Thursday Thanks Tank May 22, 2008

I can't believe it's been a few weeks since I've done one of these. I have been horribly neglectful in getting to it. Between the graduation and all the time consuming things that needed to be done and other things happening around the Living to Tell household, I just didn't get around to it. But no more excuses. Gratefulness and thankfulness, as a Christian, should be a daily part of my life. Not necessarily writing it down for all the world wide web to see, but as an attitude, a way I approach life. Sadly with all the busyness and stress, and running hither and yon, it was pushed aside. But today is a new day. Time to get back to a grateful attitude.

1. I am very thankful that that God loves me the way I am. As a human walking this earth, I am very aware that continuously I am making mistakes and have issues that need to be dealt with. I am so thankful God doesn't give up on me and quites loving me because I'm not perfect.

2. Along with that I'm so grateful for the blood of Jesus and God's forgiveness. I could not live a day without it.

3. Also along with that, I'm thankful that God takes me step by step into showing me what needs changing in my life. Sometimes it's so much, it's overwhelming. But He never gives more than what you can handle. Sometimes what He is showing is very painful, and deep rooted, but if I trust His work and His word, then He brings me through and I'll be the better for it.

4. I'm very thankful for all the hard work hubby does around the house. Before all the rain the has descended upon us, he was out scraping fence, readying it to paint, and putting a new front on the shed door. Work that takes hours, sometimes with hot, hot sun beating down on him. I'm so grateful for all that work, especially when I see neighbor's fences looking worse for the wear with each year that passes.

5. I'm very thankful that as my oldest's high school days are coming to a close, I can look back and say that it wasn't so bad. And I hope that she can too. When I think of how hard my high school experience was, and all the mistakes I made and not good things I got into, I'm thankful she was much more mature than I was at that age. We had a few hiccups and some challenges along the way, but all in all, it wasn't the fearful time that I had imagined. I am so thankful for that.

6. I'm so thankful that the job of digging up flowerbeds and putting in bedding out plants in done. Done, I tell ya. You don't know how happy that makes me. I love the look of flower beds, but I tell you I am not a gardener. I have changed the look in the front flower bed I don't know how many times. Obviously my mother's green thumb was not passed through the gene pool. I get ideas on what I'd like, but then it never turns out the way I think. So up I dig them the next year and move the plants to another spot, and they inevitably die from all the moving. They can never put down roots in their new homes. (Har, har). But this year, I think I finally found a combo I like. I really, really like it. I think even Katherine, the queen of self planned landscaping, gardens and flowerbeds would like what I did with it. And I think my husband has his hands raised in thankfulness that I didn't puncture the underground sprinkler lines with my digging again this year.

7. Although I am freezing to death and had to dig out a sweatshirt, I am thankful for the rain right now. It's going to make everything sooo nice and green and colorful. It's been dry, dry, dry around here in spite of the snow incident a couple weeks ago, so this rain is doing us good.

8. I am very, very grateful to hear that our missionary friends in China are all right through the earthquake that happened there. They live only about 60 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake but other than broken windows in their apartment and having to spend a couple nights out in a stadium because of aftershocks (with 5 children, mind you), they are doing good.

This was near their home. They have reported that fear has become a part of everyday life as reports of more tremors and aftershocks come. We pray for peace for them and the people of China and that the Lord would lead them as they endevour to minister and help the people there.

What are you thankful for this week? Pam at Without Fear is host to Thursday Thanks Tank. Visit her to find others who are posting what they are thankful for.

On more thing before I sign out for today, if you haven't heard the tragic news, Steven Curtis Chapman's young daughter was killed in a horrible accident at their home when their teenage son accidently hit her with the vehicle. Please pray for this family as they face the coming hard days.