Thankful Thursday

I'm joining Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey for "Thankful Thursday". Be sure and visit Sonya and see what everyone is thankful for this week. Maybe you'd like to join in--all you need to do is list 5 things you are thankful for this week.

My 5 thankfuls for this week:

• I'm thankful that my internet seems to be finished with its "on again-off again" mode and I can sit down and post this!

• I'm thankful that my children feel that they can confide in me (even though it did cause me stress! (see warmHarte)

• I'm thankful for the Word of God and the comfort and wisdom His Word brings me.

• I am thankful that I saw two geese swimming and diving in the creek for fish today!

• I am thankful for prayer--seeking solace and understanding from God--and receiving answers in sometimes (really most of the time!) unexpected ways!
  

Beth

Thankful Thursday

I'm joining Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey for Thankful Thursday. Please stop by and visit Sonya and all the participants of Thankful Thursday!! Would you like to join in this week?

Here are my 5 thankfuls for this week:

• After spending almost 5 days in bed with a fever which reached a high of 104, I am finally feeling somewhat semi-human today!

• I am thankful for everyone who prayed for me and had me in their thoughts during this illness. What a comfort this is knowing that others were praying for my healing.

• I am thankful that Miles (my kitty) healed herself with no complications after her surgery because I surely wasn't up to dealing with any problems regarding this.

• I am thankful that my son and daughter were both caring and loving during this time--going to the store for me, driving me to the doctor, and my son even vacuumed the entire house (without my asking him) while I slept through it! (Yes, he even vacuumed my bedroom and I slept through the entire process!).

• I am thankful that my daughter Cara's boyfriend is a follower of Christ. Another person in her life who is subtly planting seeds. I think I see a few sprouting here and there!

There is so much more to be thankful for this week, even through the ups and downs of my illness. I thank God for watching over me always, keeping me safe from harm and allowing me over 24 hours of nonstop sleep to help along my healing process.

Beth

Make sure to stop by warmHarte for the ABC's of the Word!

Thankful Thursday

I am joining Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey for Thankful Thursday!! Please stop by and visit Sonya and see what everyone is thankful for this week!! Maybe you'd like to join in!! It's easy--just list 5 things for which you are thankful.

Here's my 5 "thankfuls" for this week:

• A safe, incident free move to my new home!

• My son, Andrew, for going back with me to our former apartment and helping me clean. He really pitched in and helped with this, and I am so grateful because I was exhausted!

• Sitting on my deck and watching the sunrise over the creek and then later in the same day seeing 5 ducks swimming upstream (I'm still wondering where they were going and why they just didn't float along instead of struggling against the current!).

• Sleep--Having spent a few weeks getting ready for this move--packing, moving, unpacking--I was absolutely exhausted. Being an early riser of usually 4 a.m. (sometimes earlier!), I was shocked to discover that I slept straight through an evening until 11:30 the next morning!

• My daughter, Cara, for coming to my new home, bringing all the ingredients and cooking dinner for us and then cleaning it all up, too!!

And there you have it!! I have much more to be thankful for this week and every day of my life. But, these are the 5 "standouts" for this week!!

Beth

Thankful Thursday

I'm joining Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey for Thankful Thursday!! Be sure to visit her and see what all the participants are thankful for this week!!

Here are my 5 "thankfuls" for this week:

• I am thankful that my daughter, who suffers from severe asthma seems to be on the road to recovery, without too much medication, and did not require hospitalization. This is the time of year that she has been hospitalized for this three years in row!

• It snowed just a little bit yesterday--just enough to cover the trees with a dusting of snow. When I came home from work there was a bright red male cardinal sitting in a tree right outside my bedroom window. This was a beautiful sight--the brilliant red of the cardinal against the white of the snow. I'm thankful that I was in the right place at the right time and was able to see this--not quite quick enough to get a picture though!

• I am thankful that after this snow changed to a bit of freezing rain, my son arrived home from work safe and sound, without incident.

• On Monday, I had the opportunity to hear a young woman who is a missionary speak. She is leaving for East Asia in July for a two year term there, coming home for a short period and then returning. She talked of the culture there and what she will be doing which deals mainly with human trafficking. I'm thankful that I had this opportunity and that God used this time to open my and several others eyes to this horrific tragedy.

• And I am thankful for cardboard boxes!! I have used many of these packing during the past few weeks, and I am so grateful for them! Just makes my life a little bit easier at this point!

And there you have it!! My 5 "Thankfuls" for this week!!

Beth

Thankful Thursday

I'm joining Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey for Thankful Thursday. It's easy to do--just list 5 things that you are thankful for this week. Please be sure to visit Sonya and all those participating to see our "thankfuls". Perhaps this is the week you'll decide to join in with us!

I have so much to be thankful for this week, I don't even know where to begin.

• My most amazing thankful is the home that God has provided for me--restoring to me what had been lost in the past. It is quite the story. I know some of you have already read this, but if you haven't you might want to stop by warmHarte and take it all in. This is God in action and showing up in a big way to answer my prayer of 5 years. There are enough thankfuls in this alone to make up for more than 5.
  

• It's very windy out today, and I am thankful for the wind. I've always loved the sound of the wind, the power held in the wind:

When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses....Jeremiah 10:13

• I am thankful that God has renewed emotions in me. God created us with emotions, and mine were "on hold" for many years. I am now able to cry tears of joy (yes, sometimes sorrow) freely--tears that were held inside for so long.

• I am thankful for the unusually warm days that we've been experiencing lately. It feels like Spring outside. I know that this won't last, but I'm enjoying the warmer weather while it is here. It is so nice to just put on a light jacket to go to work, instead of the usual bundling of heavy winter coat, scarf, mittens and the scraping of the ice from the car while waiting in the freezing cold for the car to warm up!

• And, I am again thankful for geese!! I mentioned geese a few weeks ago--how I saw them flying over the parking lot at my work, standing there watching them line up in their "V" formation. As I was leaving what will soon be my new home, there was a flock of geese flying overhead again--honking noisily, totally disorganized. And I stood and watched them in what will soon be my driveway--lining themselves up in their "V" formation. And as I watched them, I was completely overtaken by the VASTNESS of God's love for me.

And there you have it!! My 5 thankfuls for this week. As I said, the first one alone is much more than 5, and I am completely amazed by how well God knows me, inside and out, and saw to the all the details of fulfilling my desires in answering my prayer. I didn't even ask for some of them, but He knew and blessed me with more than what I was praying for. Thank you, God!!

Beth

Thankful Thursday

I'm joining Sonya at Truth for the Journey for "Thankful Thursday". Being thankful is a wonderful thing and helps us to focus on the positives of our lives instead of the negatives.

Stop over and visit Sonya, see what everyone is thankful for this week!! Maybe this is the week that you'd like to join in and share what you've been thankful for during the past week. All you need to do is list 5 things that you are thankful for. Surely, we all have at least 5 "thankfuls"!!

Here are my "thankfuls" for this week:

• I'm thankful for the series my Small Group is studying--"The Life You've Always Wanted" by John Ortberg. I'm learning so much about the life that God wants me to live and enjoy.

• I'm thankful that I have finally made the commitment to start exercising. I don't like to exercise, and I have been putting this off for a long time. This is something I need to do, and I'm hoping that it will energize me. Maybe I'll be able to get up off the floor and visit some other posts after this exercise session. And, I'm hoping that instead of dreading exercise that I'll come to like and look forward to this!

• I'm thankful that I didn't have to scrape ice from my car windshield this morning as I've had to do every other day this week.

• I'm thankful that even though I slid through an intersection in some of this ice that no other car was coming in the opposite direction, and I arrived to and from work safely.

• And, I am thankful that I finally learned how to knit bobbles after many, many attempts and that I was able to do this without getting frustrated. Much patience involved in this one!

• I have to add one more beyond the 5!! I am thankful for wordle.net. I love to create wordles, and I just had to do one tonight. I used my previous post, and here's how it looks:

It's a little small, but I think if you click on the picture, it will enlarge so you can see it more clearly.

Have a very thankful day!!

Beth

Thankful Thursday

I'm joining Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey for Thankful Thursday!! Please stop by and visit her and all the other participants to see what we're thankful for this week. Maybe you'd like to join in!! It's simple to do. Just list 5 things that you are thankful for this week, and then link back to Sonya's.

Here are my 5 "Thankfuls" for this week:

• I am thankful for my son who made homemade chicken noodle soup for me during my recent illness with strep throat. It soothed my throat as well as my heart to know that he was concerned and caring for me. I didn't even know he knew how to do this! (I did offer a little help with the list of ingredients, but after that he was on his own!).

• I am thankful that despite the snow and then ice we received yesterday everyone I know arrived safely to work and then home again.

• I am thankful that I am loved unconditionally by my God. He has led me to places in my life that I never would have discovered if not for Him working in me and through me.

• I am thankful for God using the internet as a way to learn more and more about Him, drawing closer to Him each and every day through others and their insights. I still stand in amazement of how God is using this medium to bring me and others closer to Him.

• I am thankful that our new blog, "The Lighthouse of Prayer" is up and active. God pressed this issue hard upon my heart for many weeks. I prayed and prayed about this--how to even begin this, how to find the time to fit this into my schedule, and God has led and directed me and others through this process. Now, I pray that He will lead others to "The Lighthouse" so that we may intercede with them through prayer.

• I know this is more than 5, but I have to say that I am thankful for the hot cup of coffee that I am now drinking before my work day!

Be sure and stop by and visit Sonya today, and most of all, be thankful!!

Thankful Thursday

I'm joining with Sonya for "Thankful Thursday". Be sure and stop by and visit her to see what everyone is thankful for this week. Maybe this will be the week that you decide to join and list just a few of the things that you are thankful for.

My thankfuls this week:

• I am thankful that God is opening doors for me in a mission that has been placed in my heart for quite a while. The doors are beginning to open in this direction, doors that only God could open. He has a plan for this mission. I feel this in my heart. Lord, help me and the others involved in this ministry to hear Your voice and follow Your Will for this mission. Guide and direct us as to Your plans, Your purposes in this. Use us as Your hands and feet to bring guidance, warmth, comfort and Your Word and peace to others. This mission is all for Your Glory.
  

• I am thankful for the new books that I received in the mail yesterday so that I may dig deeper into God's Word and increase my prayer life with Him.

• I am thankful that my son, Andrew, has taken the steps to further his education. In the turmoil of our lives when he was younger, he did not graduate from high school. He started taking classes last week to prepare for his GED so that he may attend college. This first class was basically placement tests. Last night, the teacher at these classes told him that he is already at college level, does not need to take the additional preparation classes and is ready to take the test. He was so excited that he called me on his drive home. What a boost in his confidence and the knowledge that yes, he does have the ability to accomplish this goal in his life. Yes, I am thrilled with this knowledge, also!!

• I am thankful for my job. Yes, that was a hard one to even write. My job is mentally taxing and stressful from the minute I walk in the door to the minute I leave to come home. I have questioned whether or not this is the place where God wants me to be. But, I have come to realize and understand that God will use me wherever I am. I just need to be more conscious of His voice speaking to me through my day as to how to respond to certain situations--showing His love for others instead of my own frustrations. And in the state of our economy where many do not have work, I am thankful that my job is secure.

• And lastly, I am thankful for God's creation. Did you see the moon last week? It was spectacular!! God in all His Glory shining His evening light!! And God saw that it was good!! If you didn't see the moon, check it out here. I "just happened" to have my camera with me and was able to catch a picture on my way to work.
  

So, tell me--what are you thankful for this week?

Beth

Thankful Thursday

I'm joining with Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey for "Thankful Thursday". All you need to do is list 5 things that are you are thankful for during the past week. Surely, we all have at least 5 things that we are thankful for! Just click on the picture above and you can see who is participating and read all of their thankfuls, too!

Here are my 5 thankfuls for this week:

• I was ill last weekend. While lying in bed on Sunday morning, feeling like a load of bricks had been dropped on me, I rolled over and looked out my window. There was the most beautiful sunrise I have seen in a long time. All colors--orange, red, yellow, purple and a little blue just peeking through. I am thankful for seeing that sunrise. I was feeling lousy, and this lifted my spirits beyond belief.

• I was leaving work one day last week when a flock of geese came flying overhead--honking noisily. They were completely out of their usual "V" formation. I stood and watched as they maneuvered themselves into position--with one flying at the head, all the rest falling in behind in their typical formation of a "V". And I marveled at this--how do they know who gets to lead and who is next and who is at the tail end? Or do they take turns? I am thankful that I was in just the right place at the right time to see another of God's great creations, how He has created them to know exactly what to do, when to fly south, and the formation in which they are to fly.
  

• I am thankful for my Small Group--my very close spiritual family. We had a time off during December and had our first meeting of the year on Monday evening. It was wonderful to be together again after this break--the renewing of each others' spirits by being with one another and studying God's Word and His plans and purposes for each of us.

• I am so thankful that my son is beginning to realize his potential in his life and has made the decision to return to school. YEAH!! GO, ANDREW!! I'm so proud of you!!! God is working in his life whether he realizes this or not.

• I am thankful for the hope that I have in my life. Everyday I see others with no hope--feeling discouraged, downtrodden, beaten. My hope lies in Jesus Christ, and there I will stay. Lord, please use me however You wish to show others the hope that lies in You.

And there you have it--my 5 thankfuls for this week--although there are many more!!

Please visit Sonya and see what we all are thankful for this week. I know that everyone can find at least 5 things that they are thankful for--great or small. Maybe you'd like to join in with us and share them!!

Beth

Thankful Thursday

I have been so busy lately. Work, Christmas projects, children, just everything! And God is calling to me today--calling me to His side to just be still and listen for His voice.

The post below by hisfirefly really had an impact upon me. I have read and reread and reread this again and again.

So, today, I am thankful that God has love for me, to speak to me and tell me to be still and just know that He is God, everything is in His control.

A big thank you to Heartlight for the above images and Scriptures. I have pondered and prayed over these verses this morning, and through God's Word, I have been able to obtain the stillness He is calling me to. And make sure to search and read the words in the clouds in the next to the last picture. I wouldn't want you to miss this!!

Beth

Thankful Thursday--Only Grace

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” ~ Romans 5:1-2

When I think of the word "grace", I am reminded of how God loves me, sometimes in spite of myself.

I have written before about how I was such an angry and bitter person before Christ came into my life. Now, I want to tell you about a missionary rally that was held at my church last summer, a rally in which I was invited to participate.

We had what were called "flash card testimonies". On one side of the card were one or two words which described how you were before you knew Christ and on the other side were words describing the changes in you after you knew Christ.

I thought and prayed about what to put on my card, talked with others who knew me about this. After much deliberation, I had the words "Angry" and "Bitter" on my before side, and "Peaceful" and "Calm" on my after side.

How did I come to be this calm and peaceful person? Only through God's grace!!

So, here is my thankful list for today:

• I am thankful for God's grace in my life, His changing me from the person I was to the person I am today.
• I am thankful that God is not going to leave me this way--He is going to work in me and through me to continue to make changes in my life in my pursuit of holiness.
• I am thankful for my friend, Linda, for obeying what God had pressed upon her heart, planting the seeds, watering the soil, and standing by me in my "transition time" until I fully came to Christ.
• I am thankful that God uses me everyday and makes me aware of opportunities to share His love and grace with others.
• I am thankful that through God's grace to me that I have learned to extend grace to others.
  
• Most of all, I am thankful for Jesus, for giving up His life for me so that I can spend an eternity with Him.

"Only Grace" by Matthew West
From the album "History"

There is no guilt here
There is no shame
No pointing fingers
There is no blame
What happened yesterday...has disappeared
The dirt has washed away
And now it's clear

There's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only grace

You're starting over now
Under the sun
You're stepping forward now
A new life has begun
Your new life has begun

An' there's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me...it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only grace...

And if you should fall again
Get back up, get back up
Reach out and take my hand
Get back up, get back up
Get back up again
Ohh...get...back...up...again...

There's only grace...
There's only love...
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough...it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only...there's only...grace...

There's only mercy and believe me it's enough...it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only...grace......
So get back up...get back up again...
Get back up again.