Thursday Thanks Tank

Just popping in to do a quick thankfulness post. This day I am especially thankful for:

1. God's grace in the midst of our own weaknesses. Thank you Lord that you are always there.

2. I am so thankful for all your kind well wishes and prayers. It means more than you know. Whenever I get to feeling overwhelmed or frustrated another one of you leaves me an encouraging or kind word. Thank you so much for lifting me up when I'm down.

3. My family for stepping up and helping out without being asked.

4. My friend Elaine, who dropped everything and came right over to help me with the dayhome. I don't know what I would have done without her.

5. I'm very thankful that my son, with a freshly minted driver's license, is very willing to play my chauffeur until I can turn my head enough to drive myself.

What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday

I'm very thankful for this week for:

~a fairly easy start to the new school year. There's a couple bugs to work out but it shouldn't be too hard. Thank you Lord!

~I praise God He provided a job for hubby that started literally as soon as the other one ended. Thank you Lord.

~I'm so thankful for my Hoover rug cleaner. With a dayhome that thing comes in sooo handy! I'm thankful we invested the money in it and that they were half price. Thank you Lord!

~I'm thankful for school buses and those who have the gumption to drive that many kids in one enclosed space.

For more Thankful Thursday's visit Without Fear

Thursday Thanks Tank June 12, 2008

Thursday is here. Time to fill up on having a Thankful heart and attitude. I do notice when life has thrown a curve ball at me, as it has right now, that intentionally looking for things to be thankful for and writing them down really helps to keep my perspective. It keeps my eyes on the goodness of God, and how in this country I am in, even in hard times, I really am truly blessed. If I focus on the worries and things not going just right, I get really under it and it's so easy for me to start feeling very, very sorry for myself and then I walk around very cranky and mad. But looking at the blessings around me helps me to realize how many things are good in my life. Pam at Without Fear hosts Thursday Thanks if you'd like to join in too. I love reading other's lists. Sometimes it gives me a lightbulb moment and makes me go "Hey, I have that too! I'm grateful for that too!".

1. So it just makes sense that the first thing I'm grateful for is other's thankful lists. Thanks for pointing out all the wonderful blessings in your lives. It helps me to see mine.

2. Eyes to see. Oh the things I'd miss if I couldn't see. The greenness of everything around me from all the rain, the sun trying to peek through the clouds, the smile of the 18 month old in dayhome, my hubby's beautiful blue eyes, my kids being goofy.

3. Ears to hear. What I would miss if I couldn't hear. The sound of the congregation in worship on Sunday mornings, my Tia telling me daily that she loves me, the purring of my cat, the sound of the sprinkler running, a breeze blowing through the trees, the sound of children's laughter.

4. Arms that can hug. In love, in comfort, in joy. Arms that lift my hands in worship, that express my European "hands that talk" heritage.

5. Legs that stand me up to cheer someone one, that can make me dance in happiness, that let me run after 6 preschoolers, that take me where I need to go.

I know in this world that there are no guarantees and any of these in this life can go so I am especially grateful for them today, that I was blessed with all of them for one more day. May I never, ever take them for granted.

Thursday Thanks Tank May 29, 2008

It's Thursday. Time to purposefully and intentionally look back over the week and be thankful for the hand of God we see in our lives, filling up our tank with an attitude of thankfullness. Pam at Without Fear is the creater of Thursday Thanks Tank. If you'd like to join in, pop over and let her know.

-So thankful for the sunshine and blue skies today. After a week of solid rain it is so wonderful to have the blueness, the brightness and the warmth. To say nothing of being able to get the kids outside! Six pre-schoolers who have not been able to get outside for a week tends to bring out the crazy's.

-I'm thankful for crayons. I certainly am. Many happy minutes are spent on rainy weeks drawing and coloring with the kids.

-But I am thankful for the rain, too. It's been sooo dry around here. The farmer's are probably doing the happy dance after last weeks moisture.

-I'm very thankful for good friends. I don't know what I would do without them. They've really been there for me this last couple of weeks.

-I'm thankful for benefit plans. With all the dental and doctor visits and prescriptions we've had in the past few months, I am so grateful the costs to us was much smaller than without it.

-I am thankful for my coffeepot in the morning. And I am so serious about that. I am not a morning person and that black brew sure helps me to get my eyes open.

-I am thankful that the gas man comes out for free today to see what on earth is wrong with our furnace. Not that we'll need heat now that it's getting nice, but it's good to know your furnace will blow warm air when required and not cold.

-I'm thankful that we've been able to fill both of our vehicle's gas tanks this week. Heavens to murgatoid it's getting expensive! Here it's $1.29 a litre. Times that by about 4 to get a gallon price. Sheesh. And I live in an oil rich area.

What are you thankful for this week?

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.

Thursday Thanks Tank May 1, 2008

Well, yesterday the news came down. Finally. After months of the old rumor mill churning and chugging, it was confirmed and the employees informed. My husband's workplace is shutting it's doors this summer. Sigh. While the news is hard to take, it also sort of brings a type of relief with it. It's hard living and planning your life when rumors are swirling and uncertainity rules the day. It puts your life in a sort of limbo when it comes to making decisions. Such as vacation decisions. Do we listen to the rumors and put our lives on hold. Indefinitely. Do we just forget vacation plans and then if nothing happens we've given up a chance at an opportunity for a really nice family vacation? Our first really big one. Or do we plunge ahead with it, and put down all that money only to find out there is no job to pay for it? What does this do to moving Kay to another province for school? And what about the yearly things we do over the summer to upkeep the house? And purchases for the dayhome? I hate living in limbo.

But in spite of it all, there is much to be thankful for. And while my heart is uncertain and fear wants to rise and take over, I find that it is just such times that a Thankful list is imperitive in my life. Sort of like when the Isrealites built altars of remembrance along their journey to remind themselves of specific events where God lead them through. It puts my eyes on the goodness of God in our lives and helps me to remember all the other times I've thought the world was caving in, but God upheld me through it. When I thought there was no way out, but He was right there to walk me through it. That in times past, He has been my strength, my sheild, my high tower, my provider. That He is faithful. Sometimes I couldn't always see it when I was in the midst, but in hindsight, I could see His presence and His hand. So in that view:

1. I'm thankful for Pam for starting this thankful list and causing me to, most weeks, stop and be intentionally grateful for all the good things God has blessed me with.

2. I'm thankful that God has been there in the hard times and I can look back and think on and meditate on how he has got me through before.

3. I'm thankful, in this instance anyway ;v), that my husband and I are different personalities and from that comes balance. If both of us went off the deep end at the same time, that would not be good. When my faith drops, his seems stronger, and when he struggles, I can be strong. There is comfort and encouragement in that.

4. I'm thankful that I have a full dayhome, and I have such great, faithful families. I have truly been blessed in all the years I've done this, that I have had such wonderful families to get to know.

5. I'm thankful for massage therapists. Yes, I truly am. Cause I'm feeling a need for a massage coming on especially after this Saturday's highway clean up with the youth group. Can anyone say muscles that haven't been used since last year's clean up crying out in pain?

6. I am thankful that for the most part, my hand is pretty much back to normal. The strength is coming back in the wrist and the pinkie and I'm slowly working my way back to everything I was doing before. I'm so thankful that fall didn't turn out worse than it did. It certainly could have.

7. I'm thankful for Laura, who is like my little cheerleader in my mind, chanting "Purge, sort, organize". She, with her friendship, and her site are truly a motivation.

8. I'm thankful for spring like days. I love snow and winter but the days of snow this month was really enough for the likes of me. Oh, I know, living where I do that there will probably be a couple more dumps of snow before the end of May, but they'll just be here and gone in a day and won't be the kind that hangs around for weeks.

9. I am thankful that the family is healthy.

10. I am thankful that He asks me to "cast all my care upon Him for He cares for me". I Peter 5:7

I feel better already. What are you thankful for? As you look back over your life, where do you see that God was present and upholding you?

Thanks Pam for hosting Thursday Thanks Tank. Mine is filled up again right now.

Thursday Thanks Tank April 17, 2008

Time to fill up the Thursday Thanks Tank. Thanks to Pam at Without Fear for hosting and turning our hearts to being thankful for all the good things we are blessed with.

1. I am thankful for the Word of God. To be able to turn to it and recieve hope and instruction is something I never want to take for granted. So many around the world do not have access to the Bible or are not allowed to have it.

2. I am actually thankful for that snow. And yes, even that hail . It watered my dry and dusty lawn. April showers bring May flowers as the saying goes.

3. Thankful that the next day this is the weather we had.

And that is not even with any kind of filter on the camera to make the sky bluer. Like I said, if you don't like the weather around here, just wait a minute.

4. Thankful for the big event yesterday! No more having to force my hand into that splint. No more having to carry that thing around in my purse just in case I'm doing something that could hurt my hand.

5. Thankful for my carpet shampooer. Especially with 6 little ones under the age of 5 running around.

6. Thankful for a fenced in backyard, especially with 6 little ones under the age of 5 that need to run around and burn off some energy.

7. Thankful for my adirondak chair in the backyard where I can sit with coffee and book and watch those 6 little ones under the age of 5 run around. LOL.

8. I'm thankful for dishwashers. Very thankful!

9. And washers and dryers. I cannot imagine running down to the river and pounding with rocks or heating water over a wood fire and scrubbing with a washboard.

10. Goodness, I'm so thankful the Lord saw fit to put me into this generation and not one where I would have to do #8.

11. I'm thankful for this lovely award that first Barbara at Stray Thoughts and then Jen at My 3 Boys and I gave me. It came at a perfect time and really touched my heart. Thank you so much.

Slow Cook Thursday post below.

Throwing in my 2 bits and Thursday Thanks

Just in case anyone missed it on Idol Gives Back Night, the producers of American Idol, opened the results show last night with not the group song "Seasons of Love" but with "Shout to the Lord"again. Wow, and this time the name of Jesus was right there loud and clear. And without the Ben Stiller ending this time. Wow. Two weeks of lots of faith based songs with an all out worship song two days in a row.



In case you missed it or can't get enough here is last night's results night performance.

I think it's amazing. I know there has been lots of hullabaloo over the internet about it. Lots of hashing it out and analyzing it. My thoughts? I personally think God works in mysterious ways. If He knows of one person out there who would be brought to Him He works things together for that. Only He knows hearts and what the impact these last two weeks of songs with faith and His goodness had on the singers, the cast, the cameramen, the musicians, whether they were believers or not. Can you imagine how many times they went over the song memorizing it, then in practice and rehearsal? Those words were washed over them every time. And the impact on the audience watching. He knows if there was but one heart who needed to hear those lyrics. He uses what means He will. Who am I to put Him in a box, after all he used a lowly little donkey to speak to a prophet, he used an unknown person to cast out demons in the New Testament ( Luke 9: 49 - 50), he used marching in silence of all things to cause Jericho to fall. For 7 days. Round and round. And round. I'm sure had we been around then we would have been questioning that too. His ways are not my ways and I am not privy to everyone's hearts and all His workings. Only He is. And I pray that the Holy Spirit was able to minister to each and everyone of them through it in the way that He knows they needed. May it be a moment they will never forget and a pivotal point they can point to and say the Lord touched them that night! And I applaud the producers for taking the risk. And millions got to hear that nothing compares to the promise they have in the Lord.

By the way, right now it is also the #1 download on iTunes. What a message that is sending to those in the music business!

And with that I'm moving into filling up my Thursday Thanks Tank a day late. Because I really, really want to do one. I've been sadly negligent in doing this since breaking my hand, but I really missed doing it. There is something about actually sitting down and naming the blessings from the Lord that have come your way during the week. It changes your focus and builds your faith.

1. I am thankful that the Lord is my Saviour, my love, my comfort, my shelter, my tower of refuge and strength. I am so thankful He is there, even when my humanness doesn't sense it. I am thankful His Word says He will never leave me or forsake me and that He is trustworthy. I will Shout to the Lord my thankfulness that He sought me and reached me and didn't give up on me.

2. Did anyone notice anything different? Look again. Jules (Everyday Designs), the wonderful designer of my site, did a bit of spring sprucing up and gave me a new background. Okay, can anyone say, totally me. I looooove it. I've always loved the swirly stuff, so I'm beyond thrilled. I may not be able to spruce my house up right now for spring, but by golly, thanks to Jules, my 'lil ole site got a sprucing up! Thanks Jules. If you want a new spring outfit for your blog, Jules is great to work with. Go on over and talk to her.

3. I am thankful to my dear hubby and my teens for taking up the extra slack with chores and even with helping with the dayhome kids during this last 5 weeks. My dear hubby has shelled out for take out more often than we ever normally would and I really appreciate that!

4. I am so thankful for my pastor's wife who immediately took the time to arrange for meals to be sent to me for a whole week when I first broke the hand. That she would take time from her very busy schedule and not delegate that really touched my heart. She even came and helped me with the dayhome one day. I am truly grateful for her friendship. I have never met a pastor's wife quite like her.

5. I am very, very thankful for my friend E. who dropped everything for days to help me out. She was totally there for me and continues to be as I have regular appointments with the OT and the surgeon. I don't know what I would have ever done without her.

6. I am thankful for all my blogging friends and for your wonderful words of encouragement, your cards that made me smile, and your emails to let me know you didn't forget about me. I am amazed at this blogging world I have found and how you all were there to lift my spirits when I really needed it.

7. I am thankful for good books. I am very thankful we have incredible access to books. And that our children have access to books. That is an incredible privelage we sometimes take for granted.

Thursday Tanks Tank headquarters is over at Without Fear and hosted by Pam.

Thankful for Love

Photo Credit: Maria Kouvara, Greece

Happy Valentine's Day everbody! May you have an extra special, extra sweet day!

Today I'm going to do my Thursday Thanks Tank to be grateful and thankful for the husband, friend, and partner that God has given me to share this life on earth with.

~I am thankful that my hubby loves his family. Where would we be without that husband and fatherly love holding the family together.

~I am thankful that my hubby is a hard worker. He works hard at work and then he comes home and runs me errands or on his day off works to upkeep things around the house. I am very grateful for that.

~I am very thankful that hubby is the kind of guy who really does try to bless and please me.

~I am thankful that hubby loves to give me little surprises that I least expect.

~I am thankful that hubby loves and raves about my cooking.

~I am thankful that he recognizes that even though I love to cook that sometimes I need a break from it.

~I am thankful that my hubby loves the Lord.

~I am thankful that he gets up early each morning to pray and seek God.

~I am thankful that he's not too macho to wash the stainless steel pots and pans each night.

~I am thankful that the Lord saw fit to bring us together!

Love you Sweetie!

Thursday Thanks Tank February 7, 2008

This week has been a tad on the hectic and rougher side, so I'm going to practice what I preached here in this post and stop and count my blessings. Refocus my eyes on the good things going on around and not just on the negative.

1. I am very thankful that there are teachers out there who are willing to put in a little extra time to students who are struggling.

2. I am thankful it warmed up a bit around here and got us out of the frigid cold.

3. I am thankful for the blessing of a vehicle basically always available when it's needed.

4. I am thankful for the blessing of youth leaders willing to take my youth and build relationships with them.

5. I am thankful for the blessing of wonderful kids in my dayhome with families who communicate with me for the care of their children.

6. I am thankful for the blessing of a full fridge.

7. I am thankful for the blessing of my daughters' senses of humor. They each have their own very different sense of the funny and I appreciate both.

8. I am thankful for the blessing of my son playing hockey with the dayhome boys. It makes their day when Jay gets home from school and he spend half an hour with them.

9. I am thankful for the blessing of nobody being burnt with hot lasagna sauce and cheese in the great lasagna incident of 2008. After a good cry, it was cleaned up lickety split.

10. I am thankful I had listened to intuition and bought frozen pizza on my last grocery shopping trip, and that it was on sale. Therefore we did have supper that night within a short time.

Pam at Without Fear hosts Thursday Thanks Tanks.


For a great crockpot ham recipe scroll down to Slow Cooker Thursday.

Thursday Thanks Tank January 24, 2008

I could not let today finish with doing a Thursday Thanks.

So this week I am thankful for:

-Quiet evenings. It's been a bit hectic of late, but for the most part our evenings this last week have been pretty quiet.

-Warm coats. It's been a touch chilly out this week, so I am sure glad I have a warm coat to bundle up into.

-Helping hands. I am very grateful to parents of my child's friends who are willing to come and pick her up for practices and performances this week when neither me or hubby are able to do so.

-Devotionals. It always amazes me how the Lord uses these to speak a word in season to me.

-God's grace. I really could not live without it. I am so thankful He does not give up on me.

-Grandma's. My sweet mom who blessed my daughter by giving her money towards her grad dress.

-Pam at Without Fear for starting this Thursday Thanks Tank to help us focus on all the wonderful ways that God blesses us on a daily basis. Head on over to her place for more Thursday Thanks or to join in.

Thursday Thanks Tank January 17, 2008

1. I am thankful for my big 'ole comforter and duvet cover. There is nothing so nice as getting under that when it's cold outside, which it is. And bonus: it makes making the bed, oh, so easy!

2. I thankful for my little dog Samson. (Pictured here and here). This little guy has much to teach me about unconditional love. He is always there to love up on me no matter what my mood is. And he keeps my feet warm at night.

3. I'm thankful for the Word of God. And how blessed we are in this country to be able to have it in our possession. It brings me comfort, strength, conviction and direction. To be honest, I don't know how I ever lived my first 20 years without it.

4. I am thankful God is my provider. He knows exactly what I need. It's me that needs to remember to cling onto him and cast my cares to Him. Way too often I try to provide my own needs and then wonder at my frustration. I am thankful that I can take it all to Him and He will provide exactly what I need.

5. I am thankful for my friends. I am so grateful I am able to get together with them once in a while and just have a good time full of laughter and encouragement.

6. I am so thankful for my slow cooker. I think I use this small appliance more than any other. Well, other than my coffee pot.

What are you thankful for today?

Thursday Thanks Tank January 3, 2008

Today I'm going to combine my Thursday Tanks Tank with a fun list that DCRMom at Musings of a Housewife posted yesterday. The list is simple: Things I Love Right Now. I think that goes wonderfully hand in hand with a Thankfulness post, don't you?

The things I love right now and am very thankful for are:

1. My hubby. We had such a wonderful time off together during the holidays. We don't get much time off that happens to coincide so that was really nice. And he's such a great help when we have a house full of company, making sure the coffee pot is always full and and cold drinks are always offered. That takes such a huge load off.

2. My kids luaghter. It's been nice to hear that laughter throughout the holidays. It's become extra precious as I know come September one of my chicks will be leaving the nest.

3. This movie. We went to this for my birthday and it was such a fun ride. I love this series. The humor was fun, the adventure like a roller coaster. Yes, there was a couple predictable moments but we all left the theatre smiling and I'll definitely be buying the DVD.

4. The Sound of Music. The perrenial holiday movie. Kay gave me the DVD for Christmas. She'd been looking for a couple years for it for me. I never get tired of watching it and what would a "These are a few of my favorite things" list be without it?

5. The snow outside. I love the snow. The weather has been quite mild. We haven't had any -30*C weather out here. It's been just nice.

6. The grapefruit vanilla reed diffuser in my living room. It's such a lovely, subtle smell.

7. My new camera. So much better than my old one. Very user friendly which this techno illiterate user needs.

8. My van. I wanted a van for so many years that everytime I get into mine I say a prayer of gratitude. And I've had it a year and a half now. I'm just so thankful for it!

9. Lunch out with my friends. Such a rare treat. And I get to go this Saturday.

10. Chocolate covered coffee beans from Bernard Callebaut. Two addictions in one small package satisfied. If you have a minute peruse their site, especially the interactive chocolate map and drool. And guess what? They do ship to the U.S. You'll thank me for that tip.

If you'd like to join in and fill up your Thanks Tank go over to Pam's and let her know you've done one in the comments. Or if you'd like to read other favorite things or do a post of your own you can visit Musings of a Housewife.

Thursday Thanks Tank December 13, 2007

This week I'm very thankful for the simple things in my life. With the busy season well upon us, it's easy to lose sight of the wonderful, everyday kinds of things God blesses us with as we are caught up in the Christmas rush and business. It truly does help with the stress of season to focus on those things we have been blessed with .

~I'm thankful for my washer and dryer. It seems to be going full force lately and I can't imagine having to wash clothing with a tub and washboard.

~And along with that, I'm thankful for my vacuum cleaner, although it is not this one which I am coveting, wanting asking for, it does the job, and hey, I'm not outside beating my carpet with a stick.

~I'm thankful for the snow that we've had. I love snow and in my case it really puts me in a holiday mode.

~Hand in hand with that, I'm so thankful for my snow tires. ;v)

~I'm so thankful for my big, 'ole comforter and duvet cover. What a pleasure to get under that on the cold nights. And it makes for super simple bed making. I'm all about simple bed making.

~I'm thankful for those devotions I have read all this month by different women on their sites that help me to keep the focus on Jesus and the real reason for Christmas. I'm thankful for all your different perspectives and thoughts and insights.

~Even though I'm not a baker by heart, I'm so thankful I have the opportunity to do just that. This may be the last year having my oldest at home everyday during the month of December and I am happy to be bake for her enjoyment.

If you would like to join in, grab the button and let Pam at Without Fear know in the comments so that we can come and read yours.

Thursday Thanks Tank November 15, 2007

Thursday is here again. I can't believe how fast the weeks are going. It seems like I just did last weeks Thanks list.

1. Days off - I actually took a day off this last Monday. I can't believe how much I can get refreshed and get my perspective back when I just have a day totally to myself. The kids were in school, hubby was at work. Yes, I had lots to do, but just not having someone always needing something from me was like a mini-holiday. I even got to go out for lunch with a couple girlfriends which hasn't happened in, like, a year. Thank you Lord for a day off.

2. Early Christmas sales - Yes, I sure am. While the kids were gone on their youth conference hubby and I went and beat the crowds and bought the main part of their Christmas gifts. Shhhh, sorry can't tell you because they read my blog sometimes. Hahaha, you'll never guess kids, what we got ya!

3. My woman's bible study - I cannot write how thankful I am for this study. I have never attended a study quite like this one. The atmosphere is so relaxed and the ladies are encouraged to freely share what they are thinking or questioning or wondering. I've always only had studies where you basically listen to someone teach. But I have learned way more in this type of study.

4. No wind - I am so thankful that the 4 day long wind fest is over. I don't know what it is but the air pressure changes and works on your feelings when the wind is howling for four days straight, day and night. Gusting up to 75 km/hour, it was a blowing. Everything on my deck was being blown around and I couldn't even take the kids outside. Did I ever mention that 6 kids + no outside time = very wound up kids?

5. Vehicles - With all the running around I've had to do this week, I'm very thankful for my vehicle. I can't imagine how I would get things done if I had to catch buses or walk to everything.

6. Dentists - I actually am very thankful for a good dentist. Can't imagine not being able to have my teeth fixed when something is wrong. And yet so many in our world do not have access to dental care. It's really hard for us here to imagine that.

7. God's Grace - In doing yesterday's post, and thinking back to the notorious "year I lost my head", I am so thankful that Jesus went to look for and save this lamb who was so lost. I can see His grace even when I was totally going down the wrong road. Things could have turned out so much more badly if not for God's grace towards me. Thank you, Lord!

If you'd like to participate, grab the button and head over to Pam's at Without Fear and leave a comment so that we can come and read your thankful list.

Thursday Thanks Tank November 8, 2007

It's Thursday already. Where on earth did the week go? It's time for some intentional giving of thanks. Filling up the tank. Developing a grateful heart instead of a complaining one. Looking at all the blessings instead of the problems. I like that.

~This last weekend wrapped up this awesome ministry at our church. It is just my favorite thing to be involved in. I'm so grateful that we have an opportunity to give to children who have nothing. To be able to make a child, who is in extremly difficult circumstances, have a smile and feel like someone actually cares about where they're at. To be able to help a great ministry like Samaritan's Purse be able to help whole villages and give a helping hand to pastors in the area. Yup, I'm very humbled and grateful to be able to participate.

~I'm so thankful for the home that the Lord has provided for us. While not big and fancy and new, it meets our needs perfectly.

~I'm thankful for the challenges of the last week. For it makes me cling to God. And gives me opportunity to see God work in my and my family's life.

~I'm thankful for all those wonderful people out there who work with youth. Linda, that includes you. There is such a need for youth to just know that people out there care about them, understand where they are coming from, people who know their issues and enjoy being with them in spite of it. Those who are not afraid to get silly with them and do things that could cause bodily harm to the older body on a regular basis. My hats off to you. You have my undying gratitude and thanks.

~I'm thankful for the wonderful friends I've made in blogland. Seriously, you don't know how many times you've ministered to me with your thoughts, insights, kind words, or just plain outspokeness for the things of God. The cards you've sent and the phone calls you've made have sometimes just been exactly what I needed at the time. I'm thankful for you in my life.

~I'm thankful for my "real life" friends, too. I'm so grateful I can call on you, laugh with you and know that you are there for me.

~I'm very thankful that God loves me. In all my imperfection. With all my mistakes. That He forgives those mistakes and is my Rock and my High Tower that I can run too in the rough times. I'm so thankful God is immovable and doesn't shift with cultural fad that comes along. He is solid. And for that I am very thankful.

If you'd like to join in, grab the button and head over to Pam's (the blogger formerly known as Peach)Without Fear and let her know in the comments so that we can come over and join in thankfulness with you.

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Thursday Thanks Tank November 1, 2007

Time for filling up my attitude of gratitude again with Thursday Thanks Tank.

1. The beautiful weather. I'm extremely thankful the weather has been just beautiful here this last month. While it's definitely fall, the days have been crisp with a nice warm sun. We've been able to go outside to play almost every single day, which if you have 6 preschoolers running around is imperitive. If you wanna know crazy, take 6 preschoolers, add a dash of bad weather, throw in a cup of too much candy from last night, and you have the makings of crazy. So I am very thankful for nice days.

2. Chaperones. I'm so thankful for people who step up and volunteer to chaperone a group of teenagers, which includes my three, enclosed in a large van for a 6 hour road trip to go to a youth conference. Without that the kids could not go. Thank you, Lord and bless these brave souls.

3. I am thankful for God's provision. After the shock of recieving this which heretofore will forever be known as the great surprise bill of 2007, I am very thankful for God's provision in our monthly finances. While we haven't the proverbial dropping of twelve hundred dollars out of the sky, our bills have been met for the month. Praise God!

4. I am thankful for the Lord using friends around us to encourage us. On a day when I totally needed some encouragement I get this in the mail from Ann (better known as Pastormac's Ann). It's a lovely hand made card with an encouraging scripture on it. An absolute treasure to me right now. She had in no way known that I would totally need this when she mailed it, but God did. And amazingly it got delivered on the perfect day. Thanks Ann! And thank you Lord!

5. I'm very thankful for the Word of God which never changes even though the circumstances around me might. It it solid and something that I can cling to and count on.

If you'd like to join in on some intentional thankfulness and praise, head on over to Without Fear and let Peach know in the comments so we can come and visit you.

**If you haven't yet entered the draw for the signed Amy Grant print, you can go here.**

Thursday Thanks Tank October 18, 2007

It's Thursday already and Thanks Tank day. So much to be thankful for. So getting right to it.

~I'm thankful for all the wonderful friends I've made through blogging. It still sort of blows my mind how this medium could have brought such wonderful women into my life who encourage me.

~I'm thankful for my son's quirky humor which got me laughing the belly laugh for a good long time last night at something he did.

~I'm thankful for the new youth leaders at our church. They are bringing a freshness into the group that is wonderful to see after a hard year. I pray God bless them and leads, directs and annoints them to be able to touch our youth with a fire and passion for the things of God.

~I'm thankful for my pastor's wife. She's a wonderful, strong woman of God who really extends grace to people. She's a wonderful role model.

~I'm very thankful for the beautiful fall days we've been having. The kids and I have been able to go outside and play everyday for hours. It's just beautiful. My favorite time of year.

~Which makes me very grateful and thankful that I have eyes to see the beautiful colors, skin to feel the warmth of the sun, a nose to smell all the wonderful mustiness of fallen leaves, ears to hear the crunch as I walk through them and also the ability to walk to be able to make them crunch.

~I'm thankful I still get to make huge leaf pile for little kids to jump in and throw around and giggle as the leaves fall all around them. If I didn't have a dayhome this little blessing probably would not occur too often around our house anymore.

~Although older daughter does love fallen leaves and raking them. So I do see it once in awhile. And I'm thankful she's got my love of fall.

~I'm especially thankful that God cares for me and is our provider. I'm so grateful that He tells me to "cast all my care upon Him for He cares for me" (Phillipians 4). How grateful I am that He wants to take my cares and burdens and lay them before Him, that I don't have to carry them on my own shoulders.

If you'd like to joint the Thursday Thanks Tank grab the button and head over to Without Fear and leave a comment saying you've done one. Would love to read what you're thankful for.

Photo Credit: Ali Taylor, UK

Thursday Thanks Tank October 11, 2007

I am absolutely craving to do this today. Not because it's a wonderfully fine day but because it isn't. Funny how, now that I've started to do this, when things aren't going quite right, I'm now desiring to do a thankful list. It gets my perspective back. Takes my eyes off the "Oh, woe is me" track and back on the Lord, where my eyes should stay in the first place. It points me to how many blessings I really do have in my life rather than meditating and rehearsing in my mind the thing that isn't going right. And really, if I place that before the Lord and cast all my cares upon Him, and trust Him, there is blessing in the hard things too. So on I go and if you'd like to do one too, just grab the button and then go on over to Peach's (the sweet lady who started Thursday Thanks Tank) and let her know you've done a list so we can be thankful with you.

-I am very thankful that my children are safe today. I am soooo grateful I got to hug their necks and give them a kiss and put them to bed in their own beds. Praying for those families who have injured family members in Cleveland, Ohio.

-I am thankful for my hubby, that he goes faithfully to work each day in a job that can't be easy at times. I can only imagine sometimes how hard it might be to get up and go again to a job where he has to listen to a lot of angry complaints.

-I am thankful that both hubby's and my mom's are still alive. Hubby's mom is 84 and my mom is 75. I was so grateful to have the both of them sitting in my house on Thanksgiving Day sharing our meal with us. I'm also thankful they are in the same city as us, nice and close by.

-I am thankful that God is my provider and He tells me to bring all my concerns and anxieties to Him because He cares for me. I am so grateful I don't have to carry them on my own.

-I am thankful for the Word of God. I thankful that I can cling to it, stand on it, read it and count on it. I am very grateful that I live in a country where I can have 10 different translations if I so choose sitting on my coffee table for me to delve into. I pray for those who do not have those freedoms that even allows them to have a copy of the Word of God in their possession.

-I am thankful for reading and books to read. For they take me away on adventures. I am very grateful for the library in my city to go too. Not everyone has access to books and libraries. It is a very great privelage.

-And as always I am so very thankful that Jesus Christ found me and made me His own. I am scared to think of where my life would be right now if He was not in it.

Thursday Thanks Tank Sept. 27, 2007

Today is one of those days when I am glad that I started doing the Thursday Thanks Tank. As the banner says it's to fill up my "tank" with thanks. Looking at those things for which we can be thankful changes our perspective and how we approach things and it sets our focus to a great big God who is at work in our lives whether we realize it or not.

For whatever reasons, allowing myself to get overtired, allowing myself to cross the line from being frustrated to being angry and then wading into the muck of a pity party and guilt corner, I woke up feeling blah and down. So onward to fill my tank:

~I'm thankful for Thursday Thanks so that I can get my focus back and get my eyes back on Jesus.

~I'm thankful every single day for God's forgiveness purchased for me by the death of my Saviour, Jesus, on the cross. Every day I count on it. I can't live without it.

~I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit who convicts me and doesn't just leave me there, but then gives me the abiltiy to take that being sorry and turn it to repentance.

~I'm thankful for God's word which a light unto my path.

~I'm thankful for God's provision in my life.

Thursday Thanks Tank was started by Without Fear.