So Much To Be Thankful For

Psalm 69:30

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Thanks Nate for Sharing This Picture!

Let me not forget the things for which I thank God for. I try to have a spirit of thanksgiving every day, but I am thankful for this time of year to put me back on track!

1. I truly am thankful for Jesus my Savior. As I get to know Him personally more and more, I am amazed at His deep love for me.

2. I am thankful for my wonderful, loving and supportive husband. We are truly one. I can say the same thing for him, that I am amazed at his deep love for me. It is absolutely true that our love and marriage are better today than ever before. I'm so thankful for the sacrifices and commitment my husband has made for me and our beautiful children. Its no easy thing, but he does it so, so wonderfully.

3. I am thankful for my oldest son. We are so much alike, and I love talking to him, and being with him. Because of him, I have been able to remember so much of my childhood. Things I liked to do, thoughts I had. I feel like through him, I am in a way living my childhood all over again. He is an amazing helper, with such a joyful spirit! I am also thankful for the second chance God has given to me with him. When he was a baby, my whole focus was on a schedule, and getting him to be apart from me, that I didn't necessarily focus on attaching to him, or letting him attach to me. While the love was there, no doubt, he naturally attached to Daddy (a wonderful thing on its own). As the years went on, I wish I could recapture that time, and do it differently as I have done with my littlest ones. That is where the second chance thing comes in, because the last few years, he indeed has attached to me and I to him, and the blessing of that is sweet. 4. I am thankful for my middle son. As much as my other son and I are alike, C and I are so different! But he is a carbon copy of my husband, both in looks and personality. Since a baby, he loves to be held, he loves kisses, and all things affectionate. He is the one who will notice when someone is sad, and be the first to offer a hug and a kiss and to say "I love you." That has taught me so much, as in my "old" age, in many ways I've become hard. This little man of mine has helped crack that tough shell, and helps make me as tender as a roasted marshmallow. I needed that, and God knew that C would be the one to help me get there. He too is a wonderful helper, and he is very unselfish and kind. Sharing is not a problem for my son, what a blessing that is! I am thankful that nearly every night, C comes in to cuddle with us and sleep the remainder of the night. Although some would find this terribly annoying, we find it a wonderful blessing! He loves to cook with me, and when he comes out of his class, whether at church or school, his eyes light up with pure joy just to see me.

5. I am thankful for my daughter, my third born, but first daughter. I always considered myself a "boys" mom, but the good Lord knew I needed her to remind me I am a woman and how special that is. As boyish as her brothers are, M couldn't be more girly. She inherently knows that girls wear pink and purple (although she does love putting on her brother's sweatshirts just the same), and play with dolls and kitchen things. She is a little girl born many years after her time. She loves the long dresses Mama makes for her the best, and responds with anything that makes her curious or concerned with "oh my!" She too is just like me, even down to loving to sleep :) Yes, another blessing for a mother! A little confession here is that most Saturday mornings, while the early birds (my husband and our sons) are up, M and I are sleeping in. I suspect she has helped my husband realize that we girls just need beauty sleep sometimes ;) She was born with the most delicate of hands and feet, not an ounce of baby chub to be found on them (hand and feet that is, baby chub found its way elsewhere on her ;) ). She still has the same hands she was born with, with her little crooked pinkies that I find so darling! She is content with her little toys and small spaces, and through her God has helped me be content with little and small. She is everything innocent to me, with her soft, girly voice, her smile and her kindness. It hit me not too long ago, that when the boys were her age, they naturally became very interested in what Daddy did, and the fact that they were a boy like Daddy. What occurred to me was that M most recently is interested in all things Mommy, what I do in the laundry, the kitchen, doing my hair, etc. My little rose is such a delicate and fragile blessing for which I am so thankful.

6. I am thankful for my little baby nestled under my heart, waiting for her appointed time to be born. She moves so much and so forcefully, and I am so thankful, for who has time these days to sit and make sure she's moving enough? Never do I have to wonder as this little blessing is spending many a day doing gymnastics ;) I am so thankful for yet another chance to be a Mama. God is so right when he calls these children, even in the womb, blessings.

7. I am thankful for my parents. They have always been there for me, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they would drop whatever they were doing to come help us if needed. I am thankful that after many years of living far from them, we now live close. I am thankful for their love for God, and that the sacrifices and Godly protection they gave to us as children, have helped me be who I am today.

8. I am thankful for my sister and brother and their families. No one can quite prepare you for how different the sibling relationship becomes when you are adults. But it is a wonderful thing. To watch our children love eachother so much is a blessing I never expected. Like my parents, I know my siblings would drop everything to come help if needed.

My sister's children are in the first picture of this post.

9. Okay, I have a hard time saying this one, but I've been convicted of late of my strong hate for my dog, but I truly am thankful for him. Its amazing to me how he knows the regulars who walk by and doesn't bother them, but should someone different walk by, he barks like crazy. It is protection that I just take for granted, and rather than let my annoyance with him build (that is wrong I'm realizing), I am choosing to be thankful for Donald.

10. I am so thankful I live in America. Too often we Americans can complain, Christians can be the worst to complain about it. Yet, do you realize the freedoms we have so we can do just that? We are rich, even the poorest Americans are rich compared to our world. We can gather to worship our God openly, and just have in general so many freedoms. I for one am very thankful for that.

I could go on listing all that I am thankful for, but the reality of it is, I have a home to manage, and a husband and children to nurture. I hope you have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving, full of feasting and fellowship. May the busy-ness of this day and every day, never get in the way of a spirit of thankfulness to our God for all He does and even all He prevents us from.

God bless you and yours.