of God as much as we are seeking an experience with God.


And maybe that is precisely what God has given, day after day, right here in the midst and the mess —- not hard evidence, but a holy experience. 

2.  A hymn we sang at church this past Sunday, "How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.  Dear Name! the rock on which I build, my shield and hiding place, My never failing treas'ry filled with boundless stores of grace."  Trinity Hymnal "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds."

3.  3 John 1-4
¹This letter is from John, the elder.
I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth.
² Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. ³ Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth. ⁴ I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.

4.  "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might."  Ephesians 6:10 


5.  "My heart is ruined because there are no more PopTarts."  La.....please pray for patience, love, calmness with my girl. 


6.  "Of course you suffer.  But, your suffering is part of God's providence in your life; he is working out his purpose through it.  For in his plan, suffering leads to glory and helps to create it(Rom. 8:17).  Suffering is the friction which polishes our graces.  Without it we would be all the poorer as reflectors of the image of His Son."  Dr. Sinclair Ferguson


7.  "You are never more Christlike than when you feel another's hurt and seek to help."  Warren Wiersbe

Day 21 and 22

1.  making $19 today at a yard sale.  note to self: plan a little better.

2.  Blue skies.

3.  Big and fluffy clouds.

4.  pistachios (but not the whole bag that I just ate.)

5.  trusting in Jesus.

6.  stepping out in faith and being ok with our house selling or not.

7.  cleaning out feels so good.

8.  thankful for feeling grateful because it feels so much better than being grumpy, worried, fearful or apprehensive. 

9.  a standing fan blowing on me all night long leads to dreamy sleep for moi.  i am in love.

10.  sweet potato fries.

11.  good smelling lotion.

Day 19 and 20

1. I slept 8 hours last night. Wonderful. Refreshing. Amazing.
2. Peace and quiet today. My kiddos are with my in laws:-D
3. laundry only took 2 hours instead of 5 because the kids were not here.
4. chicken on the grill cooked by my fabulous hubby.
5. my sister’s….Anna, Amelia and Susan.

6. tired of being a worrier.  enjoying being grateful.  

7.  "Gratitude Attitude"  truly inspired because of my friend, Lauren

8.  obedience equals happiness happens to be very true I have discovered lately.

Day 18/1000 gifts

68.  fabulous, fun, spontaneous date night with L and good friends.

69.  climbing a rock wall and making it up half way.

70.  wings and raw fries(extra crispy).

71.  growing children.

72.  the ability to walk and go wherever I want to go.  (Would you please pray for the Denny's?)  Please watch the video that my amazing friend Lorien did for them....get some kleenex.

73.  m loving to read.

74.  being inspired to step out of the box and not do everything just "so."  

75.  Jesus.

Day 17

1. a voice. I know I need to learn to keep it shut sometimes, but I love in this verse he says, “Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.” verse 2. He saved me and I have a voice, whether I say it inwardly to myself or to someone else. I am thankful for a voice.

2. i am thankful that your (my friend Lauren:)) dad raised a pretty awesome kid:) aren’t you proud….i used my voice to give a witness;)p.s.  she has started a gratitude endeavor.  click on her link and join in!

3. ice cream with creamy peanut butter all swirled up in it and the ability to lick the bowl:)

4. the realization this morning that I can specifically pray for my real father in a way I hadn’t imagined before.

5. coupons and dave ramsey

I was pretty lazy and copied what I posted on Lauren's blog:)  

Day 16

1.  a fun week at the beach

2.  my bed at home that is calling my name

3.  buttered popcorn

4.  dt. dew

5.  sweet text messages from friends

6.  laughter

7.  boot camp that will begin again when we get home

8.  the four year old boy who asked if he could play with my sister (La)

9.  a tan

10.  my sister's

Day 14 and 15

1.  old Dukes of Hazzard cars

2.  girl time

3.  watching the sunset by myself on the beach

4.  a little girl playing pretend with her stuffed animals

5.  baby lizards

6.  Francine Rivers 

7.  my parent's

8.  La is thankful for Jasper(our dog)...she is helping me:)

9.  I love mama...awwww;)  melt my heart, baby!

10.  the trees, the blankets, the beds and sandcastles on the beach

11.  M.....

12.  the pool

Day 13

Trying real hard today.

Got some news that my parents aren't coming to the beach.

The reason.

Well, I can't really talk about it here.

I will say this:

"Money is never more important than people or relationships."

My parents have been done wrong....a little Bama' slang for ya.

I did find myself grasping for things I am thankful for.

1.  a long run down a beautiful street.

2.  a few hours alone at the beach.

3.  seeing a husband kiss his wife on the forehead at the beach as he strolled her on the beach(she was in a wheelchair.)

4.  riding waves with La.

5.  jumping waves with La.

6.  seeing my children having fun with their daddy in the ocean.

7.  carrying La on my back down the beach to get slushies.

8.  blue and red stained mouths.

9.  leftovers for dinner.

10.  telling my children about my childhood dog, Brownie.  she was the best.

11.  the stork that landed on the beach right by a little girl fishing.

12.  rubbing the sand through my fingers.

13.  Titus 3:9-11

14.  stacy's pita chips on the beach.

15.  pina colada's on the beach

16.  family. friends.fellowship.

17.  Jesus

18.  Grace

19.  Mercy

20.  Love

Day 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12

So, I am on vacay.

I am combining a few days.

1.  "I love seeing things you don't see everyday."  M's comment while at the beach with his dad.

2.  having a water gun fight with M.

3.  sunsets in the clouds.

4.  baby alligators swimming in the lagoon.

5.  squeals from my kiddos when a man caught a shark and then almost dropped it on them.

6.  "I think I am allergic to sharks."  La's comment after the shark almost dropped on her.

7.  Thankful for humor.

8.  "You like my braids?" My girl flirting with 2 boys at the pool.  What am I going to do with her?

9.  Starting a new book.

10.  actually napping and not feeling guilty.

11.  sugar free, fat free chocolate pudding

12.  Palmetto Cheese

13.  I don't have to weigh in this week.

14.  I don't have to weigh in this week.

15.  I don't have to weigh in this week.

16.  seeing a son taking pictures of his mom and her not knowing he was taking them.  so. sweet. and. precious.

17.  La asking about our wedding tonight.

18.  good coffee that awaits me in the morning.

19.  my new fav toenail polish  Commander in Chic.  It. ROCKS:)

20.  letting go of the past.

21.  open and excited about the future.

1000 gifts

55.  This precious girl and her momma, Donna. 

56.  watching my boy on the dock fishing.

57.  laughter and squeals at the beach.

58.  my girl, who is always eager to make new friends.

59.  smores dripping down faces.

60.  sleeping in until 8:30 this morning......ahhhhh!

61.  not feeling guilty about sleeping in.

62.  lazy days on the beach.

63.  jasper our doggie...he has been so good on our trip.

64.  God's Word 

65.  even the fact that children have continued to stir up trouble between each other, they still have each other.  

66.  Also, the gift of knowing that we are not perfect only He is.

67.  His Grace and Mercy.